back to basics

It's gonna be a week of simple lunches, utilizing basic techniques anyone could use to spiff up a bento with little effort. First a lunch including some of Ryan's favourites...

Ryan's lunch: wrap pinwheels w/Tofutti cream cheese, smoked Tofurky, Vegan Gourmet monterey jack cheese, baby spinach on flax lavash; cucumber slices; apple slices; roasted almonds; gherkin pickle.

Half a piece
of wrap bread
is usually
sufficient.
First I spread
on the cream
cheese. Other
good options
are Veganaise,
mustard, a
creamy salad
dressing, or
some hummus.
Next come two
pieces of the
Tofurky, fol-
lowed by a few
strips of soy
cheese. Finally
I lay on some greens. Here I've got the first row done, to show you all the layers. Then I added a second row of greens. Always remember to leave enough space at the top to allow for shifting of ingredients when rolling. Fold up a short bit at the bottom and roll slowly and tightly.

The skins of apples, cucumbers & other fruits can easily be turned into a cheerful garnish with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Try carving the letter of your child's name, or use a tiny cookie cutter to outline a shape before you carve. Don't forget to bathe apples in a mixture of citrus & water for a few minutes to minimize browning.

Food markers can be an even easier tool for creating familiar shapes, text or characters in a lunch. Betty Crocker makes an easy to use set of 4 basic colours, perfect for drawing on cheese or other solid materials. When you don't have time to cut nori or other garnishes, a quick picture with food markers is sure to bring a smile.

Now a brief summary of my raw food from yesterday...stay tuned for a restaurant review in a few days!
8am- smoothie: 1 banana, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen mango, liquid DHA, water.
10am- 6 flax crackers.
12pm- zucchini ribbons with tomato puree (tomato, garlic, salt, olive oil).
3pm- 1 banana.
6pm- dinner at Prana Cafe!