Hello Maia, Hello Kitty

I just have to admit that Maia is the star today and put her pics first...





















She can now point to her dress and say "Hello Kitty". And her tights are even Hello Kitty. Thank you to my friend Lissa in Canada for sending this wonderful outfit Maia's way!!

On to the bento...
Ryan's lunch: veggie crackers; cucumber rounds; soy cheese cubes; a pickle; gel cup; roasted almonds; half an avocado (covered with a mini baran to lessen browning); spicy baked tofu; rice; bok choy & chik'n strips.

Facebook Bento

So my latest Bento: Impossible challenge was born of random suggestions from friends on Facebook. I took the first 3 suggestions and vowed to turn them into the main dish of a bento lunch.
Ryan's lunch: avocado, bbq tempeh & couscous wrap; 2 chocolate chip cookies; steamed broccoli; cantaloupe.

The wrap was a little
messy with couscous
as a filling, so I included
a Pikachu spork in his
lunchbox just in case.

I've been changing my
bbq tempeh recipe over
and over during the past few weeks. Finally I've opted to post the one my husband liked best, since he's usually the most critical. I like it because it's darker and not too tomato-y (I've never cared for bbq sauces made with tomato paste as a base), plus it's really simple. And my husband likes its moistness.

This recipe is full of estimates. I may come back later with more precise measurements, but I'm not one to measure everything exactly.
If you're using this for a packed lunch, it's easy to assemble the bbq sauce the night before, slice the tempeh, and cover it to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Then just pop it in the oven while you're making breakfast and it's ready in no time!

BBQ Tempeh

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T blackstrap molasses
1/2-1 T ground cumin
1/2-1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T smoked paprika (or 1 T regular paprika + 1/4-1/2 tsp. liquid smoke)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 package tempeh
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the first 7 ingred-
ients in a baking dish.
Slice the tempeh into
strips. Toss in the bbq
sauce. Sprinkle with
salt.

Bake in a 350F (180C)
oven for 20-25 minutes.

For use in the wraps, I
sliced the tempeh again
lengthwise after cooking
so that I had nice thin
strips.

For the couscous, I just
followed the directions on
a box of dried couscous, using the whole box with 2 cups water, 1 T olive oil, & 1 cube vegetable bouillon. Couscous is probably the easiest rice-like pasta to cook. You just boil the water, add the couscous, cover, turn off the heat, and come back later to fluff it up and serve. Thanks for reminding me about couscous Marianne! I hadn't used it in so long!

Garlic eScape

When I think of how many garlic scapes are wasted in commercial production of garlic bulbs...oh that must be an aromatic landfill!

Garlic scapes are the top curly
tendril of a garlic plant where
it flowers. To increase the energy
a plant devotes to growing a head
of garlic, the scape is removed.

The scape has a milder garlic
flavour than the bulb. It can be
used raw in many recipes, or
sauteed for a delicate flavour that
doesn't overpower other ingredients.

To determine which part of
the garlic scape is the most
edible tender part, I recommend
snapping it like you would a
stalk of asparagus. Bend it near
the top and along the thick bottom
of the stalk, as I've indicated here
with the vegetable peelers. A
smaller younger stalk will have
more usable parts than older
longer stalks.

Garlic Scape Infusion

1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 garlic scapes, diced
pinch of salt
2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil over low heat.
Add garlic scapes & salt.
Cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
Add parsley and cook for 1
more minute.
Remove garlic & parsley
with slotted spoon or pour
oil carefully into a dipping
dish.

This treatment gives olive oil
a subtle garlic taste, great for dipping slices of warm herb bread. You can also serve the chunky part as a more pungent dip or puree it like a tapenade.

Garlic Scape & White Bean Hummus

1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans,
rinsed & drained
1 can (15.5 oz.) chick peas, rinsed
& drained
2 T. tahini
6-8 garlic scapes, chopped
1 green onion (scallion), chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/3-1/2 cup water

Put everything in a food processor (I use a Cuisinart), adding water slowly as hummus mixes.

Potato Salad with Avocado
and Garlic Scapes

10-12 new white potatoes,
cut into large bite-sized pieces
2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 medium purple onion,
finely chopped
6-8 garlic scapes, thinly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1/3 cup Vegannaise
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1 T. lime or lemon juice
1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
fresh ground pepper to taste

Cut potatoes and boil in water for about 20 minutes, or until just tender.
Drain and place in a large bowl. Add vinegar, onion, garlic scapes & salt. Mix gently. Chill until cooled.
In a medium bowl, mash avocado. Add Vegannaise, mustard powder & lime juice. Stir. Add to potatoes. Top with cilantro & black pepper.

Eat in, Eat Out

Lots of great meals this
week--almost too much to
post! We ate well at home
and were out for dinner 3
times this week. Wow.

Saturday: whole grain pasta
with spinach, broccoli &
lemon pepper sauce; meat-
less meatballs; tomato slices;
beets w/Goddess dressing;
green grapes; blueberries.

Sunday: salad w/tomato &
balsamic vinegar; orange
slices; banana walnut bread;
spinach rice pilaf; red &
green bell pepper strips;
teriyaki tofu; peas & corn.

Monday:
Canadian "Bacon" Quiche

1 lb. firm water-packed tofu
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. turmeric
1 T. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
4 rounds veggie Canadian
bacon
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
2 scallions, diced
4 oz. vegan "cheese", grated
thinly slices tomato for garnish (optional)

In a food processor, puree first 5 ingredients until smooth.
In a saute pan, heat olive oil and briefly cook veggie Canadian bacon over medium heat until it just begins to brown. Remove it from the pan and cool on a paper towel. Add onion to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 1 more minute. Add scallions and cook for 1 more minute.
Cut veggie Canadian bacon into 1/2 inch squares.
Grate the "cheese".
In a bowl, combine tofu mixture, "bacon", onion, peppers & scallions, & "cheese". Mix with a fork. Spread in an oiled round glass baking dish, smoothing top with a spatula. Add tomato slices on top for a garnish.
Bake in a 375 degree over 35-40 minutes.

Ryan's lunch: slice of tofu quiche; steamed broccoli; strawberries & kiwi; slice of banana walnut bread; spinach rice pilaf.

AJ's snack: saltine crackers;
pumpkin miso muffin;
grapes; broccoli; apple
slices; a carrot.





Husband's lunch: slice of
tofu quiche; broccoli;
strawberries & kiwi;
pretzels; 1/2 an avocado.




I veganized an appetizer from
a Pillsbury appetizer magazine
I got at the supermarket to
make these stuffed tomatoes:
avocado, cucumber, lime, salt,
cilantro...topped with Tofutti
sour creme mixed with a tad
of plain soy yogurt & a little
more salt & lime, garnished
with cilantro.

Tuesday:
Ryan's Mardi Gras lunch: rice; nori mask w/cucumber feathers; broccoli; "beads" made of peas, corn & purple grapes; a Thermos of pasta & bean soup.
AJ's snack (in his new coveted "pet" bento box): rice triangle w/black sesame; broccoli; mini banana blueberry muffin; soy cheese cubes; grapes; pretzels.

Nate's lunch: mini banana
blueberry muffin; rice ball
w/black sesame seeds;
peas & corn; broccoli.




We went out for haircuts
after school, then to Hana
Sushi for dinner as usual.
Nate loved "sleeping" on
their satin pillows and
watching the new water-
fall display.

The boys scarfed down
some oshitashi, 2 bowls
of edamame, inari, and
lots of sushi. Maia had
avocado from the
nigiri sushi.

One of the waiters just
dotes on the kids every
time we're there. He
made each of them
training-chopsticks out
of the chopstick wrapper
and a rubberband. Nate
became quite handy with
his for the first time...
until now he'd just stabbed
the sushi or used his hands.

Our sushi order usually
includes kappa (cucumber),
oshinko (takuan), and a
variety of permutations of
avocado.





Wednesday:
Garden Tofu Spring Rolls

12 spring roll wrappers
a few cups of salad greens
4 oz. Westsoy Garden Herb
tofu, sliced
1/4 of a red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 of an english cucumber,
sliced
1 scallion, sliced in half and
lengthwise

Rinse spring roll wrappers
one at a time under
lukewarm water until soft
& pliable...you want them
rollable, but not so soggy
that they'll stick to your work
surface like plastic wrap. Rinse one and use it right away, finish a roll, then rinse the next, etc.

Place some greens, followed by the tofu, bell pepper, cucumber & scallion, and top off with a few more greens.
Roll starting on one side (like a burrito), fold over the top & bottom, then continue rolling the rest.

Ryan's
lunch:
spring
roll;
"cat"
rice
balls;
grape
halves;
orange
gel cup;
blood
orange
slices.





AJ's snack: grape halves;
rice balls; cucumber
slices; cubed garden herb
tofu.





Thursday:

Ryan's
Lorax
lunch:
rice;
broccoli;
salad
greens
(hiding
3 meat-
less
meatballs;
carrot &
takuan
Lorax;
takuan
& nori
tree
trunk;
red bell pepper tree; soy cheese letters. Not shown: side of strawberry applesauce.

I was running low on frozen rice...I actually reheated a rice heart that I didn't end up using for Valentine's week and spread it on the bottom of the bento, filling in the rest of it with the meatless meatballs and covering it with greenery. Since it wasn't as full as usual, I added a side of applesauce to make sure Ryan had enough to eat!

AJ's snack & Nate's lunch:
mini pumpkin miso muffin;
grapes or strawberries;
broccoli; a pickle; meatless
meatballs.

Nate was very excited to
choose what picks to put
in his lunch. He made sure
that both his meatballs had
an apple fork.

In the evening we all went to
the elementary school's birthday
celebration for Dr. Seuss. The
boys all signed their names on
a poster that was going to be made
into a giant birthday card.






After that they listened to stories read by the staff. Ryan was excited that his teacher was one of the people reading. The Cat In The Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were also there.

Friday:
Ryan's lunch: pbj burger sandwich; Lake Champlain dark chocolate; a carrot; green beans; fruit salad.

Salad Resolutions

I am not a big salad eater (yeah, I know most omnis think vegans eat nothing but rabbit food), at least not the traditional house salad served aside so many entrees in the average restaurant. But if you're trying to boost your greens consumption or increase your raw food intake, a salad is probably a familiar start.
So here are a few I do enjoy...

The first is my take on a
favourite of both myself &
my husband. A caribbean
fusion restaurant named
Ortanique located in the
Paris hotel & casino in Las
Vegas recently closed, much
to our dismay. The restaurant
had become one of our
destination locations strictly because of a simple salad, so that's saying something!!

Tropical Salad a la Ortanique

a few cups fresh mesclun (baby salad greens)
1/2 of a ripe mango, julienned
1 heart of palm (I use the jarred variety), julienned (easy to do as they act like string cheese)
candied pecans or walnuts (you can buy them at stores like Trader Joes, or make your own by toasted nuts in a dry pan, then adding a little sugar to carmelize, but don't let them burn!)
1-2 tsp. citrus-infused grapeseed oil

Pile a plate with greens, top with remaining ingredients in a visually appealing fashion, drizzling the oil over everything at the end.

Chunky Guac Salad

1/8-1/4 of a red onion
1 T. lime juice
1 ripe avocado
1 ripe tomato
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
a pinch of salt

Slice the red onion into a wedges and separate pieces. Drizzle with lime juice. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
Slice avocado & tomato. Toss with onion & lime juice.
Top with cilantro and a pinch of salt.

(If you don't care for raw onion, feel free to roast it tossed in olive oil first, or you might prefer a smaller amount of very thinly sliced onion instead.)

Roasted Vegetable Salad

1 head broccoli
2 cups large button
mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cups salad greens
1-2 T. balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Wash broccoli & cut into bite-size florets.
Brush or wash mushrooms & cut into quarters.
Wash cherry tomatoes.
Place all 3 vegetables on a baking sheet and drizzle/toss with olive oil. Bake in a 400F oven until broccoli begins to brown and tomatoes burst, 10-20 minutes.
Place greens in a large salad bowl. Top with warm roasted vegetables & drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper.

This next salad I ordered in
a Korean BBQ restaurant
in Tokyo...I mean, what else
is a vegetarian to do with a
bunch of omnis in a BBQ
joint? As it turns out, there
was also a large selection of
mushrooms brought to me
to grill adjacent to my meat-
eating friends...I kept my shrooms well away from their steak & pork though. The original salad was made with only baby spinach, but I make it often with a variety of fresh greens from our CSA share...

Korean Cold Tofu Salad

2 cups baby greens
1-2 slices firm cold tofu, cubed (the asceptic pack kind)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1-2 scallions (green onions), sliced
1 T. soy sauce

Plate the greens, top with remaining ingredients.