You know, it took me a while to figure out how to properly do lunch, which I know sounds ridiculous. But if I'm being honest, I think lunch is a pin point for a lot of people. It's right smack dab in the middle of the day. People don't know what to prepare or how to transport their lunches, so they end up getting takeout. Which in turn makes them sleepy and that is not what you want in the middle of your day. So today I am taking the 15 minute dinner series to the land of lunches! I'm going to show you four of my favorite recipes that not only come together in under 15 minutes, but most importantly, these dishes are both satisfying and light. You can prepare them beforehand and you've got a nice energizing meal that you can whip out in the middle of your day. Click here to check out the full video!

Tofu & Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rice
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 small knob of ginger
• 1 head of broccoli
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of chinese cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin
• 1 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoons of sesame oil
• ¼ cup of chicken stock
• 1 tablespoons of cornstarch

Instructions:

1. Quickly wash the rice to get rid of the starch and then add it to an instant pot along with the water. Pressure cook the rice for 4 minutes.
2. Next, place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a simmer. Then, get a pan preheating on low heat and drizzle in some oil.
3. Cut up the firm tofu into ½ inch slices and pat try your firm tofu. Give it a sprinkle of salt and pepper and add to the pan.
4. While the tofu is frying, chop up your aromatics and broccoli. Set aside and flip your tofu to crisp up the other side.
5. Next, to a bowl add in your soy sauce, chinese cooking wine, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
6. Drop your broccoli into the simmering water and boil for 2 minutes. Take your tofu out and then add in the garlic and ginger. Fry for 1 - 2 minutes then add in your sauce. Stir until it thickens and bubbles away.
7. Cut up your tofu and then add in your boiled broccoli and tofu. Stir and serve with your hot rice!

Crispy Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite seasoning
• 3 tortillas
• 1 avocado
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 2 limes
• 1 tablespoons of oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water to thin out
• 2 -3 radishes
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 ½ cups of pea shoot or your favorite greens

Instructions:

1. Drizzle some oil into a pan and set it on medium heat. Season your chicken breast with your seasoning and give it a sprinkle of salt and pepper if the seasoning you are using does not contain any.
2. Next, place it in a bag and flatten it out with a pan/pot. Place into the preheated pan and let one side sear.
3. In the meantime, slice up three tortillas into strips and set aside.
4. Next, add in the avocado, cilantro, garlic, limes, oil, salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth and then add in some water. Blend again to incorporate.
5. With the chicken being finished on one side, flip it over and let cook.
6. In the meantime, slice up your fresh veggies and place into a bowl along with some pea shoots. Set aside.
7. Take out the chicken and replace with the tortilla strips. Let fry and get crispy. Hit it with some salt.
8. Cut up your chicken and toss into the bowl. Add in the tortillas strips and toss with your dressing.

Peanut Butter Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

• 3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons of sambal sauce
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoons of sesame oil
• The juice of 1 lime
• 1 garlic, grated
• 1 small knob of ginger, grated
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• ½ cup of cabbage leaves
• 2 servings of soba noodles
• Chopped scallion
• Chopped cilantro

Instructions:

1. In a bowl mix together the peanut butter, sambal sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, lime, garlic, ginger, and water.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in some oil and crush up some mushrooms. Toss to coat and let that cook.
3. In the meantime, cut up the cabbage leaves and toss with the mushrooms. Hit it with some salt and add some more oil if necessary. Let it cook for 1-2 more minutes then remove and let cool.
4. In the now clean pan, add in your peanut sauce and let that bubble on a low heat to thicken. Separately, drop your noodles into a pot of boiling water.
5. Now that the peanut sauce is thicker, add in the cooked soba noodles, mushrooms, and cabbage. Finish off with chopped scallions & cilantro.

Veggie Rice Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 1 carrot
• 1 crispy piece of tofu
• 1 cup leafy greens
• A few sprigs of mint
• 1 cup of lettuce
• Leftover peanut butter sauce
• 3 sheets of rice paper

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting your carrot, cucumbers, and tofu into matchsticks. Place onto a plate to keep everything organized.
2. Cut up your fresh veggies in half to make them smaller manageable pieces. Remove the stems from the lettuce to make the rolling process easier.
3. Dip your rice paper into some water and place down your lettuce followed by carrots, cucumbers, tortillas strips, tofu, pea shoots, and mint. Wrap up into a roll. You can see how I did it here.
4. Slice on a diagonal and serve with peanut sauce.

15 Minute Lunches To Help You Power Through Your Day

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Ingredients:

Tofu & Broccoli Stir Fry

• 2 cups of rice 
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons of water 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1 small knob of ginger 
• 1 head of broccoli 
• 1 block of firm tofu 
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons of chinese cooking wine 
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin 
• 1 tablespoons of honey 
• 1 tablespoons of sesame oil 
• ¼ cup of chicken stock 
• 1 tablespoons of cornstarch

Crispy Chicken Salad

• 1 chicken breast 
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite seasoning 
• 3 tortillas 
• 1 avocado 
• 1 handful of cilantro 
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled 
• 2 limes 
• 1 tablespoons of oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Water to thin out 
• 2 -3 radishes 
• 2 cucumbers 
• 1 ½ cups of pea shoot or your favorite greens 

Peanut Butter Soba Noodles

• 3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter 
• 3 tablespoons of sambal sauce 
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoons of honey 
• 1 tablespoons of sesame oil 
• The juice of 1 lime 
• 1 garlic, grated 
• 1 small knob of ginger, grated 
• ¼ cup of water 
• 1 cup of mushroom 
• ½ cup of cabbage leaves 2 servings of soba noodles 
• Chopped scallion 
• Chopped cilantro

Veggie Rice Rolls

• 1 cucumber 
• 1 carrot 
• 1 crispy piece of tofu 
• 1 cup leafy greens 
• A few sprigs of mint 
• 1 cup of lettuce 
• Leftover peanut butter sauce 
• 3 sheets of rice paper

Instructions:

Tofu & Broccoli Stir Fry:

1. Quickly wash the rice to get rid of the starch and then add it to an instant pot along with the water. Pressure cook the rice for 4 minutes. 
2. Next, place a pot of water on the stove and bring it to a simmer. Then, get a pan preheating on low heat and drizzle in some oil. 
3. Cut up the firm tofu into ½ inch slices and pat try your firm tofu. Give it a sprinkle of salt and pepper and add to the pan. 
4. While the tofu is frying, chop up your aromatics and broccoli. Set aside and flip your tofu to crisp up the other side. 
5. Next, to a bowl add in your soy sauce, chinese cooking wine, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps. 
6. Drop your broccoli into the simmering water and boil for 2 minutes. Take your tofu out and then add in the garlic and ginger. Fry for 1 - 2 minutes then add in your sauce. Stir until it thickens and bubbles away. 
7. Cut up your tofu and then add in your boiled broccoli and tofu. Stir and serve with your hot rice!

Crispy Chicken Salad:

1. Drizzle some oil into a pan and set it on medium heat. Season your chicken breast with your seasoning and give it a sprinkle of salt and pepper if the seasoning you are using does not contain any. 
2. Next, place it in a bag and flatten it out with a pan/pot. Place into the preheated pan and let one side sear. 
3. In the meantime, slice up three tortillas into strips and set aside. 
4. Next, add in the avocado, cilantro, garlic, limes, oil, salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth and then add in some water. Blend again to incorporate. 
5. With the chicken being finished on one side, flip it over and let cook. 
6. In the meantime, slice up your fresh veggies and place into a bowl along with some pea shoots. Set aside. 
7. Take out the chicken and replace with the tortilla strips. Let fry and get crispy. Hit it with some salt. 
8. Cut up your chicken and toss into the bowl. Add in the tortillas strips and toss with your dressing.

Peanut Butter Soba Noodles:

1. In a bowl mix together the peanut butter, sambal sauce, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, lime, garlic, ginger, and water. 
2. In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle in some oil and crush up some mushrooms. Toss to coat and let that cook. 
3. In the meantime, cut up the cabbage leaves and toss with the mushrooms. Hit it with some salt and add some more oil if necessary. Let it cook for 1-2 more minutes then remove and let cool. 
4. In the now clean pan, add in your peanut sauce and let that bubble on a low heat to thicken. Separately, drop your noodles into a pot of boiling water. 
5. Now that the peanut sauce is thicker, add in the cooked soba noodles, mushrooms, and cabbage. Finish off with chopped scallions & cilantro.

Veggie Rice Rolls:

1. Start by cutting your carrot, cucumbers, and tofu into matchsticks. Place onto a plate to keep everything organized. 
2. Cut up your fresh veggies in half to make them smaller manageable pieces. Remove the stems from the lettuce to make the rolling process easier. 
3. Dip your rice paper into some water and place down your lettuce followed by carrots, cucumbers, tortillas strips, tofu, pea shoots, and mint. Wrap up into a roll. You can see how I did it here. 
4. Slice on a diagonal and serve with peanut sauce.