54 Comments
Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I had a ham sandwich in a great gluten free pita bread with red leaf lettuce and that Japanese Mayo ! Then I had the tomato sauce thinned with a small amount of heavy cream. This was your tomato sauce that you posted recently and it was the most heavenly soup!πŸ˜πŸ…

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

Thank you for these wonderful ideas, and for reminding us how great cottage cheese is -- I always forget. And a "lunch carpool" for kids is such a brilliant idea! One day I will make mom friends... My current way of doing school lunches is to make mac and cheese, roasted sweet potato, steamed broccoli, and hard-boiled eggs every weekend, and then use those to pack my son's lunch every morning, along with some cut-up fruit and a container of granola. I worry it's boring for him to eat the same things every day, but the idea of packing a different lunch every day of the week is so overwhelming! Today for lunch I had toasted pita with leftover Greek takeout dips and I felt like Martin Short's character in Only Murders in the Building, so that was great 😊

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I had aloo gobi with a roti and yogurt for lunch, made in my Instant Pot. I love Indian food, and for me, it satisfies many food cravings all at once! I used cauliflower from my favorite farm. I sometimes make grain and bean salads for lunch, or homemade veggie burgers that I have frozen. I also love having leftovers from dinner. Your lunch suggestions make me hungry!

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I had some chili that I whipped up last night for me and my husband's lunches the next two days. The recipe is absolutely nothing special (seriously, it's just ground meat, two cans of tomato sauce, two cans of beans, and William's Chili Mix because that's what my mom used, and random other seasonings to amp up the flavor), but it IS special to me because my mom made it SO MUCH growing up. Now that I'm an adult and I see just how easy it is to make, I totally get why she made it all the time. The real pro tip is to basically make it half chili/half crumbled up Saltine crackers mixed right in because, again, that's why my mom did. Makes me think of her and my childhood, so overall not a bad way to eat lunch!

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I had some leftover frittata (inspired by Small Victories, Kitchen Sink recipe) with some smashed smoked pepper salmon on top. I also love knowing what other people are eating. :)

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I’ve been super stressed because my twins are starting high school in two days. Today I had a toasted sesame bagel from Utopia Bagels (the best!!) with cream cheese, lox, the last of my tomatoes, red onion and capers. It was so comforting and just what I needed ❀️

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I had a salad and some grilled chicken in a pita with tomatoes onions and yogurt. It was good.

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thank you for this huge list, julia.

room temperature is totally the way to go.

with tomato season still happening today's lunch was toasted focaccia with a schmear of hellman's

and then another schmear of Brooklyn Delhi spicy mango chutney with tons of tomatoes on top.

(would've been easier eating it over the sink)

i eat all of these types of "lunches" all day long. no rules about what to eat when.

ricotta on grainy toast with cinnamon liberally sprinkled on top is a favorite around here.

my 98 year old mum eats it for dinner several nights a week.

i see my local shop has "good culture" so i'm buying that pronto. i'm psyched.

thanks again for this brilliantly comprehensive lunch "essay".

you always make food exciting and normal and real.

love, jude

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and I made her (by request) the Applesauce cake from Now & Again. So I had a piece of leftover cake and a fresh peach for lunch. :)

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Ahh I just love all these ideas! The toothpick tip...will be using this all the time now.

For lunch today I'm making a big pot of instant ramen (simple and brothy, without any additions) to soothe a sore throat, and enjoying a thick slice of chocolate chip zucchini bread, to soothe the soul

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I had carrots, celery, and cucumber slices with homemade hummus and pop chips. I always say I tolerate making breakfast, LOVE making dinner, and hate making lunch.

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I made one of my favorite chickpea salads - it's kind of in the style of tuna or egg salad. Two cans of chickpeas, smushed lightly with a potato masher, zest and juice of a lemon, chopped olives, chopped dill pickles, a little mustard, some mayo, a diced shallot (I've also subbed in scallions or chives or onions), a big pile of diced celery, salt, pepper, dill, a sprinkle of Trader Joe's green goddess spice mix... just put it all in a big bowl and mix until it's evenly combined. It makes a lot and keeps well. It's great scooped on a plate or as the filling in a melt on toast.

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

This is such a great post!! For lunch today I had coffee ice cream and goldfish crackers. It’s just one of those days! Cottage is on my dinner menu.

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

You always know what's on my mind. I have never been all about cottage cheese but maybe I need to give it a go.

Today was day #3 of chickpeas in a tomato-y broth, all pantry stuff.

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Sep 6, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

Tuna salad with pita chips with sliced persian cucumber, pineapple tomato and avo, S&P to add as desired - so good!!

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Sep 7, 2022Liked by Julia Turshen

I LOVE leftovers. The last couple of days lunch had been leftover egg bake (with hash browns, cream cheese, onions, and bacon) with chili garlic sauce and sliced grape tomatoes, local melon, and a couple of bite size candy bars. If you can find Kalona brand cottage cheese at your local grocer (I buy mine at Whole Foods in MN), give it a try. It's so good! (I've signed up for your next two classes-new attendee here! So excited!)

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