lunchbox life: steak kabobs with avocado and salad greens

Greetings, friends! On one hand, I can’t believe I’m about to begin Week 3 of this school year, but on the other hand, the rhythm of the weekly grind has already begun to set in. Since it’s still mid-August, and therefore summer, I thought I’d make this week’s lunches an homage to the summertime, and what’s more summery than shish kabobs?

These kabobs pack a protein punch and are brimming with local veggies. The zucchini, onions, and sweet peppers all came from our CSA box from Dirt Farmers, making my lunches this week even more special and healthy. While most people serve kabobs over rice, I decided on a different approach since I’m still trying to infuse my good habits from my Whole30 experience into my regular, post-Whole30 life. Instead of rice, I’ll heat up my meat and veggies in the microwave and then place them on a bed a chopped romaine lettuce and top it all off with some sliced avocado.

This lunch is a perfect example of healthy eating with a hearty approach. I think the 1990s and early 2000s messed us up with ideas about “eating light” that made us think we had to be hungry all of the time in order to be eating in a healthy way. By loading up on veggies, protein, and good fats, your body should be satisfied and full, but not uncomfortable and bloated. This is a great approach to that goal.

Note: if you’re not a red meat eater, you could certainly substitute chicken breast or thigh.

Steak Kabobs with Avocado and Salad Greens

1.5 to 2 lbs. boneless beef ribs

3 large or 5 medium zucchini

2 small or 1 large sweet onion

1 red bell pepper (I used 5 small sweet peppers from our CSA)

8 to 10 wooden kabob sticks

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. McCormick brand Montreal steak seasoning

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper

5 small avocados

3 hearts of romaine lettuce

optional: salad dressing (I recommend making your own or your choice from the Tessamae’s brand)

Soak the wooden kabob sticks in water. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat or light an outdoor grill. Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic powder, and Montreal steak seasoning. Let the beef sit in the bowl on the counter for about 20 minutes while you chop the veggies. Remove the ends and outer layers of the onions, then chop them into chunks with two or three layers attached. Remove the tops and seeds from the pepper and slice it into 1/2 inch length pieces. Cut the ends off of the zucchini and slice into 1/2-inch rounds. Coat the veggies with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper (about 1 Tbsp. salt for all of the veggies).

Assemble the kabobs to your preference using the photo for reference. Grill the kabobs to your preference of doneness for the beef, but remember that you’ll most likely be reheating the beef in the microwave, so err on the side of medium rather than well done. I prefer my beef rare, but because of the longevity of this beef, I cooked my beef to medium.

When the kabobs are finished cooking, let them cool for about 10 minutes. While they’re cooling, chop the romaine hearts and evenly distribute between five plastic, sealable bowls. Add one small avocado to each bowl, then place the top on the bowl.

In a separate piece of sealable plasticware, slide the meat and veggies off of the kabobs and distribute evenly among the five plastic containers. When you’re ready to eat, reheat this container, then place the reheated meat and veggies atop the romaine lettuce and cut the avocado into slices or chunks to top the meat and veggies. Drizzle with salad dressing and enjoy!

lunchbox life: sweet potato bowls with chicken and spinach

Welcome back! It’s Week 2 for the 2015-16 school year, and I’m happy to report that Week 1 was excellent. Seriously. I have great students who are willing to try new things are ready for a year of hard work and challenges, I’m settling back into a routine of teaching five classes per day, and I’m happy to be reunited with my work buddies. One adjustment, however, is getting back into the groove of inhaling my lunch five time per week. During my summers at GHP, we have a 90 minute lunch break, but during the school year, I have about 25 minutes, including any microwaving that I need to do. I’ll get used to it again, but it’s certainly an adjustment.

This week’s lunch comes from a serious love for sweet potatoes. Instead of a brown rice or quinoa bowl, this spin uses sweet potatoes as a healthy starch while keeping the dish grain-free. Ever since my Whole30 experience this summer, I’ve been making a conscious effort (probably 80% of the time) to follow the Whole30 guidelines, being particularly intentional for breakfasts and lunches during the week. This sweet potato bowl has everything you need for an energy boost: roasted sweet potatoes for fiber and starch (energy), chicken for protein, and spinach for all of the leafy green action (Vitamins A and K, folic acid, fiber, etc.). I seasoned the sweet potatoes with turmeric, which has multiple health benefits, including its role as an anti-inflammatory spice.

As I’ve done before here on the blog, I used already prepared rotisserie chicken for this dish. Sometimes I do this because of time constraints, but I also go this route quite frequently during the spring and summer months because I just don’t love the idea of having the oven on for that long in our house. Added heat? No thank you!

Sweet Potato Bowls with Chicken and Spinach

3 large sweet potatoes

1 large sweet onion

1 large or two small whole rotisserie chicken(s), organic if possible

1 lb. organic baby spinach

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. turmeric

1.5 Tbsp. ghee (clarified butter)

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Halve and peel the onion, then thinly slice each half into half-moon shapes. Place the onion slices on a cookie sheet. Next, peel the sweet potatoes, then cut each peeled sweet potato into 1/2 inch circles. Largely dice the circles, then place them on the cookie sheet with the onions. Add the olive oil, turmeric, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 1/2 Tbsp. pepper to the onions and sweet potatoes, mix them around in the sheet with your hands, then roast in the oven for about 35 minutes.

When this is in the oven, begin to break down your rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin and all bones and place both white and dark meat in a mixing bowl. When this step is complete, use your hands to shred the chicken. Don’t worry about the shreds being exactly the same size.

Next, melt the ghee in a large pan on the stovetop. In batches, add the baby spinach and 2 tsp. salt. Use tongs to saute the spinach in the pan, then add the shredded chicken and toss to combine.

For each bowl, evenly distribute the sweet potatoes, then evenly distribute the chicken and spinach. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the bowl in the microwave on high for about two minutes, adjusting accordingly for your preference of heat.

lunchbox life: kale confetti salad

School’s back in session, and so am I!

Welcome back to lunchbox life, my series of meal planning as a high school teacher. If you’re just joining us, I create five refrigerated meals for my school lunches each week. Sometimes I use a microwave to reheat the meal, sometimes I don’t; it depends on what I’ve prepared. My goal is to create a healthy, substantive lunch to help me power through teaching and the rest of my day, all while being mindful of using local produce when possible, focusing on protein and fiber, and fueling up for exercise.

I’m really excited about this school year. It’s year five for me, and while I know I have so much left to learn, I actually feel like I might know what I’m doing (shhh…at least I think I do). If you know any first year teachers, please be nice to them–their worlds are about to be rocked. Alex and I were engaged most of my first year of teaching (we married in late March), and he is a saint for listening to all of my tear-filled moments of agony and defeat. This year, I’ll be teaching US History (an old stand by that I love) and a new prep for me: Humanities. I moved classrooms, too, and now I’m across the hall from one of my work besties, Rachel, so I’m happy to have quips and convos during class changes with one of my favorites.

This week, I’m going to a couple of my go-to ingredients: kale and brussels sprouts. I wanted to avoid the microwave this week since the first week of school can get super busy, plus the oppressive heat has me craving cool salads in the middle of the day. The key to a kale salad is the quick massage with olive oil and salt: thirty seconds, tops. This allows the kale to slightly break down and become more palatable as a salad green. By now, I know how worn out I get during the first week of school, so I wanted to fuel up on my greens, folic acid, fiber, and Vitamins A and K. The combination of kale and shredded brussels sprouts is a great base for a hearty salad, and you can add whatever you like. I love adding raw sugar snap peas to salads for crunch and a natural sweetness. I’ve also added garlic stuffed green olives for a briny touch and organic sliced roast beef for protein (no added gross stuff–read your labels!). I’ll be topping my salad with Lemon Garlic dressing by Tessamae’s. I usually make my own salad dressing, but I started using this brand when I did Whole30 this summer at GHP where kitchen access was scarce. This family company focuses on all natural ingredients, and their salad dressings and sauces are pretty great. I spotted a few of the salad dressings in the produce section of Kroger in my neighborhood, but you can also order from the website.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Monday. For some of us, it’s the start of a brand new year–good luck!

Kale Confetti Salad

1 bunch kale (I used dino kale from my CSA box)

1 Tbsp. olive oil + pinch of kosher salt

1 lb. raw brussels sprouts

8 oz. raw sugar snap peas

1 jar green olives (I used garlic stuffed)

12 oz. all natural, deli sliced roast beef (I used Simple Truth from Kroger–no sugar or carageenan added)

Salad dressing of choice

Slice the kale into thin ribbons (about 1/2 inch in width) and remove the woodsy stems. Place all kale ribbons in a mixing bowl and pour in the olive oil and salt. Using your hands, gently massage the kale for about 30 seconds to break down some of the strong fibers of the greens. Keep on the counter. Next, slice the tough stems off of the brussels sprouts and either slice them thinly or use the slicer function on your food processor. When complete, add the shreds of brussels sprouts to the kale and thoroughly combine. Divide the greens mixture between five bowls. Slice all of the sugar snap peas in half and distribute equally between bowls. Slice all of the green olives in half and distribute equally between bowls. Slice all of the roast beef into 1/4 inch ribbons and distribute equally between bowls. Pack your salad each day with the salad dressing separate and add just before eating.

lunchbox life: pan-roasted chicken and olive tapenade

ONE MORE WEEK. That’s it! One more week of school with students, plus two days of post-planning next week. I will miss many students, but I know that we’re all ready for a break. This will be the last lunchbox life until the end of July, so savor this savory recipe between now and then.

This week’s lunchbox life is another example of a great weeknight supper. The chicken, broccoli, and olive tapenade create the perfect trinity of protein, vegetables, and healthy fat that will sustain you at lunch and throughout the afternoon. I love olives–those briny, salty, bite-sized morsels are so tasty, and I think they really elevate a dish. Alex doesn’t love them, so they’re a great pick for my lunches or when I order off of a menu.

By pan-roasting the chicken, I seared each side in butter, then finished them off in the oven. This gives the chicken a punch of flavor and texture, livening up the go-to baked chicken model of 30 minutes and 350 F. The process for cooking the broccoli is also important: do not, I repeat, DO NOT steam or boil broccoli. Just say no. Broccoli has so much fantastic flavor, and the fibrous stems have a robust flavor that comes through beautifully when you roast, grill, or saute this scrumptious veggie. For this week’s lunches, I heated some clarified butter in a wok at medium-high heat, added the broccoli pieces with salt and pepper, tossed it for a few minutes, then set it aside. Just a few of the pieces had seared edges and crispy ends, and that’s exactly what I like–broccoli with texture and crunch that I have to cut with a knife and fork, not a watery mushy mess.

Olive tapenade is one of my favorites, and it reminds me of Christmas time. My mom prepares it with beef tenderloin once per holiday season, and it’s a family favorite. It’s a great spread on crackers or with veggies, and it also pairs well with meat that is simply prepared. I like to pick out the olives, roasted garlic, and roasted peppers from the olive bar at the grocery store, placing them all in the same container, then get them home and zip them together in the food processor.

Pan-Roasted Chicken and Olive Tapenade

5 chicken breasts

3 broccoli crowns, cut into segments (about 2 inches is length, plus the smaller pieces that fall along)

1 cup pitted olives (I used a medley of nicoise and kalamata)

1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves

1/2 cup roasted red peppers or peppadew peppers

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Dry the chicken breasts with paper towels, then liberally salt and pepper each side. In a large, oven-safe pan, Melt 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat, then place two of the chicken breasts in the hot pan, cooking for about 4 minutes on each side. After you’ve cooked them on both sides, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate. Cook two more on each side, then the last one on each side, adding another Tbsp. of butter if you need to. When all five breasts are cooked on each side, add them all back to the pan and place them in the oven to finish cooking for 10 more minutes.

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a wok or large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli pieces and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, tossing frequently. Cook for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside.

Combine the olives, garlic, peppers, and parsley in a food processor. Pulse to combine. You want the pieces to be about the size of rice.

To plate, evenly distribute the broccoli on one side of each container, then place one chicken breast on the other side, then spoon your desired amount of tapenade in a line down the middle.

lunchbox life: chicken blt salad with homemade honey mustard dressing

I know, I know–I’m getting a little too much into variations on the same theme. But people, I’m telling you: this salad in a jar business is going to change the way you think about meal prep and salad. If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s another take on this idea.

While I’m thrilled that we only have four weeks of school left, I’m taking a deep breath this evening before we descend into four weeks of testing. You read that correctly: four weeks. This is all over Georgia, not just at my school. State politics aside, let’s just say that I speak for many teachers when I say that education shouldn’t be this way. Without getting too far into a standardized testing rant, let’s just say that I’ll need lots of good energy for sustained patience this week…and the next three.

This salad is a total crowd pleaser; it has accessible ingredients for less-than-adventurous palates with honey mustard, grape tomatoes, chicken, and bacon. It also features several local ingredients: raw corn kernels, green peas, and beautiful salad greens.

I used my go-to shortcut for the chicken this week: skinning and picking the meat off of a Kroger rotisserie chicken. I had about 1/2 cup of chicken leftover that I may use for dinner later this week, but at $5.99 for a whole chicken that’s been recently cooked for you, it’s a steal! The only thing I actually cooked was the bacon, then I threw together the dressing in about 60 seconds.

Send good thoughts to public school teachers for the next month–testing season is upon us!

Chicken BLT Salad with Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing

1 whole rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded

8 slices of bacon

1 cup fresh green peas

4 corn cobs, corn sliced off of the cob

1 pint cherry tomatoes

5 cups salad greens

For the dressing:

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar

2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook the bacon, let cool, then crumble. Add the dressing ingredients to a small jar, shake vigorously, then divide evenly between five large jars. Next, add the green peas, then the corn, then the whole grape tomatoes, then the bacon, chicken, and salad greens.

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: chicken, black bean, and brussels sprouts nachos

Healthy nachos…oxymoron?

Not necessarily. I had two agendas with this week’s lunches: consume more protein and not in a boring way (chicken breast and broccoli). This is what I came up with, and after having it today, I’m digging it.

So, here’s the deal: everyone knows that when you go on vacation, you eat rich food, and not in small quantities. Then you return to the real world and feel like you need to detox. For me, this usually means bumping up lean protein and leafy greens, so I went looking in my refrigerator for inspiration. I had six boneless skinless chicken thighs and half of a package of brussels sprouts. I also had some enchilada sauce in my pantry. Enchiladas? Tacos? I’ve had several variations of those before. What about nachos? No, nachos are too unhealthy, I thought.

And then I decided to make it work. I went to the store, picked out some cilantro, black beans, and organic tortilla chips, and made a game plan. While the chicken thighs and enchilada sauce simmered away in the slow cooker, I devised a plan to count out an actual serving size of chips (for this package, it was 14 chips) for each day, then place the other ingredients in a separate container to mix together just before eating. The stewed chicken has tons of flavor from the enchilada sauce, and this and the cilantro flavor the other ingredients. You can use the chip to dip the chicken mixture, break up the chips and toss them in with the other ingredients, or heat the ingredients over the chips on a plate.

I know what you’re thinking–where’s the cheese?

You could certainly add some cheese here, but you really don’t need it. Again, my goal for the week was to reset my system from overindulging last week, so I thought I’d leave the cheese out…this one time.

Chicken, Black Bean, and Brussels Sprouts Nachos

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 19 oz. can enchilada sauce

1/2 lb. brussels sprouts

1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

56 corn tortilla chips, separated out into groups of 14

Cook the chicken thighs and enchilada sauce in a slow cooker for 4 hours on high (or you could bake them and shred the chicken). Thinly slice the brussels sprouts, disposing of the woodsy stems. In five bowls, set up your four quadrants: chicken, brussels, black beans, and cilantro. Pair each bowl with one set of chips.

lunchbox life: triple green salad

Spring has sprung! I have been so energized by the past several days of sunshine, and today was particularly spectacular. I decided that since the weather is warmer, I should try something cool and no-heat this week. We received our CSA box yesterday, and it was full of green goodness. I couldn’t decide which greens to use, so I started thinking about a flavor profile for a triple green salad: kale, green beans, and broccoli. All three of these veggies are raw in the salad, but since they’re so hearty, I dressed them this evening for the rest of the week. This is pretty necessary for the kale, but it will also slightly soften the broccoli and green beans, plus the acidity from the lemon and lime in the dressing will create a slight breakdown of of the veggies.

This salad is beautiful, and I could definitely see this becoming a go-to for spring and summer potlucks, minus the chicken. I love knowing that there are so many Georgia grown pieces to this salad puzzle, too.

I did a shortcut for the chicken in this recipe by buying a whole cooked rotisserie chicken at the Kroger deli counter, removing the skin, and shredding both the white and dark meat. I sometimes do this when I make chicken salad, too.

I don’t have the luxury of leisurely weekday lunches–mine are about 25 minutes long and eaten a student desk–but if I worked somewhere near a park or green space, I’d love to take this salad outside to soak up some Vitamin D.

Triple Green Salad

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and cut into ribbons

1 tsp. olive oil

three heads broccoli, stalks removed and sliced lengthwise

1 cup raw green beans, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 rotisserie chicken, cooked

1 sweet potato

1 tsp. olive oil

4 radishes

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper

for the dressing:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. tahini

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel the sweet potato, then dice it. Toss the small pieces in 1 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20 minutes.

While the sweet potato pieces are roasting, prep the veggies according to the ingredient directions. Place the kale ribbons in a large mixing bowl with 1 tsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt. For about 30 seconds, massage the oil and salt into the kale, watching it shrink down. Next, add the sliced broccoli and chopped green beans and add to the mixing bowl. Prepare the chicken by removing the skin and shredding the white and dark meat with your hands, adding the chicken to your mixing bowl. When the sweet potato pieces have cooked, remove from the oven and remove the parchment paper and potatoes from the cookie sheet; this will allow for faster cooling. Thinly slice the radishes, discarding the ends, and add these slices to the mixing bowl. When the sweet potato pieces have cooled, add them to the mixing bowl as well as the feta cheese. Toss all ingredients. Next, add the dressing ingredients to a small jar, fasten the lid, then shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Add dressing to the salad, toss to combine, then divide into five containers.

lunchbox life: late winter three bean turkey chili

I think I speak for many of us when I say that I’m ready for spring to begin. The official beginning of spring is March 20, so regardless of the shadow your favorite groundhog saw or didn’t see, I’m counting down the days until this date. I thought, however, that this week might be a good time to throw together one more warm and hearty bowl of soup or stew for lunches. As produce is concerned, late February-early March is a lean time for fresh and new fruits and veggies, so I thought I’d focus on protein and legumes for this lunch.

Talk about a one-pot easy meal. There are a million ways to make chili, but this recipe is lean, mean, and spicy. It’s the last hurrah of warm winter goodness with a bevy of nutrition packed inside. This was the perfect throw-it-together week of lunches that took about 20 minutes to prep and about an hour to simmer on the stove. This was just fine with me–this chili simmered away as Alex and I watched the the latest episode of The Walking Dead, so I wasn’t worried about watching the pot.

Aside from spices, here are the ingredients for this chili:

Quality ingredients are key here. Even when using organic and all natural ingredients, this 8-serving pot of chili totaled less than $20–that’s five lunches, plus leftovers. Using ground turkey keeps the protein high and the saturated fat low, and the use of three different beans is great for variety and texture. I chopped up the green chiles for extra heat because I like my chili to be spicy.

Late Winter Three Bean Turkey Chili

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, peeled, halved, and sliced

1 lb. ground turkey

4 oz. green chiles, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper, to taste

2 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and stir. Cook the onions until translucent, about 4 minutes. Next, add the ground turkey and spices. Use a spatula to break up the ground turkey into crumbles. When the turkey is cooked, Add the whole tomatoes and liquid and use the spatula to break up the tomatoes. Add the drained beans, stir to combine, then bring to a boil. When the liquid boils, place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low, cooking for 1 hour.

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!