Whether you’re weeks into the
school year and getting repetitive with lunchbox content, brown bagging the
same old meals to work, or wanting to shake up your plate at home, look into
simply doable recipes online for these fall-ready weekday lunches.
Capitalize on seasonal produce at
your local grocery store to set this season’s midday meals apart. Veggies like eggplant, butternut squash,
asparagus, zucchini, and sweet potatoes make great side dishes and soups. Both eggplant and sweet potatoes can be
sliced into French fry strips, dipped in flour then egg then grated parmesan
cheese, and baked in the oven on a rack on a half sheet pan until crispy. Mix mayo with roasted garlic for a delicious
dipping sauce, and you have a healthier alternative to the typical fries. Roast any of these vegetables with some onion
until brown and softened, blend them with seasonings, a little olive oil, plain
yogurt, and chicken stock until smooth, and heat through for a rich and filling
soup.
A sandwich is a sandwich . . .
unless you make it more! Trade in
typical bread slices for ciabatta rolls instead. Spread some of that garlic mayo or pesto
sauce in lieu of the usual condiments.
Switch roasted turkey breast for ham.
Dress up your cheese choice with some Asiago or Romano in place of
sandwich ready slices. For a wrap with
substance, use a wheat or spinach tortilla, and fill it with the browned meat
of your choice or layers of roasted veggies.
Pile on some shredded coleslaw mixed in oil and vinegar, and top it off
with sliced grape tomatoes, cilantro, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
For a tangy salad at home, mix
olive oil and lemon juice in a mixing bowl with salt and pepper and thinly
sliced purple onion. Dice avocado and
add in, topped with a pile of torn pieces of your favorite lettuce or greens. (I love butter lettuce!) Toss it all together to fully coat, and enjoy
with some brown rice crackers.
To take your typical tomato sauce
up a seasonal notch, add roasted vegetables like squash and zucchini into the
saucepan with your canned sauce and blend with an immersion blender until
smooth, or put it all into a blender or Cuisinart to smooth before heating in a
saucepan. Dollop the hearty sauce onto
spaghetti or penne, making each an easy to-go main dish. To switch up your pasta, try “veggie pasta,”
which really does taste good, or even bake a spaghetti squash and use the
stringy insides in place of noodles.
Branch out and try new things. Be willing to pick up new produce and explore
new recipes to find fresh ways to satisfy your taste buds at lunchtime.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star November 3rd.
