bento4lunch

#34 Rice and Stuff Bento

2011-02-16T18:47:00.006-06:00

Bottom Tier: Jasmine Rice with a soy sauce swirl

Top Tier: Celery and carrot pieces, furikake for my rice in plastic wrap, fried soysage slices, dark chocolate almonds.

#33 Not a Bento

2011-02-16T18:27:00.008-06:00

This obviously isn't a bento lunch, but it does have 2 recipes in it that I want to write down, so here it is anyway:

In the cream cheese tub: 3 stuffed grape leaves.

Sandwich: Queso blanco, turkey bacon, and guacamole on multigrain bread.

and a peach yogurt.

Stuffed grape leaves:

Cook about 1.5 cups of any white rice you like (I used Jasmine). Cool, and mix in about 1 can of crushed tomatoes, about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a couple tablespoons of crushed garlic, and some black pepper.

Open 1 bottle of pickled grape leaves, and rinse them under running water (if you don't do this, they will be way too salty to eat. Put about 1 tablespoon of rice mixture into the middle of each leaf and roll it like a burrito. Pack the stuffed leaves into a deep soup pan. When the pan is full, sprinkle it all over with about 1/4 cup olive oil, and add enough veggie broth where you can see it under the first couple of layers. Cover and cook on medium-low for a couple of hours. When finished, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over all the leaves.

Guacamole:

1 avocado

3 cherry tomatoes, or half a normal tomato

a few sprigs of cilantro

1 garlic clove

juice of quarter-half lime or

Put everything in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet), and blend until you get the consistency you want.

Here's what it looked like on my sandwich:

#32 Comfort Pasta Bento

2011-02-16T17:57:00.007-06:00

Top Tier: Baked bow-tie pasta

Bottom Tier: Red cabbage and carrot salad dressed with salad oil, salt, and lemon juice

Yummy comforting baked pasta:

Cook 1 box (12 oz?) of your favorite pasta shape al dente (my pasta box said to cook the pasta for 10 minutes, but I cooked it for about 7 and a half). Mix together 1 can of your favorite cream of whatever soup (I used chicken) and a half soup-can of milk, and stir into pasta. Add some spices, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in some shredded cheese (I used an Italian blend). Pour everything into an oven-safe dish. Top with some smashed crackers (I used whole wheat Saltines), and some more cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melty and a little browned.

You could also add some veggies in there if you want. As I was trying it, I thought it might be good with some frozen peas, or maybe some asparagus (although I would have used fresh-I have a consistency issue with most pre-cooked veggies).

This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven:

#31 Veggie Soup Bento

2011-01-16T14:58:00.007-06:00

Twist-top container: Creamy roasted vegetable soup with fresh basil

Glass container: mini biscuit with turkey bacon and colby-jack cheese, broccoli, celery, carrots, grapes.

Roasted veggie soup:

Peel 2 sweet potatoes, 1 parsnip, 3 carrots, and 3 celery stalks, and cut into 1-inch squares. Toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until the veggies are soft and golden brown around the edges. At the same time, make some roasted garlic from the recipe in this post. Let veggies cool, and then blend them (I used my Magic Bullet) with some veggie broth (enough to accomplish blending). Pour it all into a pot, stir in more broth until it's almost as liquidy as you want. Heat on medium, and stir in any spices you want to taste (I used a seasoning salt, some cayenne pepper, and some fresh basil). When soup is hot, add about 1/5 of the volume milk. Stir, and enjoy!

*Celery Tip- If you hate those celery strings that always clump up after cooking, peel them off with a veggie peeler before slicing. I do this every time I use celery, even if I'm just going to eat it straight.

#30 Chickpea-heavy Bento

2010-12-20T12:33:00.005-06:00

Bottom Tier: salad of baby Romaine leaves and carrots with ginger miso dressing underneath.
Top Tier: 3 falafel patties, homemade hummus, some colby jack cheese cubes, strawberries

In the bag: pappadum
and: a Clementine

I made the hummus in my Magic Bullet, which is pretty cool, but not as cool as the infomercial says it is (obviously). Recipe:
1 can of chickpeas (also called Garbanzo beans)
1 clove fresh garlic
1/4 Tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 Tsp dried parsley (I will probably use fresh next time)
A couple Tbsp olive oil

Blend it!

#29 Stir-fry Bento

2010-10-20T13:04:00.005-05:00

Bottom Tier: 2 langostino wontons, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, slices of peppered salami, 1 piece of Muenster cheese.

Top Tier: wild rice blend with a stir-fry with curry tofu, carrots, baby bok choy, garlic, fresh ginger (from the garden!), and cilantro.

I also had a nectarine with this lunch.

Our homegrown ginger was an incredibly happy accident. Last spring, we had some store-bought ginger that had been around for a while, and started to grow a crown, so I decided to plant it. The greens of the plant are really beautiful, although I didn't have mine in the ground long enough for it to flower. Anyway, the point is that the ginger root that you get from growing your own plants is absolutely nothing like the kind you buy from the store. Store-bought ginger has a tough skin, and is almost grainy and hard to cut through. This ginger had a thin, papery skin that you could remove just by rubbing it, and it slices as easily as a clove of garlic. I'm probably going to try and grown some in a pot over the winter.

#28 Pescatarian Bento

2010-10-18T14:15:00.006-05:00

Baby bok choy leaves on the bottom, a mixture of broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes (from the garden!), two falafels, three wontons made with cream cheese, langostino tails, and parsley (from the garden), 1 folded-up slice of Muenster cheese. Also, I had a Minneola tangelo.

This lunch was put together in a 1 QT (950 mL) Pyrex container. It was a little much, but I ate the leftovers later in the afternoon before going to the gym.

You can find my wonton recipe in this post.

I have tried many falafel mixes over the years, including making my own, which was kind of a disaster. Falafel is one of my favorite foods, and it's a staple in our household for a quick and easy veggie lunch (my husband is a vegetarian, although I'm not). In any case, I've found my favorite brand: Casbah. The falafel get nice and crispy in the pan without having to deep fry them, and there is plenty of spice in the mix. I've started buying them by the case from on amazon.com.

#27 Gnocchi Bento

2009-10-28T12:11:00.004-05:00

Bottom Tier: Gnocchi with pesto and pine nuts
Top Tier: Orange slices, chocolate raspberry sticks, black tea bag

Gnocchi is a pasta made with potato flour. It's really delicious, and quick to cook. You can buy it dried, but I prefer the frozen kind. The pesto sauce was simple olive oil and basil.

#26 Wrap Bento

2009-10-27T13:11:00.005-05:00

Top Tier: Spinach tortilla with mayo, salami, and colby jack, cut in half; goldfish crackers, dark chocolate-covered almonds
Bottom Tier: Salad of Romaine lettuce and carrots, with peppercorn ranch dressing underneath.

#25 Veggie Pasta Bento

2009-08-20T13:18:00.003-05:00

Top Tier: Cucumber (from the garden!) and carrot slices
Bottom Tier: Capellini with a triple tomato and asparagus sauce
Hidden: Chocolate square in the lid

This sauce is made with 3 kinds of tomatoes- raw cherry tomatoes (from the garden!), bottled stewed plum tomatoes, and sun dried tomatoes.
Recipe:
Saute some asparagus in a little olive oil and salt (I prefer using fresh asparagus as opposed to frozen, because it doesn't fall apart as easily). When the asparagus is cooked through (about 5 minutes on medium heat), add thinly-sliced garlic, and saute for another couple of minutes. Add sun dried tomato pieces, and whole cherry tomatoes. Cover pan so that the tomatoes will burst from the heat. Then, add a couple of the stewed tomatoes, and crush/mix them with the rest of the sauce. Add any spices to taste (I used ground black pepper and an Italian seasoning mix), pour sauce over pasta , mix, and top off with some Parmesan cheese.

#24 Orange Bento

2009-08-19T10:22:00.003-05:00

Bottom Tier: leftover takeout- enchilada and 1/2 of a quesadilla
Top Tier: 2 apricot halves, cut-up carrot, trail mix as filler.

#23 Pita Pizza Bento

2009-08-16T10:04:00.004-05:00

It's been months since I posted! I've been packing bento lunches pretty much daily, but have been too lazy to photograph/post them. Here's one I found in my camera from June or so (I think):

Bottom tier: Whole wheat pita with tomato sauce, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, and Buffalo mozarella slices

Top tier: cucumber (from the garden!), strawberries, grapes, tiny homemade lemon poppyseed muffin with orange glaze.

I will try to get back in the game starting.... NOW!

#22 Adult Quesadillas Bento

2009-04-22T21:21:00.005-05:00

Bottom Tier: 2 Spinach-Feta Quesadillas
Top Tier: Strawberries, chocolate square

The spinach in our garden is getting a little out of control, so we had to harvest a bunch. These quesadillas were a natural choice, because they're so delicious:
Make roasted garlic as in my very first bento blog post. While it cools, boil some veggie or chicken broth with some chopped jalapeno peppers (the number of peppers depends on how spicy you want your quesadillas). Boil for about 10 minutes, so that it reduces a little, and the pepper flavor gets infused into the broth. Then, pour it into a shallow bowl or pan through a sieve (to remove the pepper chunks). While the broth cools, chop up some spinach into small strips, and put it into a large bowl. Add crumbled feta cheese, the roasted garlic, and a little olive oil. When you are ready to cook your quesadillas, choose a frying pan that is the same size or larger than the tortillas that you will be using. Heat the pan up to about the medium setting, and add some oil. Dip each tortilla in the spicy broth mixture, and fry it for about 1 minute on each side, just to make it sticky.
After all of your tortillas have been pre-cooked, you can start adding the spinach-feta mixture and rolling up your quesadillas. Then, fry them again until golden-brown.

#21 Greek Bento

2009-04-22T19:09:00.005-05:00

Top Tier: Jasmine rice with gyro meat, hummus in the plastic container
Bottom Tier: Falafel, strawberries, carrot chunks
In the Lid: chocolate square

#20 Southern-Style Bento

2009-04-22T18:47:00.004-05:00

These are leftovers from Cracker Barrel, which holds a very special tiny space in my heart.

Bottom Tier: Roast beef, pinto beans, and a biscuit
Top Tier: Fried apples, strawberries

Totally not nutritious, but soooooooooo good.

New Boxes!

2009-04-22T18:18:00.003-05:00

I just bought these new boxes from Ichiban Kan. They are from the Putifresh grape series, and have some awesome Engrish: "Happy fruits is very delicious. I will eat this and will become fortunate all together!" The one on the left is two tiers, 350 mL and 250 mL, and has space in the top lid for my little fork, and something small, like chocolate squares. The box on the right has a snap-top lid which makes it spill-proof. It holds 480 mL, which is more than enough soup (or whatever). Also, both boxes are microwaveable.
I also bought some more elastic bands to hold my boxes together, two bags, some furikake, a spring roll kit, and some cookies, and my total was less than $20!

#19 Baked Potato Bento

2009-04-03T13:45:00.003-05:00

Bottom Tier: Baked potato, sour cream and Earth Balance in the silicone cup
Top Tier: Caprese salad, cheddar cheese cubes, slices of beef bologna, grapes, kiwi slices.

I have a debilitating weakness for bologna. Its a curse I'm resigned to living with.

#18 Alfredo Bento

2009-03-31T13:29:00.005-05:00

Top Tier: Shrimp fettuccine alfredo
Bottom Tier: Butter beans tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a kale leaf, strawberries, raspberries

Shrimp Recipe:
Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan around the medium setting. Wash off your shrimp, and pat them dry (if you don't do this, then your shrimp will end up rubbery and not crisped. Sprinkle with any seasoning you prefer (I have a seafood spice that I like, which includes salt, white pepper, garlic, red pepper flake, and some other stuff). Fry about 2-4 minutes on each side.

Alfredo Recipe:
If you're making the shrimp variety, remove the shrimp onto a plate and put the pan back on the heat. Add a little olive oil, and several splashes of cream. Deglaze the pan, while also making sure to stir constantly. If left alone, the cream will boil extremely quickly, and then you'll have a big mess on your hands. If you're not using shrimp or any other meat or veggie, just heat up a pan with a little olive oil and add some cream. Once the cream has reduced a little (about 3-5 minutes), add shredded cheese a little at a time, while stirring to combine. I used a mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmesan cheeses, but you can use whatever you like. Add your shrimp back in to heat up, and you're done!

#17 Squash Bento

2009-03-30T11:00:00.004-05:00

Bottom Tier: Roasted half of a tiny acorn squash, sitting on top of some almonds
Top Tier: Manchego cheese cubes, chocolate raspberry sticks, strawberries, 2 halves of a Seckel pear

Roasted Acorn Squash:
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and gooey bits. Put about 3/4 of an inch of water into a baking pan, and put the squash in skin side up (so that the "meat" of the squash can get steamed by the water). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Then, dump the water and flip the squash. At this point you can go one of two ways: (1) Add some butter, cinnamon, sugar, and little nutmeg, or (2 [this is the one I did]) drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and herbs. Bake for another 20 minutes or so.

#16 Salad Bento

2009-03-04T13:46:00.003-06:00

Top Tier: Salad with purple cabbage, carrots, and English cucumbers with ginger dressing underneath
Bottom Tier: Cubes of Manchego cheese, roasted almonds, strawberries, blueberries

#15 Take-out Leftovers Bento

2009-03-03T14:37:00.003-06:00

Top Tier: Leftover calzone from Tennessee Gyros, with lamb, tomatoes, spinach, feta, and garlic
Bottom Tier: Tzatziki for the calzone in the cup, celery, strawberries, blueberries

I've found that bentoing helps me with portion control of takeout food, because I know that I need to save some for the next day's lunch, and that if I don't, I'll have to make something later. The threat of doing any work is usually enough to make me stop eating, even when the food is as delicious as this calzone was.

#14 Stir-Fry Bento

2009-03-02T16:15:00.003-06:00

Top Tier: Stir-fry with jasmine rice, tofu, garlic, carrots (from the garden!), spinach (from the garden!), and fresh dill on top
Bottom Tier: Celery, roasted almonds, blueberries, chocolate covered raspberry sticks.

We've been prepping the garden for Spring planting, so the carrots had to come out. They were a little small, but sweet and delicious! The spinach came from our cold frame.

#13 Couscous Bento

2009-02-26T10:56:00.002-06:00

Bottom Tier: Couscous cooked in chicken stock + spices, edamame
Top Tier: English cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, 3/4 of a blood orange, chocolate square

I love using couscous, because its so versatile. I just made 2 cups of it, and ate it for several meals (a couple of times with the edamame, once with sliced hot dogs and black beans, and once just plain with some soy sauce). It keeps well in the fridge, but you have to cover it tightly with plastic, or it will dry out.

#12 Sandwich Bento

2009-02-24T11:29:00.005-06:00

Top Tier: Sandwich with "Philly Steak"-style Tofurky, cheddar, and mustard on 9-grain bread; almonds filling in the spaces
Bottom Tier: Pickle slices for the sandwich in the blue cup, celery, English cucumber, strawberries, blueberries

This was my first time trying the Tofurky, and, I have to say, it wasn't bad. I recommend frying it a little first for more meaty flavor. Also, I just noticed that on their website, they recommend using this flavor for stir-fries and fajitas, so maybe I'll try that soon.

#11 Stir-fry Bento

2009-02-23T13:43:00.006-06:00

Bottom Tier: Vegetarian stir-fry
Top Tier: Three quarters of a blood orange, cherry tomatoes, roasted almonds, chocolate square

This stir-fry recipe starts with the pan-fried tofu recipe from Bento #9, and then...
Cook whatever rice you like. When the tofu is almost done (about 5-10 minutes left), toss in some veggies, in the order that you want them from most to least cooked. For example, this time I first put in some carrot slices, waited a couple of minutes, then added some finely diced garlic and fresh ginger for a few minutes, and finally put in some purple cabbage and haricots verts for a few minutes. When all that stuff is done, put the cooked rice into the pan, add some cooking oil and soy sauce, and mix everything up. Then, turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and leave it for about 5-10 minutes. Then eat it!
If I start out with a pound of tofu, and a cup or 2 of rice, I'll end up with enough stir-fry for about 3-4 meals, and I never get sick of it. This is one of those dishes that inexplicably gets better when you reheat it.

#10 Mozzarella Bento

2009-02-17T16:02:00.003-06:00

Top Tier: Tomato and mozzarella salad
Bottom Tier: Brocolli, the ever-present strawberries, raspberries, a chocolate square.

Salad recipe:
Get some vine-ripened tomatoes, and some good mozzarella (the kind in its own liquid). Cube both and toss in a bowl. Add a couple Tbsp. of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, and either fresh or dry Italian herbs of your choice. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. Yum

#9 Tofu and Couscous Bento

2009-02-16T11:27:00.004-06:00

Bottom Tier: Tri-color couscous with pan-fried tofu cubes, with soy sauce and curry powder.
Bottom Tier: Laughing Cow Cheddar, broccoli, baby carrots, strawberries, and a chocolate square hiding underneath.

I love tofu, and this is my favorite way to cook it:
Get either firm or extra firm tofu. Cut it into cubes (or buy the cubed version). Drop the cubes into a pan (I prefer cast-iron for this) on medium heat, and add a splash of soy sauce, plus whatever spices you like. I currently prefer a a mild yellow curry powder, and some fresh-ground pepper. Cover the pan, wait around 7 minutes, and check on the tofu. It will have shrunk slightly from the water evaporation, and the sides should be starting to get brown. Stir and continue frying until its done to your satisfaction. Throw it on top of some rice or pasta or whatever, add another bit of soy sauce, and you're done!
I also sometimes like to add various veggies to this to make different sorts of stir-fries.

#8 Wonton Bento

2009-01-29T13:14:00.004-06:00

Bottom Tier: Pan-fried wontons with crab filling
Top Tier: Laughing Cow Gouda cheese, baby carrots, blueberries, strawberries, 2 Dove dark chocolate squares.

I bought the wonton wrappers in my local Publix, in the refrigerated section, and made the filling myself:
Put some cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds to soften. Stir in your favorite spices (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, and an Italian seasoning mix. Chop up some crab legs (or, if you're cheap like me, some imitation crab meat), and mix it in. I went pretty heavy on the crab to cream cheese ratio, but you can mix it to taste. Put about a teaspoon of filling into the center of each wrapper, and moisten the edges with some water. Fold and press together. Pan fry on each side.
Note- Make sure you don't overfill the wrappers, because then you might get leakage, and also the wonton won't lay flat on the pan, and it won't all cook.
Another note- Next time I'm planning on making a sweet version with cinnamon and sugar, and possibly apples. Or berries? Or craisins? The possibilities are mostly endless at this point.

#7 Salad Bento

2009-01-23T18:31:00.004-06:00

Bottom Tier: Broccoli slaw with Asian ginger dressing underneath
Top Tier: Pistachio, almond and cashew mix, garlic cheddar cubes, baby carrots, papaya spears

#5 Sick Bento

2009-01-19T16:02:00.004-06:00

Bowl: Home-made chicken soup with a drumstick, topped with fresh dill
Box: Garlic-flavored bagel crisps, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate-covered raspberry sticks

I was feeling really sick, but had to go into work anyway, so I made this soup that my mom used to make me when I was sick:
Put some chicken in a pot (I like dark meat, because it makes a more flavorful soup). Cover completely with water. Bring to a boil. This will make the meat release a foam that will float up to the top, which you can then remove with a spoon. Add some salt, some cut carrots, and a parsnip (you're also supposed to also add one whole onion, but I hate onions, so I don't). Turn the burner down to medium low, cover, and simmer for at least 1.5 hours. The more you cook it after this point, the stronger the tasty goodness will be, but I can only wait so long. Add your favorite pasta, rice, or in this particular case, farina, and allow to cook for however long said carb is supposed to cook. Top with some chopped fresh dill, and feel better!

Another note about this bento:
Since I had to use the bowl for the soup, I used one tier (and a lid) of one of my boxes for the other things.

#4 Sushi Bento!

2009-01-19T15:58:00.004-06:00

Top Tier: Imitation crab stick, avocado, carrot, and cream cheese sushi roll
Bottom Tier: Sliced strawberries and raspberries

Yum!

#3 More Salad

2008-12-23T09:21:00.004-06:00

Bottom Tier: Red cabbage and yellow carrot salad with ginger dressing
Top Tier: Soysage, cheddar cheese cubes, green tea daifuku, blackberries

Today I put the dressing in the bottom of the bowl under the salad, because it was a little messy yesterday. Also, the soysage I use is Primm Springs brand, which I believe you can only buy in stores in middle Tennessee. I did however find their website, where you can buy some, get some recipes, and also watch a pretty funny Food Network spot with the Deen brothers. In any case, I highly recommend this soysage; its the only brand that I like better than meat sausage.

#2- Asian-style Salad Bento

2008-12-22T11:53:00.005-06:00

Top Tier: Carrots, cheddar cheese cubes, red bean daifuku , and chocolate Pocky hiding underneath.
Bottom Tier: Red cabbage and carrot salad with ginger dressing.

Bento #1!

2008-12-22T11:10:00.007-06:00

Bottom Tier: Herbs and cheese mashed potatoes
Top Tier: Yellow carrot, black beans, strawberries, raspberries, chocolate-covered raspberry sticks.

Recipe for potatoes *this recipe allows for all kinds of variability:)
3 large (or 5 small) potatoes (I prefer Yukon Golds, but you can use whatever kind you like best)
2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
2 Tbsp. milk (I use 2%)
1 heaping Tbsp. sour cream or plain yogurt
as much cheese as you'd like
salt and other spices to taste (this batch had black pepper, dill weed, *garlic powder, and Italian herbs)

Boil the potatoes until fork tender (depends on the size--anywhere from 20 to 45-ish minutes). Remove them from the pot, put them in a large bowl, and mash with whatever mashing device you want. Add the butter, and stir until melted. Add the milk, sour cream, and spices, and mix. Add the cheese last, because once it starts getting all gooey, it'll be hard to incorporate anything else in there. This will make enough for your dinner, and then for lunch the next day, and then some (depending on how hungry you are, and who you share it with).

*If I make this recipe on the weekends, I will make roasted garlic for the potatoes instead of using the powder. It really makes a world of difference to the taste:
Cut a head of garlic horizontally across the middle. Place both halves open-face up on some foil (heavy-duty, or a double layer of regular). Sprinkle some extra virgin olive oil on the garlic, and use another piece of foil to cover it. I like to make a little boat out of the bottom sheet so that the oil won't leak out the sides. Then roast at 375 degrees for about 1-1.5 hours (I usually use the toaster oven), until the garlic is golden brown and really soft. Let the garlic cool, and then remove it from the shell with the end of a butter knife.
This is probably my favorite garlic flavor (although I love them all!), but you can also quick-toast your garlic for this recipe by sauteing the whole cloves on medium heat in some olive oil. This is definitely quicker, but it will give you a slightly different, more nutty taste, and you have to be super careful not to burn it, or it will get bitter and gross.

Bento Boxes!

2008-12-22T10:05:00.007-06:00

As far as I have seen, there are basically 3 common materials used for bento boxes: aluminum, plastic, and glass. My bento boxes are lacquered plastic, mostly because I wanted to be able to microwave my lunches, and they're much cheaper and more durable than glass. If you end up buying yourself some boxes, make absolutely sure that they have a "microwave OK" sticker on them (this will be a picture of a microwave with a large "OK!" next to it in English) if you plan on heating them, or even if you're just going to be putting hot foods in them. Many plastics will break down at higher temperatures, and I've even heard of paint peeling off boxes while they were being washed in hot water. Another option, if you don't care about having pretty boxes, are Lock & Lock containers, which are microwavable, seal well, and are cheap. However, I personally find that having pretty boxes encourages me to make bento lunches.

I'm actually also currently in the market for a metal thermos bento container, because its getting chilly out, and I'd like to be able to bring hot soups, tea, chili, etc. for lunch.

I currently have 3 2-tier bento boxes, along with 2 carrying bags, and 2 sets of chopsticks, which I rarely use unless I'm eating at home. They hold between 500 and 650 mL each, which is an important number to know, because, when properly balanced and filled to the brim, a 500 mL bento box will equal approximately 500 calories, etc. There are many different sizes for many different appetites, but I have found that this size satisfies me just enough that I will be hungry for dinner about 6 hours later, which is generally a good way to go.

This round bunny box holds about 550 mL, with the smaller, divided tier nesting inside the larger bowl portion. This box is really fun to use, but the round shape makes filling it to the brim pretty hard.

The butterfly box holds the largest volume of about 650 mL. Each tier has a lid, which means that they stack on each other instead of nesting. This makes for 2 identically sized tiers, which sometimes makes portioning difficult. Fortunately, there is a removable divider to help with that problem.

This large bunny box appears to be the largest, but actually holds the smallest volume of 500 mL, because the top tier nests so far in the bottom. This is the most difficult of my boxes to pack, because there are no dividers. As you can see, the top tier has a pretty safe locking lid, so I use this box mostly for slightly leaky foods that would make a mess in my other 2 boxes.

I bought all 3 of these boxes for between $15-$30 each from this E-Bay store. They have a pretty good selection which changes fairly often, and a section of Microwave OK boxes. Also, for being in Japan, their shipping costs and times are pretty reasonable.

Welcome to Bento4Lunch!

2008-12-18T15:40:00.007-06:00

Welcome!

I've recently become interested in the Japanese art of bento, and have decided to start a blog about my experience with it. In short, bento is about creating attractive meals in small portions, but with a lot of variety. Unlike may bento-ers, I don't focus specifically on Japanese cuisine in my bento lunches, because, well... I'm not Japanese. I also don't focus on making cute shapes and cutouts with my food; this is bento strictly for adults (but not, like, in a dirty way). I use recipes that I'm already familiar with, and try to emphasize freshness, simplicity, and healthfulness.

I try to make my lunches conform to 2 bento rules: first, I try to have at least 5 colors in my bento every day. This ensures that I have a good balance of foods. Second and less strictly observed, is the 3:1:2 rule, wherein there are 3 parts veggies/fruits to 1 part carbs to 2 parts proteins (by volume).

Coming up in the next post: photos and descriptions of my bento boxes!