lunchbox life: curry coconut cashew chicken

First, I have to brag: three weeks left of school, everybody!

So close, yet so far. Week 1 of Testing Month is over, and I’m so proud that my students seem to have thought their test to be super easy, but I still feel for their overworked and overtested brains. Week 2 is coming up, so keep up all in your thoughts as we soldier on in the standardized test world.

As a distraction from testing and as a primer to a challenge later this summer, I decided to tackle a week-long version of the Whole30. Whole30 is an eating plan that eliminates all the fun stuff from your diet: no grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, or alcohol. What are you left to eat? Meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. I’d heard about this program from a few friends, but wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge until I bought the book and started doing some online research. I like that it’s temporary, and while I plan to complete a Whole30 in 30 days when I’m at GHP this summer, I thought I’d do a Whole7 as a trial run. While I’m on Day 2, I have to say that I’m loving it so far and am surprised as how much I like it.

With that explanation, I introduce to you this week’s Whole30-compliant lunchbox life: curry coconut cashew chicken. I’m thrilled about this one, and I know that I’ll feel good about eating it all week long. I used baby bok choy and brussels sprouts from our CSA box, chicken thighs, cashews, unsweetened coconut shreds, coconut oil, and some yummy spices. This recipe is a great way to enjoy Thai flavor without rice or noodles.

Curry Coconut Cashew Chicken

10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

3 cups brussels sprouts

2 bunches of baby box choy

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 cup roasted and salted cashews

1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. white pepper

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Lay out 2 full paper towel sheets and arrange chicken thighs in a single layer. Take 2 more paper towel sheets and press down on top of the chicken to remove some of the excess moisture. Next, cut the chicken into chunks (about 1/2 to 1 inch) and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the spices, then pour the dry spices onto the chicken chunks and stir to combine; set aside. Chop the bok choy into 1/2 inch ribbons, taking care to discard the stalks. Slice the brussels sprouts thinly on all four sides, taking care to discard the stem and core. Set aside. Heat a wok over high heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring frequently for about 4 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms, stirring to coat the mushrooms in the seasoned oil. Next, add the sliced bok choy and brussels, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cashews, then the coconut shreds. Stir to full combine, then divide between five containers.

lunchbox life: rice noodle salad with tahini dressing, miso chicken, and veggies

Sugar snap peas, bok choy, radishes, pickled cucumbers, a refrigerator door full of sauces, and no desire to go to the grocery store?

This is where I was yesterday afternoon, but what happy laziness it turned out to be.

I love a cold noodle salad, particularly when the weather heats up. When you’re watching your nutrition, though, it’s important to bulk up your noodle salads with lots of veggies for volume, fiber, and energy. In this recipe, I stretched 2 full servings of rice noodles over 5 lunches, making up for my noodle deficit with jewels from my farm share. The noodles are still there, but they’re not the majority of the dish. I’ve bulked up this noodles salad with veggies and chicken with a quick miso paste marinade.

This noodle salad is all about the umami–that mysterious 5th taste that combines the other four: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour–mainly from the base sauce of tahini, sriracha, soy sauce, and canola oil. The crunch from the raw bok choy, sugar snaps, and radishes welcome springtime with crispness and the rice noodles are a soft addition that bind the rest of the ingredients together. Yum.

The veggies I’ve used are just a suggestion based on my availability. I suggest at least one leafy green and one crunchy vegetable for texture.

Rice Noodle Salad with Tahini Dressing, Miso Chicken, and Veggies

2 oz. rice noodles

2 Tbsp. tahini paste

1 Tbsp. sriracha

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 Tbsp. water

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/3 cup miso paste

2 stems of green garlic, chopped (you may substitute green onions here)

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 bunch of baby bok choy, cut into 1/2 inch ribbons

2 cups sugar snap peas

6 radishes, sliced into thin 1/4-inch coins

1/4 cup pickled cucumbers (or fresh), sliced

Combine the chicken and miso paste in a plastic freezer bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 minutes for a quick marinade. Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot, then add the noodles and cook according the package directions (approximately 5 minutes). Next, remove the noodles from the hot water and rinse in cold water; set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. canola oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan and add the green garlic or green onions. Next, add the miso and chicken to the pan and spread the chicken pieces out in one layer. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, then turn off the heat.

In a small jar, add 1 Tbsp. canola oil, tahini paste, sriracha, soy sauce, and water, twist the lid on tight, and shake vigorously to combine. Evenly divide the sauce between 5 tall mason jars (about 3 Tbsp. each). Next, evenly divide the rice noodles, then the sugar snap peas, radishes, bok choy, pickled cucumber, and chicken. Screw on each lid and enjoy when you’re ready by dumping the contents out in a bowl and stirring to combine.

lunchbox life: chinese quinoa skillet with veggies and black bean garlic sauce

Have you ever looked inside your refrigerator and thought, “man, I really meant to use (ingredient) this week”? Sometimes life gets in the way, you have a busy week or weekend, or you simply over order for your weekly CSA box. I’m especially sensitive to making sure I use all of my produce. I absolutely hate to throw away fruit and vegetables, so when I was brainstorming for this week’s lunchbox life, I peeked into our refrigerator and saw some good looking veggies from our CSA: a bag of spinach, three broccoli crowns, and two ears of corn. I also spotted 1/2 an onion in a plastic container on the top shelf, a package of quinoa in the pantry, and some chicken breast in the freezer. Now I just needed figure out a flavor profile…Mexican? Cheesy and hearty? Asian? I saw a half full jar of Chinese black bean and garlic sauce in the refrigerator door and knew I had found my idea.

Chinese black bean sauce is this salty, earthy, garlicky, dark, thick, and gooey delight. It’s like a savory molasses, really. It’s a great mix-in for lean protein and vegetables, especially if you crisp them up in a wok or deep pan first. You could serve this with white or brown rice, but I opted to make it with quinoa for added protein and went ahead and mixed it in in the style of fried rice.

You could use many different combinations of veggies with this dish, but you should definitely use an onion to start with to give a base flavor and to soak of the seasoning from the chicken.

Chinese Quinoa Skillet with Veggies and Black Bean Garlic Sauce

1 cup dry quinoa

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 onion, peeled and sliced thinly

1 red bell pepper, stem and ribs removed, diced

1 Tbsp. canola oil

3 broccoli crowns, thick stems removed and torn into single stems

2 ears of corn, kernels sliced off

3 cups fresh spinach

4 Tbsp. black bean garlic sauce

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Heat the oil in a wok or deep skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes, then add the onions and bell pepper. Season the chicken with the garlic, ginger, salt, and white pepper. When the onion and bell pepper have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the chicken and stir to combine with onion and bell pepper. Stir the chicken and veggies after about 3 minutes, then cook for about 1 more minute. Add the broccoli and corn and cook for about 2 minutes. Next, add the spinach in handfuls and stir continually while it shrinks. Add the black bean garlic sauce and stir to combine, then add the quinoa and toss throughout the vegetables and chicken. Divide evenly between five plastic containers and enjoy all week long!