Big Shiny Bento

That’s my new trendy name for brussel sprouts - bSprouts. Those little cabbages are never given the time of day by people, and are only tolerated at holiday meals when they are placed beside wonderful things like turkey and gravy!

Lately I’ve had problems finding good quality fresh green veggies that don’t cost an arm and a leg. I know this is normally the case in the winter, but this year has been worse than I remember. I’m going to start a spreadsheet of food costs so I can prove I’m not just dreaming this trend.

But enough wordage (is that a word?)! Todays feast is rice, bSprouts, and chicken in a tomato-onion-garlic gravy. Talk about yummy!

Hopefully there will be a picture attached to this posting, but we’ll have to see about that.

This title may seem strange, until you realize just how long its been since I had a real bento to post about.

No picture since things were rushed this morning. Hmm.. Maybe I should hand draw something in PhotoShop..

The Big Blue box has slivered cabbage and carrots softened with zesty italian dressing on them. Next to them is leftover lemon chicken that has been really tasty, and lastly is slices of marbled cheese and apples.

If there was a picture, you’d be asking me what those little round things were standing up between the cheese and lemon chicken. Well, I took an apple corer and took core samples of my apple slices. They look kinda neat, and are really easy to squeeze in around things. I think next time I’ll try my fry cutter for square cut versions. Hmmm.. the fry cutter would be good to use on any veggies soft enough for it to cut now that I think of it.

And part of lunch, but not in the box, is a slice of oreo cake.

I shouldn’t have written this now, cause now I’m hungry.

My favorite lunches are the ones I don’t have to make! They are even better when they are leftovers from New Hong Shing take away!

The top is General Tsao’s chicken with chicken fried rice. New Hong Shing makes really really good General Tsao’s - good breading, a bit crispy but not dry, and the sauce is sweet with good zing to it. But don’t eat the peppers!

The bottom is beef with chinese greens (baby bok choy) and more fried rice.

This is honestly one of my favorite lunches. Its one of the days I wish my lunch box was even bigger!

I had a great breakfast today, never mind lunch yet!

On the weekend I used some leftover stewed chicken, carrots, onions, and frozen peas along with a pack of instant noodles to make a really tasty noodle bowl. But I only got a couple bites out of it before I had to leave it. Since then it has been my breakfast twice now, and will be again tomorrow.

I scramble 2 eggs in a bowl and add soy sauce them. Take a portion of that noodle dish and heat it up in a fry pan until it smells good! If I had fresh green onions I’d add them at this point. Then pour the eggs over the noodle mix - there should be enough eggs to make sort of like a pancake in the pan. If not, next time use more eggs or a smaller pan. Then just let it cook until almost firm. Loosen the edges, and flip it in the pan to brown the top. If its good and firm, you can plate it, slice it, and add hoisin sauce (or other sweet sauce) and hot sauce to taste. Otherwise, it will be a bowl of stuff. Either way its very yummy!

This dish is very much like the one I cooked a while back using leftover fried rice - click here to view bento #28.
PS - anyone know the quote this article’s title is taken from?

Today was leftovers from supper, but they were really really good!

Last night I wanted to cook supper fast. I cubed 2 cm thick ham slices, diced 1/2 medium cooking onion, 1 large carrot, and 1 royal gala apple. I boiled the carrots, while cooking the rest together on high to brown. Then simmer on low, add some water, and after a while drain off the juice for sauce and add the carrots. I only used 1 onion, 1 apple, and 1 carrot but it was a really big carrot it seems. While that is simmering cook some small pasta - I used over a cup of gnochini. Use the juice to make a cream sauce - milk, butter, heat and stir on low, and add corn starch to thicken - you don’t need much sauce for this, just enough to coat things. Combine pasta, diced bits, and sauce in pan and toss. I decided to add some worchester sauce to the cream sauce and it added some zing to it.

Supper was a hit with the whole family, and with me again at lunch! Plus it pretty economical to boot.

Again sorry about no picture, but lunch went down fast today!

Today lunch is pretty ho-hum. Its left over spaghetti and meat sauce. The sauce has diced hamburger, celery, mushrooms, and onions. I threw in some apple slices on the side, and some cheese slices.

No picture because I was rushes, and its a boring lunch. 

I didn’t have time for a picture today, sorry folks! I was up late watching the election last night, so this morning was a bit rushed. In my area all the old MPs got in with almost the exact same votes as last time - that makes me a bit mad.

But enough about politics! Time for important things - like food!

Today I made fried rice to use up some leftovers. I sliced a cooked hamburger patty very thin. Then the same for the turkey and celery. I cooked the egg, onion, and some soy sauce broken up fine.

I cooked the rice up this morning so I had to re-cook it in the pan to get rid of excess water in it before frying it. Then toss in some oil, toss the rice, and toss in the goodies with some more tossing. Plus add a little soy sauce to flavor it.

I’m still working on portions - I ended up with my large 1 tier bento box (the blue one) full to the top, and enough leftover for my lovely wife to have for lunch as well.

Today is more in the true bento flavor.

The dark stuff is roast beef slow cooked with browned onions, chopped fine with soy sauce added. Baby carrots are at the end, and arranged with green onions into a carrot flower and leaves.

Beef rice with celery is in the bottom. It filled it up nicely, so I didn’t add any apples today.

Yup, today lunch is not the most healthy lunch, but its not bad. Its definitely more fun than usual.

Sliced apple, cheese, and beef jerky on the bottom level.

A raisin pastry and Ritz cheese sandwhich crackers on the top. I added a vanilla pudding for more volume.

The panda is a snack container I bought for my daughter. The head is hinged and the whole top pops off. Its really neat! I got it at Sobeys. I put it in since we watched Kung Fu Panda recently - awesome movie!

Sorry about the long title.

Today I used up the last of my Egg Beaters at work (cheddar and chive flavor) to make about a 3 egg omelette (took about 2 minutes in the microwave in 30 second intervals with stirring in between) in a bowl. Then put a slice of cheese on top of half, cut down the middle and separate the egg from the bowl with a fork. I dipped it in my leftover McDonald’s salsa and it was quite good!