February Week 1 Lunches

BF likes healthy lunches. Don't get me wrong I appreciate this, but if it was up to me I'd be having ham and cheese toasties every day for lunch!

I started preparing lunches when we moved to Perth as a cheaper alternative to buying lunch out every day. You'd think that summer salads would be an easier option than winter but who wants to make up a fresh salad every night for the next day? Not me. It is so much easier to freeze a homemade chicken soup into lunch portions any pop one out each morning!

For summer I make up lunches on Sunday nights and Tuesday nights. The criteria for my lunch recipes is three-fold: little bit of carbs, protein and fresh salad/vegetables. This recipe has it all and was inspired by warm Vietnamese salads and rice paper rolls.

Vietnamese rice noodle salad

Makes 6 lunch servings or dinner for 3-4 people.

Tools and supplies:
One of the best things about this salad is the texture. I use a julienne peeler for the zucchini and carrot and shred the cabbage very finely.  I spread the salads across individual lunch containers and store the dressing in tablespoon sized containers which can be stored inside the lunch container. Just pop the frozen chicken portion in the morning before work to defrost while you work through at your desk till lunch.

Ingredients:
Salad
1 large (approx. 300g) chicken breast, poached and shredded.
Medium zucchini, julienne (just use the outer bits to avoid getting the soggy seeded middle)
2 medium carrots julienne
1/2 packet thin rice noodles or vermicelli noodles
Handful shredded cabbage
Handful mixed lettuce leaves
3 spring onions, sliced thinly
4 sprigs fresh mint, torn
1 cup whole/crushed unsalted toasted peanuts
1/4 cup fried shallots (optional)

Nuoc mam cham dressing (adapted from this recipe found here)
1 long red chilli
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup boiled water.

1. Poach the chicken, let cool before shredding. Divide into 6 equal servings (around 50g each) and place in freezer safe bags. Freeze.

2. Prepare rice noodles according to packet directions. Rinse thoroughly.

3. Divide rice noodles across each lunch container, top with handful of lettuce leaves, julienne carrots and zucchini and cabbage. Garnish with torn mint, spring onion, fried shallots and peanuts.

4. To make the dressing, use a mortar and passel to combine chilli and garlic (or blitz/mince). Combine with remaining ingredients (bigger bits of chilli and garlic are all part of the magic of this dressing) and divide equally across small dressing containers.

5. Before leaving for work, add the packet of frozen chicken to the salad. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat! I like to warm the chicken and noodles slightly before adding to the salad and dressing.

Yum Yum. Krumm and Scout love it when I make this, they sit by the kitchen waiting for their share of the carrot ends and zucchini middle. Silly dogs.

I like lunches with plenty of texture, crunch and flavour. Even though its a bit more effort combining all the ingredients I tend not to snack as much because I am so satisfied with the flavor! I wonder though, what kind of lunch options would you like to see on Plan, Shop, Cook, Repeat?

Cheers, Jess

Jess Granola and other important things

I've had a busy couple of weeks since deciding to relaunch this blog. I've been trying to figure out what I want to say and how best to say it. After talking to friends about what they would like to see on the blog I've decided that for the time being posts will revolve around one simple aim: how to go to the supermarket once a week and still eat fresh and healthy food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Of course, I am not perfect - we all forget to get key ingredients for a special meal or something isn't available when we want it, but for the most part this is the aim even if it doesn't always work!

In setting out to write I've got a few other things I plan on doing - testing out recipes from some of my favorite bloggers and sharing budget conscious tips are just two of these.

So within the next couple of weeks you will start to see the format for the blog becoming clear. Specifically I will post my attempt at Collette from Cut Out The Crap's bacon (her original recipe can found here) as well as recipe plans for the week, shopping lists and the recipe for our 'packed lunch' this week. Most importantly, the shopping lists will correspond to healthy and delicious dinner recipes! 

Before I can do any of that though, the most sensible place to commence (considering that breakfast IS the most important meal of the day) is with my granola recipe! Bf wants me to sell this stuff at our local farmers market, but I'm not so sure that's gonna make us the big bucks so am giving the milk away for free.


This recipe is inspired by the granola that comes with acai bowls. I've had a few hipsterfied versions in Melbourne and the pre-prepared one available everywhere in Brazil. I loved the crunch of the granola so set out to make a healthier version than those at the supermarket.
A lot of the supermarket varieties are packed with sugars, fats and unpronounceables and/or just didn't have enough seeds/nuts to satisfy me. I also wanted a low-gluten version and slow-release energy, so hunted down for some options on the web. I came across this recipe from The Wholesome Athlete and over time have adapted it according to my tastes and preferences. Because this is toasted over a low-heat it gets nice and toasty without all the extra butter and oil.

Jess Granola Recipe
Makes 7-8 cups 
Store in airtight container in pantry for up to two months (if it lasts that long!)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter (depending on your personal preference)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut syrup/molasses/pure maple syrup/honey
2 cups rolled oats/rolled rye or similar 
1 cup puffed quinoa/puffed wheat/puffed rice (found at health food shops)
1 cup almonds roughly chopped
1/2 cup cacao nibs (found at health food shops)
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/3 cup sunfower seeds
1/3 cup papitas
1/2 cup dried currents/cranberries/goji berries
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 cup shaved coconut

(Note: my preference is for the first of each option - but this is purely because it's what I always have in the house. Cacao nibs and puffed quinoa are about $10 each for a bag, but I find it lasts through 4 batches of granola at least.)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius.

2. In a small pot (or oven proof large crock pot) combine first five ingredients over low heat. Stir until bubbling.

3. Turn off the heat and (if using large crock pot) stir through rolled oats, puffed quinoa and chopped almonds, otherwise add syrup to oat mixture in large mixing bowl. Work the syrup through the oat mixture gently, being careful to scrape down the sides of the pot/bowl until clumps begin to form. (If you aren't particularly health conscious double the syrup mix for a quick/clumpier/crunchier mix!)

4. Spread mixture onto oven-proof tray (if using) and bake on lower shelf for 1 hour. Stir and scrape down sides every 15 minutes until mixture is golden all the way through.

5. Add remaining ingredients, stir through and bake for further 15 minutes or until the coconut begins to color.

6. Let cool before transferring to airtight container.

Serving suggestion:
When it's particularly hot or I want a healthier option for the weekend I make up acai bowls: Blend together a tablespoon of acai powder with 1/2 banana, frozen berries and two ice cubes. Top with 1/3 cup granola mix and fresh fruit.

My standard go to week day breakfasts is granola topped with some home-made yogurt (see note below),1/2 banana and 3-4 sliced strawberries. Delicious and low-GI with the quinoa, coconut, chia and other seeds - it's a winner every time!


Note: I got so sick of throwing out old yogurt and paying $5 for a little tub of sugar-free low-fat greek yogurt that I started making my own using the easiyo yogurt maker (available from IGA, Woolworths and Coles for about $20). It makes up 1L of yogurt which lasts up to 2 weeks! I now prefer the taste and texture and will often use it for marinades, dressings and sauces. If you'd like to try this option I'd recommend the Hansells sugarfree lite greek yogurt mix, which sells for about $3.5 a packet and is available at all big supermarkets.

I'm curious -what do you have for breakfast? Can you see yourself setting aside the time to make this? I must admit, I spend a lot of my spare time, lunch breaks and late nights in the kitchen but I find the payoff so worth the effort and now I can't imagine anything else!

Cheers, Jess