lunch ideas.

i purchased these radishes at the beginning of the farmer's market season & looking back on these photos- i am amazed by their individual uniqueness & inspired by their quirkiness.
we are harvesting radishes & lettuce later on this afternoon. i was so excited to go to the market this morning & find that we were growing & harvesting the same produce as real farmers. i only purchased eggs!

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i've had a lot of ideas lately to spruce up our home, make it more functional & de-clutter. we are on a very limited budget {like twenty bucks?!}, but i have confidence that we can this space feel more like 'home.'

also, i've been in a meal plan rut these past couple of months. i've lost the inspiration to make our meals both healthy & fun. lunch is by far the most difficult meal for me to plan. i always stick with hummus sandwiches & fruit. but- after flipping through my all-time favorite {cookbook}, i was amazed to come across page 50 & its lunch time potential!
we made this on monday morning & by 11:30, i couldn't wait any longer! i had two bowls full of this delicious couscous goodness!

so, without delay- here's the recipe with a bit of adaptions by us.


sesame chicken couscous salad
serves 4.

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1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil {olive oil works, too}
combine & bring to boil.

1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous
place in large bowl & stir in boiling broth. cover & let stand for 5 minutes. fluff with a fork.

2 green onions {chopped}
1 large red or green pepper {chopped}
stir in. cover & refrigerate until chilled.

1 1/2 cups snow peas {sugar snap peas are a nice alternative}
1 cup broccoli florets
steam peas for 1 minute. add broccoli & steam for another 2 minutes. rinse in cold water & drain.

1/2 cup cooked free-range chicken {chopped}
add to couscous with broccoli & peas.

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tblsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
combine & mix into couscous mixture.

1/4 cup slivered almonds {toasted}
2 tblsp sesame seeds {toasted}
mix in immediately before serving. serve chilled or at room temperature.

{this recipe could also be made vegetarian. use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth & replace the chicken with other vegetables that are in your fridge.}

happy eating!

love,
natalie