Skip to main content

A Workday Lunch

As I was getting our lunches ready this morning, I realized I hadn't blogged about one of the typical ones I make during the week.  Putting together a workday lunch in the morning doesn't have to be complicated or too involved.  If you plan just a bit ahead of time, a good, healthy lunch can be quickly prepared before you head out the door in the morning.  As you can guess, I don't allow 'grabbing something on the way to work' at my house, so brown bagging is what we end up doing every single day.  Ordering in at the office or going out to get something from the prepared foods section at the supermarket can get expensive and the choices are not always too healthy.  Sandwiches are made on a weekly basis at home, because they are quick to assemble and hold well through the morning.  I always try to have leftovers from the night before so that we can enjoy them the next day.  If, for instance, we have chicken cutlets or breasts for dinner, I make an extra one to slice up the following day.  I do the same with turkey cutlets or tenderloins. 

Slicing my vegetables, lettuce, chicken & bread (we love bagels or a good sourdough), and then prepping the sandwiches assembly-line style streamlines everything.  After I've made the sandwiches, I grab some fruit and pack a simple salad or I steam some vegetables and pack those into appropriate containers.  Everything gets put into a lunch bag and off we go!  

This is a typical workday lunch made about once a week.   



Everything is sliced up and ready to go.  In this case I'm using whole wheat bagels that have been split and hollowed out (it helps contain the ingredients).  One bagel gets toasted, the other does not.



The vegetables that go into our sandwiches vary; everything is carefully rinsed.  Today I have sliced up plum tomatoes, some ripe avocado and an entire kirby cucumber as thin as possible (kirbies don't need to be peeled).  Romaine lettuce is at the ready and I have some mayonnaise and dijon mustard as well. 

One chicken breast leftover from last night's dinner (I'll have to show you my Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Sherry Vinegar soon) is thinly sliced on the bias and is ready to go.  Since it was already seasoned I don't need to add anything to it.

I place the lettuce on the bottom of the bagel and then layer it with sliced chicken, tomatoes, avocado and cucumbers.  I then add a bit of mayo & dijon.  The entire sandwich is either cut in half or left whole.


A quick salad of romaine or other lettuce is sometimes mixed with greens such as escarole or frisee, if I have any.  I sometimes sprinkle a few dried cranberries if I feel like it.  Salad dressing is packed into a separate container.  Since peaches are ripe and plentiful right now, I add one or two to the lunch bag.  Simple.  Delicious.


If you don't pack your own lunch to take to work, try doing so at least once a week or whenever you have any leftovers from dinner.  Hopefully you'll come to discover that making your lunch at home is far more economical and healthier for you in the long run.  By the way, this sandwich is good without the chicken too.  I sometimes make veggie sandwiches for myself and I never seem to miss the chicken or turkey.  From my home to yours, a quick and easy lunch made at home is always good.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass
50 comments
Read more

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei
48 comments
Read more

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang
6 comments
Read more