Friday, May 28

Today's Lunch

Butternut Squash Soup

with thyme and prosciutto-stuffed pasta

Parmesan Toasts

Orange Slices

Snapea Crisps

(some items packaged)

Prosciutto-stuffed pasta from Trader Joe's

Thursday, May 27

Today's Lunch

Chicken Bastilla Empanadas

tiny versions of the savory Moroccan pastry seasoned with saffron, cinnamon, ginger and sweetened almonds

Moroccan Marinated Vegetables

veggies with white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cardamom

Pistachio-Date Spread with Cinnamon Grahams

Fresh Cantaloupe

Wednesday, May 26

Today's Lunch

Udon Noodles

with teriyaki chicken and hoisin-peanut sauce

Marinated Sesame Cabbage

Mandarin Oranges

Rice Cracker Mix

(packaged)

Tuesday, May 25

Today's Lunch

Tacos

taco shells with seasoned ground beef (in thermos), lettuce, tomatoes, olives, grated cheese and sour cream

Cucumber-Mango Salsa

with yellow corn tortilla chips

Horchata

Shrimp Louie Salad Recipe

1 small head of butter lettuce, washed, torn into bite-size pieces
½ pound salad shrimp, cooked
1 small tomato, cut into wedges (can substitute whole cherry or pearl tomatoes)
2 eggs, hard-boiled and cut into wedges
10-20 black olives
1 small lemon, cut into wedges

Dressing:

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup catsup
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. pickle relish
1 tsp. steak sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce
white pepper to taste

On bed of butter lettuce, arrange shrimp, tomato, eggs and olives. Garnish with lemon wedges.

In small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients together. Serve aside salad, or spoon over shrimp just before serving.

Makes 2 servings.

Monday, May 24

Today's Lunch

Shrimp Louie

butter lettuce, salad shrimp, hard-boiled egg, olives and tomatoes

Fresh Pineapple

with fluffy fruit dip

Veggie Sticks

(packaged)

Thursday, May 20

Today's Lunch:

Marinated Calamari

Rosemary Crackers with Salami & Cheeses
including swiss, asiago, panquehue

Fresh Strawberries

with lemony dip

Wednesday, May 19

Today's Lunch:

Chicken Salad Pita Pockets

chicken with curry, cilantro, celery and grapes, to be stuffed in mini pita pockets with red leaf lettuce

Bing Cherries

Celery Sticks

with whipped peanut butter dip

English Tea Cookies

(not pictured)

The Disposable Version

Today, one of my daughters happens to be departing on a multi-day school field trip, and one of the requirements was to bring a lunch with completely disposable packaging.  No insulated lunch box!?!  Oh, the horror!  Here is the same lunch as above, but packed for a landfill destiny.

It's just not quite as appealing, is it?  

I enclosed the peanut butter dip inside pairs of celery sticks to reduce the need for packaging.

This is a semi-disposable container from a previous lunchmeat purchase, so I felt a little better about its eventual demise.  To keep the chicken salad nice and cold, I wrapped a small bag of ice in a paper towel and placed it inside the container separated by waxed paper.

Tuesday, May 18

Today's Lunch:

Saucy Hot Dog Bites with Corn

(served in Thermos)

Soft Pretzel with Mustard

Grapes

Pickles

Mini Rice Cakes

Fudge Cookies

(some times packaged)

Saucy Hot Dog Bites with Corn

Monday, May 17

Today's Lunch:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

(served in Thermos)

Rosemary Potato Artisan Bread

Apple

Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzel Pieces

Tapioca Pudding

(some items packaged)
Blackberry Lemonade
(not pictured)

Friday, May 14

Today's Lunch:

Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Mango

served with chili peanut sauce

Edamame

Mandarin Oranges

Flat Fortune Cookies

Rice Crackers

Botan Rice Candy

(some items packaged)

Thursday, May 13

Today's Lunch:

Chinese Chicken Salad

with crispy chow mein noodles, peanuts, water chestnuts and mandarin oranges

Sesame Seaweed Rice Balls

(packaged)

Strawberry Pomegranate Iced Tea

(not pictured)

Mandarin oranges and water chestnuts were packaged with a layer of wax paper between the layers to keep everything fresh.

Wednesday, May 12

Today's Lunch:

Chicken Wings & Drummettes

with pepper-lime mayonnaise

Baby Carrots

with fresh herb cottage cheese dip

Strawberry Bread

spiced with cinnamon and cardamom

Pumpkin Seeds

(packaged)

Tuesday, May 11

Today's Lunch:

Fried Cheese Ravioli

with grated romano, frizzled basil leaves and marinara sauce

Fuji Apple Slices

with creamy cinnamon dip

Monday, May 10

Today's Lunch:

Tomato Soup with Spinach Tortellini

Rustic Bread

Pepper or Pickle Salami Rolls

slices of salami rolled up with cream cheese and banana peppers or pickles

Orange Slices

This photo features salami with banana peppers for Emily.  Sydney prefers the pickle version (not pictured).

Tomato soup with spinach tortellini...and a little basil and parmesan.

Side Note

This week is STAR testing at my daughters' school, and the students are encouraged to bring snacks to share.  Therefore, the next few menus might feature lighter fare and/or some items may not be included in the picture of the day.

Healthy lunch boxes for grown-ups

"People don't eat out at work just for the fun of it: they have de-prioritised food..." 

Article author Audrevea takes a closer look at packed lunches in the workplace:

Healthy lunch boxes for grown-ups: practical and stylish

Friday, May 7

Today's Lunch:

Israeli Couscous

pearl pasta with pine nuts, parsley, chicken, cinnamon and raisins

Naan O Panir O Sabzi

tandoori naan (flatbread), feta cheese and herbs (mint, basil and cilantro)

Tzatziki

creamy garlic cucumber dip

Hummus with Pita Chips(packaged)

Mexican Marinated Shrimp Recipe

1 cup tomato-clam juice
2 Tbsp. cocktail sauce
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. white pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
½ pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
½ cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 small ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste

In small bowl, combine tomato juice, cocktail sauce, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, white pepper and cayenne pepper. In a large bowl, place shrimp, onion and corn. Pour tomato juice mixture over shrimp mixture; stir to coat. Gently stir in avocado and cilantro. Salt to taste.

Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours to allow flavors to combine.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Fluffy Fruit Dip Recipe

¾ cup whipped cream cheese
½ cup marshmallow cream
1 cup whipped cream (not whipping cream, the already whipped version)
1 tsp. lemon juice

In small bowl, mix together cream cheese and marshmallow cream. Add whipped cream. Using a whisk, beat mixture until smooth. Blend in lemon juice.

Makes 3 to 4 individual servings.

Thursday, May 6

Today's Lunch:

Lox & Bagels

toasted mini-bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber slices, microgreens and capers

Fresh Strawberries

served with fluffy fruit dip

Marinated Mushrooms

Crunchy Green Beans

(packaged)
 

Yummy Pear Bread Recipe

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cups sugar

3 eggs

15 oz. can pears, drained, reserving pear juice

1/3 cup reserved pear juice (or combine pear juice with 2 Tbsp. lime juice to make 1/3 cup)

3 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground ginger

¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

½ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. reserved pear juice (can also be with lime juice)

Oven: 350 degrees

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, and mix well. Drain pears, reserving pear juice. Puree pears in a blender or food processor. Stir pear puree and 1/3 cup reserved pear juice (with lime if desired) into sugar mixture.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and ground ginger. Stir flour mixture into pear mixture. Fold in chopped pecans.

Spoon or pour batter into two greased 4” x 8” loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until bread is light brown and begins to pull away from sides of pan.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir pear juice into powdered sugar in small amounts, stirring well. The glaze should be a thick liquid.

Brush glaze over bread immediately after removing loaves from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and place on baking rack. Brush on remaining glaze. Cool completely before slicing.

Wednesday, May 5 -- Cinco de Mayo!

Today's Lunch:

 

Mexican Marinated Shrimp
shrimp, avocado and corn marinated in zesty lime, garlic and tomato sauce with cilantro

Chips & Salsa

blue corn tortilla chips served with fresh salsa

Pear Apple

Mini-Cinnamon Twists
(packaged)

Mint Iced Tea

(not pictured)

Tuesday, May 4

Today's Lunch:

Brie & Berries

double cream brie with strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, served with baguette slices

English Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

crustless sandwiches with English cucumber, cream cheese, microgreens, dill and capers

Berry Muffins

Summer Sausage

Monday, May 3

Today's Lunch:

Pulled Pork Sliders
slow-cooked with plenty of spicy, smoky sauce, served with a toasted bun

Zippy Red Coleslaw

red cabbage, carrots and green onion with garlic, dijon and thyme

Watermelon

Potato Chips

(packaged)
Strawberry Pomegranate Iced Tea
(not pictured)