#28 Pescatarian Bento

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.

#18 Alfredo Bento

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!

#8 Wonton Bento

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.

#4 Sushi Bento!

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

Yum!