Almost never plan, but always have the right food around. There's always a leftover "something" in the fridge, eggs, cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados, a bag of washed spinach, sausages in the freezer and other frozen tid-bits that can be microwaved.

I don't usually have a "typical" meal - that is protein and hot vegetables. That leaves a lot of flexibility for putting quick meals together and minimum clean-up. Two or three flavourful cold things are the norm, like half a spicy cornish hen and cucumber sticks with lemon and olive oil or what I had for breakfast which was cold steak that had been smeared with tapenade and leftover rapini with garlic, anchovies and lemon. I chopped it all up, added a bit of tomato and ate it out of a bowl.

When I shop, I buy whatever strikes my fancy with leftovers in mind.

Karen