Category Archives: Main Dishes

What’s for Lunch?


Posted by katiebird

Tuna Salad & Tomato-Onion Vinaigrette

Lunch!

Exercise your hunter-gatherer skills! Most offices have packets of mayo and mustard lying around, and there are usually bottles of vinaigrette dressing in a refrigerator somewhere. You can keep everything else in your desk drawer or overhead bins.

To really make this lunch sing, fix it around 10:30 and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Tuna Salad
1 can tuna, drained
3 packets mayonnaise
1 packet mustard
1/4 onion, finely chopped
herbs/spices to taste

Mix all ingredients. Chill for 1 hour if possible.

Tomato/Onion Vinaigrette
8 sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 c vinaigrette

Cover tomatoes in water (just enough to cover), microwave for 8 minutes (there should be a little juice in the bottom, let it stay). Allow to cool for several minutes. Add onion, stir, let stand for several minutes (to soak up the juice). Add vinaigrette. Chill for 1 hour if possible.


Indigenous Solidarity Quesadillas with Irish Cheese and Maque Choux, contributed by DuctapeFatwa


Posted by katiebird

You can make these with flatbread, naan, roti, traditional flour tortillas or any of the new “wraps.” Some of the latter come in various flavors and low carb versions as well as whole grain. I would not recommend injera unless you make it special, because in the usual form it is too soft and floppy.

Once you have selected the base for your quesadilla, obtain some Irish cheese and grate it. Irish are the indigenous people of the British Isles, so using Irish cheese in your quesadilla is a nice way to salute Europe and show solidarity.

Cut up an onion (Sufi chop) and a sweet bell chile in any color. Put a pan on the fire, add a bit of olive oil, when it is hot, add your chopped vegetables and let them cook but not all the way. Take some out and spread them onto your tortillas or whatever you are using, add your grated Irish cheese, fold over, wrap in alumininum foil and put inside the heated oven section of your fire source.

Now make maque choux: That is essentially what those bags of “Authentic Mexican” vegetable medleys of corn, black beans, sweet chiles, etc. are. This is a traditional Native American dish that is very easy to make. Just dump some in the pan with what is left of your onions etc, and add a bit of African cayenne, chopped habaneros, jalapenos, all or none, depending on how much flavor you wish your maque choux to have. Add a bit of garlic, some cumin seeds and a tiny whisper of cinnamon. Let it all cook for a while as the quesadillas bake.

Some like them to be soft, some like the bread a bit crispy, so take them out sooner for soft, as soon as cheese is melted, Put your maque choux on top, and dribble salsa around them.

If you want a very pretty look, alternate drops of red and green salsas to celebrate Mexico.

You can also top the maque choux with chopped tomatoes if you have good ones.

This is a good way to get in a serving of vegetables, and depending on your bread substance, a minimum of evil white carbs.

Serve with little bowls of chopped pungent chiles, chunks of avocado, chopped cilantro so diners can customize their quesadillas.


Tuna Fish Salad with Apples and Onions Becomes an Elegant Luncheon, contributed by DuctapeFatwa


Posted by katiebird

This is a very good tuna fish salad for people who, like myself, do not like tuna fish.

Start with a large Granny Smith apple. By any means necessary, cause it to be in small bits, grated or diced. Diced is crunchier. If you grate, do so directly into the vessel that will contain your tuna fish salad, so that you do not lose juice. As the apple becomes small bits, frequently throw the bits into the bowl or other vessel and sprinkle generously with lemon juice and vinegar, so the bits will not turn brown.

Now take a large Vidalia or whatever sweet onion you have access to, and cut it up (Episcopal chop) Continue reading →


Healthy AND Nutritious AND Delicious


Posted by katiebird

I challenge you….any or all of you….to try this new recipe of mine.

I call it

Puget’s Lunch Scramble

sweet onion chopped fine, 1/4 c
fresh ginger grated
several baby carrots grated
fresh kale, several leaves chopped fine
garlic, chopped fine
1 T olive oil
1 T canola oil
2 corn tortillas
Pico de Gallo
salt, pepper to taste.

AND

1/3 lb firm tofu (DO NOT LET THIS STOP YOU FROM READING ON)
mashed with a potato masher

heat oil in skillet, on High heat

ADD:
carrots, kale, onion, garlic, ginger
Stir well, keep it moving.

When onion is translucent add the perfect touch, dump the
rather large pile of mashed firm tofu on top.

Stir well again and keep it moving. Keep stirring until the kale looks wilted and the tofu is softer and obviously warm.

Put one tortilla on your plate. Add generous amount of the above described “scramble”. Add second tortilla, a little more of the scramble. Put a dollop of pico de gallo on top.

Take a good look at your creation. It looks like a plate of scrambled eggs, smells fantastic, tastes amazing. Now dig in and enjoy.

The tofu is tasteless. All the other ingredients make up the flavor and it is lovely.

Let me know what you think.


What’s For Lunch?


Posted by katiebird

Y’all might remember that I’ve been hunting for healthy food that a) doesn’t require refrigeration, and b) can be cooked in a microwave or with hot water — in other words, stuff can you make for lunch at work. I’ve been away for a while, and since my previous (first) What’s For Lunch I’ve added garlic and a garlic press to the collection. On this planet, garlic is about $3/pound (about 9 bulbs)… about six cents a serving if you like lots of garlic like I do.

I cheated a little today — on the way to work, I picked up three Roma tomatoes instead of depending completely on the stash in my overhead bin — and this recipe took some effort. But it was worth it.

CubeDweller Ramen with Oyster Sauce
1 packet ramen noodles (discard “flavor” packet)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced and crushed (peeling is optional, I like the peel)
4 cipollini onions, or one medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
1T. olive oil
1 can (3.75oz) smoked oysters, drained (unless you don’t have any olive oil, in which case you can use the oil in the oyster tin)

Prepare ramen (w/o sodium packet) and set aside.

In a microwave pot, crush the tomatoes and stir in onions, garlic, and olive oil. Cover (a paper towel is better than nothing) and microwave for 1-1/2 minutes. Drain excess juice into a cup. Add smoked oysters and microwave, again 1-1/2 minutes. Drain more juice into the cup. Reheat ramen by covering with a wet paper towel and microwaving for 20 seconds. Top ramen with oyster sauce.

Chill the juice poured off during cooking and drink it if you like.

The entire thing cost me less than 4 bucks, and you won’t find anything nearly as good in the frozen food section!