Grab And Go Lunches!

W hy complicate your weekday lunches? For forty-five minutes on a Sunday afternoon you can have healthy and satisfying lunches for the week, and save yourself some money while your at it. It’s loaded with veggies that make it a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups cooked beans* (See note below)
• 3 oz Mushrooms, chopped
• 1 Bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Red onion, chopped
• 1 Cup kale, chopped
• 1/2 Cup shredded carrots
• 2 Tablespoons miso, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 Tablespoons tahini paste
• 4 Teaspoons ground yellow mustard seeds
• 2 Teaspoons each: whole cumin seeds, oregano, dill, and thyme
• Water or stock for sautéing.

Method

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat for a minute or two.

Add the peppers and onions and sauté, adding just enough water to keep your veggies from sticking.

Add the carrots and kale and continue to sauté until all the vegetables are hot and the onions have begun to wilt.

Add the mushrooms and the rest of the spices. These will start to stick to the pan, add small amounts of water as needed.

Add the beans, mashing them with a spoon as the mixture continues to cook.

Stir in the miso and tahini last.

To package the mixture for lunches, freeze in 4 oz bathroom cups**. Grab one from your freezer in the morning and at room temperature it will be thawed by noon.

Spread on bread to make a sandwich or enjoy on a baked potato or rice.

*Christmas Limas from Rancho Gordo are my bean of choice for this dish. If you don’t have them, garbanzos or cannellini are also excellent choices.

**”Dixie” style bathroom cups work well for this, BUT, I don’t recommend putting them in the microwave if you need to thaw it quickly. The cup is rated food grade for cold only. I wouldn’t risk heating it. The cup is paper and tears easily, except for the rim at the top of the cup. Use a scissors to snip the rim, then tear the cup away and put your bean spread in a microwave safe dish.