Easy Lunch Recipes - 05/01/20

Happy Friday!

How are you doing?  I hope you and your families are home safe and healthy.  We are all doing well at my house.

How is your anxiety?  My husband is doing better with my help.  My anxiety level is calm, only because I’ve practiced calm every day for the last 20 years.  Letting myself get out of control with fear, is wasted energy.  What I can control at this moment is me and I choose to be calm in this pandemic.  When you show calm to others around you, it becomes contagious.  Try it out, it will surprise you.

Anyway, I thought today I would share with you what I eat for lunch just about every day.  My lunches are gluten-free grain or brown rice, lots of roasted vegetables, and a “special” sauce.

Roasting vegetables makes them so good and sweet.  I primarily roast broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.  But sometimes I add mushrooms, corn, red onions, or shallots.  It just depends on what I have on hand.  Sometimes I’ll add black beans, lentils, and chickpeas, too.

Chef Sherry’s Grain Bowl Lunch with “Special Sauce”

Servings 2

Ingredients you can add:

• 2 cups cooked grain of choice (brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, quinoa, sorghum, millet, teff or whatever you like)
• 1 cup cooked legume of choice (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, lima beans or whatever you like)
• 2 cups cooked vegetables of choice (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, asparagus, beets, cabbage, carrot, zucchini, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, fennel, brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas or whatever you like)
• 2 cups of greens of choice (spinach, watercress, arugula, Swiss chard,  

kale, collard greens or whatever you like)

Instructions:

First, add your grain to the bowl.  Then add roasted vegetables and greens on top of the grain.

See directions for making the special sauce of your choice.

Add two tablespoons of special sauce over the bowl. Toss everything well to get the special sauce all over the grain and vegetables.  Adjust seasoning as you like and enjoy.

Special Sauces:

Vinaigrette:

·      1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, etc.
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons (to taste) finely chopped shallot or red onion, or 1 small, finely minced garlic clove

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.  Will keep in refrigerate for 7 to 10 days.

Tahini Dressing - Two Ways

Dijon Flavor:

·      3 tablespoons Tahini

·      2 ½ tablespoons Dijon Mustard

·      2 tablespoons Water

·      2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

·      ½ teaspoon Tamari

·      ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

·      1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

·      1/2 Lemon Zested

·      pinch Cayenne Pepper

·      Pepper (to taste)

·      ½ teaspoon Maple Syrup (optional: if you like it a little sweet, I like it without)

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.

Zaatar Flavor:

• ¼ cup tahini paste
• ⅓ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 ½ teaspoon zaatar spice (or a mix of cumin and coriander)
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• pepper (to taste)

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.

Asian Flavor:

• 1 red chili, minced or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Aminos or Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons agave (Optional)

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Keep in the refrigerator for 7 days.

What is your favorite lunch?  I would love to hear from you, so please leave me a post below.

Sending all of you love and healthy meals!