Have we considered a "lunch" thread?

E

emtd

Well-known member
My son lives on his own in another city and I’d love to pass on some ideas for lunch. He has a healthy appetite and a salad just isn’t going to be enough. One idea he uses

is to make wraps of beef or chicken, peppers & onion and he freezes them individually.

He just has an apartment fridge/freezer so is limited in size.

Anyone else have an idea they’d like to share?

Thanks

Betty

 
If he has a microwave available to him, my

favorite lunch is leftover cooked/grilled vegetables, canned beans, etc. over rice, topped with fresh vegetables like chopped tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, hot peppers, etc.

Top with sour cream nd/or guacamol and you have a nice rice bowl.

 
I've got to say I'm pretty impressed with Campbell's "GO" soups

I keep them in my overhead at work: Here's what I have now:
Chicken & Quinoa with poblano chiles
Coconut curry with chicken and shitake mushrooms
Moroccan style chicken with chickpeas

All are high in fiber and protein and relatively low in fat. I like that they're using interesting ingredients. I keep sprouted blue corn chips & hummus to eat with them.

You can even heat them in the bag! But I don't.

Target was giving out $1 coupons..and they were $2.60 before the coupon. So it was a no-brainer for me to try them.

 
I haven't heard of this product. I'll take a look thanks. As for panini's ...

although they sound delicious - they're in a small office and probably wouldn't love him cooking there and it would be tough to clean properly. I appreciate the suggestion though, thank you. Perhaps a dinner idea as he obviously has to cook himself those as well.
Betty

 
I have recently rediscovered stuffed chicken breasts. Make a pocket, stuff with whatever,

season and broil. Even though it's just me, I buy a family pack of chicken breasts and do 2 different versions, stretching it over lunch and dinner for a couple days. I reheat a stuffed breast, add a veg, salad, and/or a grain and voila! Easy.

I'm staying with a friend of mine who has a 6 year old and I taught him the stuff chicken breast technique. smileys/smile.gif

I recently did a spinach, swiss and ham filling. Another was sundried tomato, shallot and goat cheese. Lots of possibilities.

 
One of my favorite hearty salads: Summer Tabouli with Farro from Ancient Grains

I've accompanied it with slices of steak, chicken, or shrimp.

Summer Tabouli with Farro

Recipe courtesy of Ancient Grains for Modern Meals Cookbook, Maria Speck

Farro:

2 cups of water
1 cup farro
2-inch spring rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried (optional)

Tabouli, and to finish:

2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes, (3/4 pound)
1 cup loosely packed chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon minced hot green chile (optional)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. To prepare farro, bring the water, farro and rosemary to a boil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the farro is tender but still slightly chewy, 20-25 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig, drain any remaining liquid, and transfer the farro to a large serving bowl to cool.

2. Once the farro has cooled, make the tabouli by adding the tomatoes, parsley, onion and chile to the serving bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

3. To finish, pour the dressing over the tabouli and toss to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle, and serve.

To get a head start, make the farro (as in step 1) ahead.

 
Another option for his wraps: North African Ground Meat Kebabs

Ground Meat Kebabs
Kefta kebab
Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria
From North African Cookbook by Tess Mallos

Author's note: This is street food in Maghreb, served in bread with an extra sprinkling of salt and cumin, but I like to add salad vegetables. Purchase meat that is not too lean. If you are using long skewers, have two portions of meat mixture on each skewer. Use one portion on short skewers. To cook the kebabs, remove the grid from the barbecue, if possible, and place skewers so that the ends rest on the side of the barbecue. A habachi barbecue is ideal for cooking these.

Traca's note: Outstanding! I've broiled these with great success. I used 80/20 ground beef. They shrank a lot when cooked, so next time I'll make the kebabs longer. I served this with couscous, crumbled feta, and minced parsley/cilantro.

Serves 6
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes

2 pounds finely ground (minced) lamb or beef
4 tablespoons chipped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) leaves
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
olive oil
pita or other flat bread, warmed, for serving
Harissa, for serving

Place meat, parsley, coriander, onion, salt, pepper to taste, and spices in a bowl. Process in 4 batches in a food processor. Kneed to a smooth paste to blend flavors evenly. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

With moistened hands, take about 2 heaping tablespoons of meat paste and mold into 4" long finger shape around flat, sword-like skewers. As skewers are prepared, place across baking dish with ends of skewers resting on each side. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat barbecue. Brush kebabs lightly with oil and cook on barbecue until cooked through, 6-8 minutes, turning frequently.

To serve, slide kebabs off skewers and serve with warm bread and a little harissa.

 
This is awesome for leftovers: Couscous with Lamb, Honeyed Caramelized Onions, Raisins

I ate at my desk one day and everyone kept stopping by...what smells so good?

Couscous with Lamb, Honeyed Caramelized Onions, Raisins
Kesksou Tfaya
The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

Traca's note: One of my favorite cold weather dishes. I often substitute beef for the lamb.

Serves 6

The special feature of this dish is the exquisite mix of honeyed caramelized onions and raisins called tfaya which is served as a topping of the long-cooked, deliciously tender meat. The broth which moistens the grain is the meat broth. A sprinkling of fried or toasted almonds is an optional garnish.

4 cups couscous
4 cups warm water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or extra oil

2 pounds lamb or beef, cut into large pieces
2 1/2 pounds onions
salt and pepper
3/4 - 1 teaspoon ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads or powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes
1 cup almonds

Prepare the couscous according to package directions (using the amounts listed above).

Prepare the meaty stew or soup. In a large pan, put the meat and about 1/2 pound of the onions, coarsely chopped, and cover with about 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring to the boil and remove the scum. Add salt, pepper, the ginger, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the cloves and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the saffron and more water to keep the meat well covered (there should be a lot of broth) and simmer for 1/2 hour more. The meat should be so tender you can pull it apart with your hands.

For the honeyed onion (tyfaya), cut the remaining onions in half and slice them. Put them in a pan with about 1 cup water. Put the lid on and cook, covered, over low heat (they will steam) for about 1/2 hour, until the onions are very soft. Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Ass the butter and oil and cook until the onions are golden. Stir in the honey and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the drained raisins, and a pinch of salt and cook 10 minutes more, or until the onions caramelize and become quite brown.

Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan or fry them in a drop of oil until golden, turning them over. Coarsely chop about half of them.

To serve, make a mound of couscous and make a hollow in the center. Moisten with a ladle of meat broth. Put the meat in the hollow and cover with the onion-and-raisin tfaya.

Sprinkle with a mixture of chopped and whole toasted or fried blanched almonds.

 
Serve with rice - Aromatic Slow-Cooked Chicken

This is amazing! Double it because you are DEFINITELY going to want leftovers. Remember that incredible dish bought on the street in Northern Thailand? This is it. At long last...

Aromatic Slow-Cooked Chicken
from Mangoes and Curry Leaves

Serves 5 to 6

There's nothing like simmered chicken for comfort, or to feed hungry guests. We think of this as a North Indian version of a European-style depth of flavor. The chicken pieces simmer in plenty of aromatic sauce that is tempered at the last minute with a little vinegar and sugar. Any leftovers are delicious.

About 2 pounds bone-in chicken breasts and legs or one 3-pound chicken
About 3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
About 1 cup grated onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic mashed to a paste
1 tablespoon minced ginger or ginger mashed to a paste
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 green cayenne chiles, minced
2 tablespoons plain (full- or reduced-fat) yogurt
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
About 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves and stems

If using chicken pieces, wash them well, remove the skin and discard. With a cleaver, chop breasts into three or four pieces. Separate the thighs and drumsticks (if still attached), and if the drumsticks are large, chop each one in half. Remove the skin, check the cut surfaces, and remove any bone fragments. Rinse all the chicken pieces well.

Place the chicken in a wide heavy pot and add the water. Bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat and simmer partially covered until the chicken is just cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Pour out the broth and measure it; add a little water if necessary to bring it to 2 cups. Set aside. (Traca's note: I let the chicken cool, then took it off the bone & shred into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces)

Rinse and dry the pot, then heat the oil or ghee in it over medium heat. Toss in the cumin seeds and pepper, and when the oil sputters a little, after about 30 seconds, immediately add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is well softened and translucent, then toss in the ground coriander, salt, and minced chiles. Stir well and cook for several minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir the yogurt, a spoonful at time, until well blended in. Pour in the reserved broth and add the chicken pieces. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer several minutes.

Add the vinegar and sugar and stir in. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook at a strong simmer for several minutes. Toss in most of the chopped coriander and simmer for another minute or two.

Serve hot, with the remaining coriander stirred on top for garnish.

Serve with plain rice to soak up the sauce.

 
Trader Joes has rice in their freezer section. Individual portions...just microwave to heat.

 
there are also nice quinoa mixes that can be microwaved. Costco had some. we've re-discovered

the joy of cold chicken legs. bake up a bunch on Sunday and easy lunches.

 
Wow - lots of great ideas. Thank you Traca and AngAK for

all these great suggestions.

Betty
(I'm not sure what farro is - will look it up)

 
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