I thought I’d show you how I take a favorite component of a recent recipe, make a minor tweak, and turn it into something completely different. Do you remember the herb-packed coconut milk from this green curry porridge? Well, it’s good. Good in its own right. And if you have some on hand, it’s a nice jumping off point for a meal. It has a luxe, cilantro-ginger creaminess that makes for a brilliant component in dressings, drizzles, and sandwich spreads. Add some eggs and you have an easy tart filling.

For today’s recipe I made a version with yogurt in place of the coconut milk, and it did not disappoint. Lobbing dollops over a simple bowl of mung beans and quinoa made for the sort of easy, nutritious lunch I aim for. Some toasted nuts and a drizzle of paprika oil bring a bit of flair and textural contrast. It’ll keep you strong for whatever you afternoon has in store – yoga class, a bike ride, work meetings, or whatever.

This is the sort of thing that you can pack in layers in a wide-mouthed mason jar as a portable lunch or picnic go-to. It’s good at room temperature and doesn’t require much fuss at all once you have the components prepared. And really, don’t get too hung up on the base ingredients – like I mentioned, I used mung beans and black quinoa, but if you have lentils and/or brown rice on hand, you’re set. Try to work in a substantial protein component though like some sort of bean or lentil. It’ll keep you strong and less hungry compared to, say, a rice-only version. xo Enjoy! -h

More lunch ideas:

• Feel-good Lunch Ideas
• Baked Quinoa Patties
• Quinoa Salad
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Egg Salad Sandwich
• Vegan Sushi
• More quinoa recipes

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