Quinoa Salad with Tofu, Beets, and Avocado

This is another installment of my "weekday lunch" series, where I offer suggestions for dishes that can hang out in your tupperware til 12:30 rolls around. For other weekday lunch options, see my weekday lunch archive page.

Here's a super-easy salad that holds up very well in the tupperware container. It came together late one night when the contents of my fridge were scarce and I needed lunch for the next day. Red quinoa -- available at Whole Foods and other similar stores, both in packages and in the bulk section -- is a wholesome and nutritious grain, actually a berry, that takes about 15 minutes to steam. I cooked some quinoa (about 1 cup raw), chopped up two small beets I'd roasted earlier in the week, sliced up one avocado and one small block of teriyaki-marinated baked tofu, tossed them all together, and drizzled some rice vinaigrette over the salad (recipe below). It doesn't get much easier than that. The bonus upside to bringing quinoa for lunch is that, unlike other grains, quinoa holds its shape and crunch very well even in the fridge overnight and in tupperware, and doesn't tend to clump together or get sticky.

If you're in a rush, this is really a perfect salad to throw together. And as always, feel free to improvise my recipe, adjusting for the contents of your fridge. I could imagine adding greens, red bell peppers, edamame, perhaps some raisins, even almonds or other sliced nuts for crunch. Get to it!

Rice Wine Vinaigrette

1 tsp. finely grated ginger or 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger 4 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. soy sauce 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. sesame oil

Combine all ingredients except for oil, and whisk vigorously. Add oil in a steady stream, whisking all the while, until well combined. Drizzle several Tbsp. of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve cool or at room temperature.

The Makings of a Middle Eastern Lunch

Hard to believe it's already Thursday and another Saturday is nearly upon us. I'm still thinking about last weekend's 75-degree weather and super-chill Mediterranean style lunch. A trip to NYC will prevent me from repeating that meal this Saturday, but if I could, I would, in half a heartbeat. It's the obvious way straight to my heart: breads, spreads, salad, and a glass of wine. Easy to please, no?

I might as well pass along the recipes I used in case you're interested in replicating my lunch last Saturday. Really not hard, really really tasty. Whip up a greek salad to accompany the spreads here, get (or make) some good pita or laffa (shepherd bread), and wash it all down with some cold, fruity white wine. My mouth is totally watering.

First up: Muhamarra, the Syrian red pepper and walnut spread with a kiss of pomegranate syrup. Next, a lovely walnut hummus from Heidi at 101 cookbooks topped with paprika and sumac, the tart Middle Eastern condiment. Finally, labneh (at long last) -- the thick, tangy yogurt cheese finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of za'atar, a Middle Eastern plant ground into a fine powder and mixed with sesame seeds.

Last week was the first time in a long time that I've been able to bring a part of my experience in Israel into my home in DC, and I'm still riding the wave.

(Also -- shout out to my little bro, who turned 23 today. Yowza!)

Muhammara adapted from Epicurious

1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers in olive oil with garlic, drained 1 cup walnuts 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses or fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Pita chips

Blend all ingredients except pita chips in processor until coarse puree forms. Season with salt. Transfer to bowl; serve with chips.

Hummus en Fuego adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 2 cups cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans, drained 1-2 medium cloves garlic, to taste juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons) 1/4-1/2 cup hot water 1/4 cup olive oil 1 Tbsp za'atar (or paprika)

To make the hummus, give the walnuts a spin in the food processor, just until they are a sandy texture. Add most of the garbanzos, 1 or 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 clove garlic, and lemon juice. Now process until smooth. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time and puree more, until the hummus is creamy and billowy. Taste; if desired, add the second garlic clove. Let the processor run for a minute or so at this point, to incorporate air into the puree and give it a light texture. Taste, adjust the seasoning - more salt, more lemon juice, etc.

Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with plenty of the remaining oil and paprika, sumac, za'atar or other Middle Eastern spice. Heidi garnishes with cured olives and red pepper oil, another lovely option.

Makes roughly 2 1/2 cups.

Labneh

1 quart greek or regular yogurt 1 tsp salt olive oil za'atar

Stir salt into yogurt. Line a wire mesh strainer with either cheesecloth (at least two layers) or paper towels. Spoon yogurt into strainer; set over a bowl, cover loosely with saran wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bowl will contain much of the whey. For regular yogurt, strain an additional 3-4 hours or more, for maximum thicknes. Greek yogurt will be ready after about 8 hours.

Serve in a shallow bowl; drizzle olive oil, and top with a generous sprinkle of za'atar.

Rice Paper Rolls

Lunch makes or breaks my day. If it's good, I cruise through the whole afternoon on the contents of my midday tupperware, don't get really hungry again til about 4 or 5, and by then, I can pop a couple almonds, some honey wheat pretzels, or a piece of the dark chocolate bar I stash in my first drawer (don't tell), any of which will easily hold me over until dinner. If it's bad, I'm hungry at 1:30 and every minute thereafter, until my next real meal. I'm fidgety and tired, fussy and hungry. The upshot? If lunch is bad, the day is, like, the total opposite of awesome.

It's with this in mind that I've launched my impromptu Good Things for Lunch campaign. You know, the one that brought you zucchini tart, and edamame cabbage salad, and yam and chickpea salad too. What's next, you ask? Good things.

In today's post, The Other Good Lunch I Had Last Week: rice paper rolls. They're filling, fresh-tasting, and nutritious -- all in all, a great lunch food. They can be made in advance, packed into a tupperware and eaten at will. The dipping sauce isn't too bad, either. And best of all, they're truly a blank slate that will accommodate almost anything your fridge has to offer.

Moi, I used avocado, carrots, cucumber, parsley, cilantro, mint, slices of nori (seaweed sheets for sushi), shelled edamame, and slices of asian-flavored soy. Steamed shrimp are the most common addition, and basically anything else you have in your fridge would work as well.

The basic method: prepare a big bowl of tepid water (large enough to accommodate your rice paper -- if the bowl is too small, the rice paper sheets will crack). Set up a mise en place, "everything in place," essentially a workstation where all your ingredients are chopped and ready to go. Also have a large plate, the flatter the better, ready to use as the assembly station for your rolls. Stick your first sheet of rice paper in the water, slowly, so as not to crack it. Make sure it is completely submerged. Let it sit there between 25-45 seconds, until it is softer than pliable but not totally mushy. Take it out of the water, let the excess drip off, and lay it flat on your plate. Make a mound of various ingredients in the center of the paper, but slightly towards you (leaving about 2/3 of the roll on the far side of the ingredients and 1/3 on your side -- see the pic above). Fold the sides in; then roll up the rice paper away from you, as pictured.

Serve rolls with any Asian peanut sauce. Here's a good recipe:

Spicy Peanut Sauce from Epicurious

* 3 garlic cloves, minced * 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil * 1 tablespoon tomato paste * 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter * 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce * 1/2 teaspoon sugar * 3/4 cup water

Preparation

In a small saucepan cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Whisk in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer sauce, whisking, until thickened, about 1 minute. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Serve sauce warm or at room temperature.

Edamame Cabbage Slaw with Sweet Potatoes

Hello from vacationland! We're in Israel for the next few days and beyond thrilled to be back. It's been way, way too long -- almost two years since I lived here. I've missed every bit of it. Yesterday, I spent the most lovely afternoon at the shuk (market) with my dear dear friend S. We met up in my favorite corner of the shuk... A little cafe tucked in the back portion that's locals only and serves up a mean cup of coffee. After lots of hugs, kisses and catch up, we ran around to the different vendors so that I could grab my favorite spices (more on those in a future post...) And met up with her mom, where I freshened up on my slightly-rough but actually not-too-bad Hebrew. We spent the past 24 hours hanging out with family and friends, relaxing and eating copious amounts of food. Tonight we're planning on hitting up another of my favorite restaurants, Tmol Shilshom. There's something at once familiar and refreshing about being in a place I used to call home; it's wonderful to be back.

But less about my getaway, more about the recipe -- which, indeed, is a fabulous lunch staple (I'm on a new kick, can you tell?). I've made cabbage slaw before, but this one's got a little bit more character and substance. It's got a new addiction of mine, edamame (frozen-shelled -- one of the easiest and tastiest sources of protein in the grocery store) and sweet potatoes, as well as some fake beef strips (feel free to use the real thing if you're so inclined). In all, it made a great one-dish dinner and was even better the next day for lunch. Just don't dress it all at once, or it'll go a bit mushy.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend; I'm here until Sunday, and early Monday morning we leave for Paris, where we make the most of our 24-hour layover before heading back to DC. More recipes when I'm back....

Edamame Cabbage Slaw with Sweet Potatoes

1 savoy cabbage, shredded (by hand) 2 scallions, chopped 2 sweet potatoes, sliced into matchsticks 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 cups (ish) frozen edamame, cooked according to package directions and left at room temp 1 package Morningstar Farms, TJ's or other brand fake meat strips Handful sliced toasted almonds (to be added just before eating)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the sweet potato sticks in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil overtop. Toss to incorporate; roast for approximately 30 minutes, until soft and browned in spots.

Cook fake meat in a frying pan with a drizzle or two of olive oil until browned in certain spots. I also like to add a few drops of soy sauce and/or pomegranate syrup, date syrup, tamarind paste, honey and rice wine vinegar, etc -- something to give it that sweet/savory taste. Bottled teriyaki will do the trick, but don't overdo it -- a Tbsp or so max.

Mix all ingredients in large salad bowl; top with almonds and dressing (recipe below). Toss to incorporate. Serve in big, deep bowls. Enjoy.

Dressing 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup mirin (if no mirin, substitute 1/8 cup plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar) several dashes sesame oil

Mix; shake. Note: in place of sesame oil, feel free to experiment with walnut oil or other nutty-flavored oil.