Today’s lunch consists of salad and soup from last night’s supper.

Last night I made some stellar organic sweet potato bisque.  This was accompanied by a green salad made with onions and chevre, topped with a homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette and home backed croutons.

Everything but the olive oil and vinegar in the dressing was either locally produced or organic, making for a very sustainable meal.

Miranda’s Vegetarian Sweet Potato Bisque

1 onion (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
3 table spoons butter (substitute olive oil for vegan)
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 cup skimmed milk (substitute soy for vegan)
Salt
Pepper

Melt butter in saucepan and saute onions and garlic, until soft.  Add vegetable broth and sweet potatoes.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until sweet potatoes are tender.  Puree using immersion or standard blender.  Add milk and blend till creamy.  Reheat adding salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with bread or croutons.

Pete and I began money saving initiative last week.  We have decided to forgo buying lunch every day.  We were spending an average of 10 dollars a person, which comes to about 100 dollars a week, EEEK.  Fuzzy Miranda math indicates that it comes to roughly 4800 to 5000 dollars a year.  Which is definately not shiny. 

Pete generally gets a lunch meat sandwich, chips, fruit, and some sort of cookie, pretty standard fare.  I however, have been forced to get creative.  You see, I recently became vegetarian.  At least I’m trying to become vegetarian.  I haven’t been doing it more than a few weeks, so I really don’t think I can in good faith call myself one yet.  It’s not particulary challenging, as there is always peanut butter.  And admittedly I DO like a good PB sandwich…mmmm….with honey.  However, I like variety, and since the staples of ham and turkey are not agreeable, creativity does occur. 

I’m creating a week long indepth report of what is in my lunch box, to give my veggie minded readers some ideas for interesting lunches.

Monday-

“Monday Lunch” has a Mediterranean Theme to it.  It consided of pita wedges, served with tabouli, humus, goat cheese, and some olives that I  spooned into individual silicone cupcake liners.  The flexible quality of the silicone allows the cups to be “squished together” preventing alot of shifting in transit.  This great for people like me, who like our food compartmentalized to prevent cross contamination.  This is one of the reasons I prefer layered lunch boxes like Tiffin or Bento boxes. 

Additionally I packed a small tangerine, because I think fruit really rounds out a home packed lunch.

It was a lunch containing a good portion of protein(humus and to a lesser extent cheese), dietary fiber (humus and pita) and calcium (goat cheese).  Tasty, vegetarian and definately not a peanut butter sandwich.

Join us tomorrow for Grilled Cheese and Tomato with a bit of a twist.