Wow—I just made the best lunch ever!!!!! I found a box of bulger wheat in my pantry that has been sitting forlorn since probably last October and I’m so glad I did because I have a new favorite grain!! This stuff is soooo good and the texture is perfect—chewy! It’s so easy to prepare also—just boil 1 part cracked wheat with 2 parts water and let simmer for 15 minutes. I like this stuff a lot better than brown rice, couscous and even quinoa! I will def. be making it more often!! With my bulger wheat I had 1/4 cup hummus, half a sliced cucumber, a sliced pear and……more kale chips!!!!! A TON more!! I practically ate the entire bundle of kale!! This lunch was so delicious and a nice change from my usual packed sandwich or soup. It was very filling and gave me a ton of energy for the rest of the day.
How random is that box?
Before lunch, I baked the oatmeal raisin cookies from ED&BV. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. I haven’t eaten one yet but the batter was incredibly dry and difficult to work with. I got batter crumbs everywhere!! I’m sure the cookies taste great, but they are def. a little crumbly! I’ll bring one to school with me tonight to have for dessert and I’ll report back on how good they taste in the morning.
I also went on about a 3 mile run. It was very very hot outside and I got a bit of a headache. My salad plate was the perfect post-run meal though!
BethT
April 24, 2008 at 4:21 pmSo funny -my boss was just talking about all of the different salads he makes with bulgur. One he brought in today has broccoli rabe and toasted walnuts; another has pine nuts and zucchini.
Alice (in Veganland)
April 24, 2008 at 4:36 pmSee? kale chips again! I told you they’re addictive! I like bulgur a lot too. I prepare it in the pan with broccoli and it’s very tasty!
Jill
April 24, 2008 at 4:37 pmYum! I’ve never really given bulger a chance, but I’ll need to! I think Tina eats it all the time for breakfast, that sounds decent too! Those concoctions Beth told about sound AMAZING!!
VeggieGirl
April 24, 2008 at 4:40 pmIt’s amazing how delectable of a meal you can make with what you find in the pantry – looks wonderful!! Haha, that bulgur box is so vintage-looking!!
I’m shocked about the cookies!!! My family and I thought that that oatmeal-cookie recipe was one of the best ones out there!! Very moist, chewy, and delicious!! I do hope you’ll give the recipe another chance!! :0)
Melissa
April 24, 2008 at 5:10 pmYum, Jenna, your lunch looks amazing!
I was wondering what kind of hummus you use? The only stuff I can find by me (Central Wisconsin) is the Athenos brand. It’s good, but not amazing!
Romina
April 24, 2008 at 5:22 pmI have bulgur but haven’t tried it yet. Looks delicious though! I hope those cookies taste good, I’ve been meaning to make them.
ibex hk
April 24, 2008 at 5:34 pmyum, glad you found bulgur, I like it a lot!! It’s also an easy find in the bulk section 🙂 Glad your lunch was a nice chance of pace! have a good rest of the day!
ashley
April 24, 2008 at 5:46 pmHey Jenna, I was wondering, about how much pb do you put on your waffle sandwiches and what kind of waffles do you use? They look great!
Grace
April 24, 2008 at 5:48 pmI always seem to find that oatmeal cookie batter is much dryer than others, but they always turn out moist and delicious. They look tasty, regardless!
Heather S
April 24, 2008 at 5:51 pmWhat brand does everyone recommend for the almond butter? My friend bought one that had the word “tree” in it and she says its just ok! Any suggestions? Much appreciated.
blueberrybabe
April 24, 2008 at 5:52 pmattention yoga peeps!
i am wondering how often you guys think you need to do yoga to get all of its wonderful benefits. do you think once a week can be beneficial or does it need to be more?
thanks! miss u guys!
Michelle
April 24, 2008 at 5:53 pmI’ve never worked with Kale. How do you clean it and prepare it for kale chips? Would spinach chips work with spinach lettuce? kale seems more intimidating!
Betsy
April 24, 2008 at 6:09 pmHeather
I highly recommend Whole Foods Brand (365) Almond Butter, especially the chunky. I know that is what Jenna uses. It is soooo good.
Your lunch looks sooo delish!! i guess i’m going ot have to try bulgar now!
Heather S
April 24, 2008 at 6:25 pmDarn i sure wish we had a whole foods around here! Seems like all the good stuff is never in reach. I live in Ohio and all we have is a health foods unlimited! Thanks.
Oh about the kale chips, do you have to eat them right away for their best flavor? Do you reheat them? Would they be good as leftovers?
Michelle
April 24, 2008 at 6:53 pmOh I just wanted to add, I can totally sympathize you about heat headaches- people who don’t get them, don’t understand how horrible they are!
Emily #2(haha)
April 24, 2008 at 7:00 pmThose cookies look amazing as usual! I need some advice! Girls I just moved to a new apt that has an amazingly large kitchen (for manhattan at least) and I’m going shopping to stock it up. I could barely fit anything in my old kitchen so I gave up on tools and applicances. Can anyone give me some hints or lists of their ‘kitchen essential’? I have pots and pans but I need tools and appliances etc. Any overall organizing ideas would be great too. Thanks!!
Ashley H
April 24, 2008 at 7:21 pmHey Jenna I just watched a utube video of vegan chocolate chip cookies and she said if your cookies are dry to add a teaspoon of each maple syrup and canola oil until they are to the consistency you prefer. I did this when I made the super charge me cookies to make a more moist cookie. It worked great!!
PS youre lunch looks amazing!
jenna
April 24, 2008 at 7:23 pmMelissa,
this is Cedar’s Garlic Lover’s Hummus. I usually will buy this or premade hummus from the whole food’s deli. I’m not a huge fan of athenos…it kind of leaves a funny taste in my mouth. My advice is to read the ingredients and buy the stuff with the least amount there is!! (or, better yet, make your own!)
Michelle,
you just rinse off the kale, tear it up, sprinkle it with salt and pop it in the oven. Its sooooo easy!!!! I’m not thinking regular lettuce would work (or spinach) because it isn’t as tough as kale is. Kale can withstand high heat and has a firmer texture, perfect for making kale chips with!!
Heather S,
You don’t want to keep these chips for later because they would probably wilt. They are def. best eaten hot, sprinkled with sea salt, out of the oven!
Ashley,
I don’t measure out my nut butters at all. I just glob some on there!! If I had to make a guess, I would say 1-2 tbsp but, really, I’m not sure. These are HempPlus waffles by Lifestream. They are my favorite!
Brynn
April 24, 2008 at 9:13 pmHi Jenna- I just want to say that I’ve made those cookies (with chocolate instead of raisins!) and they were DELICIOUS! You’re the baker, not me, but I would say give them another try if you don’t like them. Mine weren’t dry or crumbly.