Werkin' On My Lunch, pt. 1

Post-graduation life lesson # 72: Living is expensive, especially as winter rolls around and all you want to do at night is crank up the heat and have Mexican hot chocolate delivered to your door. 

It takes effort to save money on food, especially in New York, where there are 5 great restaurants on every block and there are - upon my last count - at least 4 different food delivery apps. Even $1 pizza can get expensive when you have it every day for a week *which has not happened yet just to be clear my record is 3 days in a row thankyouverymuch*. In sum, I am determined to make as many work lunches as possible.

This is challenging because 1) I work in the restaurant world and pretend to justify every meal out as "research" and 2) it is a big enough task to cook myself breakfast and dinner every night, let alone that pesky middle-of-the-day meal! 

So below is a recipe for an easy lunch that transports well, is light and fresh and definitely brightens a work day. It's also a lot healthier than pizza or a number of other delivery options, which means I can get a burger on the way home for dinner, right?

The beets keep well, so I recommend roasting a whole bag or bunch of them and keeping them in the fridge or freezer - that way you can whip them out whenever you need them, for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

SPICY ROAST BEET SALAD

INGREDIENTS
A bunch o' beets (aka 7 or 8)
1 tbsp ras el hanout
2 tbsp coconut oil
Beet greens
Juice of 1 lime
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Chop the beets into 1/2-inch cubes. Throw them in a roasting or baking tray with the coconut oil, ras el hanout and salt and pepper to taste. The coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so just take a minute to rub it evenly all over the beets. Toss it all together. Put the tray into the oven and let them cook for about an hour, until they're a little darker in colour and tender but not mushy.

the sexiest veggie amiright

Let them cool, then divide them up into airtight containers. Keep about half a cup for the salad, and the rest and go into the fridge or freezer for another day (or lunch).

Take the beet greens and chop them into about 1/2-inch pieces - the idea is to have everything the same size so it's easy to eat (and won't make a huge purple stain on your desk at work!). Sauté them simply in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper until slightly wilted and tender.

When it's all still warm, toss the beets and greens with the lime juice and about a tablespoon of olive oil (since it's warm it'll absorb the flavors better). Toss the greens with the beets and once it's all cool, you can put it in the fridge for lunch the next day.

You can add some cheese (maybe feta) and nuts for crunch - I like to use toasted squash seeds since I have them around this time of year. Use whatever you like!

here tossed with dill, avocado and toasted butternut squash seeds

HOLD UP. WHAT IS RAS EL HANOUT? Ras el hanout is a delicious blend of spices that originates from North Africa. Much like garam masala, it is a blend that varies depending on the region and who makes it. It often includes turmeric, cardamom, cloves, cumin and a whole bunch of other deliciousness. I love any spice blend that takes spices we typically associate with sweet things (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon) and makes them applicable to savory dishes. I digress, but have you ever had cinnamon with lamb? No? Go take a stab at it and let me know how it turns out.