What's for Lunch? Kibbeh neye

Many people are familiar with kibbeh, the bulgar wheat shell filled with meat that is a traditional item at many sephardic homes. However not that many people are familiar with Kibbeh neye, it's vegetarian cousin. This meal is great for the summer since it requires no oven time and packs a light but delicous flavor. The original kibbeh neye involved use of raw choppen meat but today it is made in vegetarian fashion.

Kibbeh Neye:
1 pepper (color of your choice)
1 tomato
half a bunch of parsley
1/2 cup red lentils
1 and 1/2 cups water
2 medium sized onions
2 Tbs. oil
1 and 1/4 cup fine bulgur
3 oz. tomato paste
1 Tbs. cumin
1 Tbs. coarse salt
pinch of red pepper

Clean red lentils to remove any stones. Drain. Boil red lentils in 1 and 1/2 cups water and let simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Chop onion and sautee it in the oil until the onions are clear and soft. Chop the tomato, pepper and parsley in your food processor. Wash bulgur in cold water and drain out any excess liquid. Add the vegetable mixture, onion and the hot lentils to the bulgur and mix well. Mix in the tomato paste and seasoning. Place mix in fridge for half an hour to firm up. Then shape into 2-inch long torpedo shapes.

What's for Lunch? Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and garlic chips

The recipe below was found in my CSA newsletter. It's a nice change from tomato based sauces, and I love the garlic chips, but I can't help missing my mozarella cheese!

1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds swiss chard (separate the stems from the leaves and then chop both)
1/2 cup water
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup kalmata olives cut into slivers
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Heat oil in a skillet over medium flame. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside.

Cook onion in remaining oil until soft and clear about 5 minutes. Stir in chard stems with water and 3/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cover and cook until almost tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in leaves, cover and cook an additional five minutes.

Meanwhile cook spaghetti in a pot of boiling, salted water. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Toss spaghetti with chard mixture, olives and the cooking water. Serve sprinkled with the garlic chips and feta.

Whats For Lunch: Quick and Tasty Ideas

What do you do when you have no time to pack lunches in the morning? I suppose in some areas you can go and purchase something nice, but in this neighborhood purchasing options are both limited and expensive. Plus you can't always count on being to use the microwave where you work. I've got a stock of go-to lunches for those busy mornings.

1) Quesidillas: They look impressive but their, really quick. Just grab a trotilla (I use the Mission brand) and throw some grated cheese on it. Then slap another tortilla on top and shove it in the oven at 400 for about ten minutes. The longer the oven time the crispier/crublier it gets. Slice with a pizza cutter and pack it up with a little tupperware of marinara sauce or sour cream for dipping.

2) Heart of Palm Salad: Toss some lettuce with whatever veggies you have around and then to make it special throw in some hearts of palm. Note: I find the jarred hearts of palm are much softer and tastier than the canned ones. For some reason the cans just do not incude enough juices for marinating. I like a french or thousand island dressin but anything can work.

3) Grilled cheese sandwiches: My sister gave me a sandwich maker. Best gift ever. Just put the bread, the chesse and whatever else you want it the machine and pull it our before you go. Great and low maintenance.

4) Leftovers from hte night before: Self explanatory and it helps you get rid of those pesky leftovers from the night before.

5) Corn on the cob: Rub a little butter over the husked corn. Put the corn in a ziplock with a tablespoon or two of water. Clse the ziplock. Microwave on high for two minutes per corn. Tastes better than boiling by hte way. This is how I prefer corn tat hasn't been grilled.

I am als a big fan of making giant batches of things and freezing them for quick lunch defrosting. I'll post those freezer friendly recipes another time.

Share your quick lunch tips!

What's for Lunch? Portabello Mushroom salad

This is one of the first foods I made for my husband while we were dating. He loved it so much I think it convinced him to marry me. He still gets excited every time I make it.

Portabello Mushroom Salad:

4 large portabello mushrooms sliced into chunks
1/8 cup teriyaki sauce
1 bag of spinach leaves (Or use fresh)
1/2 box grape tomatoes

Dressing:
1/2 c oil
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c white vinegar
1/4 g ketchup
1 Tbs. garlic salt or powder
dash sea salt

Sautee mushrooms in teriyaki over medium heat until they are tender, about 7 minutes. Mix spincah and tomatoes into a bowl. Whisk together oil, sugar, vinegar, ketchup, garlic and salt. Pour into spinach mix and mix to coat the leaves. Pour warm mushrrom and excess teriyaki over the top. Toss a few times and serve.

Note: I like spinach because I find it is very healthy. You can use romaine or iceberg lettuce or any lettuce mix you prefer.