Eat. Live. Be. #13: My Go-To Lunch

Thank goodness this week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is a piece of cake, because my To-Do List for the night is ridiculous.  And I really just want to go lie down with my remote in one hand, and a smoothie in the other and call it a night.

This week’s topic is all about our go-to lunch.  Although I work at an office until noon, I work from home in the afternoon, which gives me a little more flexibility with my lunches (unless I’m meeting a friend, of course).  Truth be told, I can be a little like a 17-year-old in a new hot and heavy romance with my lunch patterns.  I grasp onto a lunch idea and fixate on it until I’m sick of it.  You know, like when you couldn’t get enough of your new, first boyfriend?  And then, like that flushed high schooler, I’m done and I’ve moved onto the newest flavor of the week.  Such are my lunches.

Lately, my lunches have been fish sandwiches.  I honestly am a terrible Catholic when it comes to no meat on Friday.  I can go several months without eating meat, but then tell me I can’t and I can’t remember that darn fact until a piece of bacon is in my mouth.  I was so proud that I went all day Friday, safely making it through breakfast and lunch without accidentally eating meat.  Until we went to the movie theater.  And the kids wanted dinner there.  And I gave in because once in awhile, it’s ok to throw them a curve ball like eating dinner at the movie theater. So I ordered them chicken fingers.  And, of course, it was the next morning as my hand is finding its way to smacking my forehead that I remember … chicken fingers … meat … on meatless Fridays during Lent.  I digress.  So I have been having fish A LOT lately hoping to just have it enough that it slips into the routine on Fridays too and I forget about my meat issue.  Well you can clearly see that theory was flawed.

But that is a very long-winded way of telling you that my go-to lunches as of the past few weeks have been fish sandwiches.  Mostly tilapia.  Grilled or broiled with lemon juice.  Or lightly breaded with whole wheat panko (when I do it that way, I bake up a bunch and freeze them).  Once I have the fish, I use a whole wheat wrap or sandwich thin, and add whatever sounds good that day.  Smooshed avocado nearly all of the time.  Sometimes spinach leaves.  A little melted cheese and a whole lotta condiments.

I am a total condiment girl.  I love them all.  Separate.  Together.  I thought my friend was going to die when she saw the mixture I used Saturday night with my fish at the movies.  She offered me her bleu cheese dressing, I think as a joke, to add to my concoction, and I gladly would have taken it.

Now if you work in an office and eat your lunch there, please, I beg of you, skip the fish sandwich. We used to have a secretary that would have fish every day, heating it up in the microwave, and we all smelled it for the whole afternoon.  Blech.

Now for other alternatives for an awesomely healthy go-to lunch, these are excellent ideas:

• Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza.  This has been another recent infatuation of mine.
• Tomato, Avocado and Hummus Pizza
• Healthy Cobb Salad, courtesy of Jillian Michaels
• Ham Veggie Wraps with Horseradish Cream – oh man, love these!
• Warm Butternut Squash and Chick Pea Salad with Tahini Dressing.  Going on the menu for this week since I happen to have all the ingredients handy.
• Healthy Overstuffed Sandwich.  Forget the dinner I just ate.  I’m hungry all over again!

To find out go-to lunches my fellow ELBers, please visit them at the below links:

• Sarah Caron from Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Joanne from Eats Well with Others
• Chris Arpante – Melecotte
• Patsy – Family, Friends and Food
• Claire – Cooking is Medicine
• Sarah Rogers – Sarah’s Sweet Creations
• Rivki from Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
• Claudia from Journey of an Italian Cook
• New Jersey Epicurean

Tomorrow? A fun post.  Debating between Madeline’s, ahem, iPad, or my jelly bean rant or her latest crush.  Decisions, decisions…

Project 365
March 28, 2011, Photo #86

Technically this is a bonus picture from last night. I finished up work around 10 and made my way upstairs only to find these two little stinkers fast asleep in my bed. I do believe this is what’s known as a blackmail picture.

She has discovered an interest in make-up over the last few months. Until she perfects her art, I may need to switch to a much lighter color of eyeshadow since she only wants to use the one that I’m using. After a quick errand to the store today, she also requested headbands and perfume. The girl is in love.