Even when warm weather is nigh, it's still nice to have a hot lunch at work. However, lots of people don't have access to a microwave or could use a healthy hot lunch option that doesn't involve the chronically-dirty-in-the-workplace small appliance. Cue the handy thermos!
There's an entire movement of convenient cooking in vacuum flasks, which generally entails cooking a grain or small legume (like lentils or split peas) or a mixture thereof in a thermos. The equation goes something like this: boiling water + dried ingredients in thermos x a few hours = hot and healthy meal. And as it turns out, the time required is just about equal to the typical stretch between morning prep to lunch break.
Fresh ingredients can be added, but their addition means the whole mixture needs to be brought to a boil ahead of adding to the flask, as their moisture reduces the temperature in the flask by enough to keep the dry ingredients from cooking thoroughly.
We're thinking the easiest use of this method would be a lunch of a grain and lentils with dried herbs and spices. One could keep a jar in the pantry with the ingredients pre-mixed and just dole a bit out each week morning, add boiling water, and head off to work. By the time lunch rolls around, you'll have a hot lentil lunch waiting for you.
Check out these sites for a wealth of further information on thermos cooking:
• Thermoscooking.com
• A forum discussion on thermos cooking
• Earthineer
• YouTube video on thermos cooking beans (pre-boiled then added to thermos)
Related: 10 Terrific Thermoses
(Image: Thermos)
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This sounds amazing! I dislike using the microwave at work, so this would be rad, and my boyfriend doesn't even have access to a heating mechanism for lunch food so this would be a great way for hot lunches.
Has anyone tried this successfully? Any favorite recipes?
You know, the Freezer Bag Cooking, as seen on Trailcooking.com could be adapted to this.
Every Sunday, I make up a big batch of homemade soup, and on the weekdays when I am making my breakfast, I heat up a small pot of the soup. Into the thermos it goes, and it stays hot in there until 3 or 4 pm. Only thing that doesn't do well are noodles, so I bring leftover cooked pasta those in a separate container and add them when I am ready to eat. SO much better than the microwave, and incredibly inexpensive.
I don't see why the veggies couldn't be kept in a separate container and added in right before you eat. For instance you could wilt spinach, kale, or lettuce just by stirring it in and letting it sit a few minutes with the lid back on befor eating. I think that would be good with other vegetables too, keep a little crunch and interesting texture going.