lunch quickie: bacon avocado fresh spring rolls

My workday lunches can get pretty boring. They're usually delicious, but ordinary. I think I once ate tuna, crackers and raw vegetables every day for a week. And there's always the fallback sandwich or wrap.

Since I'm lucky enough to get to come home for lunch for a full hour, I usually just make something when I arrive as opposed to having something prepared. It has to be something easy & relatively fast so that I can join D on the couch for the Price is Right on TV. Yes, we sometimes act like we're in our seventies. Watching PIR, playing scrabble, doing other old people things...

Last week I had an avocado that needed to be eaten up so I thought up with these delicious Bacon Avocado Fresh Spring Rolls. They don't take too long to make, about 10-15 minutes for 4 and are a great alternative to a sandwich.

You will need:

rice paper wraps - tomato - bell pepper - avocado - real bacon bits - deli shaved ham - ranch dressing or honey mustard

You will need to:

Cut the tomato, avocado & bell pepper into slices.

Fill a bowl with 1" deep hot tap water. Carefully place one rice paper wrap in the hot water. Let soak for about 20 sec and then flip and soak for another 20 sec. Keep soaking and flipping until the wrap is soft enough that you could fold it in half.

Shake off excess water and lay it flat on a plate. Top with 1/2 or full slice of ham, tomato, pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with bacon bits and add one thin line of sauce.

i ran out of avocado on the 2nd day. please use your imagination!

Start rolling the spring roll at one end, tucking the sides in as you go. Then place the spring roll seam side down on another plate and repeat for the rest of the rolls.

If you need help wrapping/rolling, check out this video from Expert Village.

Yum. These are fresh, healthy and surprisingly filling. They taste great with the honey mustard or the ranch, depending on what flavour you're feeling. Don't omit the avocado, like I did here, they're much better with the avocado's cool, refreshing taste.

Now I'm dreaming of summer so I can eat these on the patio with a lemonade in hand. Soon enough...

Today's Lunch: Bruschetta Chicken Sandwiches

Well, we made it half-way through the week. Thank you! I feel like it's hard for me to stay motivated at work this week. Hopefully things will pick up tomorrow. At least my lunch hour was pretty good, mostly because I inhaled two of these babies:

Bruschetta Chicken Sandwiches Serves 2

1 or 1-1/2 tomatoes, diced, drained as much as possible
1/4 green pepper, diced
5-6 slices of deli chicken
2 whole wheat buns or rolls
1-2 tsp cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp basil

1 clove garlic, minced
2tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Toast a bun and spread with garlic butter. Top with one or two pieces of deli-slices chicken breast. I used Natural Selections by Maple Leaf. Eat up.

Another option is to throw it on a wrap & add some feta:

I love bruschetta. So much so that I try to order it as an appetizer at almost any restaurant I visit. My absolute favorite version, which no one has been able to top, is at Jack Astors. They top theirs with this garlic aoli (fancy mayo stuff) and balsamic reduction that takes it over the top. I strongly recommend that you try it the next time you're there. You will not be disappointed!

The Scrap Mongrel

Love & tomatoes,

 Janelle