A little preparation.

Do you like to experiment when it comes to new recipes? I do.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to follow tried and true recipes from my favorite cookbooks as well as those I see on my favorite food blogs, but sometimes it’s fun to throw caution to the wind and just have a little fun.

That’s what Sunday evening was for.

Have I ever mentioned my lunch routine? I walk home, choreograph/work on zumba stuff, rinse off, run around the kitchen assembling something to eat (I usually end up with a smoothie or a bowl of cereal), and book it back to work. It’s hectic but works for me, given my typical jam-packed schedule. In order to eliminate the running around the kitchen in a heated panic, it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe, I should try planning out a lunchtime meal. I really wanted to do some mason jar lunches (how cute are these?), but I eat at home and can just use a bowl (also, I have yet to order some mason jars for the summer).

I decided to throw together a cold pasta dish- something clean with a lot of whole grain and veggies. So I cooked up a big batch of whole grain pasta and added zucchini, squash, and asparagus into the boiling water until blanched and before the pasta was al dente. Once my veggies and pasta were both finished cooking, I added some olive oil, a dash of balsamic, sliced red onion, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper to the mixture. Then I added a bit of crumbled feta, grated parmesan, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. That’s it. Really, so easy! And full of hearty, healthy flavors that I love.

It was fun not to measure and, although this recipe is by no means revolutionary, it tasted amazing at lunch yesterday.

I just might have to make Sunday night meal preparation a weekly routine.

What about you? How do you handle lunches? Are you a planner or do you wing it? Any must try recipes?

Xo.

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