Lunch in a Box: Costco Zucchini Cakes

I love an excuse to make a trip to Costco. Shopping for two people doesn't always warrant one, but the need for an inexpensive birthday cake for a co-worker certainly does! (Their cakes are fabulous!) So I happily dropped in yesterday after work to grab a cake and see if anything jumped out at me. I saw a box of Handmade Zucchini Cakes for $8.99 (with only 60 calories and 1.5g fat per cake) and knew they would make a great lunch meal. I also grabbed a large container of 0% fat Fage greek yogurt for $4.99 ($2 less than HEB). I figured I could get at least 6 lunches out of this if I threw in a few things I usually have at home, making this about $2.33 per lunch.

We have a ton of spinach right now, so I put a few cakes on top of a bed of spinach, cut up half a tomato, and then made a quick and easy yogurt dressing to serve on top. I would have made tzatziki (which you can also buy pre-made at Costco), but I didn't have any dill. So I just used what was in the fridge (lemon, garlic and some fresh mint).

I also served this with an Israeli Couscous Salad that I made on Sunday, and added fresh strawberries for dessert. I have to say, I'm in love with this lunch! It didn't take a ton of time to put together, and it's still fresh and really healthy!



Yogurt Dressing

1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt (I always prefer Fage for it's tart flavor and thick, creamy texture)
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh herbs (dill, mint or tarragon work nicely)

Mix in a bowl. Done. If you want to thin out the texture, just use a little more lemon juice.


Israeli Couscous Salad (makes 4 side servings)

1 cup Israeli couscous (uncooked)
2 cups water
1 cup chopped vegetables of choice (I used asparagus spears, jarred roasted red peppers and jarred pepperoncini rings)

dressing:
4 T red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
1 T pepperoncini juice (lemon juice would make a good substitute)
1 T chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme because it's what I had)
1 tsp mayonnaise (optional- leave it out if you want a vegan dish)

Bring the couscous and water to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until water is absorbed. Meanwhile, roast any vegetables if necessary ( I chopped the asparagus and roasted for about 15 minutes), and make the dressing. Just whisk the ingredients together and let sit until couscous is ready.

Combine everything in a bowl and toss with dressing.