Morrocan Spices for the Lunch Box

In the fall when temperature start to cool down spicy blends give flavor to an entire array of squashes I like to cook. My kids used to truly hate this squash. I have to believe they actually thought the "spaghetti" they were eating was a cruel & unusual trick on a young child's psyche! Both of my girls used to actually make fun of my "squash week" meals. In truth they both now actually eat squash in several varieties. In the world of changing young taste buds of I had a phrase I used to tell my girls: "be polite & take a bite". Over the years that must have had some affect on them as they now enjoy a variety of veggies & foods many of their friends never grew to like. In tribute to my old squash week crowd I thought I'd offer up a Spaghetti Squash recipe I've enjoyed a couple of times in my lunch box.

Spaghetti Squash & Mushrooms with Moroccan Spices
1 2-3 lb spaghetti squash
2 tbsps Olive Oil (1 tbsp for saute & 1 tbsp roasting squash)
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsps fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Directions
Cut Spaghetti Squash in half, remove seeds & small stringy threads, leaving flesh intact. Drizzle inside of squash with olive oil. Bake at *375 for 45 minutes, cut side down. Cool squash for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add mushrooms & garlic, cook, stirring, until golden, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat. Let mushrooms cool down. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with spiced oil, mushrooms and cilantro or parsley. I pack this into lunch container for reheating, chill immediately or serve at once.

Roasting Spaghetti Squash in the oven is easiest & has better texture than the microwave method

Once cooled the pulp lifts out of the squash halves with a fork.

If you enjoy the flavor of Moroccan Spices try this mixture with chicken or lamb.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Mix spices & store in a dry cool place.

Red Chili Omelet, chopsticks, spoon or spork?

Really good meals must be enjoyed & eaten with the right tools even if happens to be your fingers.  I was wondering how best to eat this lunchtime omelet roll out of my bento box.  Kai Yad Sai is a traditional Thai recipe however with the liberal use of heat enjoyed in that cuisine I believe that my Tex-Mex changes will be more harmonious than offensive.  Eating the rolls with the sauce makes it a little more difficult because truth be told I could almost eat that sauce with a spoon!! Manners aside though it was easily eaten with either chopsticks or my new "spork".  I found a fold up "Beetle Spork" on my travels & thought it was the perfect stow-able eating utensil.  It even comes in a small storage case it folds into. Including a link here for the Foldable Beetle Spork. Enjoy the Chili Omelet rolls & Buen Provecho.

Beetle Spoon Fork Utensil

A dark color napkin is a good idea with the stain-worthy chili sauce

Red Chili Omelet Rolls Kai Yad Sai~Tex Mex Style

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp red chili peppers diced & seeded
2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tbsp thinly sliced cucumber
3 tbsp cotija cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup red chili sauce *see recipe below

Heat half of the oil in a wok high heat and stir-fry onion, red bell pepper for 1- 2 minutes or until cooked. Add the small handful of whole spinach leaves & turn off skillet when wilted & then set aside.
Heat a small skillet or omelet pan 9 to 12 in. diameter and add a drop of the remaining oil. Pour in enough egg to thinly cover the bottom of the skillet. Brown the omelet lightly on both sides, being careful to turn the omelet over gently halfway through cooking.
To stuff the omelet, spread thin mixture of Red Chili Sauce over surface of Omelet. Place 1 to 2 spoonfuls of the spinach, pepper mixture in the center, add cilantro, cucumber, cotija cheese then either roll like a tortilla or fold two opposite sides toward the center and then fold in the remaining sides so that the omelet forms a square. Place on a serving plate & serve either warm or room temperature. Garnish with extra sauce & cilantro.**This is also good with ground chicken or pork also.  In the interest of keeping a meal I can eat either at room temperature or cool I did not add the meat since my days are often high speed & on the run. This recipe can also have much more variety using any vegetables, try carrots, potato, baby corn or tomatoes.

*Red Chili Sauce
3 dried Guajillo Chilis
Water
1 large clove garlic
1 small tomato, diced
2 black peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of salt, more to taste
1 tsp sugar
Olive oil

Place dried chilies to a small saucepan and add enough water so that they are just covered. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes, until the chilies have softened and plumped up. (OR pour place the chilies in a small saucepan and pour boiling water over them to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes, until softened.)

4 Reserving the soaking water, remove the chilies from the pan and place in a blender. Add the tomato, garlic, salt, ground pepper and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid (taste the soaking water first, if it seems bitter, use water instead). Purée for 2 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings. If you want more heat, add in a few of the seeds or veins and purée some more. Add more salt or sugar if needed. I freeze my sauce at this point for future use for enchiladas or stews but it will keep in the refrigerator several days.

Recipe can be doubled & then some.  Freeze leftovers.

Casual Friday, Blue Jeans & an Easy Lunchbox

A casual work day calls for an easy, portable lunch.

My average travel day makes lunch planning a must.

The last few months the one thing I can count on for any given Friday is unpredictability.  My job takes me an average of 75 mile radius around my home town.  With this in mind if I pack an easy go to lunch any day of the week I'd better do it on a Friday.  Austin Texas is like many cities across the country with the less casual dress in the workplace environment. On Friday though it is a given that it is more casual than Monday through Thursday with blue jeans & flip-flops being de rigueur. The same can go for my lunches the last day of the work week. Lunchtime doesn't have to be a hassle. I generally throw things together on Thursday evening easing myself into the weekend a little early.  This Friday I will be having 2 small crimped sandwiches & a few garden veggies,.  I have had a few cucumbers & volunteer tomatoes which have been producing a little better than the seeded variety of veggies which seem to be burning up in the mid-summer heat wave.  As a mid morning snack I've packed a small amount of dried fruit & nuts.  My lunch also includes Coconut water which I found frozen at a local Asian grocery store.  The frozen coconut water also helps keep my lunch cool & fresh till I stop for lunch later in the day.  The coco water drinks have been very popular since last summer.  The beverage as a sports drink is popular too since it is super hydrating,  full of potassium & minerals.  Water of course is the beverage of choice in the heat but if you haven't tried coco water I can suggest this thirst quenching drink this Summer. Enjoy your own casual Friday & be inspired by simply packing a lunch today. **Lunch box find: You may notice the small salt & pepper (orange top) container in my bento photo. It was a .79 cent purchase at a local Asian store.

Fit lunch into your morning!

A Healthy lunch: just a few minutes in a morning routine.
A good time was had by all this weekend with a busy schedule of the Jewelry Parties, Race for the Cure, Tailgate Party courtesy of Bytes from Texas & even some quick Cheese Making,  on Sunday afternoon.  I guess with all that fun one might just skip the meal prep & go directly to the lunch counter!  Not so for me when I can manage it.  There almost  always is a way to snag a quick meal & take 5 to 10 mins out of a busy schedule to put together a lunch box.  I was lucky enough to have Bytes from Texas send home some Tail Gate goodies after her party (which is more than I can say our UT Longhorns left the game with on Saturday evening....) I paired up some of her delicious salad with a canned fruit juice, a few cashew nuts, 2 oz of Gold Fish & a few tablespoons of Pomegranate seeds. At one of my favorite delicatessens  I enjoy a similar salad although the portions are much larger.  Packing a lunch at home my Bento or Tiffin  helps make portion control quite easy.  If it doesn't fit into a Bento or Tiffin I generally don't take it.  Besides, I hate messy spills or smashed up sandwiches. 
  Since the Race for the Cure I have been reading more on what foods are recommended to help in our daily fight against cancers, not only Breast Cancer. Many diet plans of this type seek to maximize use of vegetables as well as a variety of whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, and wheat-berries. I try & buy only whole grain bagels, breads, cereals, crackers & pasta. This maximizes my intake of fiber, which may help fight many cancers.

For that Salad recipe check here for Bytes from Texas recipe for the Delicious Salad. 


For more info on the Global Race for the Cure check Here.

Nine to Five Rice Salad

Rice has fed more people over a longer period of time than any other crop. As far back as 2500 B.C. rice has been documented in the history books as a source of food and for tradition as well. Beginning in China and the surrounding areas, its cultivation spread throughout Sri Lanka, and India. It was then passed onto Greece and areas of the Mediterranean. Rice spread throughout Southern Europe and to some of North Africa. From Europe rice was brought to the New World.*

It is this most flexible of grains that I turned to for lunch time inspiration.  I made Spanish rice earlier in the week & decided to make a rice salad from the leftovers. With a tiny bit of imagination you can spin some leftover rice from dinner into a rice salad for lunch the next day. With a few diced veggies, dressing, a bean of some type for extra protein a rice salad can be a wholesome & filling meal.  I love pomegranate seeds & tossed a few of those in my lunch box, some tiny cucumber slices along with a few crackers,  cheese & applesauce.  I am so hoping to eat lunch outside while the weather is still nice here.  

Nine to Five Rice Salad
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced, seeded & finely diced
2 Tomatoes, chopped
1 can Garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup Spanish Olives
3 Tbsp fresh Basil, chopped
1 Tbsp Shallot, chopped
2 Cups left over Rice (White, Brown, Spanish rice, or White & wild rice blend)
6 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette (3 Tbsp Olive Oil, 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, tsp sugar,
salt & pepper to taste)
Toss all ingredients, chill several hours, garnish with extra basil. At most the prep time takes about 15 minutes for this easy salad.
 

Spanish Rice
1 1/2 cups rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tsp cumino powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 of a medium onion
2 tablespoons oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (& or)1/4 cup corn,  (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in the fresh garlic and onion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.Add in broth and tomato sauce (Slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!) Add in the cumin, chili powder & parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork. This is the rice I used for the above salad.

*More history of Rice here.

Just another Monday morning....

On a post Halloween Monday I was a wee bit fuzzy when I made my cup of coffee. After hearing on Martha Stewart Radio;  "this is the start of the Holiday eating season".  I knew there had to be a healthy choice today for lunch.  I am working this afternoon & doing the mid morning scramble which was off to a roaring great start.  I was almost nose to nose with a snake this morning.  I had my cup of coffee in hand  while wondering what the cat was staring at on our patio...I stepped outside to investigate and had to shoo a very bold squirrel off the patio furniture. I say this because our Aussie dog was already out in the yard doing her morning patrol. While checking out the squirrel activity,  I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  Generally I am the one who seems to spot the critters in my "where the wild things are" backyard.  I spotted a King Snake clinging to the limestone around the french doors.  I don't mind telling you I was astounded & jumped back into the house (in 2 giant leaps) all the while not spilling coffee! Thankfully, the snake did remove himself from the wall!  (ack!!!) After calming down I packed a healthy Bento lunchbox  for my busy day ahead.  No recipes forthcoming on this post but I am watching where I am stepping today.

*If you wondered about my cute Bento: it is a Natural Leaf Bento lunch bag.  I found this in both pink & green at the New Oriental Market here in Austin at 6929 Airport Blvd.  I bought the pink for my daughter & kept the green for me.  There is enough space inside the bag for a few extras once the tins are pack inside.  Natural Leaf makes several different types of Bentos.  I love the sturdy construction & portability of this one. 

**Lunch box addition: I recently received a Food Buzz Tastemaker item from Soy Joy.  I really enjoy Soy Joy bars when I am in a time crunch & need a mid day snack especially at 130 calories.  The nice chewy texture reminds me of a fruity cookie, especially the strawberry & blueberry flavors.



What I looked like this morning just after 7am when I almost ran into a snake while stepping outside....(frightening possibility!!!) Okay, so I did have a robe & not that fancy hat but you get the idea! I was a little startled.

Feliz de Dia de los Muertos!  Have a wonderful Monday.