Ep. 21 Salad Meal Prep: bc it has to be easy
We're packin' lunches, how 'bout you?
Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.
— Robert H. Schuller
And so, I give you my fridge. And, all it’s unspectacular prep for spectacular lunches.
What’s for lunch this week?
I’m thinking a lentil salad-y type situation? Some chi-chi beans perhaps? Oh! Italian inspired chopped salad with all the goodies n’ still add lentils? Kale & apple salad? Coleslaw? Greek? Wedge? Quinoa bowl & roasted veg moment? We’ve got options.
I’ve recently re-entered the ‘bring your lunch to work’ chat.
For me, the reasons to eat at home, make my own food as a general rule far surpass most dining-out options. The most honest+personal is that; I kind of like my food better. I like knowing where it comes from (I’m working to to be a full self-garden supply person as much as possible), preparing my own portion sizes (because gosh knows it’s chaos out there), what is going into my food, and not to mention; what my emotional level is while I’m preparing or eating it. I do believe you shouldn’t cook/prepare/eat food when your angry or upset.
When it comes to preparing to bring my lunch for work;
I’m fully in the ‘this needs to be easy or I won’t do it, or I’ll hate it & feel rushed in the morning, I’ll be unnecessarily additionally stressed as f*ck because I’m guaranteed to be running late & I don’t have time for that” — camp.
I’ve (we’ve all) got enough change, newness, adjustment, doing our-gosh-darn-best… we’re not adding more stress on because of our lunches. Not to mention, by not bringing my own lunch, I would enter into the, ‘what do I want for lunch?’ scenario everyday and heck I don’t want any more decisions to have to make.
My first week of this new lunch situation, I was feelin’ a black bean salad bowl moment. I was a bit over ambitious (my brain loves to live on Pinterest), but it worked out in the best way and I learned actually how delicious, simplicity is.
K.I.S.S.: KEEP. IT. SIMPLE. SIMPLE!!!! But like… healthy.
The (Black) Beans
This was a win. One batch lasted me the whole week perfectly. I soaked a cup of black beans with a decent size piece of kombu for about 12+ hours overnight. When it came time to cook the following day, I loosely based my recipe on Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen ‘Classic Mexican Pot Beans’. If I’m making Mexican style beans, I’m usually going for refried pinto beans. Love me some refried pinto beans in all the ways. He calls for lard or neutral oil, but I picked up a really great-makes-me-happy-to-bust-out can of ghee at the Indian store so I’m subbing that in where I’m feeling like trying it out. If I didn’t have this on hand, I would have 100% used avocado oil.
I have a smidgen amount of avocado leaves left for my bean cooking. I picked these up when I first made Rick Martiez’s pinto bean recipe and will never-not have them for cooking Mexican beans. Rick calls for epazote, which I’ll totally pick up for future, but didn’t have any any on hand so avocado leaves it was.
Pickled Red Onions
Just make them. I’ve got 2 Mexican cookbooks that are telling me I don’t need to heat my vinegar before adding to the onions. One, “My Mexico City Kitchen”, by Gabriela Camara (one of my favorite cookbooks) calls for simply stirring to dissolve salt in vinegar and pour over your onions. Rick Bayles has a more or less similar approach but with added flavor fun. Cumin seed, black peppercorns, etc. I went with his version for more possible flavor & left them sitting out on counter for a few hours. HE, however, did call for quick blanching the onions prior to the vinegar. I didn’t do that. I basically just combined both My Mexico City Kitchen and Rick’s versions.
These 1000% turned out to be such a win. I’ve literally put them on anything and everything. Well, really salads every day + avocado toast. But they are such lunch hero’s and I’m so, so glad I made a big batch and looking forward to making more.
I would say I’m an intermediate pickle-r so when I saw these recipes, I was a bit nervous because typically you heat up pickling liquid before pouring over your to-be-pickled-item. Have no fear, I’ve learned you do not have to heat.
Tofu
I grabbed a pack of fava bean tofu flavored as like a crumbly protein. My requirements for buying tofu are 1) always organic 2) nothing weird in the ingredients 3) general good juju. I continue to learn you always get what you pay for. So, yeah, I’m not looking to overspend, but I won’t by the cheap-cheap looking tofu and will opt for something ideally local if I find it. I sautéd with a bit of taco seasoning and popped in the fridge. Nothing crazy, but appreciated protein moment for sure.
Cilantro Sauce
I’m gonna let you know - I didn’t make this, but I really wanted to. Because sauce is a food group for me, I had every honest intention of making something delicious here, but life. I ended up just using a general slightly Mexican seasoned homemade vinaigrette I brought with me each day in small jar.
The lettuce
This one is from the garden & the joy I get from picking lettuce from the garden each week knows no bounds. How much I love grabbing my own grown lettuce vs. buying it is worth it’s weight in gold. It’s for sure a process that takes time to streamline (washing, drying, storing, etc.), but it’s the best. I’m so grateful.
The Tomato
It’s still a bit too early for tomato season. I have such a feeling about how all(most) produce is available to us at all times. Living in Southern California it’s definitely much more common for most foods to be in season all year long, but my gosh how I try to hold out for certain produce until it’s truly arrived to harvest at it’s time. I grabbed some cherry’s from Trader’s for the time being as I can just use'm up as I go.
So, the assembly of lunch goes as such:
In the morning I bring out all my individual containers from the fridge, they’re all LABELED and ready to go and I can just *add* right to my lunch container,
no: thinking/chopping/measuring/marinating/peeling/shredding required. It’s like I’ve got a proper full scale salad bar in my fridge. That’s what we’re going for.
Black beans (on one side/bottom for soggy/absorption purposes)
Tofu + (oh, I made some red lentil hummus) + pickled onions
Lettuce + fixin’s = Cucumbers, steamed beets, radish, chopped garden chives
toasted pepitas :)
Dressing on the side (I’ll bring this with me in a small glass jar)
Next episode we’ll cover greek salads. Stay tuned lunch lovers.
Some other moments I’ve loved the last week:
I’ve been looking or a light for our living room for years. I’m just really indecisive. I’m not looking to sell you anything, but, I happened to be at IKEA the other weekend and found this one for $60???? You truly can’t beat that. And, it’s like - the most basic and unassuming, goes with life lamp ever. 10/10 recommend. I love lamp.
Alright loves, reach out - let’s chat about lunch questions. Till next time.
Justine xo
