Dal-ish Kitchen Sink Curry

 Again working off my embarrassment of lentils in the cupboard, along with an impulsively purchased celery root (celeriac) that I saw at a farmer's market and simply had to bring home with me. A true Dal is more of a side dish, or a thing to eat over rice, I wanted to incorporate more vegetables (and some chicken I had in the freezer) and make it something that didn't need rice to feel like a whole meal for my lunches this week. The texture is Dal, the flavor is closer to a Chicken Tikka, but whatever the heck it is I'm very much looking forward to it in this week's lunches. 

Ingredients:

Choppapoluzza Curry Base flavor pack

Coconut oil

2-3 cups dried lentils

1 celery root, peeled and chopped (could also use 1-2 large potatoes, or sweet potatoes)

2lbs chicken breast, in small pieces

10 cherry tomatoes (or whatever you have leftover in fridge), halved

1lb (or 1 pkg frozen, thawed) cauliflower florets (could use spinach or green peas instead/also)

Turmeric, cumin seeds, cardamom, coriander, garam masala powder, cayenne pepper, salt, lemon juice - to taste. Optional mustard seeds (I don't know why my dad had a huge package of mustard seeds in his spice cupboard, but now they are in mine and so they go in anything that they might possibly work in). 

Heat coconut oil in your instapot on sauté low and add turmeric, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds if using them. Stir until the spices are fragrant, then add the Choppapoluzza pack (onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, ginger) and some salt. Keep sautéing until onions are translucent. 

Add Celeriac (or potato), cardamom, and coriander, and the lentils. Stir to coat everything with spices. Then add water and pressure cook until lentils are almost done. 

Vent, remove lid, taste for seasoning and add the garam masala, cayenne if needed, lemon to balance and adjust salt as needed. Then add chicken, tomatoes, and other veggies. Replace lid and pressure cook an additional 5 mins, or until chicken is cooked through.

Makes 6-7 servings, enjoy your lunches and a few easy dinners. 

Lentil-Lunchbox Goulash

 I grew up on American Goulash - made with hamburger meat, canned tomatoes, noodles, some paprika and maybe bell peppers. As an adult, I became acquainted with German Goulash, which is more of a stew and is spicy and flavored with something like this Univer Goulash Cream plus additional spices. I LOVE the German version, honestly, for lunches I need something less saucy so I'm not worried about it spilling in my bag, with it's starches built in so I don't need to add noodles or bread to my lunch bag. Add these reasons to the fact that I found an embarrassment of dried lentils in my cupboard, and this recipe was born. It makes 5 mid sized servings.

Ingredients:

Choppapoluzza Goulash pack

1-2 tbl butter or oil (I like butter for cooking onions)

1lb ground beef

1-2 cups dried lentils

1/2 a pint cherry or grape tomatoes (used these as opposed to chopped larger tomatoes to maximize tomato flavor and minimize extra liquid)

1/2 tube Univer Goulash Cream (I used hot, mild is fine)

salt, caraway seeds, smoked/hot paprika, lemon juice to taste

water

Put your instapot on sauté low, toss in butter and the goulash pack (1/2 onion, 1/2 green pepper, garlic, celery, carrot if you are chopping things now), as well as some salt and caraway seeds. On sauté low you can literally set it for 30 mins and walk away and do other things, it won't burn. Come back and stir a few times if you like. If you started with veg from frozen, you may need to go a bit longer to get the onions nice and translucent. 

Once veg is translucent, turn heat up to high and add ground beef, stirring occasionally until it starts to brown nicely. Then add in your Goulash Cream and paprika (use smoked or hot as you prefer) and stir to incorporate. Cook that for a few minutes then add tomatoes and lentils, mixing well. Add water JUST to cover, remember, we don't want a ton of sauce because this is lunch! Nobody needs goulash-gravy in their laptop. 

Put under pressure until lentils are done (if you are like me and they have been in your cupboard for some indeterminate but long period of time just set it for low pressure 1 hr to be safe). Taste, adjust spices, and add some lemon to balance as needed. Portion out and you're set for the week. Enjoy!

Choppapoluzza

Prepping lunches ahead for work for the week is a great way to save money, eat a bit healthier (and hopefully tastier), and save time during the week. It can eat up a bit much time some weekends, though. Along with leaning heavily on my trusty InstaPot, I've taken to chopping up veggies in large batches when I have more time and freezing them in "flavor packs" to make prepping lunches for the next few weeks a snap. You can vary this to your personal preferences, but here is a set of four that I go back to time and time again.

Makes 4 "flavor packs"

2 big yellow onions

1 green bell pepper

1 bunch celery

2+ jalapeno peppers

1+ head garlic

1/2 a lb baby carrots (if you are like me and want the rest of the bag to dip in things as a lunch side) or 2-3 big carrots if not

1 big bunch of cilantro

1-2 inch piece of ginger

Label your baggies, and for the love of all that is good in the multiverse put dates on the bags. This will make enough veggies for 4-5 servings each of a Curry Base, a Goulash Base, Tex-Mex or Chili, and your Basic European Soup/Stew.

Chop everything, putting in bags as you go. 

Curry Base = 1/2 onion, garlic (more than other bags), 1+ jalapeno (depending on heat preference), all the ginger, and roughly 1/2 the cilantro including some of the stems.

Goulash Base = 1/2 onion, 1/2 bell pepper, carrots, garlic, a bit of celery.

Tex-Mex or Chili = 1/2 onion, 1/2 bell pepper, carrots, bit of celery, garlic, jalapeno.

Basic European Soup/Stew = 1/2 onion, carrots, garlic, a lot of celery.

1/2 an hr of chopping will get you FOUR weeks of flavorful, veggie-full, lunches. Enjoy!

Turkey Loaf with Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

For me, this took advantage of some pre chopped veggies and the convenience of a pre flavored cheese product (as well as using a cake pan to bake in a thin layer instead of being loaf shaped...) in order to be a 30 min, 1 pot/1 pan, mealprep for the week.  At just under 320 cals and 32g of protein a serving this is 4 servings of delicious, nutritious, lunch.

1lb ground turkey - I used 99% fat free

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 oz crimini mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic, same

5 cups raw spinach

1 tbl butter

splash of water

1 egg - please don't chop this

salt, pepper, thyme, sage to taste

1.5lbs cauliflower florets, chopped/cleaned

1 container reduced fat garlic herb allouette... or 8 oz low fat cream cheese and some salt/herbs/garlic

Turn oven on to 350.  Sautee onion, mushrooms, and garlic until onion is translucent.  Add herbs/seasoning, splash in a bit of water, and throw in spinach and stir until it wilts and water is mostly gone.  Mix veggies into turkey, using egg to hold it together, it will be a bit slimy but oh well.  Spread out into a cake pan so that you can have super mega fast cooking and set timer to 20 mins.

Put cauliflower into same pot, add water to cover and a dash of salt, and go sit on the couch for 15 mins or so.  By now the cauliflower is falling apart so just drain it, smash it a bit, and add cheese and stir it in. The turkey loaf should be cooked through at this point, so just portion things out and store and you're set.   

Chop and Drop Cheezy Orzo

This is barely cooking, it is mostly assembly.  It took me under 12 mins to make an entire week's worth of lunches.  A bit higher cal then I've been going lately, to avoid evening "eating the kitchen" incidents that seem to go along with small lunches, sadly. 640 cals, 47g of protein, 5 servings.

1 box (8 servings) orzo
1lb ground turkey or chicken (99% fat free)
1 jar (5 servings) pasta sauce - I used clasico 4 cheese
1 bag hearty greens (I used a baby kale/baby spinach/arugula blend)
1 entire large zucchini, chopped
few cloves garlic, chopped
8oz grated cheese(s) - I used a bag of kraft "italian blend" with motz, parm, asagio.  Use whatever you like really
Red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, etc as you like

Put water on for orzo, salted.  In another pan, put you poultry and the tomato sauce.  Chop up the zucchini and add it to the sauce pot, along with the garlic.  Stir every so often, adding extra herbs and red pepper flakes if you like to make it taste less jar-rish. Add orzo to pot once water boils, setting a timer for 9 mins.  When there is about 3 mins left on orzo, stir the greens into there to wilt them down.  Your chicken should be done about when the orzo is, so turn off that pot then stir in the cheese so it melts w the residual heat.  Portion it out and done. 

Burrito Bowls

After a week of some uninspired things-grabbed-from-cupboards-willy-nilly for lunch, I am back at organized prep.  Been craving tacos/burritos/chipotle/nachos/etc/etc so I made some sort burrito bowl analogs for the week.  4 servings, 430 cals, very little fat, lots of fiber, and 41g of protein. 

1lb ground chicken (I used 99% fat free)

2 servings brown rice, cooked

1 bag (12 oz) riced cauliflower/broccoli 

2 ears corn, fresh (or a small can of corn, but fresh is better), cut off cob

1 can/3 servings kidney beans

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped, seeded or not as you wish

3-5 cups some hearty green (I used arugula that was abt to die in the fridge)

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbl olive oil

cumin, coriander seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, salt, pepper (I left this out bc arugula) to taste

Lime juice (also to taste)

Put cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a hot pan and toast till you can smell them, then add the oil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. When oil is hot add the corn and bell pepper.  Stir infrequently, you want a bit of char on the veggies, until the corn starts trying to pop on you.  Then add the rice, cauli rice, and greens and stir a bit.  When it is heated through, add the beans and a liberal squeeze of lime as well for an additional few mins, then take off heat and portion this out into your bowls/tupperwear.  

Put pan back on heat and add your chicken, jalapeno, garlic, cinamon, salt, and pepper. While chicken browns, add  your tomato to your bowls.  When chicken is cooked through portion it out as well.  Done and done.

Protein Pasta Salad

I normally am a bit leery of items that have protein seemingly shoe horned in.  But I was looking for a carb-ier lunch this week that would still make my protein macro and these yellow boxes were staring me in the face.  Also I wanted something a bit less labor intensive after chopfest 2018 last week. 

Makes 4 servings, 540 cals, 73g carb, 13g fat, 37g protein per serving

1 box (7 servings) protein pasta (I used bow ties)
several handfuls basil left from last week
Juice of 2 lemons
3-4 oz of really good Parmesan cheese
1 package (4.5 servings) turkey peperoni
1 package (5 servings) frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)

Salt water and boil pasta as per directions, then drain/rinse and let it cool.  Portion out the broccoli, torn basil leaves, shaved or grated parm, turkey pepperoni (I cut this up in stacks w kitchen shears, but  you could leave whole if you like) into your tupperwear.  Add pasta, season with lemon juice, add a bit of salt/pepper if you want, seal, and shake.  Done.  Can be nuked or eaten cold/room temp as you like.

Banana Protein Bread

Not quite as delicious as straight up banana bread... not quite as nutritious as a totally boring version. This compromise is a pretty perfect breakfast, tho.

4 overripe bananas you should maybe not of bought so many of last week
1 cup greek yogurt (I used 2%)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 container (about 2 cups) almond butter (peanut butter would work too but be less neutral tasting)
3 scoops vanilla protein powder (or chocolate) (or all plain but add some vanilla extract)
2 scoops unflavored protein powder (if you are less bothered by fake sugar taste you can use 5 of flavored stuff)
1 tbl or so cinnamon
1.5 cups oats
pinch each salt and baking soda

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix first 5 ingredients until they are well combined.  Fold in the rest, do not overmix.  Put into a baking pan (I used a silicon 8x8 cake pan) and bake approx 30 mins (more if using a deeper pan, less if using muffin tin).  For 12 servings comes out at 300ish cals, 30g carb, 14g fat, 18g protein, more if you add things like chocolate chips or walnuts or other things that might taste good in there.

"Caprese" Salad Pasta

This is a light, incidentally vegetarian, mealprep lunch for a busy week. 4 servings come out to 425ish cals, 60g carb, 20g protein, 12g fat.

4 cups bow tie pasta
8 oz fresh motz balls
8 plum or campari tomatoes
1 bag spring mux, baby arugula, or spinach
1 lemon for juice
Salt, pepper (if not using arugula!) oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, etc to taste

While pasta cooks, portion your motz and tomatoes and arugula into containers, and season/squeeze lemon over. Split pasta into containers while still warm to wilt greens a bit if not using spring mix. Done. This is barely a recipe but makes awesome lunchez.

Lentil Curry (not daal)

This recipe starts with a frustrated cupboard cleanup/reorganization prompted by being unable to find my coffee...... nevermind everything else I seem to be hoarding against the zombie apocalypse I had 6 goddamn bags of dried lentils.  Looks like I need to use some of these up over the next few weeks..... I had been planning on making a big batch of chicken and veggie curry for this week's lunches so, veggie only curry, go!  (This is by no means an authentic recipe of any sort, but it borrows heavily from several.)  5  big servings come in at 325 cals, 70g carb, 5g fat, 27 protein. 

1lb bag dried lentils
4-5 cups raw spinach
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bag (4-5 servings) frozen spinach
1 can peas (I like leseur, use whatever you like if  you have less impeccable taste)
1/2 a large sweet onion
1 jalepeno (or more or less, to taste)
1 bunch cilantro
2-4 cloves garlic
1 inch chunk of ginger
few stalks celery
2 tbl butter - but could use coconut oil to be vegan
spices to taste - tumeric, cumin, 'curry powder'
juice of one lemon

Build the base of your curry first.  Get the butter/oil melting and add the chopped onion, tumeric/cumin, jalepeno, garlic/ginger, cilantro, and celery (which is not part of the curry but..... I had it in fridge and somehow I can't fathom cooking lentils w out it, hush).  Once those have cooked down a bit, add the tomatoes (maybe you want to cut them up... I neglected to) and the spinach.  Put water in the pot to cover the spinach, then add your lentil and califlower.  (Don't add peas yet or they will turn to total mush!) Watch water level to keep lentils covered/happy but not drowning (we are not making soup) and cook 15-25 mins until they are tender, adding the peas when they are almost done.  Then stir in your curry powder and add your lemon for brightness right at the end. 

Lunch Lasagna

I want nothing more then I want comforting bowls of pasta lately, but, of course, my body does not appreciate this as much as my belly does.  This is a lasagna that will fall apart.. but it would of fallen apart in my lunch bag anyway... but will have the right flavor profile to fill this need.  With, ofc, some extra veggies in the name of smarter nutrition.

Makes 6 servings at just under 600 cals each, depending on pasta sauce used etc
1/2 a box lasagna noodles - precooked or not as you like (sorry Dad, I am an uncooked noodle heathen here myself)
6 servings sweet or hot or chicken italian sausage
1 jar good tomato sauce
1 jar diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 medium zucchinis, diced
few cloves chopped garlic
9 cups (yes, 9) fresh spinach
1.5 cups part skim ricotta
1 cup part skim motz (do NOT use non fat for either of these... low fat dairy tastes/acts enough like full fat to work.... nonfat is fucking plastic, not food)
4 tbl grated parm (more if not using the good stuff)
1 egg
nutmeg, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc to taste

Cook noodles if you are not a heathen like I am/will notice the texture difference.  You want enough noodles for just 2 layers worth in a small lasagna pan (remember, we are not worried abt the fact this will fall apart, it is supposed to be yummy and fit your nutritional needs, you are sacrificing a bit of appearance to save some cals/carbs here). 

Wilt all the spinach, it should end up being about a cup or 2 when done.

Toss the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchinis, garlic and sausage (removed from it's skin) into a pot and cook until sausage is heated through.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, remembering that you are getting a shortcut on flavor by using premade italian sausage instead of ground meat.

Chop up your now wilted spinach and squeeze out all the water.  Mix with ricotta, nutmeg, egg, and parm.

Put your sausage mixture in the bottom of your lasagna dish (yes, no bottom noodles) and top w a bit of jarred sauce, then a layer of noodles.  Put a bit more sauce on top of noodles.  Now your Ricotta/spinach layer, with the motz on top of that.  Then more noodles, and the rest of your jar of sauce.

Let sit an hour or so before baking, if at all possible.  Then bake at 350 for about an hour.  Let cool, portion into 6 containers (or 5 containers for the week + one bowl for your lunch now).

New Years Day Double Chocolate Protein Muffins

When the cold light of new years morning leaves you hating the scale and determined to get back on track but you can't shake the memory of your awesome cookies from last night..... Here is the diet friendly version for breakfasts/snacks all week.  You're welcome.

2 ripe/overripe bananas

1 cup natural peanutbutter (can do almond butter or sun butter etc if you are allergic or dislike the taste of pb)

2 eggs

pinch each baking soda and salt

1 cup oats

3 scoops chocolate protein powder

splash vanilla

1/3rd to 1/2 bag semi/dark chocolate chips

Set oven to 350.  Smash bananas, mix in pb and eggs.  Add soda, salt, and vanilla at this point.  Stir in oats and protein powder, then chocolate chips.  Portion into muffin tin and bake for 12-15 mins.  I ended up with 16 muffins at abt 190 cals, 16g carb, 10g fat, 8.5g protein each.  No white sugar, no white four, plenty of chocolate taste, and a good way to use up some protein powder you thought maybe you could stand to just drink (you thought very wrong). 

Greek Pasta Salad for Days

This would be good either hot or cold.  It makes a nice substantial lunch at 665 cals with 44g protein and 46 carbs.  It is not low fat, but could be if you want to use low fat greek salad dressing instead of the olive oil/lemon.

8 servings (ie one box) bow tie pasta
3lbs chicken breast
2oz chopped black olives
5oz baby arugula, or baby spinach, or regular either...some green which is not iceburg or romaine
8oz feta cheese
1/4th cup lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 cup olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Spread chicken breast out onto a cookie sheet, season liberally with lemon, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper and throw in the oven at 350.  While that is cooking, put on water and boil pasta according to directions on the box.  When pasta is 1-2 mins from done, toss the greens into the pot right along with it.  Drain pasta/greens and toss back into pot.  Put feta, olives, and tomatoes into the pot and stir to mix everything.  Dress w olive oil, lemon, and more oregano (or your light greek dressing if using that) . Chicken should be done by now, so take that out and chop it up and add that in.

Portion into tupperwear for meal prep or just store it all in one if you don't like 1000000000 small containers in your fridge. Makes a week of lunches + today's lunch and a few extras for lazy dinners. 

Peanutbutter Chocolate Protein Comfort Compromise Cookies

So ya..... crazy time of year.  Craving all things I should not eat bc, ofc, stress = junk food cravings. But. I know better, poor nutrition = poor dealing with stress.

Compromise cookies, go. This recipe makes 36 cookie things that come in at abt 175 cals each with 7-8 g protein, 13 net g carbs (11 of which are sugar), and 10g of fat.

15 servings natural (no ingredients besides peanuts and maybe salt) pb (36 tablespoons, or 1 16oz container)
1 bag dark chocolate chips (mine was 19 servings in the bag at 80 cals each, 60% coco)
4 cups instant nonfat milk powder (can use unflavored whey protein for higher protein content, even)
1 cup honey (maple syrup or molasses would work as well)
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp salt
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla to taste

Mix everything - pb honey eggs and milk first, then dried milk powder and flavorings, then chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins - I baked it in mini muffin tins to keep cookies from sprawling too much.

Updated Macaroni Salad

I wanted pure unadulterated simple comfort for lunches this week.  Of course, I did not want quite all the calories that usually come along with this, or low protein macros. So... update, go!

This makes 6 servings, at 37 grams of protein, 55 of carbs, and 13 of fat... just under 500 calories.  Pretty much a pretty perfect lunch.

14 oz of elbow noodles (ie, a box w one serving used already)
24oz (6 cans) of tuna
6 eggs
3 cups of chopped celery
12tbl olive oil mayo (lighter then the standard but no strange ingredients/aftertaste of low fat)
salt, pepper, celery salt, etc to taste

Put the eggs into a pot and fill with water, set on the stove to boil.  When it starts boiling, add the noodles and time them according to the package directions. The eggs should be done at the same time this way.  Drain/rince pasta/eggs.

Open alllllll the tunas and put one can's worth into each container for your mealprep, add half a cup of chopped celery and 2 tbl  mayo to each.  Shell the eggs and cut one of them into each container.  Season to taste with salt/pepper/etc.  Add an equal amount of (now hopefully cool) pasta to each one, and stir.

This, nicely, makes 1 extra serving beyond your 5 lunches so that you can have it for lunch now to make sure it's not poison. 

Meal-Prep Tikka Masala

This is NOT authentic Indian food.  It is, however, very tasty and super healthy (comes in under 400 cals with 40g of protein per serving for 6 servings.... make smaller portions and serve with rice if you want more carbs/less protein then I do).  It is loosely based on a chicken tikka masala recipe.

Spices:
Cumin (seeds if possible)
Tumeric
Cardamon
Garam Masala/curry powder (the better ones are usually labeled garam masala) (Do not use brittish style sweet curry powder unless you like that cloying shit but omg ewwwww you did not get this recipe from me if you do.)
Corriander if you cannot find fresh cilantro
Salt, pepper, maybe some cayane

Veggies:
1-2 inches chopped Ginger
3-7 cloves chopped Garlic
Serrano Peppers (or other 'green' tasting hot peppers of your liking) - this is to taste
1 large bunch Cilantro (fresh omg not dried) (If you cannot find fresh just use corriander, and add some fresh parsley if possible.)
1 Yellow Onion
1 can/2 cups Chick Peas
1 can Peas (leseur is my favorite)
Large bag (5 servings) Frozen Califlower
1lb fresh spinach
28oz Tomato Puree - or chopped/diced/etc tomatoes, whatever you have in the house rly.... except not ketchup or tomato sauce that has herbs/spices in it already

Other:
2lbs Boneless/boned skiness/skinned chicken breast (Thighs would possibly taste better, but, trying to be healthy this week so....)
4 tbl butter - or use coconut oil if you have, or ghee
Lemon

Note:
You could just use a LOT more chick peas and easily make this a vegetarian dish....vegan even if you use coconut oil instead of butter.

Start with butter/other fat in the pan.  Add your cumin and tumeric and stir it a bit to get them fragrant (I used abt 1 tbl of both).  Toss in your onion and your chopped peppers (I used 2 serranos, with seeds, bc I like spicy.... adjust for your heat tollerance), and salt if you use salt.  Stir a bit to let onions start to cook down.  Now add your cardamon seeds (I used seeds from 2 pods), your corriander if no cilantro (maybe 1tbl), your cilantro, ginger, and garlic.  Stir some more.  Next dump in your tomato product and let cook a few mins.

Next, peas, chick peas, and califlower.  Then, chicken.  At this point, put a lid on it and leave it alone for about 30ish mins (put rice in rice cooker now if you are serving with such, it will be a good timer for chicken).  Just stir from time to time so it does not stick to bottom of pot.

When chicken is done, dump spinach in and stir just enough to wilt it.  Then add about 2-3 tbl of your garam masala, and the juice of one lemon for brightness.  Taste, and adjust with cayane pepper, salt, more garam masala etc as needed.  If you have made it slightly too hot,  serve with rice and raita to balance it out a bit.