Day 204 - Fourth of July Leftovers

Pigs in a Blanket, Orange, Bell Pepper Strips, Carrot Sticks

 Happy Friday!  And Happy (late) Fourth of July!  I had some delicious pigs in a blanket for the Fourth yesterday, and so I packed the leftovers for lunch today with half an orange, some bell pepper strips, and carrot sticks.  I wish I had packed some ranch for the vegetables, but it was probably healthier without it!

I think pigs in a blanket are a totally underrated food.  I made mine with turkey hotdogs, reduced fat crescent rolls, and about a teaspoon of dijon mustard rolled into each little blanket.  I baked mine, but I love these roasted over a fire - great for cookouts!  I've even seen them done on the grill, although I'm always worried that the heat is too high for the crescent roll dough.  But, you could try it, and let me know how it goes!

Need more lunch inspiration?  You should check out my Lunch Ideas Pinterest page over the weekend! Pin It Now!

Day 203 - Tarte aux Champignons

Tarte aux Champignons, Spinach Salad

 Today, we have another treat from the Trader Joe's freezer section.  This Tarte aux Champignons is very similar to the Tarte d'Alsace that I love so much, just with different toppings.  This one has mushrooms, emmental, and some other cheeses - still the tasty pastry crust, still a tasty bechamel base.  Y'all, these things bake in 10 minutes!  That's it!  Just enough time to get your plates, drinks, and salad ready!  I paired the leftovers today with a plain spinach salad (I threw some vinaigrette in the lunch box, not pictured), and it was a very tasty, quick lunch!  Pin It Now!

Days 201 & 202 - One Ingredient, Two Lunches - Trader Joe's Style!

Salad and Stir Fry, both made with mixed Asian Vegetables from Trader Joe's.

I went a little crazy at Trader Joe's this weekend.  I do that, from time to time.  It's far enough away from me that I don't get weekly groceries there, so I tend to just buy large quantities of wine and frozen food at once. 

For the next two lunches, I took advantage of the produce section!  They apparently sell a pound of mix, pre-cut Asian Vegetables in the produce section - red and green bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, watercress, and pickled corn.  So, what did I do?  Bought it, and used it for lots of meals this week, inlcuding two lunches! 

The first lunch is a tasty, French inspired salad with mixed greens, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn, broccoli, and carrots with a tangy honey mustard dressing that I made at home, along with a leftover dinner roll.

The second lunch is Trader Joe's Mandarin Chicken, amped up with all of the delicious veggies, over jasmine rice with orange sections and broccoli from the veggie mix.

And I still have some vegetables leftover - I'm going to use the peppers and onions in a pasta later this week (unlikely to show up for lunch), and then just snack on the carrots for the rest of the week! Pin It Now!

Day 200 - Cold Shrimp Plate

Baked Shrimp, Berry Salad, Wasa Crispbread, Goat Chevre, Cucumber Slices

 
Two hundred days of lunches!  Woooohooo!

Let's celebrate with a grown up, classic cold lunch, shall we?

Scouring for leftovers last night, I came up with some leftover baked shrimp, berry salad, wasa crispbread, goat chevre, and cucumber slices.  I spread the goat cheese on the wasa and alternated topping it with berries, or a combo of shrimp and cucumbers.  Delicious! Pin It Now!

Day 199 - Buffalo Turkey Sliders

Buffalo Turkey Sliders, Potato Salad, Fruit Salad

Ok, this is probably one of the more unappealing pictures for one of the more delicious things I've ever made.  I made up this recipe based on what I had in my fridge, and it was SO GOOD.  Turkey burgers stuffed with cheese and buffalo sauce, on slider buns with provolone and tomato.  Beyond tasty!  The provolone was totally unnecessary, but still appreciated!  Had two leftover sliders for lunch today with fruit salad and potato salad.  I ended up actually packing the burger patties in a separate container for microwaving, and at the rest cold.  Perfection!

I know these don't look pretty, but they are much prettier in person and delicious!  You should definitely try them.

Buffalo Turkey Sliders

1 lb ground turkey
8 slider buns, any kind (I used King's Hawaiian)
1 egg white
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (I used mild)
toppings of your choice

In a large bowl, mix turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, and buffalo sauce with your hands until well blended.  Shape into 8 slider patties, about the size of two golf balls.  Cook over medium high heat in a non-stick skillet until dark brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Place hot onto slider buns, add toppings of your choosing, and enjoy!

These burgers will fall apart on the grill, so be sure to cook these stovetop.  They will come out very soft and gooey - as long as there is no pink in the middle, you're burgers are fully cooked - enjoy how they melt in your mouth! Pin It Now!

Day 198 - I Really Just Want A Cookout

Turkey Hotdog with Wheat Bun, Berry Salad, Baked Beans, Potato Salad

 
So, in menu planning this week, I realized that I'm really just in the mood for a constant cookout.  Hotdogs, burgers, barbeque, whatever.  So, I made myself a big batch of potato salad and baked beans, and we'll see what else this week brings!

Today's lunch was a turkey hotdog on a wheat roll, potato salad, baked beans, and fruit salad.  I try in the summer to buy up lots of fruit, cut it up, and keep it in the fridge all week for healthy eating!  I try...I don't always succeed.  But I succeeded this week, making a delicious mix of strawberries, cherries, and blueberries.  Get ready to see a lot of this fruit this week.

Look at all that beautiful fruit!

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Day 197 - Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits

 
I love shrimp and grits.  It's shrimp!  AND grits!  What more could you ask for in a food? 

There is great debate as to whether Shrimp and Grits as a dish orginiated in Charleston or on the Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/Florida coast (affectionately known as the Gulf Coast to those of us from the area, even though we acknowledge that there are many other gulfs in the world!).  Now, I've lived both in Mississippi and in South Carolina, and I'm not sold on who actually invented this delightful dish...nor am I sold on which is better than the other.  The Charleston version always has bacon (yay!) and gravy (ew), while the Gulf version usually has sausage (ew) and creole spices (yay!).  So, mine is...a little of both.

I took some to lunch today, even though the picture I snapped was in the bowl last night before I devoured it.  If you're reheating grits, I recommend pouring a little milk or chicken broth over it before heating - grits dry out after a while, so the added moisture is needed.  And I always use the Southern Living Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole when I'm cooking to impress - has never failed me!

Shrimp and Grits

1 batch of cheddar cheese grits
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper (I use red, but green is fine), chopped
1/2 cup white wine or light colored beer, whatever you have on hand
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 T olive oil
1-2 T creole seasoning

Bake up your grits.  Don't eat them too soon, even though you want to!  Slice bacon into small bits and cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  As soon as bacon begins to crisp up, add in mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and creole seasoning, cooking for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Pour in wine or beer and bring to a simmer.  Toss in shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes, or until shrimp is pink.  Spoon over grits and serve hot! Pin It Now!