A Vegetarian Kitchen: Quick Vegetarian Lunches By Elaine Murphy
In this edition of A Vegetarian Kitchen, I’ll share some healthy, vegetarian lunches to bring to school or work on Meatless Monday – or any day of the week!
Sometimes, it can be hard to break out of the habit of bringing the same sandwich every day, or going out to eat at the same fast food restaurant. These recipes are quick to prepare and easy to stash in a reusable plastic container, for a meal that offers a change of pace.
Meatless Monday is an initiative started by the Monday Campaigns and the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health to encourage people who usually eat meat to give it up for one day of the week. The nonprofit initiative draws from campaigns run by Presidents Wilson, Truman and Roosevelt, who encouraged Americans to give up meat one day per week during the First and Second World Wars.
Here are some quick, easy homemade vegetarian meals to throw together and pack in your lunch for school or work. These recipes serve 1 to 2 people.
1. Roasted Vegetable Burrito
Ingredients: Large tortillas Shredded cheese – cheddar works well, or use a prepackaged blend of Mexican-style cheeses Half of a green bell pepper Half of a red bell pepper ¼ of an onion ½ cup brown rice 1 can black beans or vegetarian refried beans (without lard or animal fat) Cilantro and lime for garnish Instructions: Prepare the rice by adding 1 cup of water and bringing it to a boil. While the rice is cooking, chop the peppers and onion, and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the onion is transparent. Combine all ingredients, and sprinkle cilantro and squeeze a lime wedge on top for added flavor. Wrap the mixture in a large tortilla.
2. Pear and Gorgonzola Spinach Salad
Ingredients: 1 Bosc or Bartlett pear 1 bunch fresh spinach Handful of crumbled Gorgonzola chees Handful of pecans Balsamic vinaigrette dressing Instructions: Slice the pear, and wash and dry the spinach. Toast the pecans for 5 minutes or until browned. Toss all ingredients. 3. Caprese Pasta Salad Ingredients: 1 cup fusilli or penne pasta (buy whole grain pasta to make it healthier, or sub in rice pasta for a gluten-free meal) 1 tomato 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella perlini (these are small balls of mozzarella cheese found in specialty stores. If you can’t find these, you can slice fresh mozzarella cheese from a log.) Handful of basil Olive oil and balsamic vinegar for garnish
Instructions: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare the pasta until cooked. Slice the tomato into small wedges, and wash and finely chop the basil. Mix the pasta, tomato and basil with the mozzarella cheese, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top, and toss. You can also add cracked black pepper for extra flavor.
4. Gourmet Vegetable Sandwich
Ingredients:
2 slices sourdough or ciabatta bread 1 tomato 1 leaf romaine lettuce Half of a cucumber Hummus (plain or roasted garlic works well) Handful of broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts Instructions: Lightly toast the bread until warm. Spread the hummus onto both pieces of bread and top one side with the broccoli sprouts. Wash and slice the cucumber, tomato and lettuce, and arrange on the sandwich. Also, rather than stowing your lunch in a paper bag, pack it in a cooler and pack your food in reusable containers, like Tupperware and reusable snack and sandwich bags. Don’t forget your reusable bottle of water! You can view past articles and recipes in the A Vegetarian Kitchen series by clicking here.
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