Monthly Archives: February 2017

Sandwich Fillings

Lunch Lady Tuna Salad Sandwich Filling

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TAKE A TRIP BACK IN TIME WITH THIS RETRO TUNA SALAD SANDWICH FILLING

A tangy, sweet tuna salad sandwich filling made by combining tuna with mayonnaise, ketchup, dill pickle relish, and minced white onion. This is  just like the cafeteria lunch ladies prepared it back in grammar school.

.A tuna salad sandwich filling like you remember from the school cafeteria.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I REMEMBER IT WELL

My mom always made the best tuna salad sandwich filling. Her version was a savory combination of salad olives, finely minced celery, chopped green onions, fresh lemon juice, and mayonnaise,

Summer days often meant a big pitcher of bright, sunny-yellow lemonade, a large basket of salty potato chips, and an even larger tray of tuna salad sandwich halves.

THEN, THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE SACRILEGE OCCURRED

Then, the most unbelievable sacrilege occurred — a horrific event burned into the memory of my four-year-old brain forever. My older brother, a seasoned veteran of the grammar school cafeteria at age ten,  did the absolute unthinkable.  He took a portion of my mom’s tuna salad and added ketchup and dill pickle relish. Gasp! Who would mess with perfection in such a crass manner?

I wouldn’t taste it because it would have been a betrayal of enormous magnitude. My mother was polite about it and simply looked away, stoically.  And soon, the whole dark episode was forgotten.

EVENTUALLY I UNDERSTOOD

Later, when I anxiously began school, I foraged for even semi-palatable sustainance in the depths of an overheated, humid lunchroom.  The stifling air carried an admixture of disinfectant, margarine-stained, steamed canned green beans, and ancient upchuck,

It was then that I began to appreciated the sweet, cool, tangy embrace of tuna salad made by the lunch ladies. You see, it was the only fare that kept nausea at bay.

As happens, years later, during a stressful period of time, I suddenly had a craving for that exact tuna salad.

I keep the ingredients simple, based on my brother’s “recipe.”

The ingredients for a nostalgic tuna salad sandwich filling from the school cafeteria.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

This recipe is relatively  easy on the budget, and the ingredients come together quickly, but give the whole thing a short stay in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend. One thing to remember though, you want to choose tuna that you really like — some brands are just mushy and fishy, which will ruin any recipe. I prefer albacore tuna in olive oil, but you may prefer tuna packed in water.

Tuna salad sandwich filling from childhood.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

So, strap on your hair nets ’cause here it is!

Enjoy this recipe for tuna salad sandwich filling, for old time sake!

I’d love to hear your own lunchtime memories — please use the Comments section below to describe how you navigated the school cafeteria (or, avoided it) when you were growing up.

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 Lunch Lady Tuna Salad Sandwich Filling
When it comes to soothing, quick to fix, and budget friendly, this old-fashioned, cafeteria-style tuna salad sandwich filling can't be beat! Let the filling chill in the refrigerator about a half hour to allow flavors to marry. Also, to keep sandwich bread from getting soggy, I find it's best to pack bread and filling separately, until lunchtime. © The Working Lunch Project
.A tuna salad sandwich filling like you remember from the school cafeteria.
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Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1/2 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 1/2 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
.A tuna salad sandwich filling like you remember from the school cafeteria.
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Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined.
  2. Cover and chill in refrigerator 1/2 hour to allow flavors to meld. Use within 3 days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

209 calories

11g fat

461mg sodium

10g carbs

0.4g fiber

15g protein

 

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Cookies

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

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Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

It’s Valentine’s day, and that means I’m thinking all things chocolate.

These cookies were first published in Everyday Food in September 2003. This is my adaptation, using both semisweet chocolate and dark chocolate as well as instant espresso coffee.

The cookies travel well, making them ideal to take to the office to celebrate a special occasion, pack in a lunch for a welcome self-indulgence, or to take to a meeting to sweeten dispositions.

Like the brownies I shared in my previous post, these are even more pleasing with a big glass of ice-cold milk, or hot, black coffee.

Enjoy!

 

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 Outrageous Chocolate Cookies
It's important not to over-bake these — they're supposed to be soft and chewy. They store nicely for several days in an airtight container at room temperature, although I do like to give them a few seconds in the microwave to bring them back to 'just-out-of-the-oven' perfection. Adapted from, Everyday Food, September 2003. © The Working Lunch Project
Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies.
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Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone mat each and set aside.
  3. In a saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and butter.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, instant espresso coffee, and vanilla on high speed until fluffy and light. Beat in melted chocolated mixture.
  6. Fold in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Drop by heaping tablespoons 2 to 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. You should have 12 cookie dough mounds for each sheet.
  8. Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets half way through baking time. The cookies should look crackly and shiny, with soft centers.
  9. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store airtight, at room temperature, for several days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

174 calories

9g fat

71mg sodium

27g carbs

2g fiber

2g protein

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Brownies Blondies Bars

Basic Chocolate Brownies With Dark Chocolate Chips

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Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I love brownies. The darker and denser the better! But, I also like more cake-like versions, versions with nuts and other additions, or just unadulterated. I love them all.

This is a recipe from way back that I’ve continually tinkered with since I first got my hands on it, adding  dark chocolate chips and instant espresso coffee somewhere along the way.

The recipe is from Cook’s Country magazine,  the charter issue, and was republished in the San Diego Union-Tribune, in August 2005.

These cry out for either a cup of hot, strong, black coffee, or a tall, ice-cold glass of milk.

A truly grand afternoon snack!

With Valentine’s day coming up, it’s a good excuse to treat yourself to these timely indulgences, or surprise a special someone with an edible gift, and while your at it, you might want to share some with your coworkers — or not.

Here’s my adaptation of the original.

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 Basic Chocolate Brownies With Dark Chocolate Chips
For chocolate lovers only, these brownies need to be cooled completely before cutting, but a single serving, run through a few seconds in the microwave, to warm, makes for some heavenly eating, right here on earth. © The Working Lunch Project
A chocolate brownie for a delicious snack or dessert.
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Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40-45 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours (cooling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40-45 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours (cooling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
A chocolate brownie for a delicious snack or dessert.
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F
  2. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil and grease with some butter. Set aside.
  3. In a sauce pan over very low heat, melt together the unsweetened chocolate, butter, and espresso. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in pan, along with the eggs and the vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined and beginning to look glossy. Fold in flour just until combined — do not over-mix.
  5. Stir in dark chocolate chips, and scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top and making sure batter is level and smoothed into each corner of the pan.
  6. Bake on middle rack of preheated oven 40-45 minutes, until the top looks slightly crackled and glossy, and a toothpick inserted half-way between the edge of the pan and the center of the pan comes out clean.
  7. Using the foil, lift brownies from pan, place on a cooling rack, and cover loosely with additional foil. Allow to cool 2 hours before cutting into 16 servings.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

221 calories

14g fat

68mg sodium

27g carbs

2g fiber

2g protein

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Pickles

Pickled Beets With Rosemary And Burgundy Wine

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Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

One cloudy, still, Sunday afternoon, when I was about ten years old, my parents came home from a farmstand hunt with several bunches of ruby-colored beets with the most luscious leafy greens I had ever seen.

Mom and Dad were downright triumphant over their find. In tandem, they paddled around the kitchen, perfect partners, happily and meticulously washing and peeling those jewel-like orbs, and lovingly bathing the sand from the unfurling greenery.

Soon, the dreary day mattered not at all. It was replaced by the fascination aroused by a big pot, atop the stove, sporting onions, garlic, bacon fat, beets, and beet greens. In no time at all, the house was filled with a smoky, earthy, perfume I’ll never forget.

Some people won’t touch beets, and I’m sure it’s because they’ve never been ‘properly introduced.’ I was properly introduced. Dinner that night was a simple but sublime feast, deeply flavored, tasting of the earth and sun, and all things good and real. Crusty french bread, dipped in the pot-liquor that pooled in the bottom of our soup bowls was a treat almost better than chocolate, that I will never forget.

That night, all was right with the world, and beets, even canned beets, will always be near and dear to my heart.

So, needless to say,  I usually have beets around in one form or another. And, here’s how one recipe can lead to another.  I  recently shared with you my recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine and I had some wine leftover. While retrieving something from my pantry, I spied a lone can of low-sodium sliced beets (of course) and my mind made the connection — some fresh rosemary from the garden and I was in business.

Enter pickled beets with rosemary and burgundy wine.

With their robust earthiness, these grapey, herby slices add a little something special to any salad that includes any combination of meats, cheeses, and egg.

Give these a try — I think you’ll like them! Let me know in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
 Pickled Beets With Rosemary And Burgundy Wine
Quick to prepare, these taste great almost immediately, but a rest in the refrigerator to chill them, makes them even better. If your beets are not low-sodium, take the salt level down to just a pinch — you can always add more later, but at least you won't over do it to start with. You can easily double this recipe, but I think of beets as a 'mood piece' so I kept the yield small. © The Working Lunch Project
Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
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Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Full-flavored, earthy beets pair with fresh rosemary and red wine.
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Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the first 4 ingredients to a simmer and allow to reduce slightly, approximately 2 minutes.
  2. Add beets and fresh rosemary sprigs to the pan and increase the heat to bring liquids back up to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, make sure all the beets are spread out flat enough in the bottom of the pan to drink up their brine. Cover partially, and allow to cool to room temperature.
  4. When the beets are room temperature, transfer to a glass container, cover, and chill 3 hours or longer, to allow flavors to mellow and meld. Use within 1 week.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

82 calories

0g fat

219mg sodium

9g carbs

1g fiber

0g protein

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Soup

Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine

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Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I’m happy that all the cold, rainy days here in usually sunny southern California is helping to end the brutal drought we’ve suffered from for far too long.

But, this weather has caused me to crave hearty soups. I recently shared my recipe for Spicy Bean Soup and now I’m back at it with this recipe for Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine.

Aromatic vegetables, bacon, and red wine give this soup a pleasing depth of flavor, while the lentils give this soup protein and a healthy fiber boost.

I hope you enjoy this peasant dish with its earthy air!

Please use the Comments section below to tell me what you think of this recipe!

 

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 Lentil Soup With Burgundy Wine
While delicious immediately, this soup tastes even better if it's prepared a day ahead. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, most of them are pantry items — most of the work is in preparing the vegetables and that goes pretty quickly. Start testing the doneness of the lentils after it simmers for 45 minutes — you want the lentils to have a slight bite left in them — mushy lentils just don't cut it! © The Working Lunch Project
Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
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Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-60 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45-60 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Lentils and vegetables in a savory broth.
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Instructions
  1. In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the bacon strips until browned and remove to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the bacon fat in the pan, and leaving the heat on.
  2. To the hot bacon fat add the cabbage, onion, and celery, cooking until vegetables are wilted. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
  3. Crumble into the pot the reserved, cooked bacon and add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the red wine vinegar and garlic salt.
  4. Bring the soup to a boil, cover partially, and simmer on medium low 45 minutes to 1 hour. Be sure to start tasting the lentils after 45 minutes to test for a firm, but not crunchy, doneness.
  5. When the lentils are cooked, add the red wine vinegar. Taste the soup to see if more salt is needed, and if so, add the garlic salt to taste.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

282 calories

4g fat

1,059mg sodium

27g carbs

7g fiber

9g protein

 

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Pickles, Side Dish, Snacks

Pickled Carrots Taco Shop Style

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A healthy, crispy vegetable pickle.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Fred’s a friend of mine and one day we were going to be working together on a big project. We knew the day would be hectic with no time to cook, so on his way to my place, Fred stopped at his favorite taco shop for our lunchtime provisions.

Fred picked up a spread that included all the usual suspects — beans, rice, chili rellenos, and, of course, tacos.

Included in the feast was pickled carrots. The perfect counterpart to the richness of the meal, the pickles were an unexpected treat. At once, gently spicy, satisfyingly al dente, and meaty.

Needless to say, I had to try my hand at duplicating those little gems and if I do say so myself, I nailed it.

If you like carrots, and you like peppers, and you like pickles,  I think you’ll love these!

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 Pickled Carrots Taco Shop Style
Bracing, with a spicy tang, these pickles make a great snack (especially with your favorite cheese). They are also a great addition to a variety of meals and they are a nice change of pace from chips with a sandwich. © The Working Lunch Project
A healthy, crispy vegetable pickle.
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Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
A healthy, crispy vegetable pickle.
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Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the first 7 ingredients (everything except the sliced carrots.
  2. Add the sliced carrots to the boiling mixture and reduce the heat to medium high.
  3. Simmer carrots uncovered for 7 minutes (for al dente).
  4. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and allow carrots to cool in their brine to room temperature.
  5. Transfer the pickled carrots and pickled pepper rounds with brine to a glass container, cover, and allow to chill several hours for flavors to meld. Keep refrigerated and use within 1 week.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

37 calories

0g fat

468mg sodium

8g carbs

1g fiber

.5g protein

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Soup

Quick and Spicy Bean Soup

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With a few pantry staples, a quick, savory bean soup is just minutes away.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

On a rainy, cold, and dreary day recently, I suddenly heard loud noises, as if someone had begun dumping pebbles on my rooftop. I looked outside my kitchen window and I could scarcely believe my eyes. My normally sunny southern California was being pelted unmercifully with pea-sized hail that was now blanketing the entire yard in its frozen, glistening white.

So, it was no wonder that I craved comfort from the cupboard as lunchtime rolled around. I wanted soup — hot, well-seasoned, and quick to prepare.

A quick forage through the shelves yielded chicken broth, enchilada sauce, and refried beans. I threw everything together along with the addition of onion and spices and I couldn’t believe how soothing, warming, and satisfying the resulting nectar tasted.

The perfect antidote for the winter blues, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Print Recipe
 Quick and Spicy Bean Soup
This bean soup is sturdy, but not heavy and tastes as if it simmered far longer than the few minutes it actually simmers. I prefer to retain some of the texture of the beans and onions in the finished product, but if you prefer a totally smooth soup, an immersion blender should make short work of it. Please note: for testing purposes I used The Spice Hunter's regular salt-free Mexican Seasoning Blend for this recipe, not their other version labled "Organic" which is a different creature altogether, in my opinion. © The Working Lunch Project
With a few pantry staples, a quick, savory bean soup is just minutes away.
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Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
(one cup) servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings
(one cup) servings
Ingredients
With a few pantry staples, a quick, savory bean soup is just minutes away.
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Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil until golden, approximately 3-5 minutes.
  2. Whisk in the remaining ingredients, raise heat to high just to bring the soup to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium and simmer gently, without a lid, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
  3. Can be served immediately or prepared ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator before reheating. Enjoy within 5 days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

152 calories

6g fat

816mg sodium

19g carbs

6g fiber

8g protein

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