Thursday Thoughts Ed. 56 - Brown Bag It

5:35 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

When my husbands lunch box comes home for the 3rd time in a row with an uneaten ham and cheese, soggy carrots and only potato chip crumbs, I know it's time for a change. Trying to avoid the urge to hit the food carts everyday packing a yummy lunch can save cash and calories. But, it sure can get boring. Here are a few things that are easy to make and easy to pack. Another idea is to pack up leftovers from dinner and try to make them into lunch or a side dish for the next night. I've been really enjoying roasting a huge batch of winter veggies and then tossing them in morning scrambles, soups or just heating up and eating for lunch. If you've been reading for a while, you already know how much I love squash! (I'm resisting the urge to post more recipes using my favorite gourd:-)

This weekend we are heading to Bend for a two day cyclocross extravagansa! Tomorrow the races are going to fast and fun. Sunday we break out the costumes and things get super silly. It's always a wonderful weekend of celebration and sport with friends from all over. I'll be packing brown bags myself with fresh picked apples, peanut butter and jelly roll ups, and other easy to eat race fuel. Hands down, the best of all being leftover pancakes! Magic:-)

I hope you all have a great weekend! If you do your cooking on Sunday for the week think about whipping up a few chopped salads, like the Quinoa Edamame Salad or Sweet Tuna. Hard to wrong with a warming soup or stew, you'll find a quick Turkey Chili recipe too.

See you all soon!

Hummus and Roasted Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

1 soft tortilla shell Handful of your favorite veggies (try spinach, tomatoes, and zucchini) Hummus 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced Salt and pepper, to taste Crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Roast veggies for about 20 minutes at 350°F with the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2. Top your favorite type of tortilla with hummus (store-bought or homemade), add the roasted veggies and some goat cheese, then bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.

3. Slice and enjoy!

Quinoa Edamame Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry quinoa 1 cup shelled edamame 8-10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half 1/3 cup chopped onion 2-3 tablespoons vegetable broth

For the dressing

2 lemons, squeezed 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon agave nectar Sprinkle of cumin or black pepper

Directions

1. Cook quinoa in a pot with about 1 cup water until it becomes like rice.

2. In a heated pan, pour the vegetable broth and simmer. Add onions, tomatoes, and edamame. Transfer quinoa to heated pan and stir-fry.

3. Add dressing on top and serve. Makes one hearty meal or two smaller portions.

5-Minute Turkey, Avocado, and Hummus Wrap

Ingredients

1 whole wheat tortilla 2-3 tablespoons red pepper hummus 3 slices low-sodium deli turkey 1/4 avocado, sliced Pickle slices

Directions

Spread tortilla with hummus, then layer on turkey, avocado, and pickle slices. Roll, then slice. Makes 1 wrap.

Turkey Chili Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 1/3 pounds 99 percent lean ground turkey 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 10 ounces RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies 15 ounces canned or frozen corn, thawed and drained 15 ounces kidney beans, drained 8 ounces tomato sauce 16 ounces fat-free refried beans 1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning 2 1/2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. In a large pot, brown turkey on medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, add onions and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, taco seasoning, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Optional: Serve with a few baked tortilla chips and your favorite toppings such as low-fat sour cream, jalapenos, reduced-fat cheese, chopped scallions, onions, or chopped fresh cilantro. Freeze leftovers for individual portions for future meals. Serves 9 with a serving size of 1 1/4 cups.

Sweet Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 can tuna in water, drained 3-4 tablespoon sweet relish 2 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon honey mustard Salt and pepper Optional add-ins: onions, baby carrots, cucumbers, celery, corn, dried cranberries, or chopped grapes

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix together and enjoy on top of a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich or pita, or scooped up with your favorite whole-grain crackers.