Luncheon Ideas

Deciding on what to make for lunch is actually quite a daunting task that one has to go through almost everyday! First of all, one rarely has time to prepare a grand lunch and then the ingredients required to make something "different" frequently are not always available. So one has to think about lunch ideas that do not require much preparation time and can be made with ingredients are also easily available. The following ideas will provide you with such easy and healthy preparations that are sure to be liked by every member of the house!

Mole is actually a sauce that has a unique spicy and sweet taste mainly due to the combination of authentic Mexican chili powder and cocoa powder!

Ingredients
• Cooked rice or warm tortillas
• 6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts (skin-on)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups (750 ml) prepared Mexican salsa
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken broth
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) Mexican chili powder
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Process
Firstly, sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Take a large skillet, heat oil in it over medium-high heat, and add the seasoned chicken. Cook the chicken pieces until golden brown from both sides, turn the pieces over only once. Transfer to a dish, set aside. In the remaining oil in the pan, add onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes until softened.

Now add in garlic, cook for one minute, stir in chili powder, peanut butter, chicken broth, and cocoa powder. Stir well to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the chicken breasts to it, mix until well incorporated in the sauce. Lower the heat and cook uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes until the sauce thickens and chicken pieces are cooked thoroughly. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

This is an easy-to-make lunch item, especially for kids! You can store these light and crispy zucchini corn fritters in the refrigerator as kids are sure to ask for more!

Ingredients
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups zucchini, grated
• 1½ cups fresh corn, kernels cut from cob
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. salt
• Oil for frying
• Black pepper, freshly ground

Process
Take a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, pepper, salt, and cumin to it and set aside. Now take a small bowl and whisk butter, milk, and eggs in. Once thoroughly and uniformly mixed, add it to the flour mixture and stir well. Add in zucchini, cheese, and corn; mix well. Heat sufficient oil to an iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drop spoonful of batter into hot oil. Fry until brown and crisp, turn only once. Drain the excess oil on paper towels. Serve warm.

Turkey or chicken wraps are very convenient lunch items as they can be carried and eaten anywhere. These wraps are also filling--a perfect solution to a rumbling stomach on a hectic day!

Ingredients
• 1 (9") spinach or tomato-basil wrap
• 5 smoked turkey breast slices (about 5 oz.)
• 4 tomato slices
• ⅓ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp. ⅓ less fat cream cheese
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

Process
Spread cream cheese over half of the wrap, spread mustard on the remaining half of the wrap and also over cream cheese. Top it with turkey, tomato slices, baby spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, and basil. Fold it into a tight roll and cut diagonally into half.