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NOW IS THE TIME FOR LUNCH!!



Lunch

Lunch is not as important a meal as Breakfast, but important nonetheless. I am hopin to include on this page some things to make for lunch at the office, but first I am primarily going to concentrate on small, nutritious meals that you can make at home around noontime. I think that its important to go lite at lunch, that is, not eat anything too heavy. The reasoning behimd that is the fact that when we eat a heavy meal, in one or two hours we are tired and sluggish. Sometimes feeling like we are ready for bed, but mostly just our body's way of slowing down for the eveing and gearing up for bed. This is probably why our society has taken to eating our heavy, main meals in the late afternoon. So... lets get on to the recipes!





Bean Salad

1 small can kidney beans 1 small can garbanzo beans 1 jar (6oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained 1 small onion, sliced 2 tbsp. wine vinegar 1 tbsp. sugar ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. celery seed ½ tsp. mustard seed salt and pepper to taste
Rinse beans with water and drain. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill several hours or overnight before serving. Makes 3 cups. This will hold in the fridge for three days.



Ground Beef

1 lb. Ground beef 1 egg 2 tbs. Bread crumbs or crushed crackers 1 tbs. Milk 2 tbs. Chopped onion 1/4 tsp. Salt 1/8 tsp. Pepper VARIATIONS ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tbs. Chopped parsley 1/4 cup grated cheese 1 tbs. chopped green bell pepper

Mix all ingredients together, adding one or more variations if desired. Form into patties, balls or loaves. 1 large or 4 individual meat loaves. Freeze in serving-sized portions.

For hamburger patties: Fry 5 minutes on each side or broil 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness. Serve in a bun with traditional gar-nishes or top with any of the following: sautéed mushrooms, cheese, sour cream mixed with chopped chives or bacon bits.

For meatballs: Fry in 1 tbs. Oil for 10 minutes, turning to brown. Add cooked meatballs to Spaghetti Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, or Sweet and Sour Sauce, and heat through.

For meat loaf: Place mix in a large 9x5-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven about ½ hour to 45 minutes. If desired, top with 1/4 cup ketchup and a couple of slices of bacon, before baking.

BISCUITS



1 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking power 1 1/4 tsp. salt 3 tbs. butter cup milk

Stir flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk and stir lightly. knead gent-ly 12 times. Roll or pat dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into squares or rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450-degree oven for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.



MEAT SAUCE FOR SPAGHETT!

½ lb. Ground beef 1/4 cup chopped onion ½ clove garlic, minced ½ cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup Tomato Sauce 1/2 t Oregano 1/2 t Basil 2 tbs. Red wine, optional

Brown meat and onions in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti. For 1 or 2 servings then refrigerate or freeze remaining half of sauce for another meal.



Quesadillas

1/2 tsp. oil 1 flour tortilla, 8 inch 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese 2 tbsp. diced green chilies Guacamole (optional)

Also Optional: 2 tbsp. sliced green onions 2 tbsp. chopped green bell pepper 2 tbsp. sliced black olives 3 tbsp. sour cream 3 tbsp. salsa 2 tbsp. refried beans Sliced or slivered chicken, turkey, ham or beef Crabmeat or shrimp coursly chopped

Brush pan with oil and heat. Place tortilla in pan and heat on one side. Turn tortilla over and sprinkle with cheese, tomato and Chile pepper. Cook until cheese melts. Remove tortilla to plate. Top with Guacamole, if desired. Fold in half, cut into quarters and serve hot



Sloppy Joes

1/2 lb. Ground beef 1 tbsp. chopped onion 1 tbsp. green pepper, chopped 1/2 c. barbecue sauce or ketchup 2 slices cheddar or American cheese 2 buns In a small skillet, brown beef over medium-high heat; drain fat. Add onion, pepper and bbq sauce or ketchup. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Spoon meat over half of bun, top with cheese and broil until cheese melts. Top with other half of bun.



TACOS

2 tortilla 1 tsp. oil 1/2 lb. Ground beef or cooked shredded chicken 1 tsp. onion, chopped Dash chili powder 1/2c. Shredded lettuce 1/4 c Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 c. tomato, chopped 2 tbsp. sour cream OPTIONAL: 1/2 to 1 cup chopped avocado or guacamole Salsa Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add tortillas, one at a time. Fry 30 seconds on each side. Drain well on paper towels, fold in half, and place in a warm oven until needed. In remaining oil, brown beef or chicken with onion and chili powder. Drain excess oil. Stuff tortillas with beef or chicken and top with remaining ingredients. Note: just about any left over meat, including beef, pork, or lamb can be used to stuff tacos.