Beyond the Brown Bag: 6 Recipes That Add Some Punch to Your Lunch

8 cups romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
6 bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
5 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
3 large eggs, hard boiled and finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and diced
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

1) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, relish, salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use (this recipe makes extra dressing for you to keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week).

2) In a large bowl, combine lettuce, bacon, diced chicken, egg, tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese. Gently toss with desired amount of dressing.

Serves 6

4 cups lightly packed baby kale
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
1 large ripe avocado, chopped
1 large ripe mango, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1) To cook quinoa, in a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Place in a large bowl and let cool.

2) For the spiced walnuts, in a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add walnuts, cumin, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Stir continuously for 3 minutes, until walnuts are slightly toasted. Add brown sugar and water and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat, spread on a piece of parchment paper and let cool.

3) For the salad dressing, in a small mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, sherry vinegar, honey, shallots, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking vigorously until emulsified.

4) To assemble the salad, place kale and spinach leaves in a large serving bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of dressing. To the cooled quinoa, add chopped avocado and mango, tossing with a few more tablespoons of dressing. Place quinoa mixture over kale and spinach leaves. Top with crumbled goat cheese and spiced walnuts. Drizzle each serving with extra dressing.

Serves 4

8 thick slices multigrain bread
½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
16 slices, English cucumber
1 cup packed baby arugula

Directions

1) For the roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until tender and slightly charred on the edges, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2) For the avocado hummus, in a food processor, combine avocado, chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Blend until smooth or your preferred consistency.

3) To assemble sandwiches, spread 1 heaping tbsp of avocado hummus on one side of each slice of bread. Layer roasted tomatoes, crumbled feta, sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers, arugula and bread to form a stacked sandwich. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serves 4

1 small English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed and drained well
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 nori sheet, cut into thin strips

Directions

1) Place tofu in a medium bowl and toss with soy sauce, mirin, ginger and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

2) For the rice, in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam covered for 5 minutes. Spread rice on a baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk rice vinegar, sugar and soy sauce sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice let cool.

3) Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place tofu in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, turn tofu and continue to bake 5 minutes more until golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

4) For the Ginger Wasabi dressing, using a blender, combine rice vinegar, mayonnaise, peanut oil, soy sauce, wasabi paste, honey and ginger until well combined.

5) To assemble salad, using 6 individual serving bowls, place rice in the bottom of each. Add tofu, cucumber, carrots, edamame and avocado. Generously drizzle each bowl with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds and nori strips to garnish.

Serves 6

Directions

1) Place chicken in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover saucepan and simmer for 13 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. If you have the time, allow the chicken to cool in the water, but if not, remove cooked chicken and chop into bite-size pieces.

2) In a large bowl, combine chicken, apple, mango, grapes, celery, raisins and cashews.

3) For the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, chutney, lime juice, lime zest, curry powder, honey and salt. Pour over chicken and toss well.

Serves 6

3) To assemble, place wraps on a flat surface. Spoon a small amount of coleslaw down the center of the tortilla. Top with one or two sticks of fish (depending how large they were cut), top with avocado, tomato and then an additional spoonful of coleslaw. Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll up “burrito-style”. Repeat with remaining wraps.

Yield: 6 fish stick wraps

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Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.