Back to School Batch Cooking
This is a week's full of quick and easy quinoa based lunches. Each day will use one cup of quinoa. To begin, cook 5 cups of quinoa in vegetable broth and keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
The ingredients here are those of which you probably already have on hand in your own kitchen and if they are not, they are easily purchased in smaller quantities for single use. Though there is not a lot of cooking involved, as it is more of an assembly, it truly is the crux of my mission, to help you put “A Plant on Every Plate” by making plant-based meals approachable, affordable and accessible. I hope this helps you.
Day 1: Italian
1 C quinoa
1/4 C marinara
3 TBS fresh basil, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 mini sweet peppers, cut in half lengthwise and de-seeded
Mix the quinoa through the salt and pepper with a spatula in a mixing bowl and stuff the peppers. Do not over fill. Put each of the pepper halves back together and wrap in plastic wrap.
Day 2: Mexican
1 C quinoa
1/4 C black beans, rinsed
1/4 C salsa
3 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
2 C mixed greens
1/2 C tortilla chips, broken to small pieces
Mix the quinoa through the salt and pepper with a spatula in a mixing bowl. Top the mixture on the greens and sprinkle the tortilla chips over the entire dish.
To pack the lunch, you’ll need three containers, one for the greens, one for the quinoa mix and one for the tortilla chips.
Day 3: Asian
1 C quinoa
2/3 C jar mushrooms, drained and chopped roughly
1/4 C raw cashews, chopped
1/4 C green onion, sliced, green part only
1 TBS tamari (more to taste)
Lettuce cups for serving
Mix the quinoa through the tamari with a spatula in a mixing bowl. Scoop on to lettuce cups to serve. To pack lunch, keep lettuce cups and quinoa mix in separate sealed containers.
Day 4: French
1 C quinoa
1/4 C French lentils, cooked (can be canned)
1/8 C champagne vinegar
1 1/2 TBS dijon mustard
1 TBS shallot, minced
1 TBS Herbs de Provence
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
2 C mixed greens or baby spinach
In a jar with a tight lid add the vinegar, mustard, shallot, Herbs de Provence and sea salt. Shake vigorously. In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa and lentils, pour dressing in and with a spatula, mix well. Add in the parsley and gently fold.
Serve over greens. To pack lunch, keep the quinoa separate from the greens in sealed containers.
Day 5: Southwest
1 C quinoa
1 avocado
1/2 C frozen roasted corn, thawed
1 jalapeno, de-seeded and diced
2 TBS of adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
juice of one lime
1/4 C black beans, rinsed
2 TBS cilantro (optional)
Scoop the avocado from its skin, reserving the shell and keeping it in tact. In a mixing bowl, mix the quinoa and the avocado, mashing the avocado and quinoa together. Add in the corn, jalapeño, adobo sauce, lime juice and black beans. Continue to mix well. Add in the cilantro (if using). Scoop mixture into reserved avocado shells and serve.
To pack lunch, pat down the inside of the avocado shells with a little lime juice and put the avocado and the quinoa mixture in separate sealed containers.
