I have another lunch for you this week! This is another simple, simple lunch that you can make in advance and keep in your fridge all week. Plus…it’s good both hot and cold (I tried it both ways this week just to be sure). If you aren’t familiar with Quinoa, it’s a delicious little grain found on the rice/pasta aisle. It’s simple to make on the stove and it keeps in the fridge all week. I make 1 cup at a time and that usually results in 3 or 4 meals. If you don’t have Quinoa or don’t care for it, brown rice would be a great substitute.
Remember…we’re keeping things simple with our lunches! We’re just trying to get out of the lunch rut and make the middle meal time a little more fun. The best part about this lunch? We’re going to use a lot of frozen veggies…simple, simple. I’m going to list out what I used…but then, I’ll give you a few other options as well. Mix and Match it up!
Shopping List
1 cup cooked Quinoa or Brown Rice (cook according to package directions)
1 handful cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn (keep it frozen)
1 cup frozen peas (keep it frozen)
a few drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Lots of Salt and Pepper
Combine quinoa with your mixed veggies. Keep in fridge in a tubberware container until you’re ready to portion out for each lunch. After you portion out your meal for the day, drizzle about a tablespoon of EVOO over the top of your lunch and sprinkle with salt and pepper. At this point, you can heat your lunch in the microwave for about a minute or you can pack it away for the day and eat it cold when you’re ready.
I say to keep the frozen veggies frozen because it’s just easier that way. If you’re microwaving your lunch, they’ll heat up…if you’re packing it away for later in the day, they will have thawed a bit by the time you’re ready to eat.
So…here are some mix and match options for you too…
black beans, drained and rinsed
frozen green beans
frozen lima beans
broccoli florets
chopped, cooked chicken
salsa to top it when you’re ready to eat
a garnish of Parmesan cheese
Enjoy your lunch today (and don’t forget to check out my giveaway!)!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
LOVE me some quinoa! This looks so pretty and fresh and delicious!
nikkirm says
This is one if my favorite meals! I add chopped avocado too and it's amazing! Keep the great lunches coming 🙂
Anonymous says
I found this on Pinterest but it had a lemon-basil-evoo dressing and it was so good! I just squeezed a few lemons, chopped up some fresh basil and mixed it up with some evoo.
Susan Pentz says
Quinoa–yum!!
Melissa H. says
Thanks for another great idea! I especially like that it will work for several days.
Tamara @ The Workout Mama says
I love quinoa! I put it in everything! Even pancakes :).
Cathy Prell says
Wow! That looks amazing and healthy! Thanks for the great ideas! 🙂
Ginny says
This is exactly like my Mexican Quinoa recipe! Here is my version:
http://www.moderncommonplacebook.com/food/mexican-quinoa/
Thanks for the veggies ideas!
Ginny
http://www.moderncommonplacebook.com
Tracy says
Just made this with brown rice and it was so good! I only used about half the amount of each veggie though bc I'm assuming a cup of rice makes less than a cup of quinoa. Loved it; thanks for the recipe! Yesterday I tried "The Sandwich" and it was also great. Thanks for all the fun lunch ideas!