The Dilemma of What to Make for Lunch

As much as I advocate eating in, and as much as I love to cook, I struggle with what to prepare for lunch. I’m lucky in that I work from home and have the luxury of preparing my mid-day meal in my own kitchen, but I still seek new ideas to mix up the routine. I want to break up the monotony without taking up much time.

Here are a few of my favorite selections. Please send more my way!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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The first selection is chicken lettuce wraps — my dire attempt to recreate my favorite item on the PF Chang’s menu. This one’s tastes close to the restaurant’s version — albeit the wraps are missing Chang’s special sauce that goes on top.  I loosely followed a recipe from Cuisine at Home Magazine for dinner the previous night.  For lunch the next day, I served the chicken mixture on top of rice noodles for some added crunch.

To the ground chicken, I added ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, onion, garlic sauce, a touch of brown sugar, cilantro, and mint. The original recipe suggested fish sauce in place of soy, and ground peanuts on top.

Quinoa Salad

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The idea for this dish originated from Bon Appetit’s quinoa tabbouleh. After preparing it a number of times, whenever I now make this salad, I add whatever ingredients I have on hand, versus strictly adhering to the recipe. The key to giving quinoa its flavor, in my opinion, is a lemon vinaigrette and tomatoes. To these ingredients, I add either parsley or basil or both, and maybe even some mint. The original recipe called for cucumbers and scallions; last night when I made it, I didn’t have either so I added corn. It’s delicious either way!

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

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I was inspired to make this sandwich upon tasting a similar version at a lovely cafe in Bozeman, Montana. To prepare, I saute portabella mushrooms and red peppers. When these are almost cooked, I add spinach or arugula and goat cheese. After placing the ingredients on top of toasted bread, I drizzle a little balsamic glaze for an extra zip. You can buy the latter at most specialty markets.

Grilled Cheese

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Last but not least, yesterday I made a grilled cheese with a twist. One of my favorite lunch spots in Boise is Jenny’s Lunch Line, and they always prepare flavorful dishes with simple, home-made ingredients. So I owe them this idea! The sandwich has pesto, arugula, cheese and sliced peaches. I’m not sure what cheese the restaurant used, but I tried it with with Havarti. It was delicious!

Melinda Hinson