I’ve recently realized that when you work at home, fast food isn’t really all that fast. It’s also a calorie sink. I’ve made two multi-day lunches built entirely from leftovers, random fridge veggies and the stuff in my pantry. Each takes only minutes of prep work.
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is very versatile and absorbs flavors well. I made this salad with all of the ingredients that I use in my pasta salad.
Ingredients
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- Quinoa, cooked in rice cooker according to package directions
- Vinaigrette — I made my own, but you could easily use your bottled favorite
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 2 green onions, both white and green parts, chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- Cheese — parmesan, feta (optional)
If making the quinoa fresh, allow it to cool before proceeding. Toss with veggies and vinaigrette. Top with cheese, if desired. Serve.
Vegetarian Chili
This is a remarkable way to clear out the leftovers, and it reheats well. You could add almost anything to this chili. These ingredients were chosen for one reason only: I had them on my shelf.
Ingredients
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- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp light olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, sliced (adds texture)
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can S&W “small white beans,” rinsed and drained
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 2-3 cups tomato puree
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup chili powder (or more, to taste)
- A few shakes of cumin
- A few shakes of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and carrot in the butter and oil mixture. Note: you could use olive oil alone, but butter does very nice things to onions. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours until lunchtime. Garnish with light Mexican blend cheese and chopped green onions.