Lunch Shortcut: Mediterranean Spinach Quinoa Salad

I am all about easy healthy lunches. I have never been very good at meal prepping, so this is something easy I can throw together before work in mornings and it tastes so good. I change up what I throw on top based on what we have around but this is the basic version. You can throw beats and peppers and other Mediterranean flavors in too! The key is a green layer, a grain layer, some beans and lots of yummy veggies. Let's eat.

Mediterranean Spinach Quinoa Salad

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1 bag of frozen quinoa or grain mixture that steams in the bag (I love Simple Truth White Quinoa and Barley mix)
• 1 cup chickpeas
• 4 Radishes, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup (from can) artichoke quarters (then give them a rough chop)
• 10 grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup feta
• the juice from one fresh lemon
• a few banana pepper slices (from jar)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

1. Divide the spinach into two bowls that have covers if you are taking for lunch on the go. 
2. Top each bowl with half of the following: quinoa, chickpeas, radishes, artichokes, tomatoes, cucumber, feta and banana peppers. 
3. To create dressing, combine lemon juice, dijon, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Then divide that into two containers that seal well, so you can keep salad and dressing separate until you eat. 
4. Toss the dressing into the salad just before serving. 

 

Super Easy Black Bean Shrimp Salad

 It doesn't get easier than this. You can make this the night before and it's a great lunch salad. After seeing this recipe pop up on a million "Easy Lunch" lists from Eating Well, I knew I had to add to my rotation. I tweaked a few things and make it more "salad" like for my taste. But kudos to Eating Well for a great concept. Buying precooked shrimp makes this a breeze. This could make a good taco filling with corn tortillas too. 

Super Easy Black Bean Shrimp Salad

• 1 lb cooked peeled and de-veined shrimp, cut into bite sized pieces (I buy frozen and thaw quickly under cold water, it only takes a few minutes) 
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 bunch green onions minced
• 4 cups mixed baby greens
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon minced chipolte pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 avocado, diced

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, chipotle, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2.  Add shrimp, beans, tomatoes, poblano, green onions and cilantro; toss to coat. 
3. Serve over mixed baby salad greens, top with avocado.

SUPER FAST: Black Bean Burger Turned Burrito

 You can tell from my blog, I am a big fan of fast meals. One night when I needed a hearty meal and hadn't had time to shop I threw this together. This is why my tips on keeping a stocked pantry help so much on those nights you might be tempted to order out or grab fast food. All of these items I used are on my staples list! I love Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers but this was my first experiment doing them any way other than as a burger and it was awesome! the Below recipe is to make one burrito. This is what I had on hand, but any salsa would be delicious and you could certainly add some Greek yogurt if you want a healthy alternative to sour cream. I also once added a few "salad topper" tortilla strips for a little crunch!

Black Bean Burger Turned Burrito 

• 1 Spicy Black Bean Burger (I love MorningStar Farms) 
• 1 whole wheat tortilla ( I keep Ole Xtreme Wellness High Fiber, Low Carb tortillas in my pantry constantly) 
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 of avocado diced
• Either shredded lettuce or mixed greens chopped
• 1 tablespoon crumbled queso fresco
• 3 tablespoons fresh pico or fresh refrigerated salsa
• 5 cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Spray a nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Heat on medium heat. 
2. Cook your black bean burger about 4 minutes each side until it crisps up. 
3. When you take the burger out of the pan, throw the tortilla in it to heat about 30-45 seconds each side. 
4. Slice the black bean burger into 4 pieces.
5. Layer your burrito with the black bean burger slices, cheese, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes and salsa. 
6. Fold in the sides and WRAP IT UP!

Quick Burrito Bowls

Burrito bowls are such an easy way to make a quick healthy lunch that feels like you are splurging. They require very little effort in throwing together and can pack a flavorful and satisfying punch. I make mine without meat, packed full of veggies, but if you had some leftover chicken steak or shrimp you could throw a little of that on there. We have been making these for lunch for years, and this is my go to lunch on a tough week. You can easily change it up with toppings, but this is our current favorite combo. This makes 2 bowls. I have also been able to stretch it out to three bowls by doing a little less rice and beans and corn in each and padding it out with more lettuce- making it more like a "burrito salad".

Quick Burrito Bowls

• 1 package 90 second whole grain brown rice (uncle bens or generic brand)
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 1 can of corn
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 10-12 sliced "tamed" pickled jalapeño (I then dice them up)
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 avocado diced
• lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
• 1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar
• A sprinkle of Tortilla strips (the kind you find in the salad toppings section)
• 4 baby bell peppers sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup fresh pico or salsa for each bowl (1/4 cup for each bowl)
• 1/4 cup shredded lettuce

1.  After you microwave the rice, toss it with a little bit of lime juice and cilantro for flavor.
2. Split rice up between two bowls (I make it right in the tupperware I am taking to work for lunch)
3. Split up the black beans evenly between the two bowls. Do the same with the corn and black olives. 
4. Top that mixture with the diced jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cheddar, bell peppers and lettuce. 
5.  I bring the pico to work in a separate container to put it on top right before I eat. I also bring the tortilla strips in a baggie to toss on at the last minute. 
6. When I try and stretch this to three bowls, I add a lot more lettuce to each and don't heat it up when I eat it, so it's more like a salad. 
7. When I do it as described for 2 bowls, I heat it for 60 seconds so it's just warm and then top with the salsa and tortilla strips.  

Easy Naan Pesto Veggie Pizza

This recipe is a perfect example of craving pizza, but wanting to be healthy, so finding a way around it. We were at the store and wanted to do something simple for lunch. So we grabbed a couple of whole wheat naan breads, some pre-sliced and cut veggies and some fresh mozzarella and made this up as we went. It was delicious. And proof that you can find ways around your unhealthy cravings and make them healthy!

Easy Naan Pesto Veggie Pizza

 

• 2 whole wheat naan breads
• one package of fresh veggies cut up (we used a combo of stir fry like veggies, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms and even some carrot)
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 oz fresh mozzarella torn into tiny bits
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 fresh tomato, diced 
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Put the naan breads on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Throw in vegetables, season with salt and pepper and saute for about 10 minutes until they start to get tender. Add in red pepper flakes and saute for about 5 more minutes. You want the veggies fully cooked before putting them on the pizza.
3. While the veggies cook, put the naan in the oven to start it heating for about 5 minutes so ti starts to crisp up.
4. Pull out the naan, brush each with a bit of pesto, enough for flavor that won't make it soggy. Top with veggies. Then top with fresh tomato and fresh mozzarella.
5.  Put in the oven and bake for about 7-10 minutes until cheese melts.  

**Makes 2 pizzas
 **It's a 2 on Bryce's dish scale, baking sheet, skillet!

Leftover Flank Steak Recipe: Chimichurri quinoa salad

This was my solution to using up some leftover steak and chimichurri sauce I had. Click here for my chimichurri recipe. When I want it to be more like a dressing I throw the leftovers in the food processor or magic bullet to make it less chunky. It was a great way to stretch the little bit of steak I had left into two salads for lunches for my husband and I. The rest of the ingredients are staples I keep on hand so it was a super easy lunch to throw together. I like to chop up my lettuce/greens in a salad because it makes it easier to eat in a salad. You can do that part however you want! I also will often cook up about a cup of quinoa early the week so I can use it in salads and wraps throughout the week. So this recipe splits a 1/2 cup cooked between two salads.

 

 

 

 

Steak and Quinoa Chimichurri Salad

 

• 4 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
• About 2 oz left over flank steak, chopped into bite sized pieces
• a handful of cherry tomatoes(about 15), halved
• 1/2 cup of cucumber diced
• 1/2 of a can of corn, rinsed (or leftover fresh if you have it)
• 1/2 of cup of cooked red quinoa
• 1/4 cup of leftover quinoa dressing

1. Divide ingredients between two salad bowls in layers. Spinach, quinoa, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes.
2. I like to heat my steak for about 30 seconds to take the chill off before throwing it in.
3. Then top each with half the dressing!

**Makes 2 good lunch sized salads



 

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Lots of Quick Lunch Salad Ideas

 When you are trying to be healthy, having a lunch you actually look forward to at work, is key. Otherwise you end up succumbing to whatever co-worker is running to whatever fast food place that sounds way better than the frozen meal you have in the freezer. I know I'm unique in that I truly enjoy salads, but I think if you have a little fun you can really look forward to lunch salads too. I make them different almost every time, and my co-workers have fun asking me what I put in them each day! I keep a few select things on hand all the time that I can mix in, and then will use what I have leftover from other meals. So this post isn't so much a recipe as it is several suggestions of ingredients to try combing in a salad. The suggestions below are for one lunch salad. You'll notice I don't often use meat, but sometimes will throw on some leftover grilled chicken or steak, or even when I make my antipasti salad (recipe here) I use the leftover turkey pepperoni. Get Creative and enjoy healthy lunch again!

Chickpea Salad

• Base: Any lettuce of your choice, I usually buy a big thing of Mixed greens but have used leftover romaine, iceberg, arugula, and spinach as a base. About 2 cups of whatever.
• 1/3 of a can of chickpeas
•  Options for mix ins:
• Berries: raspberries, blueberries, blackberries (1/3 cup total, mix and match however you want)
• Fruit: if berries aren't your thing try an apple or a peach diced. Halved grapes can also be good
• Veggies: 1/4 of Avocado, chopped,  about 10 cherry tomatoes ( I slice in half), 1/4 cup cucumber (diced), sweet peppers sliced thin  
• Toppings: Sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews
• Random mix ins: I LOVE adding in a handful of dry roasted edamame for a crunch that's hearty at the same time
• From a jar: Sliced pepperoncini's, Giardiniera
• Meat: leftover grilled chicken, steak or turkey pepperoni
• Cheese options: reduced fat feta, goat cheese or sliced mozzarella
• Dressing: I think this is best with some sort of balsamic based dressing. Easy: Buy Kraft Lite Balsamic. Homemade: One tablespoon olive oil, one tablespoon balsamic vinegar, one teaspoon Dijon mustard 

 

Black Bean Salad

 

• Base: Shredded iceberg (my preference) or romaine diced
• 1/3 can of rinsed black beans
• 1/3 can of corn
• Other canned/jarred options: sliced black olives, jarred banana peppers
• Veggie options: thinly sliced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, halved, green onions sliced, diced avocado
• Cheese: I prefer reduced fat cheddar best
• Crunchy toppings: tortilla strips (again the bagged kind you find in either the salad section or produce section) or pepitas (toasted Pumpkin seeds) 
• Dressings: I prefer a red wine vinegar with this type. One and a half tablespoon red wine vinegar, one tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spin on the brown bag lunch: Hummus Avocado and Tomato Sandwich

I wanted to share with you an easy, healthy lunch if you are looking for a new spin on the brown bag. I got the idea after picking up some hummus and other veggies from our Farmer's Market. If you are in Central Arkansas - you must check out Geek Eats hummus. They are usually at the Hillcrest farmer's market on Saturdays. Below is the recipe I came up with after looking for a new way to eat the Hummus. I tried the original with Lemon Hummus, and have since had it with Siracha and chipotle flavored hummus and it gave it a nice spicy kick.  You could use your favorite flavor and make it work. The below recipe makes one sandwich. There are also times when I can't find watercress or basil,  so I have been using basil from our garden and it's delicious! Another key to this being good, is using good bread. Don't skimp on the bread! (try multigrains and things like Quinoa bread to change it up)



Avocado-Tomato- Cucumber Hummus Sandwich

• 6 tablespoons flavored hummus (Lemon or Spicy or whatever!)
• 2 slices heirloom tomato
• 4 slices English cucumber
• 3 thin slices of avocado
• one tablespoon Watercress leaves or 3 basil leaves or micro greens
• salt and pepper
• 2 slices whole wheat or multigrain bread (the big sandwich slices)

1. Spread 3 tablespoons of hummus on each piece of bread. This helps hold the sandwich together better.
2. Top one side of the bread with the tomatoes. Then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
3. Layer with cucumber, avocado and watercress sprigs.
4. Top with other bread slice and done!