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25 October 2007
Halp! I have to make lunch for a friend I haven't seen in a while, and I don't know what to make! →[More:] Preferably something simple and fairly light. Tell me, what are some awesome lunches?
I'll give some suggestions for fun. Specklet and iconomy have already listed some winners.
Overplayed, but simple and delicious: Chicken salad with grapes. I would add some fresh chopped taragon to this recipe. Perfect. I would serve it as a sandwich with a fresh fruit salad. Brownies or oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert would be great.
Have you ever tried the BBQ Chicken Salad from California Pizza Kitchens? OMG, it is to die for. There are a lot of ingredients here, but you could assemble it ahead of time, and make the dressing a day or so in advance. I would serve this with fresh avacado.
Chinese Chicken Salad is another option.
The cheese, olives, tomatoes, bread, etc. idea is a good one. If cooking isn't your thing, or if you are pressed for time, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a couple ready-made items. Seeing that you're in Chicago, I'm sure you're in close vicinity to a myriad of delicious prepared foods form gourmet shops and delis. Heavenly Ham (not sure of Chicago location) even carries that chicken salad with grapes. If you create a nice plate with a little thought, it will be fine. You don't have to necessarily cook.
If you go with Specklet's fabulous-sounding platter, I would also roast a head of garlic for to smear on the bread. You could also add 'homemade' cream cheese: Take a block of cream cheese cut/broken into chunks of about 1", add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes/chives/bbq salmon tips/dill/whatever strikes your fancy. Run through the food processor or, if you don't have one, beat the everlovin' crap out of it with a hand mixer. The end. Impresses the hell out of people.
I've also made a lovely creamy salad dressing from approx. 1/2 c plain yoghurt, 2 tbsp mayo, a tsp or two of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a whack of finely chopped fresh herbs (again with the chives, tarragon, whatever strikes your fancy). Whisk. It's quite light, and complements a mixed-green or spinach salad nicely. If you like your dressing thicker, you can blend it with a couple of tbsp cream cheese.
On preview: the advantage to the grazing platter option recommended by Specklet & LoriFLA is that you can spend all your time visiting with your friend, and none of it cooking. Adding a couple of homemade things that you can make in advance is a nice touch.