Food is something I get really excited about. I am constantly checking out new restaurants, watching Bon Appetit videos, or going through the Tasty and Food Network apps for new and fun recipes. I have absolutely no claim to be the healthiest eater. I am obsessed with sauces, specifically “fancy” aiolis and am guilty of adding them to many of my meals. I also am a sucker for a good pizza or fried chicken sandwich with fries, and tend to indulge myself a lot, everyone deserves to treat themselves! However, I do think food and life is about balance, and so especially when I am cooking for myself, which is quite often, I try to make something on the healthier side. I think healthy means a lot of different things to each person nowadays, we are inundated with so much information about what to eat and what not to eat. So down below, I am giving a few quick lunch recipes I like to make and hope that you enjoy them!
1 – Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
For wrap:
– One package ground chicken
– 10-15 pieces of lettuce of choice (I like butter because of the taco shape)
– 1/3 can of water chestnuts diced
– 1/3 white onion diced
– 4 mushrooms of choice diced
– A few sprigs of scallion diced
For sauce: (combine these with whatever ratio you like, to taste)
– Hoisin sauce
– Soy sauce
– Sesame oil
– Sriracha sauce
– Rice vinegar
– Garlic
– Ginger
– Sugar
– Oil (canola or peanut)
I love this dish because it is so simple. All you do is put all of the ingredients in a pan on medium high heat, combine them together, and pour the sauce throughout as it cooks. Once it is done, you just place the contents in the lettuce cups and voila!
2 – Greek Style Turkey Burger
For Tzatziki Sauce:
– 3 small cucumbers
– Plain Greek yogurt
– Dill
– Garlic
– Lemon Juice
– Salt and Pepper
For Burger:
– One package ground turkey
– Cayenne
– Garlic
– Salt and Pepper
– Whole wheat bun
– Arugula
– Tomato
– Onion
– Gouda Cheese
I am basically vegetarian; I only eat poultry and the very occasional seafood. Due to this, I LOVE turkey burgers and have them often. I like this one because the tzatziki gives an added flavor spin to the whole meal. For the sauce, chop the cucumber up into tiny cubes, combine with a couple spoons of yogurt and the rest of the ingredients as you like. Let sit in the fridge for a little so that the flavors meld together. For the burger, simply put the spices in as you mix with the meat and cook on medium heat in burger shape. Add toppings to the toasted bun and there you have it! I like to have this with a side salad or kettle cooked potato chips.
3 – Avocado Caprese Salad & Bruschetta
For Salad:
– ½ Avocado cubed
– 10 small mozzarella balls
– 1 medium sized tomato
– Handful of mixed greens
– Basil olive oil
– Strawberry Balsamic glaze
– Salt and Pepper
For Bruschetta:
– 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
– ¾ diced onions
– Basil olive oil
– Balsamic drizzle
– Salt and pepper
– Any other Italian seasonings
– Toasted bread
This recipe is pretty straight forward for both items because you are simply chopping and combining ingredients. This meal is really refreshing and always revives me in the middle of the day when I need a pick-me-up! Just combine the ingredients for the salad and add the dressing to your liking. For the bruschetta, chop the onions and tomatoes in small diced formatting and add the rest of the ingredients to taste. Put in the fridge for a little to let flavors mix, then place atop toasted bread for some flavor goodness right in your kitchen!
I hope you enjoy these easy recipes and that they bring some variety to your lunches!