Delicious and Nutritious Recipes to Spice up Your Lunch Bag

HNSC 4140 Hot Lunch Sale: Week One

Photo credit: (top left) 'Zesty Black Bean Soup' by Mary on Radiate Food Vibes, (top right) 'Chipotle Tofu & Hummus Wraps' by Mary on Radiate Food Vibes, (bottom left) 'Cajun Chicken with Coriander and Lime Rice' by Nicky on Kitchen Sanctuary, (bottom right) Photo by Chris Linnett on Unsplash

Every winter term, the FHNS students take Dr. Snehil Dua's class in HNSC 4140 - Quantity Food Production and Management. They learn hands on skills in a work integrated learning setting on menu planning, recipe standardization and food preparation. On Friday, a morning lab is held to cook a scaled menu and is put up for sale to the student body the same afternoon. The menu rotates as the students rotate through both employee and managerial roles. Each team was challenged to create a three course menu featuring a soup appetizer and a pie-based dessert.

This series of blog posts will be dedicated to each week's menu and has been generously shared with NECO for resharing by the 2024 class of HNSC 4140.

Week One's Menu

Click the link to jump to the recipes

• Appetizer: Black Bean Soup

• Entree 1: Chipotle Tofu Wrap

• Entree 2: Cajun Chicken Rice Bowl

• Dessert: Apple Crumble

Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Radiate Food Vibes

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 60 mins

Total Cooking Time: 75 min

Dietary Considerations: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free

 'Zesty Black Bean Soup' by Mary on Radiate Food Vibes

This soup has a kick to it! It is rich in dietary fibre and plant-based protein. Serve with desired accompaniments such as shredded cheese, cooked rice, plain Greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, etc. to complete your meal.

Ingredients

• 2 (540 ml) cans of no salt black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 tbsp of olive oil

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/2 bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 carrot, diced

• Sea salt, to taste
  

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced

• 3/4 tsp ground cumin

• 1/4 tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 cups (500 ml) low sodium vegetable stock

• 1/4 (796 ml) can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes

• 1/2 can (113 ml) can green chilies

• 1 bay leaf
  

• 1 1/2 tsp lime juice

Method

1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, carrot and 1/4 tsp salt until soft (6-8 mins).

2. Once sweating, add minced garlic and jalapeño. Cook until fragrant (1 min), then add in dry spices (except bay leaf).

3. Add remaining ingredients plus 2 cups of water and 2 tsp of sea salt. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover pot and simmer on low for 30 mins.

4. Turn off heat. Remove and discard bay leaf.

5. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until partially smooth. Aim to have equal parts puréed and chunky soup. Season with more salt and lime juice.

6. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover pot again and simmer on low for 15 mins.
   

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Chipotle Tofu Wrap

Adapted from Radiate Food Vibes and Gimmie Some Oven

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 2 hrs

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Cooking Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Dietary Considerations: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-friendly

'Chipotle Tofu & Hummus Wraps' by Mary on Radiate Food Vibes

This wrap is full of fresh vegetables, creamy hummus and the pickled onions give it some bite. This wrap contains whole grains to help you stay full throughout the day.

Ingredients

• Crispy Chipotle Tofu

  • 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

  • 3 tbsp canola oil

  • 3/4 tsp chipotle powder

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin

• Pickled Onions

  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut thinly

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 2 tbsp sugar

• Chipotle Tofu Wrap

  • 1/2 batch of crispy chipotle tofu (see above)

  • 1/4 cup hummus

  • 3/4 cup farro, cooked

  • 1 cucumber, diced

  • 1/2 bell pepper, diced

  • 1/4 cup quick pickled onions (see above)

  • 2 handfuls spinach

  • 4 10" whole wheat tortillas

Method

Crispy Chipotle Tofu

1. Preheat oven to 415 F

2. In a bowl combine oil, chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt, and cumin. Set aside.

3. Pat down tofu and cut into strips

4. Toss tofu with seasoned oil mixture.

5. Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake f0r 25 minutes

6. Flip then return for another 25 minutes.
   

Pickled Red Onions

1. In a saucepan, stir together vinegar, water, salt and your desired amount of sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a simmer.

2. Place the thinly sliced onions in a mason jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions, screw the lid finger tight, and shake the onions briefly until they are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture.

3. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes.

4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Chipotle Tofu Wrap

1. Heat tortilla until it is pliable in a pan.

2. Spread 1 tbsp of hummus on the tortilla evenly.

3. Top with 3 tbsp of cooked farro, a handful of tofu, cucumber, bell pepper, pickled onions, and spinach. Wrap.
   

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Cajun Chicken Rice Bowl

Adapted from Kitchen Sanctuary

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Cook Time: 30 mins

Dietary Considerations: Gluten-free

'Cajun Chicken with Coriander and Lime Rice' by Nicky on Kitchen Sanctuary

This rice bowl is full of flavour and can be beefed up with your choice of grains such as wild rice, brown rice, or quinoa.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of long grain rice, cooked

• 3 tbsp Cajun seasoning

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

• 3 tbsp of oil

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 yellow pepper, sliced

• 1 green pepper, sliced

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

• Zest of 1 lime

• Avocado, chopped

Method

1. Pour half the oil over the chicken breasts and toss with the Cajun seasoning until fully coated

2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and lay chicken on hot pan in a single layer. Cook for 7-10 minutes, turning once until the chicken is charred and no longer pink. Let rest and set aside.

3. Using the last 1/2 tbsp of oil, heat in the same pan the chicken was cooked in. Spread sliced peppers and onions in a thin layer and sauté until lightly charred.

4. Mix lime zest and chopped cilantro in the rice.

5. Thinly slice chicken breasts and assemble rice bowls.

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Apple Crumble

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30-45 minutes

Total Cook Time: 40-55 minutes

Dietary Considerations: Gluten-friendly

Photo by Chris Linnett on Unsplash

As per request of the student who wrote this recipe we have been asked to keep their family's secret recipe just that. Please enjoy this apple crumble recipe written by the author of this article.

Ingredients

• Filling

  • 3-4 granny smith apples, sliced thinly

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    

• Crumble

  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

  • 3/4 cup quick oats

  • 1/3 cup sugar

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • 1/4 cup soft margarine

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon and margarine until crumbly. Set Aside.

3. Mix apples and cinnamon together and spread evenly on the bottom of a baking dish.

4. Put the crumble on top of the apples and press down gently.

5. Bake for 30-45 min.

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