I want to start November dedicated to packed lunches. Somewhat of a lunch challenge. And by that, I don’t mean packed lunches for your kids, that’s a given. I mean for you! It will force you to prep a little on the weekends and think about your self-care. None of this; what-am-I going-to-eat-for-lunch at 12:15 when you are famished. I know this happens because it happens to me! I’m not usually a big fan of leftovers, but when I cook with the intention of eating the food for lunch, it does not seem like leftovers, you with me?So let’s start with the goal of making lunch for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.Don’t get all creative; you can eat the same thing for two lunches, right? It’s not like wearing the same outfit two days in a row (I do that sometimes :)).

I love a good quinoa bowl for lunch. It is so satisfying and easy to make. The 8-minute egg is the perfect portion accompaniment for this lunch recipe.

Loaded Lemony Quinoa Bowl with the 8-Minute Egg

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Servings 6

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked dry quinoa
¼ cup uncooked lentils
4 8-Minute eggs*
A handful of green beans hard root end removed and green beans sliced into 3 segments
A handful of cherry tomatoes
About 10 roasted or raw almonds
Large handful of baby spinach
2 stalks of celery sliced thinly
2 baby cucumbers diced
1 green onion sliced into thin rounds

Dressing

6 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon or grainy mustard
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To cook the quinoa: Place the quinoa in a pot with ¾ cups water, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
To cook the lentils: Bring a pot of water to boil, add the lentils and cook for 15 minutes or until tender but al dente, drain and rinse.
See #3Cook the green beans, in the last 3 minutes of the lentils cooking, add the green bean pieces, they will cook very fast, drain the green beans and the lentils at the same time.
While the quinoa, lentils and beans are warm, empty into a mixing bowl and add the spinach, toss. This will soften the spinach a little. Let it all cool.
Add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl toss.
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and toss with the quinoa salad.
Distribute over 3-4 containers, cut the eggs in half, place on the salad and close the containers.

Notes

*To make the 8-Min egg: Bring a pot with water (enough to cover the eggs) to a boil. As soon as the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the pot and boil for exactly 8 minutes. In the meantime prepare an ice bath. When the eggs are done cooking, lift them out of the water and into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Let them cool completely in the ice bath and then peel. For best peeling, crack the egg all over and the peel.