3 Bento #208 - Beef Stir Fry Noodles & Veg

So we are in the middle of our third week of school!  It's a bit of an adjustment (OMG, waking up at 6ish am every morning is KILLING ME) but we are excited about what the year holds.  I volunteered to be room mom again, so I have some work cut out for me, but since I'm crazy and love all that organizational stuff (charts, calendars and to-do lists) I think I'll do okay.  Once or twice a week I let Ella get school lunch, which is amazingly healthy, for the most part.  Yesterday they had a fruit/yogurt/peanut butter plate and salad as a choice.  Love it!  Takes a little pressure off me.  

Today's lunch is delicious.  I made my Korean barbecue stir fry with carrots, bell peppers and spring onions. 

Bento #208 - Korean stir fry with noodles, organic carrots, yellow bell peppers and spring onions, frozen blackberries, and multivitamins.  Snack - Applesauce and spiced nuts.  

0 Bento #207 - Scrambled Eggs & Ham

I think one of the best simple meals in the world is scrambled eggs.  It's even better with a little baked ham and cheese (or cream cheese if you want to just die of bliss.)  I scrambled a couple of free-range eggies with some ham and shredded cheese.

Fresh kiwi and sweet corn-off-the-cob round out this lunch!  We also have some of the Indian Spiced Nuts as part of her afternoon snack.

Bento #207 - Scrambled eggs with ham & cheese, fresh sliced kiwi, and sweet corn.  Snack - Apple carrot Apple Crusher and Indian spiced nuts.

0 Indian Spiced Nuts with Coconut

I just love these toasted nuts!  This is Aarti Sequeira's recipe called Newspaper Nuts: Indian Spiced Nuts with Coconut from her Food Network show Aarti Party.  This was a fun snack to prepare with Miss E.

Just three differences in the way I made mine.

1. I used peanuts and almonds (that I had to crack myself...that's some perseverance!  E helped me a lot.) instead of all pecans since I only had a few.

2.  I added 2 tablespoons of Modern Day Masala organic garam masala instead of 2 TEASPOONS, (whoops...but it totally worked anyway.) By the way, Modern Day Masala has some amazing spice mixes!!  Their Butter Chicken mix is out of this world good.

3. I added a fair sprinkling of brown sugar.  There is nothing like a sweet and salty snack.

Voila!  Highly recommend.

2 Bento #193 - Egg Fried Rice & Corn off the Cob

This is the second-to-last school bento of the year!  I can't believe school is out on Wednesday.  Wow!  And a big congrats to my baby sis who graduated yesterday from UMD with her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism! 

We got two nice ears of organic yellow corn in our CSA basket this week.  Delicious!  It's kind of a rarity in our house because corn is really starchy, but it was nice for a change, very sweet.  The rice is leftover restaurant fare, not my usual, but E liked it. It's just got egg in it, which makes this bento vegetarian.

So, when is your last day of school?  Any vacation plans?

Bento #193 - Egg fried rice, organic corn, organic cantaloupe, pistachios and a cheese stick.

0 Bento #180 - Grilled Ham & Cheese "Apples"

Today's a PlanetBox lunch with grilled ham & cheese cut into apples.  I think you can tell when I need to get to the store when we have dried fruit, but it's still healthy and very convenient, and they come unsweetened.  I always have a few bags on hand for lunches and as additions into quick breads.

Bento #180 - Grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, carrot chips, roasted peanuts, dried blueberries, cherries and banana chips and vitamins (multi/iron, calcium and Omega-3.)

5 Citrus-Maple Baked Pears

Kinda early in the season for baked pears, right?  Well, those of you in colder climes might enjoy this little comfort until the green shoots of spring decide to poke their bonny tips through the frost.  

I got this idea from my Thai cooking class with Chef John Wilson a few weeks ago, and I've tweaked it a little here.  The recipe couldn't be simpler, there really is no measuring involved so you can't go wrong.

You'll need:

Firm baking pears (like Bosc)

chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts

chopped dried fruit like cranberries, figs or dates

orange juice

maple syrup or honey

salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

First, scoop out the cores with a melon baller or spoon.  Arrange the cored pears in a baking dish sprayed with a little cooking spray.  Then add the tiniest sprinkling of salt over the pears.  It helps bring out the flavor. 

Put an equal amount of nuts and fruit in the hollowed out cores, and then drizzle into the cavity equal parts maple syrup and orange juice.  What I have pictured here is way, way more than you will actually need.

Make sure it stays in the hollow, otherwise it will burn in the pan.  I know this, because I tried poaching them in orange juice.  Let's just say it doesn't work too well, and your elbows will be hurting from all the scrubbing you'll have to do afterwards.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center can be easily pierced with a fork.

Serve with some delicious vanilla bean ice cream!

Citrus-Maple Baked Pears

You'll need:

Firm baking pears (like Bosc)

chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts

chopped dried fruit like cranberries, figs or dates

orange juice

maple syrup or honey

salt

-Preheat oven to 350F.

-First, scoop out the cores with a melon baller or spoon.  

-Arrange the cored pears in a baking dish sprayed with a little cooking spray.  

-Then add the tiniest sprinkling of salt over the pears.  It helps bring out the flavor.  

-Put an equal amount of nuts and fruit in the hollowed out cores, and then drizzle into the cavity equal parts maple syrup and orange juice.  Make sure it stays in the hollow, otherwise it will burn in the pan.  

-Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center can be easily pierced with a fork.

0 Basil Pesto

Is there anything better on crusty Italian bread than fresh pesto?  I can't think of much else...bruschetta, maybe.  But pesto is WAY up there.


Ingredients


2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (1 one tray of frozen cubes of basil - I like Dorot brand from TJ's)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts and/or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Rinse the basil, and measure out your nuts.

 As you can see, I used both pine nuts and walnuts.

If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil. 

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor.  

Or, you can use this nifty frozen basil.

Now, a note about the frozen basil.  I didn't actually have fresh leaf basil in the house when I decided to make pesto, but I had just picked up a tray of fresh frozen cubes of basil.  I get it from Trader Joe's, and the brand is Dorot.  I was hesitant to try it, but decided to go for it.  

Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula.

Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I needn't have worried about using the frozen basil.  I took this to a party and everyone raved, and my husband scarfed the rest of it down later.  It is delicious!