How on earth is it almost September?
When I was a kid, summer seemed to last forever. I’d spend hours face down in a clover patch, happily imagining an entire world of tiny people living underneath a canopy of heart-shaped leaves.
Now that I am a grown-up, summer blows by in a blink. I was just racing to sign my kids up for summer camp, and now I’m thinking about what to pack for school lunches, one of my least favorite things to do.
But done it must be. So I spent some time scrolling through New York Times Cooking in search of some high-protein lunch ideas for my kids. In that spirit, here are a handful of easy, protein-rich weeknight dinners whose leftovers pack up beautifully in a lunchbox.
1. Cowboy Caviar
Cowboy caviar. Cowboy caviar, baked chicken meatballs and coconut curry tofu pack up nicely in lunchboxes. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
Depending on where you’re from, this simple dip is known as cowboy caviar or Texas caviar, and it’s a favorite at tailgates and potlucks all over the South. Its creator, Helen Corbitt, a dietitian from New York, had never heard of black-eyed peas when she moved to Texas in 1931. The exact details are fuzzy, but at some point in her 40 years working in restaurants there, she combined black-eyed peas with a simple vinaigrette, and it was a big hit. The recipe has evolved over the years, and you can find a number of variations online. Some contain corn and black beans (as this one does), and others avocado. Some call for bottled Italian salad dressing, others homemade. No matter how you tweak it, it’s always good with a pile of tortilla chips.
Recipe from Helen Corbitt
Adapted by Margaux Laskey
Yield: 8 cups
Total time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper
For the salad:
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded if desired, and diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 to 4 cobs) or thawed, drained frozen sweet corn (about 8 ounces)
1 red, green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish, if desired
1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Tortilla chips, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to combine.
2. Add the tomatoes, red onion, black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
3. To serve, toss well and season to taste. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with tortilla chips.
2. Baked Chicken Meatballs
Baked chicken meatballs. Cowboy caviar, baked chicken meatballs and coconut curry tofu pack up nicely in lunchboxes. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)
These weeknight-friendly chicken meatballs come together in a snap, with minimal chopping and minimal mess. They’re made with a panade — a simple combination of breadcrumbs and milk — which makes for light and tender meatballs. Baked meatballs aren’t quite as charred and caramelized as the pan-fried variety, but they do brown nicely underneath, thanks to contact with the hot sheet pan. A hit with adults and kids, chicken meatballs can be served as a snack with your favorite sauce for dipping or tossed with a simple tomato sauce and served over pasta.
By Lidey Heuck
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken (preferably not 100% breast meat)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Lemon wedges (optional), for serving
Simple tomato sauce, Buffalo sauce or jarred marinara sauce (optional), for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the panko and milk and set aside until the panko has absorbed all the milk.
3. Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the chicken, Parmesan, parsley, oil, garlic and onion powders, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, then fold in the panko mixture.
4. Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or your hands, form meatballs that are about 1 1/2 inches wide. (You should have about 16 meatballs.) If the meatballs aren’t holding their shape, chill the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up before continuing.
5. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until just cooked through and browned underneath. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lemon wedges and sauce for dipping, if desired.
Tips: To freeze, bake meatballs as directed and cool completely. Arrange the meatballs on a tray or large plate that fits in your freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. Place the meatballs in a freezer-safe plastic bag (squeezing out as much air as possible) or other container, and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the frozen meatballs in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through.
3. Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew With Lemon and Coconut
Soothing yet bright, this soup tastes like something that took careful attention but really just requires throwing five ingredients into a slow cooker and letting it cook for hours. Dried chickpeas and cauliflower soften in the gentle heat, and the coconut milk thickens as the mixture cooks, seasoned with earthy turmeric and sweet lemon peel. While a little lemon juice balances the richness, the predominant lemon flavor here isn’t tangy but rather floral from the peels releasing their oils into the stew. Reminiscent of curries throughout South and Southeast Asia, it can be eaten over rice or with sliced almonds or cilantro on top, but it can just as well stand alone.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: About 6 to 8 hours
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried chickpeas (no need to soak)
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into big florets
2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
Salt and black pepper
2 lemons
DIRECTIONS
1. In a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chickpeas, cauliflower, coconut milk, turmeric and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of zest from the lemons, then add to the slow cooker. Add enough water to just cover the cauliflower.
2. Cover and cook on low until the beans and cauliflower are tender, 6 to 8 hours.
3. Stir in the juice of half the lemon, then season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice until the soup is rich and bright. The strips of lemon peel are deliciously sweet and floral, not at all bitter, but feel free to discard if you prefer.
4. Coconut Red Curry With Tofu
Coconut red curry with tofu. Cowboy caviar, baked chicken meatballs and coconut curry tofu pack up nicely in lunchboxes. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. (Julia Gartland/The New York Times)
This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil, and store in the refrigerator for up to a month or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.
By Melissa Clark
Yield: Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
14 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup snow peas
Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
Brown or white rice, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.
3. Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.
5. Easy Burritos
Easy burritos. Cowboy caviar, baked chicken meatballs and coconut curry tofu pack up nicely in lunchboxes. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times)
Saucy and savory with just ground beef, beans and cheese, this easy recipe is inspired by Los Angeles-style burritos, which restaurant critic Jonathan Gold once summarized as “the rough equivalent of a hard hat’s lunch pail, a method of constructing a filling, portable meal from a tortilla, last night’s beans and a spoonful of stew if there was one.” This burrito’s filling eschews guacamole, sour cream, rice and raw vegetables which means it freezes well for up to 3 months. The seared ground beef is simply spiced, but feel free to swap in a stewed meat like birria or tinga de pollo or make it vegetarian with just beans and cheese.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 6 burritos
Total time: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, or chipotle or ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can black or pinto beans
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice, or apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce, for drizzling (optional)
6 burrito-size (about 10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet, press the beef into an even layer to fill the skillet. Sprinkle with the onion. Cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until the meat is deeply browned underneath, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Break up the beef into small pieces, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the spices are fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the beans, including the liquid, and the tomato and simmer, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture starts to sizzle, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the tortillas on a clean work surface. Sprinkle half the cheese across the center of the tortillas, left to right, leaving a 1-inch border. Top each with 2/3 cup of the beef-bean mixture, followed by the remaining cheese. Drizzle on hot sauce, if using.
5. Fold the tortilla’s short sides over the filling, then fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling. Tightly roll away from you until the burrito is sealed. Repeat with the other tortillas.
6. When ready to eat, in a nonstick skillet over medium, place the burritos seam side down. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Tips:
To make ahead, prepare through Step 5. Let cool slightly, then wrap in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, remove the foil and wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel. Microwave, seam side down, until warm, 1 to 4 minutes. Remove the towel and continue to Step 6.
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