Healthy Lunch#5: Broccoli Strawberry Quinoa Almond Salad

Recipe from The Washington Post

Ingredients:

• 1 pound broccoli florets, broken into bite-size pieces
• Leaves from about 9 stems parsley, chopped (1/3 cup)
• Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon (1 tablespoon; reserve remaining lemon for another use)
• 1 teaspoon honey ( I forgot the lemon and skipped the honey - im not fond of sweet dressings)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil(I used olive oil)
• 1/2 pint strawberries, cut into thin slices (I used about 11/2 pounds- i like strawberries!!)
• 1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds, toasted (I used Almond slivers)
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese(I used feta because thats what i had on hand)
• 3 cups cooked red quinoa(I cooked this in the pressure cooker  )

Verdict:

This was an unusual pairing for me, quinoa with strawberries and broccoli . I am sure i changed the proportions around a lot - It was more like a Broccoli and Strawberry salad with some quinoa. But i loved the taste and texture. This recipe is a keeper. Because of the amount of vegetables and quinoa it is healthy , filling lunch.  

Healthy Lunch #4: Falafel Salad with Yoghurt Tahini dressing

Ingredients:
1 Seedless English Cucumber
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Tomatoes
Big Bunch Aurugula or Greens
Handful Mint
Handful Cilantro
2 stalks scallions

12 Falafel Balls(6 per person)

Yoghurt Tahini Dressing:
1 tbsp Tahini
1/2 cup yoghurt
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Optional: Sambal Oelek Dressing
Sambal Oelek to taste

Healthy Lunch#3: Whole grain Pasta Arugula Salad with Lemon olive oil dressing

Salad ingredients:
(Makes enough for two people's lunches)
2 cups cooked Whole grain Pasta( like this one)
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in halves
1 cup sliced roasted red peppers (from a jar)
3 cups arugula(or any greens of your choice)

Dressing:
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon parmesan

Verdict:
Very light and summery , Peppery bite from the arugula.

Healthy Lunch#2: Whole wheat bulghur salad w harissa dressing

Harissa dressing
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/dipsandsauces/r/harissa.htm
Lemon juice
olive oil
I use a 3:1:1 of Harissa, olive oil and lemon juice to make the dressing. Use a fork to whisk the three together - Remember this makes a VERY spicy dressing.
Bulghur salad
Equal proportions of
Bulghur
Chopped cucumbers
Chopped Bell Peppers- Red & Green
mint
arugula / hearts of romaine
edamame
chickpeas
cranberries
red onion
sunflower seeds
mint leaves - 10
For Lunch, I usually prepare the whole salad and pack the dressing in a separate container , with salt added to the dressing. This way the salad remains fresh until the dressing is added. That way the greens dont get all wilted and soggy
Use Whole wheat bulgur as opposed to normal bulgur which does not have adequate fibre, Kinda looks like this (Image from Elite fitness solutions)

Healthy Lunch#1: Broccoli Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Broccoli Roasted Red Pepper salad with tomato vinaigrette

Salad ingredients:(makes enough for two adult sized lunches)
2 Heads Broccoli(Heat a wide pan with a lot of salted water, cook the broccoli briefly and cool immediately)
4 roasted red peppers (1 jarred bottle of Fire roasted Peppers )
Feta cheese cubes (about 5 per person)
Handful of oil cured olives per person


Tomato Dressing
Source: Vegetarian cooking for everyone by Deborah Madison
Ingredients
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 shallot, finely diced
4-6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
3 Roma tomatoes, or 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes neatly diced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, shallot,both vinegars, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.
Let stand for 15 minutes, then whisk in the oil and add the tomatoes.
Taste and adjust the balance if needed

Can also alternatively use
Sun dried tomato vinaigrette
Source: Mediterranean fresh by Joyce Goldstein

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup sun-dried tomato-infused oil (from you jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
1 – 2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together in small bowl.