It’s that time of year again.
Here are the recipes making their way into my lunch rotation:
Salad. Gets boring fast. I try to add something special – feta cheese or pecans (or both) so that every day isn’t the same.
Burrito Bowl – Technically a salad, I suppose. Stack scoops of guacamole, beans, corn, greens, and salsa verde. Pack a zipper baggie of chips if you’re feeling indulgent (and I probably am).
Hummus and pita – I make my own pita (1 cup self rising flour plus 1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt – shape into pitas and brown on both sides in a Pam-sprayed pan). A little pita and some veggies and I’m good.
Goat cheese Sandwiches – My new favorite thing in the world. I make some pita (see above) and assemble this open faced sandwich at my desk. Smear some goat cheese on top then cover with greens (arugula and spinach are my fav) and some sauteed onions (if I happen to have some) and some chopped tomatoes. Ooh – add a few olives. Best lunch ever.
Chili. I make a big pot on Sunday and divide it up into containers for the week. I don’t really have a recipe – it’s more of a “add whatever you have” kind of dish for me. Here’s the way I make it.
- Saute your meat in a little olive oil in your biggest and heaviest pot. You could use ground turkey, beef or chicken, or you could use some beef chuck or sausage. Or skip the meat. Up to you. When it’s browned, take it out of the pot and set it aside for a bit. Skip this step if you want vegetarian chili.
- Chop an onion, a bell pepper (whatever color you’ve got, or add 2 if you want), a few ribs of celery and a few carrots. Saute in olive oil in your biggest and heaviest pot. Add a few chopped cloves of garlic.
- At this point, you can add a bulb of celeriac, butternut squash, acorn squash, or a turnip if you want. If you add any of these, add a cup or two of broth (veggie or chicken or beef – whichever you like or have on hand, or use water if you want) and let simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.
- Add a big can of tomatoes (crushed, chopped, or whole – up to you), the beans (2-3 cans of whatever you have) and the spices. I use about 2 tablespoons of chili powder, a teaspoon each of cumin, oregano, and paprika and about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. But shake it up – add what you like! Add the meat and, if you want, a can of corn, peas or green beans at this point.
- Depending on how wet you like it, this can simmer covered (if you like it wet) or uncovered (if you like a chunkier chili) for half hour or so. So simple and incredibly versatile.
- Serving options: over rice, over quinoa, with tortilla chips, or with corn bread. Dollop of sour cream or fat free yogurt on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar, chopped scallions.