Chip's lunch: September 27, 2011

The latest Clean Eating Magazine has a really tempting photo of a pizza taking up two pages...I couldn't resist. I used my usual crust recipe (doubled of course, so I froze half for later), and their sauce recipe. It was really easy: strained tomatoes, garlic, onion powder, red wine vinegar, and spices. This is a super easy recipe, inexpensive per serving, and very tasty!



CSA apple, banana, dried cranberries, pecans, homemade vegan pumpkin bread, and homemade pizza with whole wheat crust.

Chip's lunch: June 20, 2011

We had some friends over last weekend, to celebrate my job and their recent home purchase. Since their apartment was all packed up and ready to move, Laura brought dinner ingredients to our house and cooked here. She made this unbelievably delicious recipe, with just a few ingredients (including some beautiful asparagus from the Clintonville Farmers' Market). Laura is an amazing cook and baker, and has made us some fabulous food since we met her last year, including vegetarian Coneys, roasted vegetable lasagna, and raspberry scones with lemon icing (yep, I copied those too).

Which brings me to the scones. I was out running a few months ago and stopped at Laura's place on my way home (about 4 miles into my 5-mile run). As I was leaving, she offered me a scone, and far be it from me to turn down a baked good. She sent me home with two of these raspberry scones, with a lemon glaze that she invented herself. I chuckled as I ran the last mile, scones in one hand and iPod in the other. Some people run with energy gels; I run with scones. As soon as I got home, scone #1 was gone, and #2 was gone soon afterward. Even Chip liked it, and he flat out does NOT eat berries. I got some not-so-beautiful raspberries at the farmers' market this weekend, and figured they didn't have to look pretty to adorn scones. I veganized the recipe and used whole wheat flour, and it still turned out great. So great that Chip even ate these ones too, raspberries and all. Seriously, you need to try this recipe.

How to veganize:
-Instead of buttermilk, use 1 tsp lemon juice per cup of vegan milk (I used almond milk); allow to curdle for 5 minutes before adding to recipe.
-Instead of butter, use vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
-Instead of egg yolk, sub 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons vegan milk



Lemon asparagus penne, organic applesauce, organic dark chocolate chips, pecans, dried cranberries, homemade lemon raspberry scones, and a salad with local organic salad mix, organic sunflower seeds, organic mushrooms, local pea shoots, and Campari tomato.

Chip's lunch: June 16, 2011

I decided it was finally time to try my hand at falafel. And I figured that while I was at it, I would try some hummus too. I mean, it's just lots of chickpeas, right? It's just mixing things together and making them taste good. I should've remembered why I don't make hummus. The reason is that I'm terrible at it. Absolutely horrible. Maybe I haven't found a good recipe yet. Maybe the chickpeas I use (canned organic) aren't the best kind for hummus. Perhaps my crappy blender isn't the appropriate tool to use to mix it all up. Whatever the reason, this hummus was not delicious, though it was palatable. Chip seemed to think it was "fine," but I was just not a fan.

The good news is that this falafel was much better than the hummus was. Per the recipe's instructions, I formed it into patties about the size of your average hamburger. Instead of deep frying, I sprayed a pan with olive oil, and sort of pan fried it that way. I cooked it on high enough heat to get it crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. It was actually quite good, and it was easy enough to make. I prepared the patties ahead of time (on Sunday), and froze them. I defrosted them during the day on Wednesday, and cooked them up for dinner in no time.



Homemade falafel, banana, homemade trail mix with organic Sultana golden raisins, dried cranberries, organic sunflower seeds, raw almonds, and organic dark chocolate chips, homemade hummus, and blanched veggies (local asparagus, organic red bell pepper, organic yellow bell pepper).

Chip's lunch: June 10, 2011

During the colder months, I had time on my hands and a serious desire for soup. I made lots of different kinds, and while we both enjoyed them all, we also were unable to finish the huge batches I was making. So in the freezer the leftovers went, while I imagined some future weeknight being a little tastier because I had some soup left over. Except those weeknights never happened (or more like I always forgot to thaw the soup before it was dinner time), and before I knew it, our freezer was overflowing with stuff. So much stuff. I made it my mission two weeks ago to stop buying frozen things, and to work my way through the stuff we already had. The hot weather made it easy to thaw things on the deck, and Chip will really eat anything I put in his lunch (within reason...he'll eat anything he doesn't dislike, whereas I have to be "in the mood" for certain foods at certain times).

So Chip had hot soup on a hot day. He didn't mind a bit, and I'm thankful for that. The pea soup is super filling, so it was especially appreciated on a day he had to work late.



Salad with organic local salad mix, organic mushrooms, organic bell pepper, Campari tomato, and local pastured egg, half a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread, dried cranberries, raw almonds, banana, and homemade split pea soup.

Chip's lunch: June 8, 2011

I made a pledge about two months ago that I would eat a salad a day. I realized that without any planning around food, I would just graze on all the easy stuff in the kitchen: diet soda, candy, chips, crackers, cookies, etc. I wasn't taking the (small amount of) time to put together decent meals for myself, and I was paying for it for sure!

In keeping with this, I have been making sure to keep the fridge full of lettuce, salad, hardboiled eggs, and other salad ingredients. I wash and prepare some things ahead of time, but I still have to assemble it when it's salad time. The salad mix here came from the farmers' market this weekend. It's been plenty rainy and overcast, which is perfect for lettuce, and there's been a ton of it at the market. Our lettuce in our garden is growing like crazy, and I can't wait to put it in some lunches soon!



Salad with local organic salad mix, organic corn, organic bell pepper, and avocado, organic Gala apple, pecans, dried cranberries, and Rising Moon organic spinach florentine vegan ravioli with organic marinara sauce.

Chip's lunch: May 24, 2011

Unfortunately, our Costco has stopped stocking the Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders. We haven't been eating tons of them now, because instead of costing about $.10 each from Costco, they're at least $.50 each from the grocery store. I needed a quick lunch on this day though, and these are about as quick as it gets!

I got goldenrod honey at the farmers' market from the guy in the photo in this article. Goldenrod honey is extra fancy, and has a distinct butterscotch-y taste. I've been enjoying it in green tea, but I can't say Chip has noticed how tasty it is himself.



Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders, local honey, organic applesauce, dried cranberries, organic raw cashews, banana, and a salad with organic redleaf lettuce, local cherry tomatoes, organic carrots, and avocado.

Chip's lunch: May 5, 2011

I have been on a Mandarin orange kick lately, and thought I'd have Chip give them one more shot. And...they came back home with him after work. I don't get what's not to like! They're sweet, a little sour, bite-sized, and mild. I love them. Chip is just not a fan, and I guess it's time to accept it.

He did, however, enjoy the vegan Snickerdoodles I packed. I've been making lots of sweets, and while I'm not sure what's prompting it, Chip sure isn't complaining. I used this recipe, and while I followed it exactly, it didn't turn out quite like I'd hoped. They were tasty, but they were a tad on the salty side, and did have that floury, chewy texture like my mom's Snickerdoodles. I mean, it's not like we didn't eat them; they're long gone now :)



Homemade fried rice with organic broccoli and organic tofu, homemade vegan Snickerdoodles, pecans, dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges, and an organic Gala apple.

Chip's lunch: April 12, 2011

Last week I had Chip stop at Whole Foods on his way home from work. I forget now what I sent him for, but I did tell him to feel free to pick up some of their house-made pesto if he wanted to. He did buy some, and told me how much he likes it; I had always thought he just kind of tolerates it. So, I whipped that pesto out on a busy morning, and ended up with this creation.

On a non-lunch-related note, I had the spinach on hand because I've been drinking a green monster every day for breakfast or lunch. A green monster is a smoothie with pretty much whatever ingredients you want, plus a big handful of spinach. You can't taste the spinach, but it adds some neat color, and more importantly, lots of nutrients. I make mine with a banana, a scoop of protein powder, ice, spinach, and some organic frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries). Yum!



Organic Fuji apple, organic red bell pepper with spicy red pepper hummus, raw almonds, dried cranberries, Kashi oatmeal dark chocolate cookies, and organic whole wheat tri-color noodles with pesto, organic spinach, and organic tomato.

Chip's lunch: April 11, 2011

I've been really into spicy foods lately, and decided to satisfy that with some Jerk "chicken." My dad always made great jerk chicken when I was growing up, but when I called to ask for the recipe, he confessed that he'd misplaced it. So I went off in search of a new recipe, and found this one. I decided to give it a shot, though I was nervous, since the last time I tried an unknown jerk recipe, I was not a fan. This recipe turned out perfectly: lots of smoky spiciness, and plenty of garlic and onion. I added some chopped green onion and extra cinnamon (1/4 tsp isn't nearly enough), left out the cumin, and used one Habanero pepper. Yum!



Organic Fuji apple, mushroom and brown rice pilaf, dried cranberries, pecans, steamed asparagus, and Jamaican jerk Quorn "chicken."

Chip's lunch: April 7, 2011

The weather was beautiful here yesterday evening, so we grilled up some tofu and ate on the deck. I used the same Cajun spices as last time, and it was delicious as usual. Also, I just read in this article that roasted red pepper hummus is a great snack, and I'm glad Chip likes it so much. We get the hummus and pita chips at Costco and Chip goes right through them!



Sandwich on local 10-grain bread with grilled organic tofu with Cajun spices, organic redleaf lettuce, organic red chard, red onion, and Campari tomato, pita chips, spicy red pepper hummus, organic salted sunflower seeds, organic dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, banana, and an organic Fuji apple.

Chip's lunch: April 6, 2011

I was running short on time and ideas this morning, when I remembered that I'd made a trip to Trader Joe's earlier in the week. Chip loves their fake meat, and the "chicken-less stuffed cutlet with black beans and corn" is always a hit. It's an easy way for me to up the protein in his lunch by a lot.



Organic Fuji apple, steamed asparagus with Parmesan cheese, pecans, dried cranberries, Kashi oatmeal dark chocolate chip cookies, and Trader Joe's chicken-less stuffed cutlet with black beans and corn.

Chip's lunch: March 15, 2011

Um, does this look familiar? I realized after I'd packed it that it was basically the same lunch Chip got less than a week before, with slightly different ingredients in the rollups. He didn't notice, so I didn't say anything either. Once again, the rollups were a great way to use a few things up before Chip's departure for Italy.



Organic Fuji apple, banana, organic dark chocolate chips, raw almonds, dried cranberries, homemade vegan carrot spice muffins, and whole wheat rollups with organic avocado, local alfalfa sprouts, Campari tomato, organic red onion, and organic spinach.

Chip's lunch: February 17, 2011

For the past few days, I've been trying to plan our garden for the summer. I know what worked (tomatoes) what didn't (not a single strawberry grew), and what failed miserably (zucchini + squash bugs = disaster), and am hoping to bring some experience and effort this year to make our garden really awesome. All this thinking about veggies made me really want some summery produce! I picked up some watermelon, plus some beautiful lettuce and bell pepper. This looks like a really summery lunch, no? The weather has been teasing us lately (it's supposed to be 65* today, and not one week ago we were seeing 3* overnight), and I'm so ready for summer now!



Salad with organic Boston lettuce, organic corn, organic black beans, Campari tomato, organic red bell pepper, and organic avocado, homemade vegan peanut butter cookies (Tasha's recipe), raw almonds, dried cranberries, and watermelon.

Chip's lunch: February 15, 2011

Chip really enjoyed his last crackers and cheese lunch. He was able to kind of snack on it all day, and the non-finger foods that were in it didn't actually get eaten because he was too busy to take a few minutes to heat them up and eat them with utensils. That sounds ridiculous when I write it out...but he is a really busy guy! I think he could eat all of this lunch with his hands, except the tofu. Yes, we eat green beans and asparagus spears with our hands...totally normal, right?



Kashi whole grain crackers, local pepper jack cheese, local Colby cheese, banana, dried cherries, organic dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, tofu scramble, and steamed green beans and asparagus.

Chip's lunch: February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day! I forgot it was VD until I woke up in the morning. When Chip and I started dating, I was working in a restaurant, and Valentine's Day was one of three "all hands on deck" holidays (along with Fathers' Day and Mothers' Day). Being apart, coupled with my disdain for people who make a big deal of Valentine's Day (thus requiring me to work) meant that Valentine's Day just wasn't a big deal, and it never really has been. So, no hearts or flowers here, just a new recipe we tried out.



Tofu scramble with Twin Oaks organic tofu (our co-op just got it in stock!), organic tempeh, organic crimini mushrooms, organic onion, and organic red bell pepper, banana, dried cranberries, 1/2 of a PB&J on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter, and an organic Cameo apple.

Chip's lunch: February 11, 2011

When Chip is out of town, I find myself eating a lot of crap, whether that's frozen garlic bread or microwave dinners. I seem to have kicked the Cheet-os habit somehow, so there's that. Anyway, one of my favorites is Amy's Veggie Loaf. It's a nice whole meal, with protein, carbs, and veggies. I decided last night that I would try to make my own vegan loaf.

I found this recipe; it got so many great reviews that I figured, why not try it? It made a big mess, with all the chopping, mixing, food processing, sauteeing, and mashing. It turned out just OK. Chip really liked it, which is great, because, well, he eats a lot. It was a little bit sweet for me; it was missing a bit of something savory, I think. Overall though, it was pretty successful. Lots of veggies and protein in it, and it can be eaten alone or on a sandwich.



Homemade lentil loaf, organic peas and organic corn, pecans, dried cranberries, banana, and homemade organic mashed potatoes with vegan gravy.

Chip's lunch: February 10, 2011

We had leftovers for dinner last night, which means...nothing exciting or new for lunch. Somehow we've amassed quite the collection of veggies though, so I was able to slice them and steam them up with some quinoa for a nice balanced lunch.

We've been getting some of our produce at Costco. While we do have access to a fair amount of organic and local produce at the co-op up the street, well...it gets expensive. So if it's not on the Dirty Dozen list, we get it at Costco. So far, so good! We were also buying organic dried cranberries at the co-op, and they were far more expensive than was prudent. So the ones you see here are Craisins from Costco! Whenever we can find unsalted nuts, we get those at Costco too. Can you tell how much I love Costco?



Organic quinoa with mixed veggies (organic yellow bell pepper, green beans, asparagus, organic peas, and broccoli) organic blood orange, dried cranberries, raw almonds, and a banana.

Chip's lunch: February 9, 2011

When Chip is really busy at work, he likes to have finger foods that he can snack on quickly, rather than things that need to be warmed up or eaten with utensils. Usually he snacks on whatever he can eat when his hands, and then later, when he has more time, he'll work on the rest. Crackers and cheese usually do the trick for this sort of thing.

As expected, Chip came home and immediately broke out the soup and salad. He hadn't had time to sit down and eat them while working, so they became part of dinner.



Kashi whole grain crackers, local Colby cheese, local pepper Jack cheese, homemade tomato saffron soup, dried cranberries, raw organic cashews, dried cherries, banana, and a salad with organic redleaf lettuce, Campari tomato, organic yellow bell pepper, and a hardboiled local pastured egg.

Chip's lunch: January 28, 2011

Chip actually likes this tomato saffron soup. He eats all the soups I make, but he doesn't usually ask for them if they're not around. This one was good enough to pack again!

Also, I am really proud of myself. When we were in Hawaii, we went to a restaurant called 22° North. I had a salad with lemon parmesan vinaigrette on it. It was SO good! I've been thinking about it ever since, and I decided last night that it was time to make it. I found this recipe, and it turned out really well. I left out the sugar, and added some garlic. Yum! I've never really made salad dressing before, and to my surprise, even Chip likes it! I packed some with his lunch today.



Salad with organic redleaf lettuce, organic carrot, Campari tomato, and organic chickpeas, 1/2 sandwich on organic whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter and jelly, organic Sultana golden raisins, dried cranberries, organic Honeycrisp apple, and homemade tomato saffron soup.

Chip's lunch: November 19, 2010

This is our last lunch before a long break. We will be in Maryland (and Virginia, and Pennsylvania twice) over Thanksgiving, and two days after we return, Chip will be embarking on another marathon business trip to California and the Canary Islands.



Homemade vegan chili, steamed organic brown rice with organic peas and organic corn, dried organic cranberries, organic Thompson raisins, banana, and a CSA Melrose apple.