Greek Delight
Ingredients: One whole wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup of hummus (try a flavored variety, like red pepper or cilantro jalapeno), 1 tablespoon brown mustard, 1/2 cup of spinach, bell pepper strips
Directions: Spread brown mustard onto tortilla. Spread hummus onto tortilla and top with spinach and bell pepper strips. Wrap so that both ends are closed, protecting the insides, and then wrap the closed tortilla with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep its shape.
Succulent Salads: No Iceberg Allowed
Photo source: Neeta Lind on flickr (cc)
Salads are the easiest way to get in essential vegetable servings, and they’re quite tasty with the right ingredients. By making our own salads, we can exclude the vegetables that used to make us dread salads, and we can add in fun toppings like nuts, raisins, and quality cheese.
Southwestern Salad
Ingredients: 3 ounces of rotisserie-cooked chicken, 2 cups of spinach, 1/4 cup of black beans, 1/4 cup of white corn (fresh or canned), your favorite salsa as dressing
Directions: Put spinach into a bowl or on a plate. Add the chicken, black beans, and corn and mix. Drizzle salsa (I recommend chunky salsa for a heartier texture or a smooth lime-tomatillo salsa for zest) so that it evenly coats the salad. Don’t forget the tortilla chips or Spanish rice on the side!
Simply Divine Salad
Ingredients: 2 cups of romaine lettuce (shredded), 1/4 cup of chopped red onion pieces (less if you’re not a red onion fiend like me), one hardboiled egg (cut into slices), 1/2 cup of shredded carrots, 1/4 cup of red kidney beans
Directions: Put romaine into a bowl or on a plate. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour your favorite dressing over the top, or use what you have on-hand (olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, for example).
Stir Things Up with Stir-Fry
Photo source: rusvaplauke on flickr (cc)
For a hot, filling meal with a plethora of flavors and textures, stir-fries are an easy and efficient choice. Grab a big pan or a wok, throw together your favorite vegetables and meat/meat substitutes, and pick a sauce to bring it all together.
Teriyaki Tofu
Ingredients: 3 ounces of tofu (cubed), 1 cup of chopped broccoli, 1 cup of chopped bell pepper, 1 cup of chopped yellow onions, 1 cup of shredded green cabbage, generous pour of teriyaki sauce
Directions: Heat a little oil (olive or canola) in a large pan. Adjust the heat to medium and add the onions to the pan. When the onions are translucent, add in the tofu, broccoli, bell pepper, and cabbage, stirring it around the pan until the vegetables are cooked and the tofu is slightly firm. Pour enough teriyaki sauce to coat the vegetables. Serve with rice, quinoa, rice noodles—any grain you prefer!
Spicy Ginger-Garlic Marinade
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of garlic (crushed), 1/2 tablespoon of ginger (crushed), 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of black bean chili sauce, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
Directions: This is a spicy, flavorful sauce to add to stir-fries. You can replace the teriyaki sauce in the recipe above with this sauce for a new, fresh flavor. Sauté the garlic and ginger together, then add the soy sauce and chili sauce. To thicken, take out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and add to it 1 teaspoon of corn starch. When the cornstarch is completely dissolved, pour the separated sauce back into the mixture and stir. This will prevent the cornstarch from clumping.
These recipes are manageable enough for the novice cook, can be whipped up in thirty minutes or less, and include many of the same ingredients for shopping (and budgeting) convenience. By using ingredients with bold flavors and mixing them in a variety of ways, it can be easy to create lunches that tantalize our taste buds.
