Spicing up the home lunch... What do you eat/make?

All -

I searched the forums for a lunch thread and saw a couple about office lunches, but I wanted to see what people whip up for home lunches. Whether you work from home or just make the weekend home lunch, what are some of your staples? I am trying to branch out from what has become a routine lunch for me (leftovers, some sort of cold cuts sandwich, occasional egg/tuna salad variation or a soup).

What are your simple (or complex) staples for lunch?





P.S. Sorry if I missed a thread on this, but search didn't yield anything specifically around home-based lunches.

during the week I eat at my desk 99% of the time and go out 1 or 2 times a month oterwise its:(chips, pretzles, and a can of pop).

Weekends its typically straight up bbq(ribs, abt's, pulled pork, wings), or something made with leftover bbq:

bbq leftovers become:
- pulled pork tacos
- pulled pork nachos
- abt tacos
- abt nachos
- fried rice
- vietnamese spring rolls

non smoked regulars:
alot of sandwiches (reubens, muffaletta,subs )
homemade soups(cream of whatever, french onion, chicken noodle, gumbo, etc)
occasional steamed crab leg feast
peel and eat boiled shrimp
deep fried chicken wings

Anytime you make rice for dinner, always make extra for fried rice a day or two after. Simple, yet complex, chop up a few veggies here and there throughout the morning at your leisure, some flavoring sauces in the fridge - chili garlic, black bean - whatever, I throw it all in. Once you have your veggies done, and a hot wok, if you use eggs as the protein, restaurant quality lunch (or better) is done in about 5 min.

Huevos rancheros whenever you make salsa and have some tortillas leftover or just laying around.

Laxmi brand frozen Indian foods. I've been on a long search for anything edible in the realm of processed Indian Food. This brand, so far, has been the only thing that's come remotely close to edible for me. I've only had the Mutter Paneer, and I was thoroughly impressed. Secret, I use El Milagro Tortillas Caseras (fajita style) for a fluffy flatbread alternative to naan, and waaaaaay cheaper. I've tried for years to find one of those shelf stable Indian foods that is edible. They are all absolutely horrendous, IMO. And those Trader Joe's frozen bowls? They couldn't be much worse if you ask me.

If you have a decent Italian mkt that sells their pizza crusts frozen, that's a neat lunch. I do it every so often. I buy the cheap Dutch Farms brand cheese at the local grocer when the bags of shredded stuff is 99c for 8 oz, and freeze them. Make a pizza with moderately ok cheese, some hot giardiniera, - or whatever, just toss it in the oven, and you're good in a few minutes.

When I work from home, really, tho, I stick to leftovers, sammiches, or take out from the joints around the corner. My office is in a food bereft zone, so when I work from home, I get to actually have a decent beef or other assorted bad grease once in a while.

P.s. - Thanks, Jimswside - I'm gonna have to get some reuben fixins for the house to make them for home lunch. For whatever reason, I never thought of that. That is all kinds of on my list now.

I'm a huge fan of turning leftover chicken into a quick pot pie (with a bit of crust from the freezer) or into creamed chicken over mashed potatoes; I have discovered that you can make single serving size cheese fondue (so yummy, but my husband doesn't like it, which is why I discovered making it for lunch); I also adore creamed chipped beef, which no one else in my family will eat; on a day when I am behaving better, I might make a giant salad, or throw together black bean soup from a can of beans and a can of tomatoes and a few other things; the above mentioned fried rice; quesadillas; huevos rancheros, as mentioned. Tofu stirfry. And a million tuna sandwiches.

Thanks all. I ate at home yesterday because my beloved Chinese didn't answer when I called. I felt like I didn't have much to choose from, but there was leftover Chinese white rice. I had farm eggs, artichoke hearts in the freezer, onions, fresh ginger root, & a mix vegetable of farm-fresh cauliflower with edamame. Yep, it was fried rice time.

Very, very nice.

Yes, we are 1 of those w/ pantries, freezer, & fridge full of food but I never seem to want what we have at any given moment <sigh>.

pairs4life wrote:Yes, we are 1 of those w/ pantries, freezer, & fridge full of food but I never seem to want what we have at any given moment <sigh>.

I have two freezers full of steaks, chicken parts, ground beef, poke chops, bacon, ground turkey, ribs, hell, I even have about ten lbs of venison parts somewhere around here. One thing that always helps out with the "what can I make syndrome" is to start thawing something out earlier in the day or the night before. Everything falls into place if you have a nice ribeye or a few lbs of boneless skinless thighs ready to rock. Well, if you're a carnivore, that is.

If I'm on my own, I find myself opening cans a lot. My version of salade nicoiseis a common lunch; today I didn't feel up to it and just mixed tuna with kimchi I had in the fridge. Homemade hummos and pita chips is another one I do a lot (or bean dip; something about dips at lunchtime...)

I work from home, so I eat home lunch a lot and most of the time it's whatever falls out of the fridge first. However, when I have time, then I indulge in things that my husband and daughter don't like-- like bahn mi (the daikon and carrot pickles have a distinct odor my husband dislikes) or poached eggs. Liverwurst sandwiches with lots of onion, and cream of broccoli soup also make the list.

Unfortunately, I spend so much time and energy planning dinners and my daughter's breakfast and school lunch, that Mommy's Treat lunches just don't happen often enough.

Jen

I eat at my desk almost every day. A lot of times on Sunday I'll make some kind of soup in the pressure cooker (potato-carrot is a current favorite) or a quick cream of broccoli. I might pack some bread and cheese to eat along with the soup. I might cut up some carrots or something for a mid-morning snack. I've also got a stash of roasted unsalted cashews and almonds at work, and spicy dried mango.

As the end of the week nears, I end up tapping into a frozen Amy's meal or Trader Joe's baked ziti.

For dessert, I like plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. In the summer, I mix this with berries, strawberries, cut apricots, nectarines, etc. (whatever I picked up at the grocery store). In the winter, I mix with applesauce, jam, or a cut up banana. The banana is a little more difficult since you have to cut it up at work. I might shake a little cardomom or cinnamon into the mix depending on the fruit.

I also bring LaCroix canned sparkling water to drink instead of pop and an additional big bottle of Sigg water from my own filter. The Sigg water bottle has save me a lot of money over time.

How to pre-cut an unpeeled banana.

That banana post is overcomplicating the process. For a ripe banana all you need to do is insert a needle and wiggle it from side to side every 1/2" to an inch (depending on how thick a slice you want). A plain needle will cut through a banana like warm butter.

quesadillas are pretty cheap and easy. They're a pretty good sink for small amounts of leftover meat. Refrigerated salsa (yeah yeah) can be zapped to bring it up to room temperature. And my octogenarian mother likes them.

Packaged Chajang Myun is a staple lunch. I make it with chinese broccoli sitting atop the noodles while they boil -- they mostly get steamed that way, and the 5-minute time makes them perfectly al dente. They go particularly nicely with the chajang sauce.

Assi Plaza carries a brand of pork bao with a whole wheat, no-fat-added dough. They're not the best I've had, but adequate for a lunch with a little sriracha and hoisin.

And, since I work at home, I get first crack at leftovers, except when the Things are back from school, where they'll eat dinner stuff for breakfast.

Veggie burger of some kind (garden burger, boca spicy chicken, Dr. Praeger varieties) on a whole wheat or regular toasted English muffin. Add lettuce (non ice berg), thin slices of tomato, onion (if you like it) and condiments. I prefer mayo mixed with a little salsa. Add a slice of cheese if you like.

Veggie burger of some kind (garden burger, boca spicy chicken, Dr. Praeger varieties) on a whole wheat or regular toasted English muffin.

I'm with you there, but I'm partial to the Morningstar black bean chipotle "burger" with a slice of jalapeno jack AND a fried egg on an english muffin.

Ooh, if you like Morningstar then you have to try the 'asian' burger available at Target and elsewhere I'm sure. I usually slice it up into strips and roll up into rice paper with some chile, sweet sauce, red bell pepper, mint, basil, etc to make into spring roll. So quick, easy, and good. I also like the Morningstar 'italian' burger from Trader Joe on a maybe an onion roll with slice jalapenos and hot mustard.

I've tried all the Morningstar options (every last sorry one) and the black bean chipotle rises above the rest.

I have yet to try the chipotle burger. Anyway, I eat veg about 80% of the time. So, on the days I work from home, I try to balance the nutrition to increase protein, calcium, etc. So, I've been making lentils with squash, more tofu stirfry, mix in some greens and cheese with my pasta.

While I was home, I was very much into the quesadilla-with-random-leftovers-in-the- filling. It was a delicious, cheap option for using up food the rest of my family had no interest in eating, and made me feel good about indulging my growing cheese addiction. Chopped-up bacon and cheese quesadillas with other assorted vegetables are another favorite. A win-win situation for all!

Suzy

Catch as can lunch. Ground beef on hand for Mapo Tofu, squishy white bread leftover from BBQ and onions caramelized with fresh made chili oil.

Pan fried burgers with chili oil caramelized onions on squishy white bread.

I don't make sandwiches anymore since I'm supposed to be eating low carb, so I often make salads or soups that Mr. Pie won't eat (plenty of coconut milk and shellfish, yeeha!) or whenever there's enough leftovers from dinner for one meal but not two, I bring that. Mondays are usually my eat out days (damn, no Patty's or De Jred) because I refuse to grocery shop on weekends and we usually don't have anything suitable left in the house by then. The other day I had unagi from Fresh Farms—I made a wee bit of rice the night before and brought it in tupperware, then microwaved some frozen unagi on top. Expensive-ish ($8) but well worth it.

This isn't the lunch food I eat but how I transport it. Thought some might be interested.

http://www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/lu ... sl_me.html

Many times I need to eat lunch but don't have access to a microwave. Ms. Bento keeps my stuff hot for longer than 5 hours.

I had an easily made and great tasting lunch today, a Florida Grouper sandwich. Just some pan fried grouper coated with breadcrumbs and coconut and topped with fresh squeezed lemon and hot sauce and served on a kaiser roll with tartar sauce and lettuce.


Grouper Sandwich

As these things are always around the house, I occasionally pack a "Mediterranean" lunch:

Cheese
Salami
Nuts
Olives
Cornichons
Hummus
Flatbread/Crackers

Da Beef wrote:Grouper Sandwich

Looks delicious, coconut a nice touch.

clean out the fridge burrito

chopped up leftover grilled chicken brest
Half a tube of chorizo
fried egg
couple slices of American cheese
onion and cilantro with a squeeze of lime
Sour cream
Salsa tortuga ranchera (Harvest Time Foods)

kenji wrote:This isn't the lunch food I eat but how I transport it. Thought some might be interested.

http://www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/lu ... sl_me.html

Kenji, we just picked up Ms. Bento's cheaper cousin (Vitro?) at H-Mart for Sparky - nice to be able to put chili con carne in the thermos and shredded cheese in the top container and have them both stay at the appropriate temp. I think the Ms. Bentos are about $35-50, and this was about $20, but didn't have the nice chopstick holder or extra inserts. Much better than the single-bowl lunch jars you can get at Target.

My usual work day is at desk (fruit, greek yogurt mixed with fat-free cottage cheese). Not too exciting, but it's my daily LTH time.

Here's something new I tried for lunch Saturday, loved it:
toasted dark rye, spread with thousand island dressing, layer with bavarian-style kraut, roasted red peppers and swiss cheese. (You could add sliced corned beef) It would be better broiled to heat everything up, but I was so hungry, I just heated the kraut in the microwave and toasted the bread and it was still tasty.
My other favorite is some sort of great bread (crusty sourdough), with fig (or some other type) of preserves and swiss cheese.

Satay sandwich: chunky peanut butter on a hearty multigrain bread, sprinked with lots of Penzey's 'sate seasoning' (or really any good curry powder / masala plus sugar) and flake coconut, drizzled with honey. If you have leftover grilled meats, particularly chicken, slide it in, but you get the effect with just the peanut butter as well.

Put some cucumber in rice wine vinegar and sugar the night before (with ideally some shallot and hot pepper, maybe shredded carrot or bell pepper) in a little Glad container and you have your salad as well.

kenji wrote:This isn't the lunch food I eat but how I transport it. Thought some might be interested.

http://www.zojirushi.com/ourproducts/lu ... sl_me.html

Many times I need to eat lunch but don't have access to a microwave. Ms. Bento keeps my stuff hot for longer than 5 hours.

I've always wondered about these. Do they leak? Can you mix hot (soup/entree) & cold salad/fruit in the same transport?