If you were to watch me cook, you might be amazed that half the recipes on this site ever get written down. I'm a whirlwind that creates a mess, doesn't measure, and can never stick to a recipe. When it comes to cooking certain items (let's say, grains), I hardly follow instructions and found the method of "boiling until just about done, letting sit for 5, and the draining" to be perfect for just about every grain. The perfect rice? I got that. I've gotten to the point where I boil a pot of water, toss as much rice as I see fit in, and let it go while I work on other things. Then I keep leftover rice for meals throughout the week, like this fried rice.
This recipe is another adaption from The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen. While I love every recipe in the book, it's definitely the lunch section that gets used most often in my house. These meals are often quick and no fuss. This particular version is actually from the 'winter' adaption but I seem to always have random onions rambling around in my drawer (that if left alone for too long, grow sprouts!)
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*Recipe from The Easy Vegetarian Kitchen Cookbook.
|Disclaimer: Lifefactory was nice enough to provide the containers for this giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.|
Any leftovers we have in the fridge are good for leftovers for me! But I especially like grain-based dishes like this because they're usually nice and filling.
You know, I'm really old fashioned when it comes to packing a lunch for myself. I like the staples that remind me of being in school, so things like peanut butter on wheat bread, maybe with some Nutella if I feel like indulging, and an apple (green) or applesauce, and juice or flavored water. Often times I'll throw in a granola bar too for that late afternoon pick me up.
I love repurposing dinner leftovers for work lunches - usually I throw them on top of a big salad (roasted veggies make salads so much better!).
My favorite thing to pack for lunch is a big hearty salad. So easy with endless combinations!
that fried rice looks great! i love the idea of using three different onions mm.
Leftover dinner - flavors are almost always better the next stay.
Love the simplicity of the fried rice recipe, which is always such a comforting dish. This would be perfect as lunch leftovers the next day. Packing a hot lunch is the best way to avoid the temptation to go out to lunch instead!
Add me to the list of folks that have said they pack leftovers! Or, if I don't have any leftovers, I'll pack a sweet potato, pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes and call it a day.
This looks delicious and I'm sure spring onion would also make a great addition!
When I have a ripe avocado I love packing an Avocado, beet and goat cheese sandwich.
omg this looks sooo good!! yumm
I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home most days, and eat lunch at home. But if I have to pack a lunch, leftovers it is! I'm all about vegetarian one-bowl meals, whether it's beans and rice or a grain bowl or some kind of pasta. Yum!
A go-to I pack is leftovers, but my absolute favorite is seaweed with flavorful fish and Sriracha! For a little dessert I like some 85% dark chocolate! 😛
I go through different phases and will eat the same things for weeks. Regardless, it's always EASY! I am lazy so I prepare and divide lunches on Sunday for the rest of the week. Most recently- lentil soups and chilis- filling and delicious!
It's mostly dinner leftovers but I do love to pack out a big salad with lots of toppings! For my kids it's always some cheese meat and crackers ( a homemade lunch able!)
I love to pack leftovers as well! Or just throw a bunch of veggies, some grain, and a sauce in a container and call it good.
Leftovers for sure, which usually involves protein and veggies 🙂 I LOVE glass storage containers and need more so I can get rid of all the plastic for good!
I usually bring leftovers - one bowl meals are the best. I would love to have more containers for easy packing!
I love making up different salads each week! Congrats on your cookbook, and these containers look like the perfect lunch tote!
Salads in mason jars!
Fruit and a peanut butter sandwich usually is my go-to!
mason jar salads! (or anything in mason jars really!)
When I was working, it would usually be leftovers from the night before (usually grains & veggies), a hearty salad and always included fruit and maybe some dark chocolate 🙂 Now that I'm home with a baby, I'm lucky if I eat before 1p! Also, just wanted to let you know I love your blog and am also an Illinois transplant living in the Sacramento area!
Turkey sandwiches with mustard, avocado, lettuce, Colby jack cheese, and tomato 🙂
Pick me, pick me !!! ✋
I like making up batches of sweet potato, roasted veggies and brown rice with sautéed onions and peas - makes great lunches that last throughout the week (and so quick to make!) 🙂
I love a salad with hearty greens, black beans, sweet potatoes, and avocado. This stands up well to a dressing of lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and a little adobo!
Love this simple idea for fried rice! My lunch is usually leftovers... I usually make twice as much dinner as I need so that I don't have to worry about lunch 🙂 So for that reason, anything that improves with age is my favourite lunch to pack- bean chili, or lentil curry with a little bread- perfection!
I love packing a sweet potato with either lentils or black beans on top!!
I like to make some kind of one pot meal on Sunday then bring it for lunch throughout the week.
bean salad! W/ an avocado on the side and maybe some tortilla chips!
I pack lunch for my hubby. A freshly made tuna sandwich, cheese stick, nuts and a piece of fruit are his favorites. However, I know for sure if that fried rice was left over it would be first choice!
I love packing a homemade yogurt parfait with my lunches!
Leftovers! Unless my husband ate them already.
Leftovers (especially homemade pizza or peanut noodles and greens). Or I love making a hummus wrap on a spelt tortilla with lots of greens, veggies, and cheese and a side of fruit!
Salad, sweet potatoes or any other fruits and vegetables I have on hand.
tomato sandwich!
I generally pack leftovers for lunch. I love planning what I want to make for dinner, but I despise thinking about what to have for lunch. This dish would be great for a leftover lunch!
PS, Your blog is my go-to for inspiration when I don't know what to make. My picky husband always loves any recipe I use from here! 🙂
My go-to lunch is usually a mix of leftovers or a grain bowl/salad! I love a good bowl full of quinoa, rice, ect. Topped with raw/roasted veggies, some sort of lean protein, and a tasty dressing!
Leftover veggies from previous dinners, and always fruit!
I love packing leftovers. It's a great, fast way to prepare lunch and clear out the fridge. Another of my favorite lunches is a sweet potato that I can pop in the microwave.
My favorite lunch is a probably a TLT -- tempeh, lettuce and tomato sandwich. But more often I pack soup, because I have it all the time for leftovers, and it's also delicious!
A hearty salad will keep me going all day.
Today, I had a red pepper and avocado sandwich with a sprinkling of shredded seaweed as salt.
For lunches I like to have a veggie sandwich and steamed edamame! Thanks for this awesome giveaway!!
Our favorite things to put in our lunch are PB&J organic peanut butter and organic strawberry jam on white bread. We would also pack baby carrots, broccoli and a side of celery.
Your kitchen process sounds all too familiar. I'm a whirlwind when I'm cooking. More steam coming from me than the pots! Rice is the one thing I have yet to get down, but I just have to give this recipe a try. I can only imagine how good those onions smell while cooking!
Call me boring or trite, but I love layered jar salads. I'll pack them with different grains, beans, nuts, fruits, veggies, leftovers; anything really. I can make them far in advance, and switch them up enough so that they don't get boring.
leftover stir fry of any sort is always a treat!
My husband loves turkey sandwiches and pasta salad.
I love taking leftovers or a simple salad of cucumbers, bell peppers, onions and tomato with a dash of salad dressing. My favorite leftover to take is a casserole I make with spaghetti squash, spinach, pasta sauce and ricotta cheese.
Definitely some sort of grain bowl with lots of veggies and a fun sauce!
sweet potato with sunflower butter, and steamed broccoli/cauliflower on the side with a little tahini
I make a big pot of quinoa and eat throughout the week with veggies and tofu, or peanut butter and jelly. We rarely have leftovers from dinner any more. Thx for giveaway!
One of my go to lunches is steamed kale + roasted veggies + grain + tahini! My mornings are go, go, go and it's an easy lunch to assemble especially since these are things I always have on hand.
So excited for the cookbook!!
Peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I never eat it right away, but let the honey sit and crystallize 🙂
I bring leftovers when I can but I rarely have any!!!
I like bringing some leftovers but also a fresh item, avocado, carrot sticks, and maybe a fruit bar that I have made, and a piece of dark chocolate!
Leftovers! Roasted veggies! Fresh fruit or sour dough bread w/ homemade nut/ seed butter! Plain yogurt w/ oats, honey and seeds!
Love your ideas!
My lunches consist of a layer of lettuce, a chopped tomato, a half an avocado and what ever is leftover from the fridge. Love your website.
My favorite lunch to pack is your hard boiled egg & Brussels sprout bowl recipe. I save all your recipe's in a folder just for you then I can go back whenever I want.
I also love leftovers with some fresh veggies for snacks. If I'm out of leftovers I will take a sandwich, smoothie or salad. I also include some fresh fruit. PS can't wait to try this recipe! I have everything I need on hand including cooked rice in the frig and green onions as a 4th onion 🙂
Agree with most other comments... I always bring dinner leftovers for lunch, sometimes over a bed of greens. Tomorrow's will be a Lentil Curry Bowl that I'm making tonight!
My favorite lunch is a kale salad with farro, cranberries, goat cheese and a vinaigrette. So good!
My favorite lunch is leftover dinner. The flavors are almost always better the next day. My daughter packs her lunch everyday before she goes to work. Can't wait to try this recipe
I love to pack leftovers. I think almost everything tastes better the next day.
This recipe looks excellent -- as soon as I can figure out how to compensate for the lack of eggs in fried rice, I will be a super-happy camper.
I also love these water bottles, although I have smashed one of them. They can handle a drop, but not with the weight of a full backpack on top. Oops.
I do lunch one of two ways. Either I make a big pot of soup, stew, or curry for the week, or I plan for lots of leftovers from one or two dinners. The big pot of lunch is comforting, as I've got all my lunches done for the whole week on Sunday. But the leftovers provide more variety.
Cheese and fruit is a real treat myself lunch
I'm retired now but when I worked I usually packed a salad. When I tossed in some brown rice along with some veggies, that was the best.
I recently subscribed to your blog and I'm enjoying your recipes.
I love some egg salad and crunchy crackers. My fellow students may not love the smell, but it sure is delicious!
I love taking baked or roasted sweet potatoes topped with Chickpeas that have been heated with Teriyaki sauce with sliced green onions as garnish!
Fresh salad, and will take and mix in any left over black beans and corn in it, alone with hummus and crackers , yummie
Love packing salads and leftovers for lunch.
Last night's leftovers of course!
Tabouli has been a favorite lately!!!
A big, gorgeous salad is my #1 favorite lunch!
I love to pack greek salad. hummus and pita wedges.
Packing a lunch, it's all about the leftovers, maybe a little lettuce, tomato, and/or hummus added.
I love packing grain dishes such as quinoa, millet or buckwheat that are loaded with veggies and various seasonings. Its easy to eat cold and with a spoon since I work at a hospital and have limited 'full break' time.
To be honest, I'm looking forward to summer so I can pack your pesto-zucchini ribbons with quinoa. So tasty the next day!
I love to pack a vegetarian burrito for lunch with a small portion of veggie dinner leftovers on the side.
My favorite thing to pack for lunch is some kind of grain salad (often quinoa or millet) with some kind of legume/greens/veggies/nuts/cheese combo, based on whatever I have.
Rice Bowls. Cooked rice with hummus mixed in topped with whatever veggies are in the fridge. Usually some sort of beans, onions, peppers. Dressed lightly with 321 dressing or a sprinkle of tamari
I haven't packed a lunch in years (thank you, retirement!), but if I were going to, I like those hearty salads with farro or kamut and some kind of meat or Greek yogurt for extra protein. Plenty of veggies, of course.
i love packing salads for lunch!
My favorites tend to be leftovers from the previous evening's dinner meal.
I like to have fruit and nuts for my snacks - always tasty!
I love packing fantastic salads with lots of yummy and healthy toppings. It just makes me happy!
I pack my sandwich in pieces because I don't like soggy bread and I can toast it at the office. The ingredient that gives it some zest is Wickles which is a kind of jarred diced pepper relish. I also take Food Should Taste Good chips and a few chocolate chunk mini biscotti for dessert. You HAVE to have dessert!
I'm a big fan of leftovers for lunch, too! If I don't have leftovers, I like to have soup or a quinoa-based dish to grab from the freezer.
I love a hearty salad with arugula and roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash, and chickpeas or quinoa. Or hummus with carrots and a hard boiled egg! I can't wait to look through your new book. 🙂 Congratulations!
Sauerkraut mixed with avocados, tomatoes and a little mustard.
I love packing leftover rice or soba noodles, leftover roasted/steamed/sauteed veggies, some baked tofu or homemade beans, and topped with one of my two favorite homemade dressings - spicy peanut sauce, or a lemon-garlic-tahini sauce. Delicious every time!
I never win anything, but I would be so happy to be chosen for the giveaway!!
my favorite thing to eat for lunch is leftovers ... I find what ever is in the fridge and mix it up .... usually a mock stir fry .... thanks for the recipes and the giveaway!
Sandra ltb
This is exactly the kind of thing I eat for lunch as leftovers. If I don't have leftovers, my go-to is bagel with cream cheese or hummus and veggies. 🙂
vEggies with hummus are always a go to!
Leftover soup/chili to be heated in my Lunch Crockpot. By the way, I have twice made the Snow Peas and Carrot version since receiving my copy of the book and it is delicious!!
I love packing a salad with lentils and brown rice! Maybe a few extra veggies and some fruit 🙂
tri-colored quinoa with a drizzle of sesame oil and some pine nuts on top. another container with some steamed greens with ume vinegar.. YUM!!
chickpeas, cottage cheese and cracked black pepper!
I like to get creative with tortilla wraps. I'll wrap up leftover grains and roasted veggies or a mix of salads burrito-style for an easy and extremely portable handheld lunch.
Quinoa with beans or chickpeas, veggies, cheese and some sort of dressing! I need more glass storage in my life! I only have four for four of us.
I love packing nut or seed butter sandwiches with fresh fruit on whole wheat bread!
Any leftover that can be repurposed into staff lunch!
I'm lucky to live very close to work so I can come home for lunch and saute alot of greens that I grow in my garden.
Best packed lunch is your chickpeas and carrots with cumin!
Leftovers are my favorite go-to lunch. Glass containers are my favorite lunch storage option, too!
I always take a fruit salad, and nuts, and then something with lentils and/or rice and veggies. I also like to take baked sweet potaotes.
Anything I can dip, since it adds a little fun to my workday. Carrot sticks with homemade hummus are definitely a favorite, especially when my hubby makes it!
Loved reading everyone's comments and getting more ideas for packable lunches! I'm usually bleary-eyed in the morning, making my lunch and breakfast simultaneously. I'm also in the quinoa bowl camp. My favorite is Mexican inspired: quinoa, black beans, avocado, mango, scallion, radish, tomatoes, lime juice, olive oil, and jalapeno. Delish, and keeps me full until dinner.
My favorite thing to do for lunch is to make a big batch of soup (generally a veggie chili or peanut stew) and bring individual servings. I've been on the lookout for glass containers like these for bringing my soup!
Overnight oatmeal in a mason jar has been my breakfast on the go lately. Greek yogurt, milk, oatmeal, walnuts, and blueberries keep me full until lunch! Congrats on your cookbook!
I'll make a big pot of soup on Sunday and have it throughout the week. A salad or whatever leftovers I have in the fridge always works too!
I love bringing a Thermos of homemade soup for lunch! It's warm, filling, easy to carry, and very balanced. I also enjoy a lunch of multigrain crackers, a small piece of cheese, and fruit, followed by a cup of mint tea.
The cookbook sounds wonderful!
Our leftovers always go to work with Joe. My favorite thing to pack is from my time as a girl scout! Especially for hiking, an apple that has been cored and filled with crunchy peanut butter mixed with raisins is always my go to!
My favorite thing to pack for lunch is a hearty salad. My go-to would be a heap of beans, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, and roasted red peppers. I bring the fix-ins in a tupperwear to work and add my dressing and greens at lunchtime. A nice shake, and I'm ready to munch!
My favorite thing for lunch is an everything bagels, cream cheestopped with shredded ca carros avocado and tomatoes!
My go to lunch is kale, roasted veggies (which I make on Sundays for the whole week), lentils or chickpeas, quinoa or brown rice, topped with kimchi or pimento peppers, and lots of hot sauce!
I love packing leftovers--especially warm things in the winter and bean salads in the summer. I also like to pack them up the night before so they're ready to go--it makes me much less likely to just take a granola bar and some fruit for lunch if the prep's already done!
Typically a salad with some sort of bean protein and grains. This site has provided some great recipes for lunch!
I love packing leftovers for lunch, preferably salad style. Don't have access to a microwave at work, so anything that tastes good cold the next day!
I love a good wrap or burrito.
Roasted veggies with rice, feta cheese, and spinach.
My favorite lunches are what I think of as 'leftover smash' where I mix up as many leftovers as I think will fit together, plus a handful of cherry tomatoes or fresh veggies that I can microwave all together at school. It's how I keep using up leftovers without getting bored!
Leftovers from last night! I always try to make enough food so that I'll have lunch the next day. Those containers look awesome!
I love bringing in salads with some kind of cracker/dip on the side!
I love fresh fruit and a yummy salad!
I love lunch. I purposefully make too much dinner so that I can enjoy leftovers all week long for lunch. My favorite leftovers are soba noodle dishes with lots of veggies and a tahini based sauce. So yummy and no need for a microwave.
My go-to is grains + veggies + cheese or nuts.
I love to pack spring rolls! I stuff them with rice noodles and whatever veggie in season, sometimes tofu as well. I love them because they are so fresh and easy to eat!
Because I pack my lunch every single day, we intentionally cook something for dinner on Sunday night that I can use for lunch all week - soup, stew, casserole, pasta dish. Barring that, or if I get bored, a yummy "whatever is in the fridge" salad is my next go-to.
My son likes leftovers in a container like this so he can warm it up at school.
I bring leftovers almost every day. When things are too busy for leftovers (I.e. Way too busy) I take two slides of bread and an avocado. Toast those babies and spread the avocado like peanut butter. Little salt, little pepper, and slime cayanne. So simple, SO delicious!!
I love bringing salads for lunch in the spring/summer and soups in the fall/winter. There are so many healthy variations on both it never gets old 🙂
Leftovers for sheezy...or good ole peanut butter n jelly! 🙂
Chickpeas with lemon and olive oil
I usually pack salads for lunch but during the winter I love bringing soup.
My favorite thing lately is to roast beets over the weekend, then cut them up and add them to whatever pasta I have in the cupboard that I want to use up (orzo, macaroni, penne). Then add whatever veggies and herbs that I have on hand and dress simply with olive oil and lemon juice. One batch of beets makes two lunches to take to work during the week. It's easy to do on the weekend and helps empty out pantry and fridge. Plus my husband is not a fan of beets and I love them. For lunch, I often pair with a hardboiled egg for protein. Btw- I'm pregnant too, due in July!
I love to pack leftovers frm dinner because they're so easy!!
Leftover dinner if my favorite lunch because it doesn't even take any effort in the morning and its always good!
I also dig rice bowls. I make them on Sunday for the whole week and then bring one every day. I keep a big container of Doenjang, korean bean paste, in the fridge in my office as a condiment. Love it!
Definitely a must to have these size containers for leftovers as they always seem to be in short supply. Also these would make durable food containers for back packing and camping. Thanks for the inspiration with all this yummy food!!
Leftovers, all the way! Easy and delicious!
I love looking at your website and haven't left any posts yet, but I'm too excited about your cookbook and the containers to not leave a message! I loved hearing what other people take for lunch. I'm usually so busy packing lunch for my kids (anything with cream cheese!) that my lunch gets overlooked. Today I brought a delicious pasta salad though (with leftover pasta from dinner last night) with peppers, thinly sliced zucchini, a mustard vinaigrette, and a sprinkle of feta on top. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Enchiladas are one of my favorite leftover lunches!
For lunch I love a sandwich on homemade bread with lots of hummus, tons of fresh veggies and sun dried tomatoes. Yum.
A huge salad...the possibilities are endless!
I love to make wraps with hummus, avocado and fresh vegetables. They are great for lunch. I also love to make different cold vegan pastas during the summer. I love this time of year because you can get so many fresh vegetables and things taste so great! I need to work on my outdoor garden. : )
My go to lunch to pack for work is yogurt (I buy a big container and portion it out) and granola. I also pack fruit or some veggies and hummus to snack on.