Yesterday we talked about taking a lunch to work instead of buying one. Today I’m going to share with you some of my favorite bring-it-yourself lunch components. All right!
Spicy sweet potato soup. So, in December, I suddenly came into possession of eighty pounds of sweet potatoes. Bandmate Luke’s day job is farming, and he had a ton of extra sweet potatoes left over after his farming season was up. So he gifted them to our kitchen. Several holiday casseroles later, I knew I needed to make some lunches out of the stock, so thus this soup entered my kitchen vocabulary. I typically forgo the ginger [I only like it when it's pickled!] and up the spice factor. My good friend TJ brought me the requisite coconut milk and red curry paste from Cincinnati’s best grocery store, and we also found out they’re available for a similarly low price from Amazon [here and here].
Protein salad. I first had a salad like this at Pillow in Brooklyn, and have made different variations since then. When I want to splurge I make it with salmon instead of tuna, and I add different vegetables based on what’s on sale. I don’t really eat it with dressing, but I’m sure some kind of vinaigrette would be yummy.
Edamame. Get it in the frozen food section of your grocery store – most of the time it comes in a microwaveable pouch that you can plunk in the microwave at work and then eat straight with your hands. Add salt or soy sauce for extra kick, or add to a salad [like the protein salad above, hmm?].
A smoothie in a thermos. I’ve been doing this for a lot of dinners, actually, but I contemplated taking it for lunch. Use soy milk as a base and then add whatever fresh or frozen fruits you enjoy. Sweeten with honey, raw sugar, or vanilla; add silken tofu for extra protein.
Roasted nuts and dried fruits. I buy them in bulk at shops like Big Lots to save cash. Perfect for afternoon munchies. Eventually I’m going to make these into some kind of trail mix or granola, but not for awhile.
Ants on a stick. Yes, it’s a throwback to the normal kid lunches that I never really took in grade school – I couldn’t stand peanut butter, so I’m glad I acquired a taste for it when I reached adulthood. If I were at home instead of at the office, I would dip the celery straight into the jar [you know you've all done this when your roommates weren't looking].
Kiddos, what do you eat for lunch? Do you make your own every day? Share your favorite recipes!
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