Cookbook giveaway – Beating the Lunch Box Blues

96 Comments

• TanyaPaquet  on  September 16, 2013

  There's this quinoa salad with a great maple-syrup-mustard dressing that I don't tire of…
  …and my oat-lentil granola bars (yup, you read correctly!)

• angelanorr  on  September 16, 2013

  Not to steal the thunder of the previous post, but my initial thought was quinoa. I top it with a little soy sauce and nutritional yeast and my little boys LOVE it. Through in a piece of fruit, a rice cake or muffin and I'm done.

• JustineHogan  on  September 16, 2013

  Salad of cold roast boneless chicken with stuffing, baby spinach, orange segments, red pepper and pinenuts, served with balsamic vinegar and rosemary-infused avocado oil dressing.

• Aggie92  on  September 16, 2013

  My favorite on the go lunch is good old PB & J. You don't need a cooler or freezer packs. It still tastes good if it gets squashed. It is our favorite lunch to throw in our day packs when we go hiking on vacation. Peanut butter and jelly may not be glamorous, but it sure tastes good!

• scarlettchef  on  September 16, 2013

  Usually leftovers from the night before. Colleagues think I've gone to a lot of trouble, but it's easier and quicker than making a sandwich. Beats packet soup in a mug which seems to be de rigeur at my workplace!

• wester  on  September 16, 2013

  Frittatta. Just some eggs with whatever vegetables/herbs I have on hand. Not with tomatoes though – they get soggy.

• Evie  on  September 16, 2013

  A quick & easy lunch on the go is the yummy, comforting – PB&J

• Kiyah  on  September 16, 2013

  On weekends when I've got my act together, I like to make Ismail Merchant's Lemon Lentils (Nimbu Masoor Dal). Then I divvy it up into microwaveable containers and grab one every day for lunch.

• volition  on  September 16, 2013

  I'm with scarletchef, leftovers are great. I like to cook extra for dinner, and mix it up the next day. Corned silverside with mustard sauce for dinner and a silverside sandwich with pickle the next day. Is great. Silverside cooked in the pressure cooker of course. Curries and stews ready to reheat in the microwave. We always have some bread rolls in the house for sopping up the juices. And you can also make a antipasti to take in a container with a roll. Lovely. I'm ready to go to work. Sweet potato korma today with a bread roll. Yum.

• lelliso  on  September 16, 2013

  Sushi or spring rolls are my absolute favorite lunch to pack! Otherwise leftovers from dinner the night before always make for a good lunch.

• hollyglen  on  September 16, 2013

  Homemade chicken noodle soup

• ae.bell  on  September 16, 2013

  Fresh fruit!

• [email protected]  on  September 16, 2013

  In summer, I like to slice a fresh-from-my-garden cucumber and add salad dressing. By lunchtime, the cuke has had a chance to marinate and smells and tastes wonderful.

• JJacks  on  September 16, 2013

  My go-to quick lunch is couscous with peas, pesto, fetta cheese and tomatoes. The I add the frozen peas (or sometimes green beans or asparagus) when I add the boiling water to the couscous. By the time I've cut the tomatoes and taken everything else out of the fridge the couscous has absorbed the water and I can add the rest.

• adrienneyoung  on  September 16, 2013

  Soup!

• rivergait  on  September 16, 2013

  It was PB&J when the kids were home. Now favorite packed lunch for me is thin-sliced salami, spread with a goodly amount of cream cheese, and rolled around a sweet pickle. A few Ritz crackers and, if I can swing it, a tiny airline-size bottle of white zinfandel. Grown-up lunch!

• Susan_F  on  September 17, 2013

  Whenever we have left-over chicken it gets shredded in my lovely kitchenaid and used next day for sandwiches. Yummy!

• [email protected]  on  September 17, 2013

  Shrimp cocktail and celery sticks with a salad. Fruit in season-honey crisp apples. PB&J anytime. Always looking for new ideas.

• DonnaDemps  on  September 17, 2013

  Salad with leftover chicken from night before. Smoothie. Piece of fruit in season. Need new ideas. Thanks

• dbielick  on  September 17, 2013

  Leftovers. Roast chicken sandwich, stir-fry rice dish, etc.

• edify2unify  on  September 17, 2013

  I bring a bagel, cream cheese or hummus, and a host of veggies. I put it all together at work so it's not soggy.

• decklededges  on  September 17, 2013

  I'm a big fan of fresh veggies with hummus. Fast, fresh and easy.

• Queezle_Sister  on  September 17, 2013

  A small package of a dip of some sort (most recently the smokey eggplant dip featured in the NYTimes, Melissa Clark) and a bag of vegetable sticks.

• liasim  on  September 17, 2013

  A baked potato with toppings. Easy, delicious and filling!

• stargirl  on  September 17, 2013

  I love a nice wrap filled with veggies and chicken.

• kylie  on  September 17, 2013

  Couscous with a mixture of veg and some curry paste or chipotle paste. Put it all in a pot together then come lunch time just add boiling water and you're good to go for a nice hot lunch at work.

• krobbins426  on  September 17, 2013

  Usually leftovers. Option B is often bread and cheese/vegetables to make a melted cheese sandwich.

• JulesLP  on  September 17, 2013

  I like making chicken salad with leftover chicken, or other leftovers.

• TerraVita  on  September 17, 2013

  Wraps or burritos. Not precisely original when you say it, but they're infinitely variable, so I rarely get bored.

• lynettecurtin  on  September 17, 2013

  I love to make wraps! They're quick to make and easy to eat. I'm intrigued by J.M. Hirsch's ideas to use pancakes as sandwich bread.

• Sandytoes  on  September 18, 2013

  Left overs typically but great in between snacks are humus and carrots and any combo of seasoned dehydrated veggie chips (gotta say chipotle eggplant and sea salt and pepper squash are killer!

• rahiscock  on  September 18, 2013

  Frozen soup! Whenever I make a pot of soup, I make sure to freeze at least one serve. Just grab it out of the freezer on the way out the door in the morning, and it's defrosted by lunch time. Easy!

• Ladyberd  on  September 18, 2013

  Grilled veggie salad with leftover grilled chicken and feta.

• [email protected]  on  September 18, 2013

  Left-overs….the very easiest, healthy way to eat a great lunch.

• [email protected]  on  September 18, 2013

  My favorite thing to pack in a lunch is a hummus wrap!!

• Cinnabeenz  on  September 19, 2013

  Red seedless grapes with dried apricots, some cheese cubes (Jack, cheddar, or even feta), some whole grain crackers and a bottle of water. Easy!

• Marisa_Guimaraes  on  September 19, 2013

  Fresh fruits and sandwich

• forgetmenot  on  September 19, 2013

  I like to pack leftovers or yogurt with fresh fruit and homemade granola

• souprcook  on  September 19, 2013

  fresh fruit, & cheese

• Waverly  on  September 19, 2013

  A wrap with hummus and julienned vegetables, some grapes, and a square of dark chocolate.

• merstar  on  September 19, 2013

  Pasta/bean salad with lots of fresh vegetables and a Dijon vinaigrette.

• TrishaCP  on  September 20, 2013

  Any type of homemade soup.

• snfoster  on  September 20, 2013

  Can't beat a beautifully ripened avocado. Pack a little container with a tablespoon of olive and a dash of your favourite balsamic vinegar (I hide a gorgeous baby fig and balsamic reduction – just for me – in my pantry) and you've got a delicious and nutritious lunch on the go. Remember to pack a small knife and spoon wrapped in paper towel – it's messy and not much fun if you find yourself having to peel the avocado at lunchtime!

• prpost  on  September 20, 2013

  My favorite thing to pack for lunch is any kind of one-pot meal leftovers. Or a fresh salad.

• PatriciaAnn  on  September 20, 2013

  Fresh cut-up fruit or grapes and cheese chunks and crackers.

• SueMisk  on  September 20, 2013

  Love a salad of precooked Kumera and pumpkin pieces, red pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach. Add chickpeas if have them. Fold through, when ready to eat, a small can of tuna. Yummo.

• Smuz90  on  September 21, 2013

  I usually throw all the veggies i have in a wrap or if i can reheat my lunch i make extra pasta or rice the previous day

• robinorig  on  September 21, 2013

  Hummus with raw veggies as temperature is not a worry along with spoilage. And it's filling and healthy.

• JenPDX  on  September 21, 2013

  I just headed out for a 3 hour drive the other day on an empty stomach. I don't usually make nut butter sandwiches, but we had some great levain bread on hand, which I used to make an almond butter and maple syrup sandwich. I was one happy and satisfied camper!

• chawkins  on  September 21, 2013

  In season fresh fruits for me.

• pgarcia  on  September 21, 2013

  I've gotten into bento boxes lately, so anything that will fit into one of my now many bento boxes nicely!

• ckbkaddict  on  September 22, 2013

  Couscous salad made with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, capers and fried halloumi. Easy to make, long lasting and yummy!

• tangaloor  on  September 22, 2013

  I usually end up with an energy bar. Maybe a cookbook will change that? That's how I've ended up with a shelf full of cookbooks.

• nelsonjaybear  on  September 22, 2013

  My family are desperate for something other than leftovers. Fresh ideas are needed to create a favourite!!

• maisie_grn  on  September 22, 2013

  A big lentil and brown rice salad packed with whatever veggies i have on hand, herbs, and a mustardy vinaigrette 🙂

• herby  on  September 23, 2013

  I love nothing better than an Indian style box with a vegetable dish, a dal and a chapatti or too. Vegetable could be anything – i.e. ratatouille if that is what's in the fridge. No chapatti? No problem! Pita works just as well.

• mjrr  on  September 23, 2013

  Boiled egg and mayo on soft fresh white bread, or avocado and cos lettuce on Vogel's bread. So yummy.m

• karlaschlesinger  on  September 24, 2013

  Roast chicken on a bed of lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumbers, carrots. Basically any leftover veggie goes in too. A cut lime wrapped in plastic wrap to squeeze on it all last minute.

• taygete  on  September 24, 2013

  Leftover macaroni & cheese, and celery with peanut butter.

• lilham  on  September 24, 2013

  I love rice, little burgers flavoured with bbq sauce, and pickled carrots.

• Diabolical_DrZ  on  September 24, 2013

  nuts and berries! Everyday some combination of almonds or other nuts and dried or fresh fruits

• DFed  on  September 25, 2013

  An old-fashioned PB&J Sandwich, chips and an apple!

• MollyB  on  September 25, 2013

  I make a bulgur and chickpea salad with feta cheese, cucumbers, celery and a lemony dressing. It's great at room temperature and holds up really well so you can make it ahead of time.

• stephlinde  on  September 25, 2013

  Variations on wheat berry or other grain salads are great. They stand up well to travel and taste good at room temperature. I like one with Granny Smith apples, dried apricots, and walnuts dressed with a little lemon juice. Sometimes I throw in some chicken, but not usually.

• shaedurls  on  September 25, 2013

  Leftovers! A favourite is the Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice from What Katie Ate.

• minerva  on  September 25, 2013

  Usually leftovers, but I really enjoy spring rolls with whatever I have around when I have the time to make them before work.

• NaomiManygoats  on  September 25, 2013

  Lettuce wraps, to cut the carbs and gluten!

• Sweetooth  on  September 25, 2013

  Sliced turkey and lettuce with a hint of brown mustard spinach wrap.

• Julimorr  on  September 25, 2013

  I have a lemon garbanzo salad with feta that I make a batch of on Sunday – it lasts me all week.

• sabilulu  on  September 25, 2013

  Salads with protein are my go-to lunches.

• mschefkitchen  on  September 25, 2013

  My fave at the moment is salad with smoked salmon. Protein with omega 3!

• hwbookworm  on  September 26, 2013

  I make a quinoa/sausage dish, with the quinoa cooked in chicken stock with the sausages and grilled vegetables added at the end (usually leftovers from the night before). Healthy and delicious (and quick to make!).

• [email protected]  on  September 26, 2013

  Vietnamese chicken salad – like slaw with spicy dressing

• jd5761  on  September 26, 2013

  carrot sticks that have been left in the pickled onion vinegar overnight and have a nice "tang" and don't dry out

• toddschut  on  September 26, 2013

  Leftovers. If there are none, I usually have soup or chili in the freezer.

• tlbeck1  on  September 26, 2013

  My new thing is natural peanut butter spread on a tortilla with sliced bananas and raisins. So yummy!

• jfadiman  on  September 26, 2013

  I love hummus with fresh veggies and some interesting crackers!

• rhelune  on  September 26, 2013

  I have leak-proof containers, so I usually bring a soup or a stew. I also usually bring rice with gomashio-nori-shiso furikake, a fresh vegetable salad (always some greens), fresh fruit and nuts. I have separate tiny containers for furikake and salad dressing, so I add them just before eating.

• [email protected]  on  September 26, 2013

  How about one of those French sandwiches, Pain Bagnat? We love this at my house: Nice boule with a little olive oil and rubbed garlic, tuna (in olive oil), tomato slices, lettuce, olives, red onion, capers. Press with heavy skillet for 15 minutes or so. Take off skillet, wrap carefully and off you go!

• farmkat  on  September 26, 2013

  I usually eat leftovers for lunch. or I go the salad route – lettuce, cabbage, broccoli slaw, cheese and diced chicken.

• JanScholl  on  September 26, 2013

  Hummus with fresh sliced home made bread works for me.

• bhasenstab  on  September 26, 2013

  Real roast beef, on peasant bread, wearing a medium layer of horseradish sauce and a leaf of curly red lettuce. Perfection!

• NorthernLight  on  September 26, 2013

  Most of my culinary “inventions” are one-offs – either because they are good and I can’t remember how I made them, or it’s determined by me and mine that they should never be attempted again. That said, once upon a time, I tossed some firm, cubed tofu and some coarsely chopped tomatoes into a Mason jar, added olive oil and Bragg’s aminos, seasoned it with granules of dulse with garlic (Maine Coast Sea Seasonings) and the tiniest bit of salt and pepper, then left it in the fridge to marinate overnight. The next day it was – lo and behold! – marvelous. I liked it; hubby liked it – and I remembered what I’d done. It’s now a fave. Who knew?

• dcockburn  on  September 26, 2013

  Carrot sticks are a daily staple for the last 30 plus years.

• Rockangel007  on  September 26, 2013

  It just has to be mini quiches made with whatever is to hand but lots of cheese! it doesn't matter if the boys are off fishing, I am going to work, the younger kids are going to school or for a family picnic. They work for every occasion, freeze well if necessary and everyone loves them.

• alamobecky  on  September 26, 2013

  A former tenant of my FIL left behind 40 pounds of dried black beans. I cook a pound at a time in the slow cooker with an onion, garlic and bay leaf, adding salt about a half hour before they're finished. Delish! I combine with quinoa, whatever vegetables I have around, some Feta cheese and whatever vinaigrette I have around.

• TippyCanoe  on  September 26, 2013

  shredded veggies, cheese, various odds and ends from the fridge, including last nights chicken or pickled tidbits all rolled in a big tortilla wrap. yum.

• napier  on  September 27, 2013

  Roasted veg mixed with avocado and spicy roasted chickpeas. Perfect combo if soft, creamy, crunchy

• RobinCR  on  September 27, 2013

  Hummus with raw veggies, cheese, crackers, fruit. Mostly cold finger foods.

• Megoola  on  September 29, 2013

  Any vegetarian bean dish that is good at room temperature.

• Kimberly62  on  September 30, 2013

  foccacia with aged prov0lone, roasted red pepper, sliced pickles, mayo

• ChristyMcMahon  on  September 30, 2013

  I like to pack turkey & ranch roll ups with a side of grapes and cheese!!

• CarrieJohn  on  October 6, 2013

  Yesterday's risotto with some chopped vegetables and boiled egg added.

• MamaLion2204  on  October 7, 2013

  If I don't have leftovers, then another good option is a wrap with hummus and veggies.

• teslaca  on  October 14, 2013

  Salads – of all sorts. I use up leftover cooked veggies and add lots of fresh chopped or grated vegetables. Sometimes cooked grains go in too if I have leftovers.

• Jane  on  October 15, 2013

  This contest is now closed. Congratulations to the 3 winners, selected by random number generator – MamaLion2204, farmkat and stephlinde.