bento lunchbox boy: Tuesday, December 7

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tuesday, December 7

Not the most inspiring lunch today, but pretty good from a nutritional standpoint, I guess. Tomorrow is hot lunch -- pizza day. I have to admit, as much as I prefer making lunch and having control over the ingredients, I do look forward to having one day where I don't have to scramble to get the bento box washed or worry over what I'm going to make.

• whole wheat shells with shakey cheese (parmesan)
• broccoli
• whole wheat bread with soy butter
• blueberries
• water
• morning snack: water, strawberry cereal bar**

** I realized recently that a lot of these cereal/granola bars have nuts, which they don't allow in E's classroom for morning snack. (Lunch is OK since they have designated "nut-free" tables.) Any suggestions for high-quality cereal/granola bars without nuts? Today I gave him a cereal bar from Whole Foods, their 365 brand, which are good and not expensive, but it would be nice to have other options.

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The Soup Project: 52 Weeks of Vegan Soups

Week 21

17 Bean & Barley

from the back of the bag of Trader Joe's 17 Bean & Barley mix

• 1 bag of 17 Bean & Barley mix from Trader Joe's

• veggie broth (about 6 cups)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, chopped**

• 1 tsp. dried basil

• fresh garlic, chopped**

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 tea. Italian seasoning

• 1 large can tomatoes (I used whole and crushed them)

• salt, pepper

NOTE:

-- bell pepper: I used about 1/3 bag of frozen peppers from Trader Joe's instead.

-- chopped garlic: The recipe calls for 1 clove. In my opinion, one clove is basically like using no cloves! I used 3 good-sized cloves.

Beans: Either soak overnight or, if you forget like I did, cover the beans in triple their volume of cold water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cook uncovered for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let sit for at least an hour.

In a separate pan, saute carrots, onion, and celery in a good amount of olive oil. Once fairly soft, add garlic, pepper, and dried spices. Stir, cook for a few more minutes. Add broth, bay leaf, and canned tomato. Cook for a few minutes. Add beans. (Note: The recipe said to drain the bean liquid. I used some of it in the soup. I figured it would have a lot of flavor, so why waste it?) Simmer covered for about an hour or until desired tenderness. Be sure to check liquid level from time to time, adding more as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Would I make again? YES! Super hearty soup with a rich tomato base. Yum. This soup takes awhile to make because the beans take awhile to cook, but other than that, it's easy and so perfect for another rainy week like we're having here in Boston!

Why are we doing this?

We're doing this because we thought it would be fun. My little guy (I'll call him E) is starting kindergarten and will be taking lunch to school in his brand new, spiffy bento box. We are going to photograph his lunch -- before he eats it, of course! -- and share the photos, along with recipes. (Disclaimer: We are not forging new ground here. There are a bunch of similar sites out there doing this. I will add a list of them soon! Enjoy — or laugh at me, take your pick!

Note: I am vegan, E is vegetarian.

bento lunchbox boy

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tuesday, December 7

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