Lunch always seems to be a struggle for me, especially when I’m trying to eat healthy. I don’t want it to be complicated because if I’m cooking lunch and dinner on a weekday I’ll feel like all I did all day was cook and work with no time to relax. Boring also won’t cut it because then I’ll find myself not wanting to eat it and will end up with takeout or vending machine chips instead. My ideal healthy lunch has lots of veggies, minimal carbs and is something I can mass meal prep on a Sunday without taking too much time out of one of my days off.

Roasted Veggie Hummus Wraps are one of the go-to’s in our house. I roast all the vegetables on Sunday and then we are ready for lunches for the week. Having lots of roasted veggies in the fridge for weekday lunches is great when you want veggies, but the thought of another salad is making you want to order a panini and fries! If you have never had roasted vegetables with hummus before you are missing out. The creaminess of the hummus with the tender bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms is a really tasty combination. This recipe makes four servings, but it can easily be scaled up or down. If you want more protein in your lunch these wraps work really well with grilled or rotisserie chicken.

When you are buying wraps, especially if you are trying to be healthy, make sure you read the ingredients and nutrition facts. I always thought wraps were healthier than sandwiches, but a while back I did some research and found that a lot of wraps can be worse for you than sliced bread. Many brands claim to be healthy, but are full of sodium and trans fat. Try to find wraps that are high in fiber, low in sodium and don’t have artificial preservatives.

A quick tip for softening your wrap to make it easier to roll so it won’t crack on you: wrap the tortilla in a damp paper towel and microwave for ten seconds. That’s it! I told you it was a quick tip!

Roasted Veggie Hummus Wraps

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper, thickly sliced
• 2 zucchinis, quartered then thickly sliced
• 1 small eggplant, small diced
• 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms, about 8 ounces
• 4 6” whole wheat wraps
• ½ cup roasted red pepper hummus
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with nonstick tinfoil. Arrange all the prepared bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms on the baking sheet. Try to get the vegetables in a single layer, slightly overlapping the mushrooms if needed. Drizzle with olive oil then lightly move around with a spatula to coat. Generously season with ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
2. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20-25 minutes, adding more time if needed, until the vegetables are tender. Toss the veggies halfway through the cooking time.
3. Lay out the wraps. Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus onto each wrap. Divide the spinach leaves between the 4 wraps then evenly divide the veggies. This is definitely a loaded wrap so you will probably need a fork to finish all the yummy veggies that fall on your plate while eating!

Notes

- If making ahead, store the roasted veggies separate from the wraps and add when ready to eat so they don’t make the wraps soggy. This can be eaten with the veggies room temperature or heated up. If I was bringing these wraps to work or packing in a lunch I would put the divided veggies in a little reusable container. That way the veggies can either be warmed up in their container or left cold. Then I would put the hummus and spinach on the wraps and roll them up. When it is time to eat, carefully unroll the wrap, add the veggies, and wrap it back up.
- For additional protein, add some grilled or rotisserie chicken to the wrap.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I love this recipe and am so excited to share it with you today! As I’ve mentioned before on Lemon & Mocha, Matt and I try to eat vegetarian a couple nights a week for both cost and health reasons. However, I love the idea of almost meatless. In these almost meatless sloppy joes the ground beef isn’t the focus of the dish, but it provides a great richness and heartiness.

For those of you who read the title of this post and were instantly scared away by the mention of sloppy joes, don’t leave just yet! I think you know by now I only share recipes that are absolutely crave-worthy and these bad boys fit the bill.

I actually had never tried sloppy joes until I made this version from Cooking Light, but I am so glad I waited instead of having some dreadful version that everyone seems to remember from their school cafeteria. I’m not sure why they have such a bad rap, but let these almost meatless sliders change your mind.

Loaded spices and veggies these mini sandwiches have a complex taste that packs a punch. The mashed kidney beans mimic the heartiness of the ground beef and provide a smooth texture. I would happily eat these every night, and may have done just that for almost a week… 😉

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes

 

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Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 ounces ground sirloin
• ½ cup grated carrot
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 15.5 ounce can low sodium kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 6 mini brioche buns, or other sandwich rolls of your choosing
• Sliced red onion, for serving

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and beef and cook until the onion is softened and the meat is browned. Stir occasionally, making sure to crumble the beef.
2. Add the grated carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano and red pepper then continue to cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium then cook for 10 more minutes.
3. Take 1 cup of the kidney beans and mash them in a shallow bowl with a potato masher or fork. Add both the mashed beans and the remaining whole beans to the pot then cook until cooked through, about 1-3 minutes.
4. Serve on the buns topped with sliced red onion.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I ate a lot of delicious dishes at my family’s beach trip earlier this month, but my new favorite was my Uncle Rob’s tailgate filet sandwiches with whiskey marinade. He wanted to do something for Lemon & Mocha so I told him to come up with his signature dish for me to photograph while we were down at the beach. He did not disappoint with these succulent steak sandwiches.

During football season my Uncle is a regular tailgater at his alma mater, Villanova. He makes these regularly and I am sure they go fast. They certainly would if I was there!

My Uncle Rob and my Aunt Dottie, who hails from the University of Delaware, have a fun football rivalry tradition. Every fall Villanova and the University of Delaware play a big game. The person with the losing school has to place the winning school’s vanity plate on their car for the entirety of the year. My Uncle Rob wanted me to be sure to point out that Villanova has been on quite the winning streak 😉

No matter what team you’re rooting for this fall these delicious sandwiches will soften even the fiercest rivalry!

Matt and I don’t have steak often as it is usually our splurge meal, but I will definitely be making these sandwiches soon especially since I was already craving them the next morning. Enjoy!

Uncle Rob's Tailgate Filet Sandwiches with Whiskey Marinade

 

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Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup whiskey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup dijon mustard
• ¼ packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup minced green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash of worcestershire sauce
• Ground pepper to taste
• 6 1" thick filets
• 6 pretzel buns
• Pepper jack cheese, horseradish sauce and lettuce for serving, optional
• 6 pack of beer for the chef, age permitting

Directions

1. Combine the whiskey, soy sauce, mustard, brown sugar, onions, salt, worcestershire and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Place the filets on a cutting board and top with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet pound filets until they are ½" thick.
3. Combine the filets and marinade in a large plastic bag to marinate for 6-8 hours.
4. Heat grill to high heat. Grill according to desired doneness. For medium-rare, grill for 3 minutes on one side, flip and grill for 2 more minutes before letting rest for 3-5 minutes before eating.

Notes

If you can't find filet, possible substitutions include eye of round steak or hanger steak.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Something about summertime makes me want hot dogs. I won’t eat a hot dog all fall and all winter, but the minute it gets warm outside I buy a package at the grocery store.

If I’m at a barbecue and the hosts went all out for some delicious steak and chicken, deep down I’m disappointed I couldn’t have just a couple bites of a classic hot dog.

As perfect as that classic hot dog is smothered in ketchup, mustard and onions, there are too many amazing hot dog variations out there that have been ignored for far too long. It’s time to elevate our barbecue hot dogs so they can stand there proud with the steak and chicken!

These bruschetta hot dogs do just the trick. Hot dogs are grilled, placed in a toasted Italian bun, then topped with tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Dang-nabbit, these hot dogs are good!

The bruschetta ingredients bring freshness, acidity and complexity to the hot dog, while the crusty bun envelopes the dog with enough room to hold the flavorful topping in place.

If you’re someone who can’t imagine a hot dog without ketchup or mustard trust me when I say the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil provide no need for condiments. Elevate your barbecue hot dogs this summer and make some fancy bruschetta hot dogs!

Bruschetta Hot Dogs

 

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Yield: 4 hot dogs

Ingredients

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 large leaves fresh basil, torn
• Salt
• 4 hot dogs, grilled
• 4 Italian buns, toasted

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl combine the diced tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, and salt to taste.
2. Place the grilled hot dogs in the toasted buns then top with the tomato mixture. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

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Recipe from July/August 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine.

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

One of my first cookbooks I purchased was Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. As soon as I saw the title I knew I had to have it. I like burgers! I love fries! I would bathe in milkshakes!

Unfortunately I haven’t tried nearly enough of the mouthwatering recipes by now, but everything I have tried has been mmm-don’t-talk-to-me-right-now-I’m-busy-eating good.

One of those is the Dallas burger. Complete with creamy coleslaw, pickles and a sweet and spicy sauce, this burger is a barbecue lover’s dream. All the components add an extra flair to your average backyard burger, but this finger-lickin’ amazing sauce needs to get a special mention.

Sautéed onions, molasses and ancho chiles are just a few of the ingredients that add layer upon layer of flavor to this pourable gold. The ultimate proof for how good this sauce is? I am a cheese addict and never eat a burger without cheese. Notice something? This is a burger recipe, not a cheeseburger recipe. Now that is the delicious power of this sauce.

Impress your guests this Fourth of July and serve up these extreme barbecue burgers. They will not only thank you, but might randomly show up at your house all summer long with a six-pack of beer just hoping you’ll have an impromptu barbecue featuring these burgers. Don’t worry, you’ll want one too.

Dallas Burger with Barbecue Sauce and Coleslaw

 

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Yield: 4 burgers, 2 cups barbecue sauce

Ingredients

for the barbecue sauce

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• Salt and pepper

for the burger

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

for assembly

• 4 burger buns
• 1 cup coleslaw
• Dill pickles

Directions

for the barbecue sauce

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped onion until softened, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add ⅓ cup water and the ketchup and stir. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and puree until smooth in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

for the burger

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
2. Divide the ground beef into four equal parts and create 4 uniform burgers. Make an impression with your thumb in the middle of each burger patty so it doesn’t bulge in the middle when it cooks. Season both sides of the burgers with salt and pepper.
3. Lightly brush the seasoned patties with the prepared barbecue sauce as they cook and grill until cooked the way you prefer, turning once. For medium cook for 8 minutes total.

for assembly

1. Lightly toast the burger buns then top with the cooked patties, some barbecue sauce, coleslaw and dill pickles.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments