Ingredients:
2 tbsp ghee or substitute with unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp red mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp of salt
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp saffron
4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
¾ cup vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas

Instructions:
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion, ginger, mustard seeds and cumin seeds until the onion is lightly brown and tender. Then add the chili powder, saffron and salt and mix well. Stir in potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the stock, cover and cook (on low heat) for about 25 – 30 minutes. Add the peas and heat through.

Serve immediately with rice.

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1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 Serrano chile sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot over medium high heat. Add the mustard seed to the hot oil. Cover the skillet and heat the mustard seed 30 seconds or until the popping stops completely.  Add the coleslaw mix, cilantro and chile and blend together.  Sprinkle in the salt, cumin and turmeric and stir well to incorporate the flavors.  Continue cooking and stirring continuously for 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.  Pour in the lime juice and cook an addition 1 minute.

Serves 6

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1 small tomato, seeded and diced

2 tbsp green onion, diced small

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

How to Make It:

Place the prepared kiwi into a mixing bowl.

Add in the tomato and green onion.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Pour in the lemon juice.

Mix all the ingredients together well being sure everything is coated well with the lemon juice.

Refrigerate until cold.

Place in a pre chilled thermos.

Serves 2

Add some tortilla chips to the lunch box to have with this salsa.  Kids love it and so do adults not only as a side dish at lunch but for that afternoon snack as well.

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1 small eggplant, sliced

2 potatoes, skin left on and sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 large tomato, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

How to Make It:

Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Heat the oil to hot but not smoking.

Add the eggplant and potatoes.

Layer on the onions.

Layer in the pepper strips.

Last lay the tomatoes on the top.

Sprinkle with the garlic, parsley and basil.

Allow the layers to simmer in the hot oil for 20 minutes.

If the mixture seems to be cooking to quickly lower the heat to medium low.

Mixture may seem slightly dry but do not add water.

Continue cooking 15 minutes or until vegetables is fork tender.

Use a spatula to remove in sections and layer into a wide mouth thermos.

Serves 4

This dish is great out of a thermos.  Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the top before eating. 

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1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4 in slices
1 small onion, wedged
1 (6 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into 2 in strips
2 C  fresh bean sprouts
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place the olive oil into a wok. 

Heat to medium high heat.

Add the zucchini and onion and cook 3 minutes or until crisp but tender.

Remove and place in a separate bowl.

Add more oil if necessary.

Place the mushrooms and red pepper strips into the hot wok.

Cook 2 minutes or until fork tender but crisp.

Remove and place in the same bowl as the onion mixture stirring together to incorporate.

Add more oil if necessary.

Place the bean sprouts into the wok.

Pour the soy sauce over the top of the bean sprouts.

Stir in the sugar and pepper being sure to mix together well.

Cook 2 minutes. 

Place the onion and mushroom mixture back into the wok.

Continue cooking 4 minutes, being sure to stir occasionally, or until completed heated through.

Place immediately into a warm prepared thermos. 

Serves 4

As long as the thermos has been warmed, sealed tightly and not opened until ready to eat this meal will remain hot and delicious right up until lunch time.

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2 c mayonnaise

1/2 C parsley, chopped

1/2 C green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Assorted vegetable pieces

How to Make It:

Cook the spinach as directed on the package.

Drain the spinach and mash it down with a potato masher to remove as much juice as possible.

Place the drained spinach into a mixing bowl.

Add the mayonnaise with a rubber spatula.

Dump in the parsley and green onions.

Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Using the rubber spatula and stirring from the bottom up mix the ingredients all together well.

Place the dip into a prepared cooled thermos.

Place the vegetable pieces in a separate container.

Serves 6

Just about any type of vegetable will work with this dip.  Try carrot or celery sticks, broccoli, cauliflower or even cherry tomatoes.

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1/2 C canned corn, drained

1/2 C brown rice, cooked

1/4 C salsa

How to Make It:

Place the beans and corn in a saucepan.

Add the cooked brown rice.

Stir in the salsa.

Place the saucepan on the stove over low heat.

Cook 12 minutes or until heated through.

Place in a prepared warm thermos.

Serves 1

This meal is so easy to prepare and is very filling.  A side salad or some tortilla chips can be added for the perfect lunch.

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The first safety issue with food concerns keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Now, with hot foods, they won’t stay hot for several hours but an insulated container or Thermos allows for lukewarm or room temperature foods. Even if the food needs to be reheated before eating, it should be room temperature or cool when packed.

Letting food cool down before refrigerating it avoids the excess condensation inside the container. That extra water that builds up inside can make food soggy. On top of that, it doesn’t look good when the container is opened and extra water has collected on the food. And, seriously who wants to eat soggy bread?

For frozen meals from the store, there’s no need to thaw them out before packing your lunch bag. By the time you get around to eating it, the meal will probably not be frozen anymore. Using a cold pack in the bag also keeps the temperature constant so the meal won’t completely thaw before it’s time to dig in.

These meals have preservatives so they are not as much of a worry as homemade dishes brought for lunch. Anything with mayonnaise or egg holds up better with refrigeration. A lunch bag left out in the sun or not refrigerated will become rancid over time. That doesn’t mean your lunch will be that way if you don’t have an ice pack, but you never know what might happen. Taking leftovers for lunch that are a few days old combined with the lack of refrigeration can cause serious problems.

Any food that is not eaten at lunch needs to be refrigerated again if you plan on eating more of it. You should also remove a portion of the meal to a plate or other container when you don’t intend to eat it all. Enzymes in saliva break down food and can cause bacteria to spread more rapidly. A half eaten sandwich or plate of meatloaf won’t be palatable three hours after lunch unless the portion was divided before you took the first bite.

One final thing – empty the lunch bag when you get home. Kids are great for leaving leftover food in a lunch bag on the top of the refrigerator. Yuck! Clean the bag out in case something spilled in the bottom or there are some food pieces. By following these tips you and your kids can enjoy eating lunch without getting sick.

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1.      The packaging is part of the presentation. Whether you use a brown paper bag or a lunch box, express your own style. A brown paper bag can be decorated with stickers or unique drawings if you are gifted with the talent. Lunch boxes used to be metal and covered with super heroes. Now they are insulated and look like purses or a small camping bag. The lunch bag should fit the style of the carrier.

2.      Don’t forget the refrigeration. Many offices have refrigerators for their employees. A brown bag lunch can stay in the brown bag when the lunch can be kept cold. It becomes harder to stick with the traditional packaging if you are in school or somewhere that a refrigerator is not accessible. In this case, bring a cold pack to do the job. For any cold pack, store it in the freezer in a leak proof plastic bag. When the cold pack begins to melt, the food is protected from contamination from the pack if it should get punctured. Cold packs are good for several hours each day.

3.      Containers prevent cross contamination. Each school child had opened their lunch once and seen a sandwich all soggy with the pink tint of a drink that has opened up. Containers prevent that. Lots of lunch bags come with their own containers that expressly fit in that bag. For ones that do not, buy various sizes of containers with tight fitting lids so even if the lunch bag turns over nothing will be disturbed.

4.      Add a note of love. This doesn’t just work for kids but adults as well. Opening lunch and finding an encouraging word or two from someone who loves you can make the difference between a good day and a bad day getting worse. Don’t worry about kids getting embarrassed. Eventually, their friends will begin looking for notes in their lunches too.

What is essential to complete your brown bag lunch? It could be plastic ware, napkins, or condiments. If the lunch bag has an extra compartment, keep a set of silverware, extra condiments, and wet naps in there for weekly lunch use. Be prepared and you won’t be caught without what you need at lunchtime.

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1 carrot

1 parsnip

1/4 c red lentil

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

How to Make It:

Place the soup in a sauce pan.

Add ½ soup can of water to the soup.

Grate the carrot and parsnip into the soup mixture.

Add the red lentil.

Sprinkle in the onion and garlic powder.

Place the sauce pan over medium heat.

Bring to a quick boil.

Once boiling place the heat on low and continue cooking 10 minutes.

Pour into a warmed thermos.

Serves 1

There are many variations to this soup.  Try grated zucchini.  Add rice or cooked pasta to the mix.  Use canned beans instead of lentils.  If you use lentils be sure they are red not green lentils. Green lentils take awhile to cook down.

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