Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (2024)

Bite Me More | May 30th, 2019

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (1)

Photos: Bite Me More

Bring new meaning to “power lunch” with these amazing midday meals.

1. Chicken Cobb Salad with Thousand Island Dressing

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (2)

Looking for a meal-in-a-bowl? Search no further than this satisfying, crowd-pleasing Cobb Salad, a classic combo of chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs and blue cheese, all tossed in a creamy homemade Thousand Island dressing.

Ingredients

Thousand Island Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp sweet green relish
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Chicken Cobb Salad

8 cups romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
3 large eggs, hard boiled and finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

1) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, relish, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use (this recipe makes extra dressing for you to keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week).

2) In a large bowl, combine lettuce, bacon, diced chicken, egg, tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese. Gently toss with desired amount of dressing.

Serves 6

2. Kale, Spinach & Quinoa Salad

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (3)

Looking for the champion in the Super Bowl of Super Foods? This Kale, Spinach and Quinoa meal-in-a-bowl is a winner, a green bowl full of super nutritious and delicious stuff (including mango and avocado), tossed in a zesty lemon shallot dressing and topped with spiced walnuts and creamy goat cheese. Get cooking and give new meaning to Power Lunch!

Ingredients

Quinoa

½ cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 cup water
¼ tsp kosher salt

Spiced Walnuts

1 tbsp butter
1 cup walnut halves
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp water

Lemon Shallot Dressing

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp honey
½ tsp minced shallots
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil

4 cups lightly packed baby kale
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
1 large ripe avocado, chopped
1 large ripe mango, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1) To cook quinoa, in a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl and let cool.

2) For the spiced walnuts, in a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add walnuts, cumin, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Stir continuously for 3 minutes, until walnuts are slightly toasted. Add brown sugar and water and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, spread on a piece of parchment paper and let cool.

3) For the salad dressing, in a small mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, sherry vinegar, honey, shallots, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking vigorously until emulsified.

4) To assemble the salad, place kale and spinach leaves in a large serving bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of dressing. To the cooled quinoa, add chopped avocado and mango, tossing with a few more tablespoons of dressing. Place quinoa mixture over kale and spinach leaves. Top with crumbled goat cheese and spiced walnuts. Drizzle each serving with extra dressing.

Serves 4

3. Stacked Mediterranean Sandwich

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (4)

Want to avoid lunchtime letdown? You can, with this super healthy, soaring sandwich with avocado hummus-smothered multigrain bread, oven-roasted tomatoes, Feta, onions, cucumbers and arugula. This scrumptious sandwich is guaranteed to make your midday meal a winner.

Ingredients

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

8 plum tomatoes, halved, core and seeds removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Avocado Hummus

1 large ripe avocado, chopped
½ cup canned chickpea, rinsed and drained
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

8 thick slices multigrain bread
½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
16 slices, English cucumber
1 cup packed baby arugula

Directions

1) For the roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until tender and slightly charred on the edges, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2) For the avocado hummus, in a food processor, combine avocado, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth or your preferred consistency.

3) To assemble sandwiches, spread 1 heaping tbsp of avocado hummus on one side of each slice of bread. Layer roasted tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers, arugula and bread to form a stacked sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serves 4

4. Sushi Salad with Tofu & Brown Rice

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (5)

Training to become a sushi chef can take up to 43,800 hours. Making this delicious Sushi Salad of brown rice, marinated tofu, avocado and edamame, all tossed in a ginger wasabi dressing will take you less than 1 hour. We don’t know about you, but we aren’t going to roll our sushi…we’re going to bowl it.

Ingredients

Marinated Tofu

12oz (350g) firm tofu, pressed dry between layers of paper towel and cut into ¾-inch thick strips
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp sesame oil

Brown Rice

1½ cups short grain brown rice
2¾ cups water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp soy sauce

Ginger Wasabi Dressing

¼ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tsp honey
½ tsp grated fresh ginger

1 small English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed and drained well
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 nori sheet, cut into thin strips

Directions

1) Place tofu in a medium bowl and toss with soy sauce, mirin, ginger and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

2) For the rice, in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam covered for 5 minutes. Spread rice on a baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice let cool.

3) Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place tofu in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, turn tofu and continue to bake 5 minutes more until golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

4) For the Ginger Wasabi dressing, using a blender, combine rice vinegar, mayonnaise, peanut oil, soy sauce, wasabi paste, honey and ginger until well combined.

5) To assemble salad, using 6 individual serving bowls, place rice in the bottom of each. Add tofu, cucumber, carrots, edamame and avocado. Generously drizzle each bowl with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nori strips to garnish.

Serves 6

5. Sweet Chutney Chicken Salad

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (6)

Taking its cues from the sweet side of Indian cuisine, this healthy and refreshing chicken salad mingles sugary mango, juicy grapes and plump raisins with tart lime and crunchy apples. A winning, timeless and trouble-free marriage
of East-West flavours.

Ingredients

5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup salted cashews

Chutney Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp mango chutney
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1) Place chicken in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for 13 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. If you have the time, allow the chicken to cool in the water, but if not, remove cooked chicken and chop into bite-size pieces.

2) In a large bowl, combine chicken, apple, mango, grapes, celery, raisins and cashews.

3) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, chutney, lime juice, lime zest, curry powder, honey and salt. Pour over chicken and toss well.

Serves 6

6. Crunchy Fish & Creamy Coleslaw Wraps

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (7)

Fish tacos are all the rage, but we’ve done one better…we’ve got a fish taco all wrapped up in a tortilla! Sole is breaded and baked, a quick and tangy cabbage slaw is whipped up and all are wrapped up in a tortilla along with juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado. Tacos have nothing on this scrumptious sole’n’slaw sandwich!

Ingredients

Baked Fish Sticks

1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 egg, lightly beaten
1½ lbs sole fillets, sliced into strips

Creamy Coleslaw

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp Sriracha sauce
½ tsp kosher salt
4 cups shredded cabbage
¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

6 (10-inch) flour tortilla wraps
Tomatoes, sliced
Avocado, sliced

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place a baking rack coated with non-stick cooking spray on a baking sheet. Place the bread crumbs, panko, olive oil, lemon zest, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process 10 seconds, until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place flour, salt and pepper in a second shallow bowl. Place eggs in a third bowl. Coat each piece of fish in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip into the eggs, followed by the breadcrumb-panko mixture, being sure to coat the fish well. Place the coated fish on the baking rack and bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before assembly.

2) For the coleslaw, in a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, honey, lime juice, Sriracha sauce and salt until well combined. Toss cabbage and parsley with dressing. This can be chilled for a few hours until assembly.

3) To assemble, place wraps on a flat surface. Spoon a small amount of coleslaw down the center of the tortilla. Top with one or two sticks of fish (depending how large they were cut), top with avocado, tomato and then an additional spoonful of coleslaw. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll up “burrito-style”. Repeat with remaining wraps.

Yield: 6 fish stick wraps

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Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (8)

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.

Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch (2024)

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