Healthy Lunches

So I've mentioned that lunches are difficult, right? I never know what to do. I'm guilty of falling into fast food traps at lunch because: "how do make a lunch for one?" I'm not a big fan of at home sandwiches or salads. My favorite deli meat is bologna and it doesn't really fit into my diet plan. So lunches stump me.

Elena had some good suggestions on her blog. Have I mentioned her blog before? I have (on Granthamania)? Yeah, I'm a big fan of her blog right now. haha. I've tried two of the recipes she posted and they were fantastic!

Tuscan Panzanella Salad

Hop over to her blog for the Tuscan Panzanella Salad recipe and a few others.

This tuscan salad was pefect because:

1. The leftovers will refridgerate and save well for tomorrow.
2. Everything in the salad (minus croutons) are bite size for Miss Chloe and she enjoyed it!

When on her blog, please note the recipe for the Chickpeas Salad. It was so yummy. I didn't have chichpeas so I substituted white beans. It was a good substitute but I'm springing for the chickpeas next week at the store.

The Best One Yet! -French Bread Pizza-

This is the best recipe I've posted. Cross my heart...stick a needle in my eye. It's good because it uses french bread. I know what you're thinking. Carbs are bad. Au Contraire, Mon Frère! Just don't eat too many.


The only thing that bugs me about this one is the fact that I don't get to use whole wheat bread. I'm thinking I'll use whole wheat hamburger buns next time. 


This recipe would be easy and fun for kids to help make. (Obviously, they shouldn't chop the veggies.) Also, you can easily add to or take away to make the topping the your own.

iPhone photo...doesn't do it justice

INGREDIENTS


1 c diced Roma tomato
1 c diced asparagus (I use only tips)
1 c diced red bell pepper
1 c diced green bell pepper
1 Loaf french bread
1 T minced garlic
1 jar pizza sauce (I used Ragu brand)
shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut loaf of french bread in half length wise. Place one half on baking sheet and save the other half for whatever you want. (lunch tomorrow?)
2. Place tomato, asparagus, bell peppers and garlic into a bowl and toss to coat everything with garlic.
3. Slice the loaf into 4 separate pieces and spoon pizza sauce on each piece. (about 1/4 c per piece)
4. Put your veggie mixture onto each piece (use as much or little as you want...I always have leftover and I put them into the fridge for later...great for a salad or more pizza tomorrow.)
5. Sprinkle each slice with some cheese and put into the oven for about 10 minutes.

DONE!

Can't remember where this recipe came from but the calorie information I wrote down says 252 calories a slice. Not bad.

I promise not to post about pizza again for a while. 

A Lunch Idea - Quinoa & Black Beans

Healthy or not, lunch is difficult. Cooking for one (or one and a half in my case) is tricky. I don't want to eat salad. If I do, I'll end up eating a bunch of junk afterward. I also want lunch to be quick and easy. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen for supper and I don't want to do the same for lunch.

Aside from waiting for the Quinoa to cook, this recipe was quick (and easy). The recipe was on Eating Well's website. Again, it was found in the vegetarian menu.

original recipe

I made a few swaps:

• Used Red Bell Pepper 
• No onions (ran out yesterday)
• Added three cloves of garlic (I LOVE garlic)
• Added a few mushrooms 

• INGREDIENTS
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons broth, (or water)
• 1/2 cup hot cooked quinoa

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until almost tender. Add beans and broth (or water) to the pan. Cook until heated through. Stir in quinoa.

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 162 (before I made my adjustments)

A Delicious Alternative to Pizza

Mark walked in the door tonight and said, "What smells so good?" The aroma did not disappoint. This Caramelized Onion & White Bean Flatbread was MMMMMazing!

This is a recipe that's easy to play with...add garlic and or mushrooms...take away the tomatoes...whatever.

Original Recipe from Eating Well

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 20 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, (see Note), thawed if frozen
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed (see Note)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup finely shredded smoked Gouda, or Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, (see Note), optional

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large noninsulated baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine oil, onion and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to the size of the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Stir oregano and pepper into the onion. Transfer half the onion to a small bowl. Add beans to the remaining onion; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the bean mixture to a food processor, add water and vinegar and pulse until a coarse paste forms.
5. Spread the bean paste over the pizza crust. Top with the reserved onion, tomatoes, cheese and pepitas, if using. Bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes. Slice and serve.

Changes I made:

1. Reduced the amount of Olive Oil to 1 Tbs.
2. Added one diced red bell pepper.

Recipe makes 6 servings

Calories: 365

Fat: 11g

Carbs: 51g

Protein: 13g

Soft Tacos with Southwestern Vegetables

This has been one of my favorites so far. I was even able to save the leftover veggie mix for my 9 month old daughter's lunch the next day and SHE LOVED IT! It's easy and quick to make. Got the recipe here.


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced yellow summer squash
• 1 cup diced green zucchini
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears of corn) or 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup canned pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup smoke-flavored salsa

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the summer squash and zucchini, and continue cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno, corn kernels and beans. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and remove from the heat. Heat a dry, large frying pan (without a nonstick surface) over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to the hot pan and heat until softened — about 20 seconds per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. To serve, divide the tortillas among individual plates. Scoop an equal amount of the vegetable mixture onto each tortilla.  Top each with 2 tablespoons of the salsa. Serve immediately.

Serving Size: 2 tacos

Calories: 298

Fat: 6g

Carbs: 52g

Protein: 9g

Curried Cashew Burgers

• I know the word 'Curry' scares a lot of people. It does smell strange but it tastes delicious. Mark and I were both a little nervous about this vegetarian recipe but it was pretty good and Mark has requested that it receive a permanent place in our recipe book. I made adjustments to the recipe (the way I posted it is how I made it) but you can find the original recipe here. 

The Eating Well website has been a life saver this week. I decided to try living as a vegetarian for (at least) a week. This website provides a 28 day vegetarian meal plan for 3 different caloric requirements. Superb!

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 cup diced peeled carrots, (2-4 medium)
• 1/2 cup red beans
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup chopped onion, (1 medium)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 6-inch whole-wheat pita breads

Directions:

1. Combine 2 cups water, carrots, beans and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer until the carrots are cooked, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain in a colander, gently pressing out excess liquid. Transfer to a plate; let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast cashews in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, curry powder and the remaining 2 tablespoons water; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Pulse the cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the beans and the onion mixture; pulse until the mixture is cohesive but still somewhat textured. Transfer to a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; mix well.
5. With dampened hands, form the mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, using about 1/2 cup for each.
6. Cook 2 to 4 patties at a time in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until evenly browned and heated through, about 4 minutes per side. Cut small ends off pitas and open the pockets. Serve burgers in pitas.

*Serving Size: 1 burger

Calories: 437 calories

Fat: 15g fat

Carbs: 65g

Protein: 16g

*This information is based on the original recipe (without my adjustments). 

About Granthamania Recipes

This is a place to share some of our favorite recipes. It has been pretty difficult for me to find healthy AND delicious recipes for my family. I figured it may help to share them with others when I find them.

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes. I'd love to get your review. Also, please feel free to share your recipes. I'm always looking for new ones.

Happy, healthy eating...