Lunch Archives | Page 2 of 20

Roasted Beet & Walnut Grain Bowl

August 28, 2019 by Nicole Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by California Walnuts. All opinions—as always!—are my own.

Roasted beets, fresh strawberries and crunchy walnuts over a hearty bed of farro and greens, all topped with a honey basil vinaigrette. Yes, please! This roasted beet and walnut grain bowl makes for the perfect healthy lunch. The recipe is plant-based as-is, but you can always customize by adding some chicken or goat cheese crumbles (or both).

Roasting beets takes some time (especially if they’re large), so I like to prep this recipe ahead of time so that all I have to do is assemble when lunchtime hits. I love this dish, so I’ll prep enough for Joe and I to eat it a couple times throughout the week (typically I double the recipe below). Ahead of time I’ll roast the beets, cook the farro, and make the salad dressing. All store great in the refrigerator so when it’s time to eat, all I have to do is assemble my bowl and drizzle some dressing on top. If you work at an office, assemble in the morning in a big tupperware container and bring it with you to enjoy during your lunch break!

In a consumer survey exploring Americans’ shifting attitudes towards lunch, California Walnuts found that less than 10% of Americans prep their lunch for the whole week and almost half (45%) don’t plan what they’re going to eat for lunch at all. I admit I’m guilty of this most weeks, but I’m always so happy when I actually do take the time to prep (my bank account is happy, too).

Roasted Beet & Walnut Grain Bowl

Author: Nicole
Yield: 2 bowls 1x

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Description

Hearty grain bowl with roasted beets, strawberries, arugula, farro and walnuts. Topped with a basil vinaigrette.

Scale

Ingredients

1 large beet
½ cup dry farro
2 cups salad greens of choice (I like an arugula & spinach mix)
½ cup fresh strawberries, chopped
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 small shallot (you’ll reserve part of this for the dressing)

For the basil vinaigrette:

½ cup packed fresh basil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tbsp shallots, minced
½ tbsp honey (can sub maple syrup if vegan)
1 small clove garlic, minced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the beet. Scrub clean and cut the greens off the beet (leave an inch or so attached to the beet). Drizzle with olive oil and salt and wrap in tin foil. I then put the wrapped beet in a baking dish in case the juices leak. When oven is ready, place in center rack and roast for 30-60 minutes. That’s a big range, but it’ll depend on the size of the beet. When a fork easily goes into it, it’s ready. Let it cool a bit and then you’ll gently rub the skin to remove it (I wear kitchen gloves for this so it doesn’t stain my fingers). Chop into chunks.
Cook the farro. Bring the farro and 1 ¼ cups water to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Drain any excess water and set cooked farro aside.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the beet roasts and farro comes to a boil. Remove leaves and stems from strawberries and roughly chop. Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Reserve ½ tbsp (minced) for dressing. Peel and mince the garlic. Roughly chop the walnuts.
Make the basil vinaigrette. Add all dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Combine until smooth. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assemble your grain bowls. Divide the greens and farro between two bowls. Add in beets, strawberries, walnuts and thinly sliced shallots. Dress with desired amount of basil vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Keywords: grain bowl, walnut grain bowl

I love adding walnuts to salads and grain bowls because of their satisfying crunch. In addition to texture, walnuts make for a perfect lunch ingredient because they’re a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids (a good, polyunsaturated fat). This versatile lunch addition keeps me feeling full and satisfied through the afternoon.

If you’re one of the many Americans who regularly skip lunch, I challenge you to reclaim that midday meal and use it as an opportunity to take a break from work. I know I always feel more energized and productive in the afternoon when I’ve given myself a lunch break! To learn more about the #ChooseLunch campaign and get additional walnut recipes, head over to Walnuts.org.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Loaded Walnut Avocado Toast

August 22, 2019 by Nicole 2 Comments

This post was sponsored by California Walnuts. All opinions—as always!—are my own.

This loaded walnut avocado toast just might be my favorite lunchtime option these days. The crisp tartness of green apples, the subtle sweetness of the honey drizzle, the satisfying crunch of the walnuts—I have no doubt you’re going to love this open-faced sandwich as much as I do! And not only is it flavorful and filling, but it can be assembled in just a few short minutes.

When you try this recipe—or any lunch recipe for that matter—I challenge you to take a midday break and actually enjoy it. California Walnuts conducted a consumer survey to explore Americans’ shifting attitudes towards lunch, and found that many of us are eating in front of a screen (guilty as charged). 78% of Americans want to recharge at lunch, but in reality, 67% are using their lunch break to check social media (again, guilty) or the news (59%). Furthermore, the survey showed that, on average, Americans eat at their desks 2-3 days a week—certainly not much of a lunch break! In fact, California Walnuts found that only 20% of Americans take a true mental break from responsibilities during lunch.

I work from home and my “desk” (couch, let’s be honest here) is a mere couple steps from the kitchen. Because of this, it’s all too easy to work straight through the day, with lunch being nothing more than me mindlessly eating while staring at my computer screen. While it might seem like I’m doing more work by skipping a traditional lunch break, I actually find I’m way less productive when I do this. Setting aside the lunch hour (or even 30 minutes!) as a true break from work to reset and enjoy my meal leaves me feeling clear-headed and ready to tackle the afternoon. So I’m teaming up with California Walnuts to encourage you to #ChooseLunch as well!

Loaded Walnut Avocado Toast

Author: Nicole
Yield: 2 servings 1x

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Description

This loaded avocado toast is topped with green apples, arugula and a honey drizzle for the perfect lunch.

Scale

Ingredients

2 large slices sourdough bread
1 avocado
1 green apple
½ cup walnuts
Two big handfuls arugula
2 tbsp gorgonzola (omit for vegan)
Drizzle of honey (sub maple syrup or omit for vegan)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Toast the sourdough bread. You can use a toaster oven or preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place bread on rack in the middle, and toast for 10 minutes.
Prepare your ingredients while bread toasts. Halve the avocado, remove pit, and use a fork to mash up the meat in the shell. Thinly slice the green apple. Roughly chop the walnuts.
Assemble your open-faced sandwich. Scoop out the avocado and spread evenly across the two slices of toast. Top with the apple slices and a handful of arugula. Sprinkle with walnuts and gorgonzola. Lightly drizzle with honey and top with salt and pepper to taste.
Best when enjoyed right away, but will also keep well in tupperware for several hours if you want to prepare in the morning and bring with you to enjoy for lunch.

Keywords: avocado toast, walnut avocado toast, loaded avocado toast

You can use pre-sliced sourdough bread for this, but I’d highly recommend buying a fresh loaf from the grocery store if available and cut it generously thick—so good. I don’t eat dairy often, so when I make these, I’ll usually just sprinkle the gorgonzola on Joe’s and omit it on mine. The gorgonzola does nicely round out the flavors, but it’s still delicious made dairy-free. And although I consider myself *mostly* vegan, I do eat honey. If you’re strict about that though, swap maple syrup or omit the sweetener altogether.

Walnuts are an incredibly versatile lunch ingredient. You can grind them with spices to create a plant-based walnut meat, toss them into smoothies or, in this case, sprinkle them on top of a salad or sandwich for extra flavor and a satisfying crunch. They’re also a significant source of omega-3 fatty acids at 2.5 grams per ounce.

Do you take a real lunch break each day? I encourage you to give yourself that midday reset and enjoy a nutritious meal. Visit Walnuts.org to learn more and to get some delicious lunchtime walnut recipes.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

BBQ Jackfruit Grain Bowls

September 16, 2018 by Nicole Leave a Comment

Today I wanted to share a way you could use the shredded bbq jackfruit recipe from last week. When I think “bbq,” two things come to mind: summer and football. So what more fitting time of year than now to talk about these bbq jackfruit grain bowls. They do NOT skimp on the flavor and I I think even your carnivorous friends will love them. 😉

I’m using brown rice, but you can use any grain you like. Even cauliflower rice! You could also nix the rice and put the rest of the ingredients on a bun. Eat it like a sandwich instead of serving them as a grain bowl—it’s your life, baby!

BBQ Jackfruit Grain Bowls

Yield: 4 bowls

BBQ Jackfruit Grain Bowls

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice (or grain of choice), dry
For the bbq jackfruit:
2 cans jackfruit (in water)
3/4 cup bbq sauce of your choice
1/2 cup water
1/2 yellow onion (or whole onion if small)
4 cloves garlic (fewer if you want less kick)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt + pepper to taste
For the coleslaw:
1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrots (=1 small carrot grated)
1/3 cup vegan mayo (or regular mayo if that's your jam) - I like Chosen Food's vegan mayo
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
For the pineapple:
1 heaping cup fresh pineapple, cut into small chunks
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp chili powder

Instructions

Bring 2 1/4 cup salted water and brown rice to a boil (water amount will differ by grain, FYI if you're not using brown rice). Cover and reduce to a simmer until rice is done (usually about 40 minutes).
Prepare the bbq jackfruit. Detailed instructions in this post.
While the jackfruit simmers, prepare the coleslaw. Mix together the red and green cabbage, shredded carrots, mayo, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. (If you're trying to cut down on time, just buy a bagged coleslaw mix and add in the mayo, parsley, acv and mustard). Cover and set aside in the refrigerator.
When the bbq jackfruit is about 10 minutes away from being done, prepare the pineapple. **See note below, you can grill the pineapple or use fresh** Toss a heaping cup of fresh pineapple chunks in the maple syrup and chili powder. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. When hot, add the pineapple, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes, until parts start to brown.
Assemble your bowls when the jackfruit is done. Add rice, jackfruit, coleslaw and pineapple. Top with extra parsley if desired.

https://pumpsandiron.com/2018/09/16/bbq-jackfruit-grain-bowls/

NOTE ABOUT THE PINEAPPLE. If you have a grill, I highly suggest cooking the pineapple that way instead of in a pan like I did. If you do grill it, cut a fresh pineapple into rounds, removing the core. Toss in the maple syrup and chili pepper and grill a couple minutes each side. You could also always put fresh pineapple in your bbq jackfruit grain bowl instead—still delicious.

Anyone else’s tongue sting when they eat raw pineapple? I read (and don’t quote me on this, I forget the source) that it’s due to an enzyme in the pineapple actually breaking down your tastebuds. Apparently if you cook the pineapple, it won’t have that effect. Just thought I’d share this unverified, un-researched fun “fact” with you so you’d have a conversation starter at your football tailgate today. 😉

Before I sign off for today, just a note about tomorrow’s workout. I WILL have a new YouTube video up, but it won’t be until the afternoon.

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian