Food Lush

A Different Spin on Carrot and Raisin Salad

by Jen L.

 

Have you ever had carrot and raisin salad? My mom goes nuts for it when she sees it on a menu. Chick-Fil-A has it as a side, but it's got mayonnaise on it, so I won't go near it.  I've been bringing salads and such for lunch lately, and the other night I made a warm salad that involved brown rice, roasted sweet potatoes and black beans. I thought it would be nice to have something cold to go with it. I dug through the crisper and discovered a huge bag of matchstick carrots I'd forgotten about.  Not wanting them to go bad, I decided to try a new spin on carrot and raisin salad, one I might actually like.  I went to my old standby dressing, Kraft Anything Dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette. I mixed about 2 cups of the matchstick carrots with 3 big snack boxes of raisins then tossed the salad in a light coating of the dressing.  (I taste-tested first to make sure raisins in balsamic viniagrette wouldn't be nasty.)  It was pretty good. I let it sit overnight, then tried it again before I committed to packing it in my lunchbox.  It was REALLY good.  The cold salad was a perfect accompaniment to my warm main dish.  I ate it as a side twice, then put the rest atop a bed of spinach with some other veggies for a delicious lunchtime salad.

If you'd like a good break from the normal side dishes that won't leave you feeling greasy and guilty, give my alternative carrot and raisin salad a try.

(Bad iphone photo by me.)

 

Grown-Up Lunchbox

by Jen L.

I got a new job for the new year. Hooray! It's in a neat part of downtown Birmingham (Alabama) which is not lacking in charm, but IS lacking in dining options.  I park in an employee garage, so in order to go somewhere other than Subway for lunch, I'd have to trek to the garage, get my car out, drive ten minutes, grab food, then come all the way back, blah blah blah.  That's fine occasionally, but bringing my own lunch provides for a much more relaxed work day.  Two dear friends got me this great little lunch kit for Christmas:

At first glance, I thought, "aw, that's cute!" but figured it wouldn't hold enough to fill me.  I was wrong. This thing is deeper than it looks. It holds a chicken breast and a couple of veggie options, or as pictured above, a salad and a side, which is what I like to bring. The little divider is removable, so you can fill the whole thing with one dish or separate a couple of things. On days when I do happen to venture out, I fill this baby with pita triangles, veggies and hummus or fruit for a mid-afternoon snack.  The fork and knife are made of heavy plastic that's easy to wash, yet holds up well. They snap into the lid for easy keeping. It is dishwasher and microwave safe, which makes it just about perfect in my book.

And the best part? This cute lunch kit (also avail in red) can be yours for a mere $4.99 at World Market!

Image credit: WorldMarket.com

Lunch on the Run: Bumblebee Tuna Salad Kits

By Nora

I just started a new job recently, and after working full-time from home for 4 years I now have to actually commute to an office 2 days a week and interact with other human beings (Boo-frickin-hoo, I know). Anyway, I realized pretty quickly that I was going to be very busy and that time for lunch would be limited on those days I was in the office. I am sometimes good at preparing my lunch the night before, but often, NOT (it's not that i'm lazy, I just like to spend my few toddler-free hours at night sitting on my butt watching bad TV and not moving).  But you know what? I found a really awesome solution to both my lack of desire to plan ahead and my lack of free time for lunch. 

I've actually known about these tuna kits for a while, but rediscovered them when I was cruising the grocery store aisles for lunch inspiration last week. Since I last had one of these, Bumblebee has actually made them a little more sophisticated by adding a fruit cup and a cookie (although you can buy the kit with just the tuna, mayo, relish and crackers). it's such an awesome, compact lunch option, and I can just throw it in my purse from the pantry and i'm all set. I'm not saying that I eat these every day, but on those days when I haven't planned ahead, they are an afternoon-saver for my rumbling tummy. 

(Photo from Bumblebee)

Roasted Chickpeas

by Jess M

Like many people (most? it seems), now that January is here, I am trying to eat better, healthier, and exercise more. And as I've mentioned in other posts, I have a bad habit of eating terrible, convenient things during the day. It's very filling and super easy.

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas
1 T olive oil
1 t soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mix olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper, then toss with the chickpeas. Spread onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until crispy on the outside, still tender on the inside. (You may have to taste test a couple)

I first used this recipe for roasted chickpeas and here on Tasty Kitchen there are several different variations. 

You should probably share these; they make a great happy hour snack with a beer. They are also a really great alternative to plain chickpeas on top of a salad. However, I sometimes just eat them all for lunch. And if you eat a whole can of chickpeas for lunch you likely won't be hungry the rest of the afternoon.

(Photos: me)

Quick and easy Greek pasta salad

by Elsha

I've been visiting my sisters for the last several days (they live in the same town) and I always think it's fun to be in someone else's kitchen to see how they do things. What kind of food do they cook on a regular basis? Which foods do they consider "staples"? How is the kitchen organized? 

Anyway, for lunch one day, one of my sisters threw together this delicious and easy pasta salad. (Something I rarely think to make unless I'm taking it to a potluck.)

Here's what she put in:

Bow-tie pasta

Garbanzo beans

Chopped orange bell pepper 

Cucumber

Kalamata olives

Green olives

Cubed chicken (we baked chicken breasts, but you could use leftover chicken too.)

Feta cheese

Greek salad dressing

We didn't measure anything, just added until it looked good, and used enough dressing that everything got a nice coat. It was delicious, fresh, and even better the next day.

Do you have a favorite pasta salad recipe? 

Fried Egg over Quinoa

by Jess M

As a stay-at-home mom, and the one in charge of feeding 5 people three meals a day, I usually slack off when it comes to putting effort into my own lunches. With my husband at work, and my older two children at school, it’s just the toddler and me here for lunch. So I usually default to some form of melting cheese on a carb: grilled cheese, quesadilla, nachos, etc. And while tasty, this isn’t the healthiest of lunchtime habits and I’m usually sleepy and hungry again by the time the toddler settles in her room for quiet time and then I have free reign of the snack foods.

So, I’ve been trying to think of something delicious and healthy to eat for lunch. I do not want to go to any trouble. I will go so far as to dirty one plate or bowl, maybe a cooking vessel, but that’s it. 

 

I cooked up some quinoa and put it in a bowl with some soy sauce. Then I fried an egg, set it on top and drizzled some sriracha sauce over it. It was delicious and I was full all afternoon. And I’m so excited about it I can’t wait to eat it again for lunch today. 

(Photo from: me)

Gluten Free Corner: Plentils Lentil Chips

by Slynnro

Well, after a brief work-induced hiatus, I'm back and from now on I will be bringing you my favorite gluten-free finds (and anything I find that is NOT worth the investment). Hopefully, the finds I bring here will be delicious enough for the non-gluten intolerant amongst us, as well!  

So this week's featured product is Plentils, delicious lentil chips!

 

These chips are made by Enjoy Life, and well, I haven't always enjoyed their wares. But these chips are awesome. They have a lightness in texture that for some reason reminds me of FunYuns (do those still exist? Are they gluten free? FunYuns taste like my childhood), without the horrific onion breath after.

I've had a lot of luck with products that are lentil-based when gluten-free goodies hunting, and these were no exception. They'd make a great sandwich side, and I've also crushed them into tomato soup and put them on top of a salad in lieu of croutons. These are also definitely yummy enough that I'd serve them to someone without gluten issues without my typical "gluten-free good" warning -- gluten-free good meaning, they're good . . . for being gluten free. These are just straight-up good. I picked them up at my local Whole Foods. They are also available through the Enjoy Life website for $3.74/bag, which is about what I paid in store. They also sell a small indiviudal serving bag online, and I haven't been able to find that in store.

31 chips has 130 calories, and 6 grams of fat, which is a bonus -- gluten-free chips and especially pretzels tend to have pretty high calorie and fat content. They are also dairy free.

Homemade Antipasto

by Jen L.

One of my family's resolutions for the new year ( and by "year" I mean school term) was to save a little money on small things.  This became easier than we thought it would when my husband quit smoking and I gave up Coke Zero.  We also pledged to save money on lunch. My husband buys a faculty meal plan in the cafeteria at the university where he teaches, my son gets lunch as a part of the cost of preschool tuition,  and I've been making things in big batches to bring with me.  One of my favorites is antipasto.  I love that it gets better after a couple of days in the fridge and I especially love that I don't have to heat it.  My husband and I came up with our own winning recipe for antipasto and we make a batch every couple of weeks.

ANTIPASTO

***Use as much or as little of each cold cut as you want.  We used a large Ziploc container and filled it to the top, eyeballing the ingredients.

• Mortadella (with pistachios)
• Sopressatta
• Prosciutto
• Hard Salami
• Pepperoni
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Red onion, sliced into rings, then cut in half
• Pepperoncini peppers, sliced into rings
• Green onion (2, diced)
• 1 small bottle Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar salad dressing

Cut meats and cheese into cubes and place into a bowl.  Add peppers and onions and entire bottle of dressing. Stir well, then refrigerate, stirring every hour.  Serve well-chilled.

Photo by me

Tandoor Chef Naan Pizzas

By Julie

So I'm perusing my local fancypants grocery store's ad (and I mean that as a compliment because they sell nifty products you don't find just everywhere), and I notice naan pizzas from Tandoor Chef are on sale. I've eyed them in the freezer case before and not yet picked one up, but with a buy one, get one free sale? Yessir, I'll take two, please!

I tried the spinach and paneer cheese pizza, and I have to say, I loved it. I could taste both of the main ingredients, as well as a copious amount of garlic, which is always a good thing in my book. The naan made an excellent crust - soft, light, and airy, with just the perfect crisp on the outside. (Jess posted about homemade naan pizza, too!) It was the best lunch I've had all week, hands down.

Next up is the margherita pizza, which I fully expect to measure up. If you like out of the ordinary pizza without an extraordinary pricetag, I definitely recommend Tandoor Chef. Now, please excuse me while I head back to the store to try the other flavors.

{Photo Credit: tandoorchef.com}

Laptop Lunches and Some School Lunch Ideas

By Tara C.

I have been using Laptop Lunches for packing my three kids' school lunches for the last couple years and I've been pretty happy with them.

(image from: Laptop Lunches)

A Laptop Lunch is a plastic bento system that is lead, BPA, phthalates and PVC free. It's not shown in the image above, but one of the containers has a lid so that liquids, like applesauce or yogurt, won't leak into the rest of the lunch. I like the fact that I don't need any plastic baggies or disposable containers. And since I feel obligated to fill every container, I think my kids end up getting a little more variety, too. My only complaint about the ones we bought a few years ago is that the containers are pretty small and shallow. If you squeeze a whole sandwich into the main compartment, it's hard to get the outer box to close. But, it looks like the newer models have addressed this. The size is different and there's now a larger compartment available.

My system is to hand wash the containers every night, pack the lunches, then stack them in the fridge until the next morning. Packing lunches in the morning just doesn't work for me. I usually run the containers through the dishwasher over the weekend. My kids drink water with their lunch, so I don't pack a separate drink. They use the water botles that they keep in the pocket of their backpacks.

As Julie mentioned recently, packing lunches that your child will actually eat can be a challenge. My kids are also at three different schools this year, each of which has different rules about the foods allowed. My third grader's school does not allow nuts. My toddler's preschool has a strict policy against sending potential choking hazards. This means no hotdogs, popcorn, raw carrots, or whole nuts, and grapes and cherry tomatoes must be quartered. Keeping track of who will eat what AND who is allowed to eat what kind of gives me a headache. As a result, it's really easy to get into a rut and send the same foods every day.

These lunches are pretty typical for us. Maybe not exciting, but typical.

Turkey rolled up with toothpicks, applesauce, orange, (plain) pasta (photo from: me)

PB&J sandwich, more oranges, mixed berries, pretzels (photo: me)

Other lunch ideas include:

• Mac&cheese
• Mini-bagel pizzas
• Quesadillas
• Waffle "sandwiches" made with toaster waffles and filled with cream cheese or   peanut butter and jelly
• Bean and cheese burritos
• Waffled sandwiches
• Crackers with squares of cheese and lunchmeat
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Edamame

I need to remember that dinner leftovers can be a good option, too.

The Laptop Lunches website is a great resource for new lunch ideas. Their 365 lunch ideas are organized by season, which is a nice feature. You can also subscribe to receive a weekly menu.

I think all my picky eaters would like this lunch:

Crackers, yogurt, blueberries, granola (photo from: Laptop Lunches)