Baba Ghanoush and Pita

Baba ghanoush is essentially hummus made with eggplant instead of chick peas. The other ingredients are all the same: garlic, olive oil, tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice and salt. I love to make it this time of year because I just can't resist all the pretty purple eggplants that are in season, but it's also a great Middle Eastern dip to make yourself because it's much easier on appliances than chick peas (I burned out the motors of two blenders before realizing you should really make hummus in a food processor!) If you're not up for the DIY version, many brands like Sabra sell it right alongside hummus at the store. Several varieties include mayonnaise though, so watch out if you're looking to keep the meal vegan.

Grocery list

• Eggplant - 2 medium (about 3 lbs.)
• Tahini - 2 tbsp. (optional - use more olive oil if not using. It's usually found near the peanut butter)
• Lemon - juice of 1/2 (or 2 tbsp. bottled juice)
• Whole wheat mini pitas - 2

 Pantry

• Garlic - 2-4 cloves
• Olive oil - 2 tsp.
• Salt - about 1/2 tsp.
• Smoked paprika - optional
• Parsley flakes - optional

Directions

Slice each eggplant lengthwise and puncture the outside skin several times. Lay the fruit cut side down on a sheet sprayed with oil and roast under a low broiler for 1/2 hour (or for 1 hour at 400 degrees, although I don't like to leave the oven on for that long when it's hot outside!) Turn the the eggplant to face upwards about halfway through. If you like roasted garlic (it's more mellow) go ahead and throw the cloves in at this point.

It's best to let the eggplant cool completely. When it's ready to handle, peel off the skin and press out most of the liquid (it can give the dip a bitter taste; use a towel if you need to.) Now for the easy part - put everything in the blender! I like to add the garlic one clove at a time at the end to get the right flavor. And of course, add more of any ingredient until you get a taste you like!

Pack it in a small container. I topped mine with smoked paprika and parsley flakes for effect, but they're optional. Add a plastic bag with two sliced mini pitas and you're good to go! It's also great on bread (or a bag of pita chips from the vending machine if you're desperate.)

Yield: about 3 cups, or 6 servings
To bring: small container and plastic bag

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments! 

Strawberry and Walnut Salad

I have this idea that if I'm going to have salad as a meal, it needs to have a zillion things in it in order to "count." But if you just use larger amounts of whatever you have, it's really just as substantial, plus there's less prep. And if those things happen to be the kind of foods that make you look forward to your lunch break, all the better! I love fruit in salad because it's a punchy little surprise in every other bite. Nuts and chickpeas pack protein (about 10 grams total if you use 1/4 cup of each) and of course you have the leafy greens.

As for dressing, I used Galeos Miso Ceasar because it's just about the only awesome tasting low-fat dressing I know of that doesn't have tons of artificial ingredients, but (as Jamie Oliver would say) strawberries are also great friends with balsamic vinegar. Since both balsamic and olive oil don't need a fridge, they're a great option to keep at your desk without any worries of coworkers stealing a glug. If you're bringing dressing from home, try packing a small plastic container or baby food jar inside the salad container itself...at least if it spills, it will just go on your salad!

I haven't listed ingredient amounts here...I figure you know how much you want to eat!

Grocery list

• Greens (spinach, arugula, spring mix, etc)
• Strawberries (or apples in the fall!)
• Nuts (walnuts, almonds)
• Chickpeas (canned, optional)

 Pantry

• Salad dressing OR balsamic vinegar and olive oil (about a tablespoon of each)

Directions

Wash wash, chop chop...you know what to do! Save the dressing for when you're just about to dig in to minimize the sog factor.

Yield: 1 great big salad
To bring: large plastic container, smaller jar for dressing

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Egg Salad on (Fancy) Toast

I know egg salad is up there with tuna on the potentially smelly-lunch list, but I eat it pretty often and haven't had any problems, so just use your discretion! If your eggs are fresh, smells should be minimal. I'm a big fan of organic eggs because I think you can really tell the difference, so maybe that's why I haven't had many problems  - plus you'll have much less to worry about considering the recent salmonella outbreak!

Egg salad sandwiches are still kind of "meh" though, which is why I thought of using these cute mini loaves I always see near the deli section - much fancier! I always pack the salad component separately anyway, so I figure there isn't much difference between transferring it to two slices versus a bunch of fancy mini ones. I'm really partial to seasoning the egg mixture with Old Bay - it's a spice blend so you don't have to think about adding anything else - but use whatever you like: chopped onions, garlic, any number of dried seasonings.

(PS...also makes a great study snack, although mostly I was just getting sick of taking pictures in front of my computer!)

Grocery list

• Eggs - 2 (or more, if you want to make enough for several days)
• Bread - 4-5 mini toasts, or 2 regular slices

 Pantry

• Mayonnaise - about 1 tbsp. for every two eggs
• Spices - 1-2 tsp. Old Bay or other spices

Directions

Boil the eggs - I usually add them to boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Cool (at least slightly) and peel, then mash them up with mayo and spices to taste.

Yield: 1 serving
To bring: small container for eggs, plastic bag for bread.

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Chopped Caprese Salad

Pardon my extreme enthusiasm for this lunch - it is probably my most favorite food, ever! Especially with summer tomatoes that are just coming into season. Of course it's best with fresh buffalo mozzarella, but I've noticed that if the tomatoes are good enough it's not horrible to substitute a packaged cheese like Sargento or Polly-O, and it's certainly far cheaper. You'll often find this prepared in restaurants with large slices of cheese and tomatoes layered together, but I like to dice everything to make it easier to eat with a fork! I highly recommend buying both the tomatoes and basil at a farmer's market for the freshest taste.

Grocery list

• Mozzarella cheese - 2 ounces (about two 1 cm slices of a 16 oz. package)
• Tomato - 1 large
• Basil - small bunch (about 1/2 cup, chopped)

 Pantry

• Olive oil - 1 tbsp., or to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Fresh black pepper - to taste

Directions

Chop the tomatoes and cheese into a medium dice and shred the basil. In a large bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to lunch container.

Yield: 1 serving
To bring: transport container

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Quinoa Salad with Berries, Nuts and Greens

This recipe is a little more complex than most of the recipes I plan to post on this site, but if the rave reviews it received from every single person who tried it tell you anything, I think it's worth it! I used a whole box of quinoa so it makes a ton - feel free to cut it in half if you don't think you'll use all 8 servings in one week.

Bonus: this recipe is crazy healthy, especially for how delicious it is! Quinoa (keen-waa) is a whole grain with lots of fiber and protein, and you already knew that nuts and leafy greens are super good for you. Depending on how much olive oil you add, it's also fairly low fat, plus it's vegan and gluten free!

Grocery list

• Quinoa - 1 box (16 oz.)
• Vegetable stock - 1 box
• Fresh currents OR pomegranate seeds OR dried sweetened cranberries - 1 cup
• Kale OR other dark greens (collards, spinach) - 1 medium bunch
• Walnuts OR other nut - 1 cup, chopped
  

Pantry

• Onion OR shallots - 1/2 to one cup, chopped
• Olive oil OR butter - 1 to 2 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp. or to taste

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box, substituting vegetable stock for water (add a few cups of water if you need need more liquid.)

Chop the greens and their stems into fork-sized pieces. Blanch them in boiling water, making sure to add the stems about 2 minutes before the leaves. Cook the leaves and stems together for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sautee the onions or shallots along in olive oil until softened and slightly caramelized.

Optional: toast the walnuts in a dry pan 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them!

When the quinoa is cooked, salt to taste. Toss in the rest of the ingredients: greens, berries, nuts, onions. Top with more olive oil if desired. Store in a large container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or immediately split into individual lunch containers. Serve either cold or heated.

Yield: 8 one to two cup servings
To bring: transport container (microwave safe if heating)

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!

Open-Faced Strawberry Sandwich

This is hardly a sandwich, but I don't know what else to call it! For this low-sugar take on PB&J, I used an Arnold's multi-grain sandwich thin. It's sort of an odd cross between an English muffin and pita bread, but you could use any sort of bread here, even regular whole wheat slices. I used Brad's Organic Cashew Butter, but regular peanut butter would definitely be cheaper and has fairly similar nutritional content. By my calculations, this simple lunch has about 300 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber!

Grocery list

• Whole grain bread product: sandwich thins, English muffins, pita OR bread slices - 2 slices
• Nut butter: cashew, almond OR peanut - 2 tbsp.
• Strawberries (or other fruit) - 4, sliced

Directions

I wouldn't transport this in its assembled form - too likely to get mushy! Instead, I slice the strawberries ahead of time and pack them in a small plastic container. You can pack the bread slices in a separate plastic bag, or just keep the whole package in your desk at work if you plan to use it all in one week. Nut butters will keep well in a desk drawer too!

When you're ready to eat, toast the bread if possible/desired (you can also do this ahead of time at home) spread a tablespoon of nut butter on each slice and top with strawberries. Make sure they don't fall off when you eat it!

Yield: 1 serving
To bring: transport container for the strawberries, plastic bag for the bread.

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Questions about the cooking method? Please let me know in the comments!