To find a multitude of diverse recipes for make-ahead lunches.
Requirements– the meals must be:
1. Tasty and healthy
2. Cost-effective
3. Not time intensive
4. Easy clean-up
I have a list of recipes to try from chowhound.com and thekitchn.com (thanks, Alger). My hopefully doable goal is to try one recipe a week and post my evaluation according to the requirements above.
Last night I made Meyer Lemon Grain Salad with Asparagus, Almonds and Goat Cheese:
photo from thekitchn.com
1. Tasty and healthy: Score: 8 (out of 10). Very tasty and uber healthy– recipe called for spelt and Israeli couscous, lots of almonds and crispy asparagus, juice from 2 lemons, not much salt. It’s a delish vegetarian recipe.
2. Cost-effective: Score: 5. Ingredients cost about $20 and this should make 6 lunches, so it’s about $3.50/meal. That’s not bad.
3. Time-intensity: Score: 3. I triple-tasked cooking the spelt, couscous and toasting the almonds, and even though there were not so many veggies to chop, it took about an hour of active time.
4. Ease of clean-up: Score: 2. This recipe required 2 saucepans, 1 frying pan, 1 big bowl, 2 cutting boards and all my prep bowls. Blech!
Total score of 18/40. I call that a fail. Too bad.
I am intrigued with these grains, however, so I’m excited to try other nutty hippy recipes. Woo!
Piggy Goes To Market 