Bento Box Lunches

When my daughter started in grade one this year, I was determined not to send her to school every day with a boring brown-bag lunch. I had seen a few websites that showcased the concept of using a traditional Japanese Bento box and filling it with small bites that would be appealing to a six-year-old. I found a double-decker bento box at a local import store and began creating her Bento box lunches. Her box came with a spoon and fork and we bought some small matching containers (1/2 oz) for her to put in dipping sauce or salad dressing. We use plastic picks for fruit and silicone muffin cups for holding smaller items and dividing food.

I usually choose one main item and two side items and use fillers as needed to use up the space. It also took me a little while to determine the right amount of food for her. The primary idea is to be creative, and provide a healthy lunch in small portions, which kids seem to prefer. As a bonus, this is environmentally friendly as we eliminate the need for wrap or bags. Here's a starter list of things I've used in the past.

Mains (pick 1):

• sandwich cut into shapes with cookie cutter
• cheese and crackers
• cold pasta salad (watch that they're not too saucy, or will leak)
• tortilla's rolled with cream cheese and ham
• mini pita sandwiches
• sushi
• left-over fried rice
• hard-cooked egg
• thin egg omelet, rolled up
• ham with pickles rolled up inside
• left-over meat with BBQ sauce for dipping
• cold chicken nuggets
  
• mini bagels and cream cheese

Sides (pick 2):

• vegetables (invest in a crinkle cutter for wavy veggies)
• ants on a log (celery stuffed with spreadable cheese and topped with raisins)
• fruit
• mini muffins
• dried fruit on sticks with marshmallow's
• fruit roll-ups
• cheese squares or baby bell
• yogurt

Fillers (use as needed):

• Craisins or raisins
• trail mix (dried cereal with dried fruit)
• pretzels
• cookies
• goldfish crackers
• mini rice cakes
• mini chocolate bars
• breadsticks
• mini jello's (in Asian section at grocery stores)

There are a lot of websites dedicated to Bento Box lunches. Take a look at these to get you started and you will get the idea.

http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/
(This website actually does a Bento Box contest every month. Some people are extremely creative, or have too much time on their hands. In any case it's always inspiring to look at.)

http://adventuresinabentobox.blogspot.com/

http://lunchinabox.net/

http://justbento.com/

Spicy Green Beans

This is a super easy way to upgrade plain green beans and is a staple in our house. The kids love them as long as I go easy on the red chili pepper flakes.

• 1 lb. frozen whole green beans (sometimes labeled as fancy long or haricot vert)
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-3 tsp. red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. salt

Toss all ingredients together in a shallow, oven-save dish. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes, or until beans are shriveled and slightly caramelized.

Go To Pasta

I'm sure that everyone who cooks has a "go-to" pasta dish. You know the one that pleases everyone and you hope that one day your children will remember fondly as mom's pasta dish. My "go-to" pasta dishes seem to change every couple of years. At one time, when I was a starving student, it was simple spaghetti sauce, then traditional macaroni and cheese and when I lived in California my favorite pasta dish to cook was one with heirloom tomatoes, garlic, torn basil and fresh Parmesan, with a drizzle of basalmic vinegar.

Our current favorite is one I got from Donna Hay's "Off the Shelf" and it can be used with lots of different types of pasta, and doesn't cost much to make. This recipe works well with left-over roast chicken or turkey, as all bits of the poultry can be used, not just breasts as the recipe states.

Lemon Chicken Pasta

• 400g spaghetti or linguine
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. salted capers, rinsed
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 small red chillies, seeded and chopped (I use dried chili flakes and season according to tastes)
• 3 cooked chicken breast fillets, shredded
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped basil leaves (I use about 1-2 tbsp dried)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place the pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain. While the pasta is cooking, heat a deep frying pan over high heat. Add the oil, capers, garlic and chillies and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and lemon zest and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the chicken is heated through. Add the pasta to the pan with the lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper and toss to combine, Place in serving bowls and top with Parmesan. Serves 4.