bento lunchbox boy: Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thursday, March 17, 2011

This has been the week of no bento lunches. Monday and Tuesday were sick days for E, yesterday he bought hot lunch (pizza, of course), and tomorrow he has asked to buy hot lunch, too (grilled cheese). So today is IT! Looking at the blog and seeing the soup recipe, I'm wishing I had made more. It was so good but it went quickly. Next time I'll double it!

• bean smash sandwich (smashed cannellini beans with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil, on whole wheat pita bread)
• raspberries
• carrot sticks and cucumber slices
• homemade vegan brownies**
• water
• morning snack: water, cereal bar

** vegan brownies, from The Garden of Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer, page 191

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup dry sweetener (I used regular sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1/3 cup oil (the recipe says olive oil but I used canola)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, sweetener, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add soy milk, oil, nuts (if using). Stir until just mixed. Pour into lightly oiled 8x8 baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick/fork comes out clean.

These brownies are really good, but cake-like, not gooey. I like gooey better so the next time I make them, I'll probably add a little more oil and take them out of the oven a few minutes earlier.

4 comments:

Mary Tamer said...: Ms. Hough, love the sound of the bean sandwich. Do you just drain and rinse the beans or do you heat them first? Your fan, MT; March 17, 2011 at 10:22 AM
bentoboy said...: Fan MT, I'm glad you asked. I just drain and smash. Super easy. For E, I keep it simple: a little salt, pepper, and olive oil to make it spreadable. I sometimes add a few drops of water if it still seems too thick. You can easily use any kind of bean. When I make this for me, I'll usually add chopped fresh garlic, maybe some chopped parsley.... hum.; March 17, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey, I just made some vegan brownies too! My first. :) The recipe was quite similar to yours (well, Tanya & Sarah's ;) except that it also required some chopped up vegan chocolate. They were gooood!

I'm a newbie vegan and got Sarah Kramer's solo cookbook for my B-day (La Dolce Vegan!). Tried about 5 recipes until now and they were all a success!

Added your blog to my feed reader.; March 19, 2011 at 6:37 AM
bentoboy said...: Gnoegnoe, thanks for writing. I'm going to check out your site, too. I made vegan chocolate chip bars this weekend. So good. Basically, I veganize the recipe off of the back of the chocolate chips that you can buy at Trader Joe's. Works everytime. Happy to send you the recipe if you don't have a TJ's near you!; March 22, 2011 at 2:30 PM

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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

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thursday, March 17, 2011

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