🦝 Morfi
Morfi the raccoon chef

Easy lunch ideas you'll look forward to

Sandwiches, salads, soups and quick bites from Morfi's library of 14,000+ home recipes.

Breaking the lunch rut

Lunch is the meal that gets the least thought. It's the same sandwich every day, a handful of crackers over the keyboard, or an expensive trip to the drive-through. The fix isn't elaborate cooking — it's having a few more good ideas on hand. This page collects lunch ideas that work at home, pack well for the office or school, and don't take more than a few minutes of real effort.

You'll find five kinds of lunch here: sandwiches and wraps you can build in minutes, salads hearty enough to count as a meal, soups you can make once and reheat all week, 15-minute hot lunches, and meat-free options. Mix and match through the week and lunch stops feeling like an afterthought.

Why Morfi is great for lunch, too

Morfi is a free app — with a hungry raccoon chef as its mascot — that helps you decide what to eat based on what you already have. Take a photo of your fridge or pantry, and Morfi recognizes the ingredients and suggests recipes from a library of more than 14,000. For lunch, that's a game changer: last night's leftover chicken, half a bag of spinach, and a heel of bread become a plan instead of a question mark.

  • Use up leftovers. Morfi keeps a live pantry list, so ingredients from dinner resurface as lunch ideas before they go bad.
  • Fits your diet. Set dietary needs, allergies, and dislikes once; every suggestion respects them.
  • Plan lunches for the week. Add meals to the weekly planner and Morfi builds one shopping list for everything.
  • Save money. Packing lunch is one of the easiest ways to cut food spending, and Morfi's receipt tracking shows the savings.

You can also ask Morfi's built-in chat for ideas — "something light with eggs and avocado" — and add the results straight to your menu or shopping list.

How to use this page

Scroll down to browse 30 lunch recipes from Morfi's shared library, grouped by type. Tap any recipe for the complete ingredient list and instructions — free, no sign-up needed. And when you want lunch ideas built around your own fridge, try the Morfi app.

Sandwiches & wraps

Packable, stackable lunch classics.

Grilled Foil-wrapped Parmesan-basil Vegetable Medley

30 minServes 4
Show recipe

Another easy to make outdoor delicacy...

Ingredients

  • cauliflower (chopped)
  • assorted bell pepper (chopped)
  • /2 cup eggplant (chopped)
  • /4 cup red onion (diced)
  • /2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • minced garlic paste
  • white pepper
  • fresh basil leaves
  • olive oil

Instructions

  1. Place two sheets of aluminum foil in a cross section.
  2. Place vegetables in the center of the foil.
  3. Thoroughly combine Parmesan, garlic, pepper, and basil in a bowl.
  4. Mix in olive oil and pour over the vegetables in the foil.
  5. Gather the foil from the outside towards the center.
  6. Place one more layer of foil on the top of the foil circle.
  7. Turn over and cover with one last layer of foil.
  8. At cooking time, place on grill on medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes.
  9. Flip over and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes.
  10. To keep warm, place on far edge of grill until ready to serve.

Hawaiian Chicken Wrap (Roc) Chef S.l. Harris)

30 minServes 1
Show recipe

Hawaiian Chicken Wrap Made at (ROC) Recipe Created By me.

Ingredients

  • mayonnaise
  • /4 ounce white vinegar
  • /2 ounce sugar
  • /4 teaspoon poppy seed
  • /4 teaspoon onion powder
  • /4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • /4 teaspoon chili powder
  • wrap (12 inch sun dried tomato or Spinach tortilla)
  • broccoli (slaw mixed with shredded carrots and sauce)
  • /2 ounce pineapple (mixed with sauce)
  • chicken (cooked, cooled, and diced)

Instructions

  1. Make sauce by adding mayo, sugar, vinegar, poppy seeds, Onion powder, Garlic Powder, and Chili Powder.
  2. add broccoli Slaw and pineapple to the Sauce.
  3. make wrap by adding slaw sauce mixture, chicken and Cashews.
  4. fold sides of tortilla, and roll wrap,.
  5. roll again in Gingham sandwich paper,.
  6. Cut in half.
  7. Place wrap in a in a 200 tray, Wrap with plastic wrap.
  8. Serve and Enjoy.

Huntsman's Sandwich

30 minServes 4
Show recipe

Perfect for picnics or lunch. Time does not include overnight compressing.

Ingredients

  • oaf bread, crusty, long
  • /2 romaine lettuce, shredded
  • beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
  • cooked chicken breasts (or you can use ham or tuna)
  • carrots, grated
  • eggs, boiled, peeled and sliced
  • basil, leaves torn
  • olive oil

Instructions

  1. Cut the loaf in half lengthways and remove all the doughy bread from the base and the lid. Save the removed bread for breadcrumbs.
  2. In the base of the loaf, place a layer of lettuce, and top with the sliced tomato, shredded chicken (or ham or tuna, if preferred), carrot, sliced eggs, the basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
  3. Replace the lid of the loaf and squash down firmly. Wrap in foil or greaseproof paper and store in the fridge overnight with an even weight on top to compress.
  4. When ready to eat, remove wrapping and slice.

Shredded Carrot/tahini Sandwich

15 minServes 2
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A healthy creative vegan sandwich

Ingredients

  • whole wheat pita bread
  • carrots, shredded
  • /2 lemon, juice of
  • tahini
  • arlic clove, crushed
  • /2 teaspoon salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  1. Shred carrots. Mix tahini with lemon juice, salt, garlic and black pepper. If it seems too thick, add a bit of water (1 tsp at a time) until it’s a thick, spreadable paste like consistency. Pour over shredded carrots and mix well to combine.
  2. This is great stuffed in a whole wheat pita – add a generous amount to your pita, add additional toppings suggested above, and enjoy! (If taking to work, pack filling and bread separately to avoid a mess at lunchtime).

Four Cheese Panini With Basil Tomatoes

30 minServes 4
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Panini with 4 Italian cheeses and tomatoes with basil....grilled cheese will never be the same again!

Ingredients

  • /2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
  • /2 cup shredded Fontina cheese (4 ounces)
  • asiago cheese (freshly grated) or 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
  • /2 cup shredded provolone cheese (3 ounces)
  • tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • fresh basil, chopped
  • ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise (spread outsides with butter) or 8 slices firm white bread (spread outsides with
  • arugula leaves (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine cheeses. Spread the cheese on the bottoms of the ciabatta rolls. Top with tomato slices and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with basil and add 2 arugula leaves and close the panini.
  2. Set a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over moderately high heat. Arrange the panini in skillet and weight them down with a smaller pan (can fill with water if you need more weight). Cook the panini until the outside is crisp and the cheese is melted, 3 minutes per side.
  3. Cut panini in half and serve at once.

Spicy Cheese Steak Sandwich

30 minServes 8
Show recipe

Pepperoncini & red wine vinegar add a tangy spice that realy kicks this classic sandwich up a notch!

Ingredients

  • boneless sirloin steaks or 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • /4 cup red wine vinegar
  • medium vidalia onion
  • reen bell peppers
  • red bell peppers
  • pepperoncini peppers, de-stemmed, minced (reserve juice from jar)
  • /2 cup olive oil
  • provolone cheese, thinly sliced
  • hoagie rolls
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Slice meat into paper-thin strips, almost shaving it.
  2. Peel onion & slice paper-thin. Halve & seed bell peppers, and slice thinly.
  3. Warm 1/4 c oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers, cook 6-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramelized. Remove from skillet & set aside.
  4. Add meat, vinegar, 1/2 c juice from peppers & pepperoncini to skillet. Season with salt & pepper. Add more oil as needed. (I often split things between two skillets, as this is a lot of meat!).
  5. Cook until meat is lightly browned and cooked through, stirring often.
  6. Place sliced provolone on meat in skillet to melt then immediately transfer to sandwich roll & serve.

Lunch salads

Fresh and filling, not sad.

Seven Layer Salad

30 minServes 6
Show recipe

This is always a favorite at family gatherings. Be sure to use a large glass bowl to show off the layers. You can substitute low-fat or even non-fat mayonnaise, sour cream, and cheese to make it a little bit healthier.

Ingredients

  • head lettuce
  • reen onions
  • stalks celery
  • eggs
  • (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
  • mayonnaise
  • sour cream
  • shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Hard boil eggs and let cool.
  2. Cook peas according to package directions and let cool.
  3. Cook bacon and let cool.
  4. Shred lettuce into bottom of large glass bowl.
  5. Slice eggs and place on top of lettuce.
  6. Slice green onions and celery thinly and place over eggs in layers.
  7. Drain and pour peas over the salad for the next layer.
  8. Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream together and spread over the top.
  9. Cover with the shredded cheddar cheese.
  10. Crumble bacon over the top to finish.

Tofu Cabbage Salad

30 minServes 6
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This is a low fat, healthy salad, either as a meal or as a starter.

Ingredients

  • sesame oil
  • firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch strips lengthwise
  • sesame seeds
  • green cabbage or 2 1/2 cups red cabbage, chopped
  • medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
  • /3 cup chopped green onion
  • /2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
  • /4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • fresh lime juice
  • /2 teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in medium skilled over medium heat. Pat tofu strips dry. Saute until light brown - about four minutes per side. After cooking tofu, add the sesame seeds and quickly toast, they burn quickly, make sure to watch them.
  2. Combine vegetables in a large bowl.
  3. Mix salad dressing ingredients, adding 2 tablespoons water. Can puree in blender for smoother texture. Pour 3/4 dressing over vegetables and toss. Toss salad with tofu strips and drizzle on remaining dressing.

Mexican Chickpea Salad

30 minServes 4
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A nutritious and spicy chickpea salad from the Moosewood Daily Special.

Ingredients

  • 2 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
  • olive oil
  • arlic clove, minced
  • cooked chickpeas (16 oz can, drained)
  • tomatoes, chopped
  • red onions, chopped
  • cilantro, fresh, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh
  • /2 tablespoon salt

Instructions

  1. In a small skilled or saucepan on low heat, sauté the chilies in the olive oil for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, until the chilies are soft and the garlic is just golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine the chickpeas, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add chilies and garlic with their sautéing oil and toss well. Serve immediately or chill to allow flavours to develop.

Classic Tuna Salad

15 minServes 1
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This recipe comes from The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook.

Ingredients

  • (6 ounce) cans solid white tuna packed in water
  • lemon, juice of
  • /2 teaspoon salt
  • /4 teaspoon black pepper
  • small celery rib, minced (about 1/4 cup)
  • minced red onions
  • minced dill pickles or 2 tablespoons sweet pickles
  • /2 small garlic clove, minced
  • minced fresh parsley leaves
  • /2 cup mayonnaise

Instructions

  1. Drain tuna in colander and shred with fingers until no clumps remain and texture is fine and even.
  2. Transfer tuna to medium bowl and mix in lemon juice, salt, pepper, celery, onion, pickles, garlic, and parsley until evenly blended.
  3. Fold in mayonnaise and mustard until tuna is evenly moistened. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days).

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

30 minServes 6
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A nice change from the typical table salads. A cool, crunchy, zesty flavor.Enjoy and feel free to make adjustments according to taste and quantity.

Ingredients

  • cauliflower, cut in florets
  • broccoli, cut in florets
  • red onion, chopped
  • Italian salad dressing, Zesty
  • salt & pepper, to your taste

Instructions

  1. Cut Broccoli and Cauliflower into florets (remove the stems and cut sections to bite size).
  2. Combine the vegetables.
  3. Drizzle with salad dressing.
  4. Season to taste.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour or more.
  6. Note: Measurements are to your taste. We usually buy 1 bag of Broccoli and 1 head of Cauliflower and cut what we need.

Lemon Cucumber Salad

15 minServes 8
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A refreshingly delicious summer salad.

Ingredients

  • (3 ounce) package lemon gelatin
  • /2 cup boiling water
  • small curd cottage cheese, optionally pureed
  • mayonnaise
  • medium sweet onion, finely diced
  • (5 inch) cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, deseeded and thinly sliced
  • /4 sweet bell pepper, finely diced

Instructions

  1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; refrigerate until slightly thickened.
  2. Combine mayonnaise with pureed cottage cheese; fold into gelatin until well blended; stir in onions, cucumbers, and optional bell peppers; refrigerate until gelatin is set.
  3. Note: Last time I made this, I sprinkled the veggies with a little Lemon Pepper before stirring them into the salad. This was really good Ü.

Soups for lunch

Make a pot, eat all week.

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

15 minServes 4
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Another Carnation recipe.

Ingredients

  • (8 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained, liquid reserved
  • /4 cup butter
  • onions, chopped
  • /4 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Chop mushrooms.
  2. Add water to mushroom liquid to make 2 cups.
  3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  4. Add onion and cook until tender about 1-2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat.
  6. Stir in flour and seasoning salt, return to heat.
  7. (I like to cook the flour for a minute, stir constantly.).
  8. Gradually stir in mushroom liquid mixture, evaporated milk and mushrooms .
  9. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes just to a boil.
  10. Serve.

Spanish-style Chicken Noodle Soup

30 minServes 6
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Rachael Ray's Spanish twist on traditional chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • celery ribs, chopped
  • medium carrots, chopped
  • arge onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon chili powder
  • bay leaf
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • chicken stock
  • /2 lb orzo pasta
  • chicken, cut in bite size pieces
  • (28 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
  • corn
  • (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed
  • bunch scallion, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots, onions,chili powder,and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, add the orzo pasta and cook according to the package instructions adding the chicken pieces during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking along with the tomatoes, corn, and beans to heat through.
  2. Ladle a portion of soup in a bowl and garnish with sliced scallions and tortilla chips. Serve with time wedges to add a zip.

Gluten Free Turkey/chicken Noodle Soup

30 minServes 2
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Perfect left-over turkey recipe. I use rice noodles to keep it gluten free but any wide noodle will do. Best soup I've ever made.

Ingredients

  • medium onion, choppped
  • stalks celery, chopped
  • arge carrots, chopped
  • olive oil
  • chicken broth
  • thai medium rice noodles, handful
  • chopped cooked turkey or 1 cup chicken
  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Saute onion, celery and carrot in olive oil until soft.
  2. Add chicken broth and cook until vegetables are tender.
  3. Add rice noodles and simmer about 5 minutes then add turkey and half of the parsley.
  4. Serve when turkey has heated through and garnish with remainder of parsley.

Olive Garden Gazpacho Italiano

30 minServes 4
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This is a copycat recipe of Olive Garden's Gazpacho Italiano. This soup should be served cold 35-45F. The vegetable and pasta solids should not be added to the base until time of serving or they may become soggy. Time does not include chilling time of 4 hours.

Ingredients

  • Italian plum tomatoes
  • arlic clove, minced
  • /2 cup mixed Italian herbs, chopped very fine
  • /2 cup olive oil
  • white wine vinegar
  • lemon juice
  • salt
  • /4 cup red onion, diced
  • chicken broth
  • /4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • sugar
  • /2 cup green bell pepper, chopped fine
  • /2 cup cucumber, peeled & chopped fine
  • tomatoes, diced
  • /2 cup ditalini or 1/2 cup tubetti, cooked, rinsed and drained
  • crouton (garnish)

Instructions

  1. Using a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes, juice, garlic and herbs. Mix in a non-aluminum bowl with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion, stock, Tabasco and sugar. Place in refrigerator allowing 4 hours for soup base to chill and marry flavors. Prepare the veggies and chill along with the pasta.
  2. Soup bowls should be very cold. Stir the base well and ladle 6 oz of soup per bowl. Add a good tbsp of blended veggies and 2 tbsp of pasta to each bowl. Garnish with a few croutons and sprinkle the croutons with parmesan and chopped parsley.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

30 minServes 6
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The taste of stuffed peppers without the time consuming work!

Ingredients

  • ground meat, browned (beef, turkey, pork, etc)
  • (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • (32 ounce) jar salsa
  • (8 7/8 ounce) Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Spanish, Mexican, Chicken, etc)
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • bell peppers, cut into strips (green, red, yellow)
  • /2 onion, cut into strips

Instructions

  1. Brown meat until no longer pink.
  2. Cook rice according to package directions.
  3. Place all ingredients in large pot or slow cooker.
  4. Slowly cook until heated through (20 minutes on stovetop; 1 hour on high in slow cooker). Makes a hearty meal with warm, crusty bread!

Green Tomato Soup With Ham

30 minServes 6
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A great way to use up the green tomatoes leftover at the end of the garden season. Makes a quick dinner paired with a salad or grilled cheese sandwich. Recipe can be easily halved or doubled and it freezes well.

Ingredients

  • butter
  • medium onion, chopped
  • arlic cloves, minced
  • chicken broth
  • green tomatoes, chopped
  • jalapeno pepper
  • cream cheese
  • ham, diced or 8 ounces bacon
  • /2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; add onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring, until onion is tender.
  2. In a blender or food processor add chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, and cream cheese. Blend until almost smooth. Add to saucepan with onion and garlic and simmer for 15-20 minutes, add ham and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes and serve. Pairs well with grilled cheese or a salad to make a meal. Recipe may be halved or doubled and it freezes well.

15-minute lunches

For short lunch breaks.

Grilled Chicken Breast With Oriental Marinade

15 minServes 4
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Just a nice way to cook chicken.

Ingredients

  • light soy sauce
  • mustard powder
  • clear honey
  • cm piece fresh ginger, Peeled and grated
  • medium onion, Peeled and grated
  • arlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
  • star anise, crushed
  • chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix the soy sauce and dry mustard powder together in a china or glass container to form a marinade. Add the honey, ginger, onion, garlic and star anise to the soy sauce mixture and leave to stand for at least 8 hours.
  2. When complate, coat the chicken with the mariande and leave for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally and basting.
  3. When ready to cook, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste over the chicken and grill or barbeque for 5-6 minutes.
  4. While the chicken is cooking, put the rest of the marinade in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  5. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5-6 minutes, basting with the marinade occasionally during the cooking.
  6. Note: Makes an excellent all-round low-fat marinade for lamb, pork and fish steaks.

Real Cheeseburger Mac Skillet

15 minServes 2
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I was kind of appalled by how many cheeseburger mac recipes called for boxed macaroni and cheese so I threw this one together tonight and it was out-of-this-world delicious! Give it a try!

Ingredients

  • ground beef
  • /2 onion, chopped
  • /2 cup green pepper, chopped
  • /2 cup red pepper, chopped
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • fresh oregano
  • /2 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • water
  • beef bouillon cube
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • ketchup
  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Brown beef with onion and peppers.
  2. Season with garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.
  3. Stir in dry macaroni, water and boullion cube.
  4. Combine Worcestership and ketchup.
  5. Allow to simmer until the macaroni is cooked through, adding more water if neccessary.
  6. When done, remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Grilled Duck Breast With Prickly Pear Bbq Sauce

15 minServes 6
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This recipe by Chef Kirk Brooks is a winner from a Chef Recipe Contest at Maple Leaf Farms (http://www.mapleleaffarms.com). Good grilling recipe for boneless duck breasts to try in the summer.

Ingredients

  • chili sauce
  • ketchup
  • prickly pear jelly
  • /4 cup honey
  • /2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • chili powder
  • dry mustard
  • black pepper
  • paprika
  • granulated garlic
  • salt
  • maple leaf farms boneless duck breasts, 5-6 ounces each
  • as needed vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Combine BBQ sauce ingredients; simmer for one hour. Cover and place in refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours. Reserve 1 cup of BBQ sauce for basting.
  2. Pour remaining BBQ sauce over duck breasts. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Turn breasts over; marinate for 1/2 hour more. Remove breasts; discard marinade.
  3. Preheat grill. On a well oiled grill, cook duck, skin side down, 7 minutes. Flip breast over, cook 3 minutes. While grilling, baste with reserved sauce. If needed, finish cooking in a 350°F oven to bring internal temperature to 155°F.
  4. Let duck breast rest 2 minutes. Slice duck breast across the grain. Fan slices on plate. Serve with cilantro garlic potato puree and green chile black beans. Garnish with parsley and habaneros.

Four Flavored Shrimp Sushi

15 minServes 8
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From The Best of Taiwanese Cuisine

Ingredients

  • salt water
  • rice wine
  • reen onion, sliced
  • finely minced fresh ginger
  • prawns, cleaned
  • ime, cut in 8 wedges

Instructions

  1. Combine salted water, wine, onion and ginger.
  2. Bring to a boil and add the prawns.
  3. Simmer 5-6 minutes or until the prawns are opaque and cooked.
  4. Remove the shells, except for a small bit at the end of the tails. Butterfly the prawns and chill.

Chilli Beans On Toast

15 minServes 4
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Great for a midweek easy meal. Easy to half or double to feed unexpected guests.

Ingredients

  • (400 g) cans mixed beans, drained
  • chili flakes
  • arlic clove, chopped
  • chopped tomatoes
  • light muscovado sugar
  • balsamic vinegar
  • /2 French baguette, sliced on the diagonal
  • /2 cup grated cheese

Instructions

  1. Put the first 6 ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil and turn down the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile spread baguettes over a baking sheet,
  3. toast one side under a hot grill.
  4. Turn over and top with some of the cheese,
  5. grill until golden and bubbly.
  6. Put beans on toast - scoff.

Texas Souper Pintos

15 minServes 1
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You want a meal stretcher that taste good,well this is it.I can get atleast 3 meals outta this one pot of souper pintos.Got the recipe from a Southern Living magazine and the description on the recipe says to serve on hot dogs,in taco shells,but I like to use mine as a base for tostados and to make burritos with,but it can really be used in any mexican dish calling for ground beef or beans.It's re

Ingredients

  • dried pinto bean
  • water
  • arge onion, chopped
  • arge jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
  • (1 1/2 ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
  • /2 teaspoon salt
  • sugar
  • cumin

Instructions

  1. Place beans in dutch oven.
  2. Cover with water 2 inches above beans;bring to a boil.
  3. Boil 2 minutes;remove from heat,and let stand for 1 hour.
  4. Drain and return to dutch oven.
  5. Add 5 cups water and next 8 ingredients to dutch oven;bring mixture to a boil.
  6. Add ground chuck,stirring to crumble.
  7. (I cook and crumble mine before I add to beans but you can do either way).
  8. Cover,reduce heat and simmer,stirring occasionally,1 hour and 30 minutes.
  9. Uncover and simmer 30 minutes or until beans are tender and mixture has thickened.

Vegetarian lunches

Meat-free midday meals.

Summery Garden Pizza

30 minServes 4
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Light and fresh, this is perfect when you are craving pizza, but don't want the heaviness of greasy meats.

Ingredients

  • ball of refrigerated pizza dough
  • cornmeal
  • olive oil
  • mushroom, sliced
  • small onion, sliced thinly
  • zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
  • parsley
  • /4 teaspoon oregano
  • arlic cloves, minced
  • mozzarella cheese, grated
  • cheddar cheese, grated
  • /4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Lightly drizzle large pizza pan with olive oil, then sprinkle with cornmeal.
  2. Roll out dough to desired thickness and arrange on pan.
  3. Mix all vegetables in a bowl with a spritz of olive oil, garlic and spices.
  4. Layer over dough and sprinkle on cheeses in order listed.
  5. Bake at 375 until crust is golden brown.

Mushroom Quesadillas

30 minServes 6
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This is my own copy-cat of my favorite local Mexican place's Mushroom quesadillas. I think I've got it pretty darn close!

Ingredients

  • arge green bell pepper
  • arge onion
  • sliced mushrooms
  • rill seasoning, to taste
  • mozzarella cheese
  • wheat flour tortilla
  • cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoon butter or 1 -2 tablespoon margarine

Instructions

  1. Slice onions and peppers.
  2. Fry onions, peppers and mushrooms in butter. I usually start the onions and peppers a little bit before I add the mushrooms as they take a little longer to cook.
  3. Add Grill Seasoning (Such as Montreal Steak seasoning by McCormick) to taste.
  4. Place peppers, onions and mushrooms on one half of one side of the tortilla.
  5. Add a handful of cheese.
  6. Fold tortilla in half.
  7. Heat another large skillet. Spray with cooking spray.
  8. Place folded tortilla in skillet on one side.
  9. Cook about a minute until golden brown.
  10. Carefully flip the tortilla to brown other side.
  11. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Eggcellent Pita

30 minServes 2
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I make this on those nights when I want something yummy and wholesome but not time consuming. Although it is in a pita, it's not a good hand-held food. I usually resort to using a knife and fork because it can get pretty messy and hot if it falls apart. I would also like to try this in a tortilla. If you do please tell me how it is!

Ingredients

  • arge eggs
  • cottage cheese
  • milk
  • /2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • small onion, diced
  • medium red pepper, cubed
  • red potatoes, baked, cut into cubes
  • ketchup
  • margarine
  • hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tbsp margarine in non-stick pan over medium heat and add onions. Cook until shiny and slightly soft.
  2. Add cubes of potato and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Continue cooking until potatoes appear golden.
  3. Now add the peppers and cook for 2-3 more minutes until heated through. Add hot sauce and ketchup, mix and let cook on low heat.
  4. Cook bacon as to your liking (I put frozen turkey bacon in the microwave for 2 minutes and then finish it off in a frying pan to crisp it up). Let bacon drain on paper towel.
  5. In bowl whisk eggs, milk and salt and pepper. Add cottage cheese at end and mix together. In frying pan heat remaining margarine and add egg mixture. Let cook for a few minutes, until it starts to stick together. Mix it around and add veggie mixture. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, checking for salt and pepper. At very end, add half the cheese and gently combine.
  6. Open one pita and put half the egg mixture inside, topping with some extra shredded cheese and two slices of bacon.
  7. Repeat above step with remaining egg mixture, bacon and cheese.

Pizza Oatmeal

15 minServes 1
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This savory oatmeal is like a warm bowl of pizza. I know not everyone will like it, but I do and I hope you do too. The toppings can be varied depending the type of 'pizza' you like and amounts can be changed to suit your taste. My version is vegetarian.

Ingredients

  • /2 cup oats
  • /4 cup prepared pizza sauce
  • sugar substitute, to taste
  • minced garlic clove
  • onions, diced
  • /4 cup bell pepper, diced
  • /4 cup mushroom, sliced
  • /3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • tomatoes, diced

Instructions

  1. Prepare (slice, dice) toppings and set aside.
  2. Place oats in large bowl, add onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and garlic.
  3. Add enough water to cover and then stir.
  4. Place in microwave and cook on high for about 3.5 minutes.
  5. Remove from microwave, add pizza sauce, and stir (if thin, heat again in microwave until desired consistency is reached).
  6. You can add some sweetener or sugar to the mix if you wish.
  7. Spread shredded mozzarella evenly over the oatmeal.
  8. Top with diced tomato.
  9. Return to microwave for 45 seconds on high, or until cheese melts.
  10. Allow oatmeal to cool, then enjoy!

Spicy Potato Rice

30 minServes 2
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A hot and spicy one dish meal. My daughter's favourite.

Ingredients

  • basmati rice
  • /4 cup sliced onion
  • potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • yoghurt
  • /2 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • cumin seed
  • cardamom pods
  • 3 cloves
  • /2 inch cinnamon stick, a thin 1/2inch piece sticks
  • /2 teaspoon garam masala
  • turmeric powder
  • /4 teaspoon chili powder
  • butter
  • vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Wash the rice and strain.
  2. In a pan melt butter. Add one by one the following: cumin seeds cardamom cloves and cinnamon.
  3. Next add 1/2 of the sliced onions and saut0233 for 3 minutes.
  4. Add rice and fry for another 2 minutes.
  5. Add 2cups of water and one teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
  6. When it starts to boil reduce to low heat cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  7. In the meantime in another pan, heat the oil and add the rest of the onions and fry.
  8. When the onions are soft add the tomatoes and yoghurt.
  9. Fry till the tomatoes are soft.
  10. Add potatoes and all the spice powders one by one.
  11. Add enough salt and fry the potatoes till lightly brown.
  12. Sprinkle a few drops of water cover and cook till the potatoes are done.
  13. When the rice is done fluff it lightly and allow to cool.
  14. Let the potatoes cool too.
  15. When cool, mix the potatoes and rice nicely coating the rice grains with the spices from the potatoes.
  16. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Creamy Tomato And Feta Linguine

30 minServes 2
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365 Ways to Cook Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • linguine
  • canned crushed tomatoes
  • arlic cloves, minced
  • /2 cup dry white wine
  • paprika
  • /2 teaspoon salt
  • dried dill
  • heavy cream

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook linguine.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, garlic and wine. Cook over medium high heat until liquid reduces by one third, 4-5 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 3 minutes. Add paprika, salt and dill. Add cream, stirring continuously until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Do not boil.
  4. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Toss with feta cheese. Spoon hot sauce over pasta and serve.