Make Your Lunch More Memorable ...

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Make Your Lunch More Memorable ...
2
Wed, 04-25-2007 - 11:45am

This article was in our Bistro section of our paper today and it looked like there were some great lunch recipes here!


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Let's do lunch

Make your workday meal break memorable







Eric Akis

Times Colonist
If you've had a challenging morning at work, a good lunch can certainly lift your spirits and inspire you to carry on. For some, though, the motivation to prepare such a meal is hard to stir up, particularly at times when relaxing is what you want to be doing.



It's understandable that after a long day at the office, then preparing and eating supper and getting things tidied up, the last thing many people want to do is start thinking about what to make for lunch the next day. But what if some overly keen food writer offered to help stimulate your desire to make a tasty lunch by providing two, five-day work weeks of simple, minimal-ingredient meal ideas? Would that help you on the road to feastdom at noon on a Wednesday? I hope so, because below, that's what I've done.


All recipes serve one or two, take about 10 minutes to prepare, can be made the night before you need them and can be complemented by including a few other simple items in your lunch bag with them, such as flat bread, crisp vegetables or fruit.


The soups and curry can be reheated at work, if you're able to, or reheated and kept warm in a thermos.


Eric Akis's columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. The author of the Everyone Can Cook series of books can be reached at ericakis@shaw.ca


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TORTELLINI SALAD WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, FETA AND PESTO


If desired, add other vegetables to this salad, such as chopped onion or bell pepper.


Serves: 1


1 cup fresh tortellini (see Note)
2 tsp homemade or store-bought pesto
1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper taste
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup crumbed feta cheese
Boil the tortellini until tender.


Drain well, cool in ice-cold water, drain well again and place in a bowl.


Mix in the pesto, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.


Toss in the tomatoes and feta. Cover and chill until ready to eat. If desired, serve with pita bread or baby salad greens.


Note: Any leftover tortellini from the package you bought will freeze well.


BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CHILI AND CORN


Serve this soup with tortilla chips for dipping. Serves: 2


1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
- hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
- salt to taste
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 green onion, chopped


Place the first three ingredients in a food processor and puree. Transfer to a small pot. Add the chili powder, cumin and hot pepper sauce and bring to a simmer; simmer 5 minutes. Mix in the corn and green onion and simmer a few minutes more. Season with salt.


VEGETARIAN TERIYAKI SOBA NOODLE SALAD


Nutritious soba noodles are sold at Asian markets and most supermarkets.


Serves: 1


75 grams soba noodles
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp hot Asian-style chili sauce, or to taste (optional)
8 snow peas, trimmed and thickly sliced
1/3 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
1 green onion, finely chopped


Boil the noodles until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Drain well, cool in ice-cold water, drain well again and place in a bowl. Mix in the teriyaki sauce, oil and chili sauce, if using. Toss in the vegetables. Cover and chill until ready to eat.


SHRIMP STUFFED PAPAYA WITH LIME


This sounds a bit decadent for lunch, but why not? It costs about the same (about six dollars) as a fast food burger meal. Serves: 1


1/2 small to medium ripe papaya
100 grams cooked salad shrimp
2 lime wedges


Remove the seeds from the papaya. Fill the cavity with the shrimp. Top with the lime wedges for squeezing. Cover and chill until ready to eat.


GREEK-STYLE CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP


A hearty lemon-flavoured soup thickened with egg. Serves: 2


2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup long grain white rice
1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 green onion, chopped
- pita bread


Place the stock, rice and chicken in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until the soup gently simmers. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes. Combine the egg and lemon juice in a small bowl. Slowly mix 1/2 cup of the hot soup into the egg mixture. Slowly whisk this mixture into the soup and cook the soup until it just starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the green onion; serve with wedges of pita bread.


LOW-FAT TURKEY AND CRANBERRY BAGEL SANDWICHES


1 wholewheat bagel
2 Tbsp light cream cheese
1/2 cup baby mixed salad greens
75 -100 grams shaved low-fat turkey
1 Tbsp cranberry sauce
- alfalfa or other sprouts, to taste (optional)


Cut the bagel in half and spread with cream cheese. Top the bottom half of the bagel with the salad greens, turkey, cranberry sauce and sprouts, if using. Set on the top half of the bagel; wrap and chill until ready to serve. Serves: 1


WHOLE-WHEAT BRUSCHETTA TO GO

A lunch filled with vitamin C and fibre. Serves: 1



2 slices whole-wheat bread, halved
* olive oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 medium to large ripe tomato, chopped
2 tsp homemade or store-bought pesto
2 tsp olive oil
4 to 6 pitted green or black olives, sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Brush one side of the bread lightly with olive oil, set on a baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400 F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Cool the slices; cover and store at room temperature. Combine the remaining ingredients in takeout container; store in the fridge. At work, top each bread slice with the tomato mixture. If desired, for protein, pack a few slices of Italian-style meat to complement the bruschetta, such as salami or capacoli.


VEGGIE CURRY WITH NAAN

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2001
Wed, 04-25-2007 - 12:53pm
Oooo yum - for some reason the turkey and cranberry sandwich sounds good even though I don't typically eat cranberry sauce!



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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2003
Thu, 04-26-2007 - 11:42am

There were a few good recipes I might try for lunches or even a light dinner!