Packed lunch

[Deleted]

What sort of things do you pack for lunch?

Do you make salads, sandwiches, wraps, rolls, left overs?

I'm after pesce friendly lunch ideas from my good old Jim Jammers!

[itch4travel]

I looooooove leftovers. I always make the full recipe so I have lots. I also make a wicked Quinoa salad which is my fav - totally happy to share the recipe if you want it!

[cakemonkey]

Please share. I love quinoa and want to eat it more. Share your recipe, please.

[elliedee]

We have access to a microwave so in winter I often bring soup or ratatouille, in summer I bring salads or carrot/celery sticks with houmous. I usually have a yoghurt or a piece of fruit as well.

[mei]

sometimes just sandwiches (like today), but more often its salad (did a potato salad a while ago, and a quinoa/grilled pumpkin salad some time before that). that said, don't often make enough time on the weekends to make something though.

[itch4travel]

Tri-Colour Quinoa & Grilled Asparagus Salad

2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Cup Tri-Colour Quinoa - Rinsed

Bring Broth and Garlic to a boil - add Quinoa - Cover and reduce heat to low - cook for 20 min or according to the instructions. Remove from heat and fluff. (NOTE: I just use normal quinoa and the one I get from Costco doesn't need rinsing - saves time and faffing about)

Meanwhile - Roast 1 lb Fresh Asaparagus with 1 TBSP Olive Oil - cut into large pieces and add to cooked Quinoa (NOTE: I let the quinoa cool a wee bit but also - if I don't have any asparagus I use what I have - zucchini, or raw red peppers for some crunch etc) I also love green onions so I chop up some of those and chuck them in but that's personal preference.

DRESSING:

2 TBSP Olive Oil
3 TBSP Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt (due to feta and sodium in the veg broth I usually just use a pinch)
pinch black pepper

Pour over Quinoa and Stir to Coat

ADD

1 Cup Halved Grape Tomatoes
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
2 TBSP each chopped Fresh Basil and Mint (Again personal - I usually give this a miss)

You really end up playing with this salad with what you have in the house but the overall flavour is super tasty!

Enjoy!

[sprite]

that looks gooood.

i take leftovers.
in the uk, i just to buy those little 3-packs of hummous, and have a snack-size pack of sunchips or crackers with them in the afternoon, around 3.30. kept me going until supper, and only having the smaller sizes meant i couldn't overeat. because, i could, you know, eat an entire bag of kettle chips with a tub of hummous in one sitting. now that i feel i've 'cracked' making hummous, i'll be using very small plastic containers for it, and zip lock baggies for the chips to keep the portion correct.

[itch4travel]

Oh I really want to try making hummous - there is one I buy all the time now that is roasted garlic and its divine!!

[Deleted]

I've just made hummous for lunch today. It's dead easy and really tasty. I top it with Rose Harisa and serve it with wholemeal pitta, baby plum toms and celery sticks.

[Deleted]

Maybe I should try Quinoa again!

[itch4travel]

It really makes a difference cooking it in any sort of broth...although it is delicious plain as well...I've seen all kinds of recipes on Pinterest using quinoa I'm dying to try. If I find anymore good ones I'll share them!

p.s. not sure if anyone is a Risotto fan - but I have a super easy recipe with sausage (if vegetarian you can totally just put veg in) that you don't have to stand over the pot like regular risotto recipes. Its totally comfort food and wonderful for the upcoming fall/Winter seasons!

[sprite]

i've been making quinoa and various other grains in my rice cooker, and it is dead easy. (this week i'm trying aramanth.) no worries about boil over etc. and itch, yes, using broth is amazing. i could eat that stuff straight out of the pot.

i read that part of the trick to making hummous is to let the tahini, a little salt, and lemon juice sit for a while, BEFORE adding the chickpeas. this seemed to work.
also, i dont have tahini but i do have a massive bag of sesame seeds--no idea why. i've been roasting them in a pan, crushing with a glass jar (no rolling pin or mortar/pestle) and then using the mash as a tahini substitute. not exact, but taste-wise it's close.

[wombatrois]

I take left overs, soup and a roll, sandwich stuff (and make at work - I can't stand sandwiches pre made), toasted sandwiches (but this new work joint doesn't have one - boo), salad stuff sometimes - whatever is handy.

I rarely buy my lunch - I can't bring myself to spend that sort of money on something that is not as good as I can make. Although I do sometimes treat myself to a cheese and salad roll from the local supermarket - they make it in front of you and put beetroot in the salad - yum.

[thelittlesthobo]

Aug 14, 2013 10:18:48 GMT -5 itch4travel said:

Oh I really want to try making hummous - there is one I buy all the time now that is roasted garlic and its divine!!

Then just buy it, seriously. Sometimes it is sooooo not worth the effort!

I have made one with roasted red peppers and lots of morrocan type spices but most of the time I just buy it. Nicer and easier!

[itch4travel]

Aug 19, 2013 0:54:48 GMT -5 wombatrois said:

I rarely buy my lunch - I can't bring myself to spend that sort of money on something that is not as good as I can make.

Same here - there are a ton of people at work who eat out every single day and I would hate that!  Not only do I like homemade food better but eating out is expensive and I couldn't justify doing it that frequently.

[itch4travel]

Aug 19, 2013 7:37:38 GMT -5 thelittlesthobo said:

Aug 14, 2013 10:18:48 GMT -5 itch4travel said:

Oh I really want to try making hummous - there is one I buy all the time now that is roasted garlic and its divine!!

Then just buy it, seriously. Sometimes it is sooooo not worth the effort!

Noted - thanks:)

[Deleted]

My only prob with bought hummous is the amount of salt they put in it! Seriously, it does not need salt! Does anything in fact. Makes it a nightmare to feed babies!

[itch4travel]

Interesting you say that because I've been told to watch my sodium intake and I tell you looking at the packaging - its HARD to find low to no sodium - especially here in Canada - who knew we put more salt into our food than even the US.

[Deleted]

It's driving me mad Itchy. It's so completely unnecessary and the only ones who can stop it are food manufacturers, but all they do is sell reduced salt versions that are still too high really and cost more!

[itch4travel]

I know - and I hate anything "diet" or whatnot because to me its just more processed and have more unhealthy chemically ingredients - so what its doing really is driving me to cook way more (which isn't a bad thing) and its definitely made me more aware of what is in my food.

I was just in a grocery store on Monday and saw this cute little old couple in line with a bunch of those frozen dinners - and wanted to tell them to put them back. Those things people look at the low calories (and convenience) and don't realize they are packed full of sodium to keep them freezer friendly. One of the soups was 70% sodium!!!

[Deleted]

Eeeeek!

The only time I ever use salt in cooking is when I make my pasta sauce and salsa because a handful of sea salt flakes brings out the tomatoes so beautifully!

I remember watching a programme once that highlighted the dangers of ''diet'' and ''low fat'' food and the nutritionist said you are better off having half a full fat muffin, for example, than a whole ''low fat'' one. Stuck with me ever since. Everything, in moderation!

[itch4travel]

Amen sister! I do use salt but sparingly and it's amazing how salty some things taste after having reduced it for awhile - how your taste buds adjust - very cool.

[lizby1]

I take leftovers - today it was cold chicken and ratatouille which I used to make a pasta salad - pitta bread stuffed with loads of salad and a bit of ham or houmous, or tuna salad (finely chopped salad veg mixed with tuna and mayo on a bed of lettuce. Tomorrow morning I am going to make some sort of dip and take sugar snap peas, yellow pepper, cucumber and cherry tomatoes as I am craving raw veg.

[MsBelleRae]

I'm all over turkey sandwiches these days- with Swiss cheese and a dash of salt (I know!)

[sprite]

itch, my dad is all evangelist about low sodium now. his big thing for a while was that percentages were based on the calorie level for men, meaning women who followed them would actually get too much.
i sent the man off to work with fixings for egg salad sandwiches. yesterday they were bussed to a new site with no food facilities, and luckily someone with a car ran out to get fried chicken and rice. looks like he'll be there for awhile, so we need to sort out both our lunch meals. before he had a cheap canteen.

annoyingly, they dish up too much food and he's not rude enough to make them stop dishing rice so he ends up with 3x what he needs. i went once, and believe me i was bossy and she stopped scooping. (i think she also stopped breathing, in shock.) he hates to 'waste' food, so he eats it all. i pointed out that he can either waste or waist. dunno if he listened.

[itch4travel]

I think its because once your attention is called to it - its actually shocking how much sodium is in our food so it makes you very aware of what you're consuming.

You intimidated the woman who could be providing more than one lunch for the man? Do they spit in food there?