How to add colour to your brown bag lunch.
Admittedly, the name sounds a little dull. But a “brown bag” lunch doesn’t have to be as colourless as it sounds. If your daily sandwich consists of two slabs of generic bread with a few pieces of limp deli meat in between, then it’s time to wake up and smell the possibilities!
Start with your bread: it’s not hard to find small ciabatta or focaccia loaves—rustic Italian-style bread—at most grocery stores these days. These dense breads taste great, and don’t get as soggy as traditional breads. If you find them too “bready,” simply slice them in half and scoop the bread from the centre, leaving a well that will hold your fillings.
Here’s a tip to keep your sandwich from getting soggy: place a lettuce leaf on each side of the bread before adding a filling like tuna or egg salad. The lettuce acts as a barrier to keep your bread nice and dry.
It’s easy to change up your sandwich fillings, too: add a little curry powder to your chicken salad, chopped dill pickle to your tuna and relish to your egg salad; all provide some zip.
Salads are a great choice for lunches, especially now that fall has arrived and fresh veggies are in abundance. Here’s a simple formula that makes a wonderful salad every single time: greens plus one fruit, some nuts and cheese. The possibilities are endless: mesclun mix with sliced pear, smoked almonds and blue cheese; arugula with raspberry, smoked almonds and goat cheese; spinach with blueberries, pecans and feta. Depending on which fruit you choose, you may want to slice and add it at work so it is as fresh as possible. Also: pack the dressing on the side and add it when you’re ready to eat.
If you feel the need for something a little more substantial, add leftover chicken or salmon.
Each of these salads is delicious on its own, or stuffed into a warm pita pocket with the dressing drizzled on top.
Just because you’re brown-bagging doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself to a tasty dessert: make portable cheesecakes using handy 4-oz Mason jars. Follow the usual cheesecake instructions: put a crumb crust into the bottom of each Mason jar, bake and add filling (see recipe below).