Lunches June 2-6

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a post about a guy who makes a week of lunches which are both healthy and cheap.  So for the last couple of weeks I have been following suit. (You can see my original post with links to his instagram site on my post "a week of lunches")

One of the biggest issues I have been having has been making enough food for 10 lunches (for me and the hubs).  This week however I think I have hit the jackpot.  I made pasta with meatballs and half a stuffed pepper.

First we will start with the meatballs.  I used a package of ground pork and a pack of ground turkey.

I mixed all the ingredients up and started forming tiny meatballs.  I ended up getting about 50-60 meatballs which was a great amount of meat for the lunches.

I baked them off in the oven and started on preparing the  next part of my lunches, the stuffed peppers.  I was using the recipe/idea from my friend S.  She told me what was in the ones that her hubby makes her and I sorta just winged it from there.

I didn't take any pics of the pepper processes, but it was a simple filling of feta cheese, cream cheese and homemade parsley pesto (I couldn't find basil to save my life this weekend).

I mixed everything up in the food processor and filled half a pepper.  Baked for 20 mins and they were done and pretty yummy looking.

And there you have it, a week's worth of healthy lunches all made in a couple hours.  These have been such a saving grace.  We are so busy during the week it's great to have lunches all made and ready to go.

Just remember to store the lunches in the freezer and just to take a couple out at a time.

Meatball Recipe:

2 packs of ground meat (I used turkey and pork)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumps
4 TBS chopped parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt and pepper
1 egg (I used egg whites because I didn't have any eggs)

Mix all ingredients up in a bowl.

Once fully combined form into balls, and bake at 375 for 20 mins or until cooked through.



Pesto Feta Baked Peppers

1 container of less sodium feta
1/3 a brick of reduced fat cream cheese
 1 portion of homemade pesto

Pesto:
1 bunch parsley or basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup almonds
olive oil
3 Tbs Parmesan  cheese

In the bowl of a food processor add almonds and parm cheese. Blend until the cheese and almonds are blended and in very small pieces
Add garlic and blend until chopped up
Add parsley and the olive oil. 
Pulse just until the parsley is chopped up finely.  Be careful not to blend the parsley into a paste.
Add more oil if needed to thin it out.

**Don't add salt at this point because the feta is very salty even if you get the reduced sodium**

Transfer pesto into a bowl.
In the food processor add the cream cheese and blend until smooth. 
Add feta cheese and pulse until incorporated and chopped up.
Transfer cheese mixture to the pesto and mix until combined. 
Check now for salt and add some if needed.

Spoon mixture into pepper halves and bake for 20 mins at 375.
This recipe made 10 pepper halves, but my peppers were on the small side.

Enjoy