January 3, 2011

Welcome back to real life, friends! My holidays were lovely, yours? I enjoyed lots of fantastic veggie cuisine, even trekking to Cincinnati for some distinctive vegan food (but that's another post!) and preparing my own veg fare to compete with the meatier feast that my parents enjoyed. I received some lovely gifts, even a leather purse. Uh-oh. I didn't have the guts to tell the giver that I didn't do leather, but that's OK. It's the thought that counts. But alas, today was the dreaded back to school. I greeted the return to normalcy with a delicious, nutritious (vegan) lunch.

Clockwise, from left: Organic gala apple, multi seed rice crackers, organic romaine lettuce, vegan chili with tofu and beans, Balsamic vinaigrette for the salad, an organic lollipop, cocoa roasted almonds

Another Nom-Worthy Recipe from (never home)maker

I made these delicious bars from another recipe at (never home)maker! This girl makes some darn good cookies. The ingredients are super simple but make you feel really accomplished and fancy. It's all my favorite stuff: chocolate, peanut butter, and Cheerios, aka the trifecta of awesome. These little guys are taste and budget friendly; you don't even need to have an oven to make them, just a fridge.

The obligatory pictures:

The chocolate-y, gooey goodness while it was still warm. I warn you, a lot of this went straight from spatula to mouth.

 The (almost) finished product. After this, I cut it into squares.

Oatmeal Trail Mix Cookies from (never home)maker

I was checking out one of my favorite blogs the other day, (never home)maker, and I found this AMAZING cookie recipe. I've never been a great baker, but I thought I would give it a try, especially since these seemed sorta Christmas-y, what with the cranberries and nuts. And they were dee-lish. If I can bake them, so can you. The only thing I subbed was hazelnuts for walnuts, because I hate nuts with skin. I hate anything with skin, actually. I'm a really textural eater.

Here are some pics of the down and dirty process...

Mixing in the oats...

and the choco chips, cranberries and coconut...

And finally the finished product! No pic of me shoveling them into my mouth, but trust me, that went down right after this photo was taken.

A recipe?

I know, I know. This blog is supposed to be lunches only. But when you make up your own AWESOME recipe, you just want to tell the world. Especially when it's vegan and gluten free.
So here it is: Balsamic baked tofu. So simple, so yummy. Served with a side of brown rice and peas, it's heaven. I cooked my brown rice in some veggie broth, just FYI. It gave it a really nice flavor.

BALSAMIC BAKED TOFU:

Here's what you'll need:
1 block of pressed extra firm organic tofu
about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
Salt-free spice bend, to taste (I used Mrs. Dash)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Here's what to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and Mrs. Dash together in a little bowl.
3. Slather (ew, icky word) it all over your tofu. Stick your tofu in the fridge and let it marinate for an hour AT THE LEAST!
3. Pop your tofu in the oven and let it cook for about 40 minutes, checking it periodically.
4. Enjoy!

December 14, 2010

SO LATE! Sorry, friends. You see, last week was peppered with snow days, Tuesday and Wednesday being the only two days we actually had school, therefore those being the only days I packed a lunch. And of course, I am now on winter break, which is tres exciting. I can barely remember this lunch, but I do remember it was quite good, especially as a power lunch for finals week. :P

Clockwise, from left to right: Cherry Craisins, organic baby carrots, an organic gala apple, red beans and brown rice, and 100% whole wheat pretzels. 

December 3, 2010

This is some French bread pizza I picked up from Whole Foods a couple weeks ago but completely forgot about until this lunch. It is Ian's brand and has vegan cheese! It was super good, even cold in my lunchbox. I would definitely recommend it!

Back to Nature Crispy Wheat crackers, organic Gala apple, organic baby carrots, Ian's soy cheese French bread pizza, granola crisps, Trader Joe's veggie straws

December 2, 2010

Hey guys. Check out this new thingy I got! It's not quite a bento, but it comes close. It's made by Ziploc, it's cheap, and it has 3 sections (2-1/4 cups, 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup). I really enjoy it, and it's a great tide-over to the possible (?) bento of the future! In said container is a delicious and super healthy lunch. The cereal is from Whole Foods, and it's basically Lucky Charms with gelatin-free marshmallows. It is absolutely delicious and makes me immensely happy. Without further ado, here is today's (very pretty) lunch! Sorry, it's a terrible picture...:P

100% whole wheat organic pretzels, vegan Lucky Charms, salad with soy nuts and chopped carrots, Trader Joe's fat free balsamic vinaigrette for the salad, and an organic gala apple.