Brown Bag: Cous Cous Tofu Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing

I am always looking for new salad to bring for lunch. I walk aimlessly down the grocery store aisle trying to find inspiration and new produce to throw together and call a salad. This week I rediscovered cous cous. I had been neglecting this great base for far too long. I don't know why I don't make it more often. It comes in whole wheat, its versatile, and it cooks in no time flat! The perfect meal base if you ask me!

In Southern California, summer has not ended. With the temperature still reaching in the 90s, I couldn't help but crave a nice, cool, fresh salad. My walk down the aisle this week yielded me some bell peppers, cucumber and tofu. And to dress this fine, fresh salad? A creamy herb dressing.


Cous Cous Tofu Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing
Recipe

SALAD
• 1 cup whole wheat cous cous
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teas. salt
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1 package firm tofu
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 4 green onions

DRESSING
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbls. lemon juice
• 1 tbls. white wine vinegar
• few sprigs of chopped dill
• few tbls. chopped basil leaves
• salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
• Bring chicken stock and salt to a boil. Add cous cous. Remove from heat, over and let stand 5 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Let cool.
• In a large bowl add chopped bell pepper, cucumber, tofu, currants, pecans, green onions and cous cous.
• For dressing, combine yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, dill and basil. Grate garlic with a microplane into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

And yes, I really do bring 3-4 days worth of these lunches to work. I keep them stored in my fridge, and snack away all day! It beats any lunch I can find in walking distance of the office!



FYI: Cous Cous is not a grain *ahem, Tiege* its a form of pasta. But it comes in whole wheat, so you may still enjoy even though it's not technically a grain.

Brown Bag: Mango Quinoa Salad with Shrimp

I do all of my cooking on Sundays because once the week starts, there is just no time. So what I look for in lunch recipes is something that is easy, filling, healthy, and something that will keep well for a few days at work in the fridge. This way I can take the whole thing to work on Monday and have a few days worth of lunches there ready to go.

This week, my brown bag lunch was a mango quinoa salad with shrimp. I had seen red quinoa before, but I had never cooked with it. I wanted to switch things up a bit from the usual brown quinoa, so I purchased the red. They say quinoa is the perfect grain, and mixed with mangoes, bell peppers, jicima, red onion and cilantro, how could that array of bright and vibrant colors NOT be good for you?!! Plus, with the sweetness from the mangoes, the crunch from the jicima, red onion and bell pepper, the acidity from lime and vinegar, and the heat from the jalapeno - this salad satisfies from every end!

MANGO QUINOA SALAD WITH SHRIMP
Recipe

Ingredients
Quinoa
• 1 c red quinoa
• Slightly less than 2 cups of either vegetable stock or water
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 2 tbs mango nectar
• 1 tbs butter

Salad
• 1 red onion
• 1 small jicama
• 2 mangoes
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing
• 1/4 cup mango nectar
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• Salt
• 2 teaspoon red chili paste
• 2 limes, juiced

Shrimp
• 1 lb shrimp
• 2 garlic cloves
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper



1. Rinse quinoa and add to small saucepan with 1 tbs butter and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until it crackles and becomes aromatic, 4 to 6 minutes. Add stock, lime juice and mango nectar and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Dice onion, jicama, mangoes, bell pepper and jalapeno. Put in large bowl and add cilantro.

3. Meanwhile sauté shrimp with garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper. Cook until light pink and no longer translucent.

4. Whisk mango nectar, vinegar, oil, ginger, salt and chili in a medium bowl. Add vegetables, cooked quinoa and shrimp. Toss, serve and enjoy!

** VEGAN NOTE: In homage to my vegan adventure to Cru last week - this recipe can be made Vegan if you omit the shrimp and butter! Look at that! I made a vegan recipe!

Asian Orange Noodle Salad (Brown Bag Lunch of the Week)

Here is my dilemma every week, what can I make on Sunday, that I can take to work on Monday, that will keep until Wednesday (and hopefully Thursday), and that will not send me into an afternoon post-lunch coma? Not so easy is it?

Here is one of my creations that tastes great, keeps great, and is great for you!

Asian Orange Noodle Salad
Print Recipe

Ingredients
Dressing
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tbls. canola oil
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
few drops sesame oil

Salad
1/2 lb poached and shredded chicken
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 cup corn
1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, cored, cut into thin strips
3 green onions
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 of a box cooked and cooled udon noodles
Peanuts
1 Jalapeno

Preparation
1. Cook udon noodles according to package instructions and set aside to cool.
2. Poach chicken in chicken stock flavored with 2 cloves garlic, soy sauce and ginger. Cook until internal temperature of 155 degrees. Cool and shred.
3. Whisk orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, canola oil, ginger, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil.
4. Combine slaw mix, corn, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, udon noodles, peanuts and jalapeno in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.