Inside My Lunchbox Again

One of the things I miss most about Boston is Clover. They have many, many delicious options, but my favorite will always be the chickpea fritter. This is my attempt to recreate that brilliant wrap.

I made "chickpea fritters" or flattened falafels using spices and ground chickpeas with lots of parsley. As I am not a believer in home frying, and in order to keep these on the healthier side I baked the patties. The wrap was made with fresh tortillas, spinach, some plain hummus, and homemade quick pickles (I used the brine from my pickled okra with persian cucumber slices). Served with a side of purple grapes. 

Inside my lunchbox

Roasted sweet potato and broccoli. A little bit of black pepper.

Spinach salad with purple cabbage, red pepper, green apple, feta. Balsamic.

Lundi, Mardi, Mercredi

Ahh high school french, you have served me well.

My first Carnival season has been sublime. 

When did you last have a 5 hour brunch? Go do it right now. Make sure two of your courses are pancake based. Get rolled out of the restaurant like Templeton rat.

Unabashedly use gratuitous amounts of food color. Don't worry about being fancy. Make banana cupcakes and add dye. Presto!

P.S. Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty has some of the most beautiful food photography ever.

Or leave it to the professionals. Specifically the professionals at Hi Do Bakery. Only $12 and better than any of the other 10 King Cakes I tried! Make sure someone else gets the baby every time. Sneaky.

Learn from my mistakes. Don't think so long and hard about what to do with the single tomato you have harvested that it gets mushy and moldy. February tomatoes? Come on.

Lunch every day last week.

Eat enough salad leading up to the big Mardi that you are composed of approximately 80% spinach. You won't be having many green things for awhile.

After all of that salad you can start the weekend off right with french toast. Or not really french toast because that is best left to restaurant professionals, but easier french toast. 

To serve 2. 

1 cup milk (cow, almond, soy, lizard??)

3 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I prefere Penzeys baking spice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until lump free. Dip thick, sturdy slices of bread briefly into mixture and then cook on a griddle/pan coated with cooking spray. 

What should you top your delicious slices with? Oh sure, syrup never hurt anyone. But it is Mardi Gras. Best step up your game.

Coconut syrup

Be clever and place an unopened can of coconut milk in the refrigerator the night before you make this. Make sure it is not a "light" variety.

Carefully open the can and spoon out the thick portion that has separated into the top portion of the can. Along with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to taste and a splash of vanilla whip this up in your magic bullet. (Or use your mixer if you aren't blessed with the bullet). This will turn into a thick/slightly fluffy syrup with a lovely coconut flavor. Drizzle it generously over your french toast and top with the blackberries you were so smart to get at the market.

Frequently Asked Questions (by me)

Is it bad luck to eat your hurricane evacuation provisions before hurricane season is technically over?

If your tomatoes just start growing in November are you actually going to get to eat any?

Why have I not thought of making muffins based on my favorite green smoothies before? I will be experimenting with my own version of these soon.

Would you rather have wheels for legs or a go go gadget arm?

Have you ever tried making bibimbap? The first time I had this was in Hawaii. A chemistry professor of mine took a bunch of students out to dinner at a vegetarian Korean restaurant and my mind was blown. Truely a case of the whole being much bigger than the parts. I (very) loosely based mine off of this recipe.

Clockwise starting at the top: Sautéed carrots, purple cabbage, mushrooms, zucchini & mirlton, and quick cucumber & radish pickles. All over rice with an egg in the middle.

What did I have for lunch this week? Whole wheat cous cous with tomatoes and fresh basil. Shelled edamame with a sprinkle of salt. Homemade granola bar. Greek yogurt with frozen mixed berries and a
drizzle of agave.

Do I need a lunchbox? Clearly. I've been thinking about this one, but I fear it won't be large enough. Any suggestions? My one requirement is that it be stainless steal - plastic tuperware starts to freak me out after you use if for awhile - you can never get it quite clean enough.

Inside My Lunchbox Part 2

Or how I finally learned to banish Hungor from my work day and just pack a million snacks.

As anyone who has spent much time with me will tell you I have a tiny stomach that pretty much needs to be constantly refilled. Much like a rabbit, I spend my day grazing and nibbling, having 8-10 small snacks. As such I like to pack a few snacks I can nibble after my ride to work and before my ride home. The sweet potato kugel was the main attraction in this lunch. I warmed it up in the microwave and ate it on a bed of kale. The granola bar (homemade!) I had as a quick snack after I got off my bike. The persimmon I ate out of hand before I headed home.

Speaking of the kugel, it was a very fall appropriate recipe and a great meal to make ahead and portion out for the week. I made this recipe, only I omitted the cheese and doubled the amount of sweet potatoes instead of using squash. I made it in an 8 x 8 square pan and have been chipping away at it all week. Bonus: your house will smell great when you cook the onions and garlic.

I'm so happy I live someplace I can bike to work on November 7th in shorts and a tank top.

Inside My Lunchbox Part 1

Oh hello there. Good to see you again. You look good.
Me? Oh I have been enjoying a nice old fashioned sinus cold. Reaaal snotty. Oh yeah. That doesn't mean I don't need to eat lunch.
This post is dedicated to a new reader out there - you know who you are.

Veggie Spring Rolls
Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
Veggies cut into 3-4 cm pieces (bell pepper, cucumber, carrots)
Lettuce
Peanut Sauce (recipe below)
Optional:
Tofu
Avocado
noodles

I recommend making this lunch the night before.
The rice paper wrappers are surprisingly easy to work with. You can get these at any asian market, and most supermarkets. You buy them dried and a single package should last you for a long time.
To make the spring rolls boil a pot of water and pour some into a shallow dish or large plate with high sides. Dip an individual rice paper wrapper in the hot water for a few seconds. It will go from being stiff to completely soft and sticky.
Now place this wet wrapper on a plate or cutting board. Add any combination of chopped veggies, tofu, lettuce, noodles, etc - I find a nice piece of basil or mint is delicious.

Love the colors

The thing to remember is to try not to stuff it too full. This is not a burrito. If you are using tofu or noodles stack this next and top it all with a leaf of lettuce. Smear the side of the wrapper with peanut sauce and fold it all up. You can use any technique you like for wrapping them - the rice paper is super sticky and will pretty much keep any spring roll together. Put in a tupperware and place in refrigerator overnight.
Bring to work and impress all of your awesome coworkers with your delicious and healthy lunch.

Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Generous squeeze of sriracha or other hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon miso

In a small saucepan heat all ingredients over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until smooth.