The Early Years

Here are some recipes from the first year of the lunch bunch (started October 2005). Sniffle, how far we have come!

Lunch Bunch Recipes-Fall 2005

Sesame Peanut Noodles

The secret to this Chinese favorite is not to let the noodles sit in the sauce very long — toss them together a few seconds before serving.

Start to finish: 30 min

For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
For noodle salad
3/4 lb dried linguine fini or spaghetti
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Preparation:

Make dressing:
Purée dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
Make salad:
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.
Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine, and serve immediately.

Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.



Veggie-Table Pita Pockets

Next time I make this, I’ll make sure to write down specific amounts. For now, these are approximations.

Start to finish: 30 minutes

2 Medium Zucchinis, medium cubed
½ Red Onion, Sliced
1 pint of button mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, medium grated

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbs olive oil

Toppings
Feta cheese, crumbled
Hummus, whatever flavor you like

Saute ginger and garlic on low heat in olive oil, make sure not to brown the garlic. This should take a minute or so, add all veggie-tables except the carrots. Add cumin, salt and pepper, saute for about 5-10 minutes depending on how done you like your veggies. Put veggies in a bowl and add grated carrots, mix. Warm pita pockets, spread some hummus in the pita pocket walls and add veggies, hummus and feta. Yum!

Tandoori Tofu and Vegetable Kebabs
Makes 4 servings

1 (16 oz) pakcage water-packed firm tofu, drained and cut into 16 cubes
cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons canola oil
½ ground tumeric
½ teaspon freshly ground balck peper
1 garlic clove, minced
16 large mushrooms, about 10 oz
2 small red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 2/3 cup water
1 1/3 cups uncooked basmatic rice
2/3 cup golden raisins
1 teaspon salt, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Back at 375 for 25 minutes or until tofu releases 3 or more tablespoons liquid.
3. Prepare grill.
4. Combine chopped onion and next 8 ingredients, through garlic in a large bowl. Add tofu, mushrooms, and onions toss gently to coat. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes.
5. While tofu and veggies marinate, prepare rice. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in raisins and ¼ teaspon salt. Let stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork.
6. Remove tofu and veggies from bowl, discard marinade. Thread tofu, mushrooms and onion wedges onto skewers. Lightly coat kebabs with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt. Grill on each side for about 4 minutes.

Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese
Makes 4 servings

1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise about 8 ounces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 wedges
1 leek, trimmed and halved
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
1 head radicchio, quartered
½ teaspon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
cooking spray
4 cups cooked, hot rotini
1 cup grape or cherry tomatos
¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons choppped fresh basil
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Arrange zucchini, bell pepper, leek, artichokes, and radicchio in a single layer in a flat pan; sprinkle with salt, black pepper and garlic. Coat with oil. Bake in oven about 10 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. Place pasta in a large bowl; sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, tossing well. Stir in grilled veggies and sprinkle with cheese and basil.