Simple Quesadilla Bento

Often I am in a bit of a rush, and I need something quick and easy to throw into my bento box. I had two tortillas from La Tortilla Factory leftover in the bread box, and it wasn't enough to make a meal for myself and my hubby, but it's just enough for a bento!

I thinly sliced pepper jack cheese and took a slice of deli turkey meat and placed that between two tortillas in a pan over medium heat. I flipped it after the cheese got melty, then let it cool while I added the grapes and carrots to the bento box. Then I cut up the quesadilla and popped it into the box. A simple bento, and still tasty.

Chow Mein Bento

Leftovers are a great bento ingredient! I had a bit of pork chow mein leftover from our dinner the other night, so I added it to this bento for a tasty lunch.

I actually think chow mein is just as tasty cold as it is hot, so this one works as a summer bento too! Also in this lunch: steamed edamame, carrots, grapes, and a little red radish. 

Happy bentoing!

Spanish Tortilla Bento

Today's bento features a Spanish dish that I was first introduced to in Germany, ha ha! I was on exchange there and some other girls also on the same exchange (but from Spain) cooked up this meal for us called "Tortilla". Now this tortilla is different than the one most of us in the US are used to, namely the corn or flour breads we eat with tacos.

This tortilla is a potato filled omelette. I found a great recipe/tutorial here for making this Spanish staple. You can eat it hot or cold. I had most of the tortilla for dinner with my husband, and used the leftovers in this bento. I added onions and a bit of red bell pepper to the tortilla. Also in this bento: kalamata olives, carrots, prosciutto, jalapeno jack cheese, and grapes, with a little sprig of parsley. 

Pulled Pork Bento

The weather turned a little cool today so it was perfect for this lunch of leftover pulled pork.

I doctored the pulled pork a bit with some sriracha sauce and bbq sauce, and a bit of cheddar cheese. Ooo, tasty! The crackers are some quite ones that are kind of like little breads, so not super crispy. They are a Spanish brand and apparently Rafael Nadal loves them (his pic was on the package). I also have slices of green pepper and cauliflower, plus a little Snickers bite. Happy bentoing!

Yogurt Chicken Bento

This is a leftovers bento I made for lunch today. I had prepared a kind of Indian supper for me and the hubs this past weekend (perfect for St. Patrick's Day, right?!?) and I assembled it in a small Tupperware to take to work.

In this bento: yellow lentil dahl, white rice, cilantro, chopped tomato, and yogurt spiced chicken. I prepared the chicken thighs using some plain yogurt, salt, pepper, and a lemongrass sweet curry spice mixture that I picked up at Savory Spice Shop in Santa Rosa. I let the chicken thighs marinate for a bit in that mixture, then seared them in a pan for a few minutes on each side and finished them in the oven for about 20 minutes. They were quite tasty, and also made great leftovers. 

Happy bentoing!

In Flight Birthday Bento

Tomorrow is my birthday and I am headed to the Seattle area for a quick trip to see my family. I am really excited to see my little niece, I just love her so! We get to so an Auntie and Me swim class together. She just turned 1 year old, so I think it will be more splashing than swimming. :) And of course, a flight of any kind if a great excuse to make bento! Why pay a ton of money for uninspired airplane food?

In this bento: a hard boiled egg, steamed edamame, slices of aged white cheddar cheese, a few baby carrots, a few radishes, some raw broccoli, and a couple of soppressata salami roll-ups. This and the complimentary adult beverage that I get on my flight to Seattle will do nicely. (I love flying Alaska Airlines! Free beer!)

Enchilada Monster Bento

This is a quick bento that I fashioned out of leftovers. I had made some chicken enchiladas (which my hubby and step daughter scarfed down), and I managed to save enough for a lunch serving the next day. With a few little additions, I turned this chicken enchilada into a monster! The bento that bites you back!

Also in this bento: steamed edamame and sliced radishes. The monster face was made with pepper jack cheese and slices of black olive.