Salade Niçoise - 229 calorie bento

I am always on the watch for small things that can fit in a bento box. This past week I was lucky enough to find quail eggs and teeny tiny potatoes - I inmediately thought Salade Niçoise! I made a batch for dinner and separated some for my lunch bento. Hubbie loves salads and this one was a big hit. I love this composed salad - it is very filling!

Bento Content:

• Teeny Tiny Potatoes (boiled whole - they were soooo creamy!) (35)
• Quail Eggs - hard boiled (56)
• Grape Tomatoes (12)
• Carrots (18)
• Light Tuna packed in water (60)
• Romaine Lettuce (8)
• Steamed Haricot Vert (15)
• Black Olives (25)

Total Bento: 229 calories

Black Bean Pinwheels - 370 calorie Bento

Pinwheels are the most versatile portable lunch ever. Best of all, you can fill it with whatever you want. I confess I use up a lot of leftovers for them. I've made sweet ones and I've made savory ones - you name it! The trick to keep them from unrolling on you is to spread something semi-wet and preferably a bit thick and sticky, like soft cheese, mayo - you get the picture. Today I used Black Bean spread.

Bento Content:

• Black Bean Spread with Minced Cilantro and Jalapeno peppers Pinwheels (189)
• Grape Tomatoes (21)
• Lite Cheddar Cheese (80)
• Baby Carrots - chopped (15)
• Kellog's crackers (65)

Total Bento: 370 calories

Salmon & Asparagus & Butterbean - 243 calorie Bento

This turned out to be a pretty good combination - I love asparagus and salmon together, but adding a creamy side of Butterbeans? Gotta love the mouth feel on this!

Bento Content:

• Roasted Asparagus (45)
• Baked Salmon (125)
• Butterbeans in light Tomato Sauce (63)
• Romainne Lettuce & Grape Tomato Salad (10)

Total Bento: 243 calories

Chili Lime Chicken & Tomato Skewers - 258 calorie Bento

The meat for this lunch came from Trader Joe's. One Chili Lime Chicken Burger sure went a long way for this bento! I basically cooked it and cut it up into squares, added grape tomatoes and skewered them all. For skewers I used food picks I found at The Cristmas Tree Store. This was one spicy meal!

Bento Content:

• Chili Lime Chicken Burger (150)
• Grape Tomatoes (21)
• Shredded Romaine Lettuce (4)
• Savory Thin Mini Crackers (53)
• Spicy Fat-Free Black Bean Dip (30)

Total Bento : 258 calories

Organic Black Bean Soup & Salami - 254 calorie Bento

I found an organic black bean soup at Trader Joe's during the weekend. I bought to give it a whirl and it was quite tasty. I like a little spice, so I added a little bit of hot sauce. Perfect!

Bento Content:

• TJ's Organic Black Bean Soup (130)
• Shredded Romaine Lettuce (4)
• Small Grape Tomatoes (10)
• Mini Sausage Rounds - cooked (110)

Total Bento: 254 calories

Spicy Mini Turkey Meatballs & Baby Lima Beans - 271 calorie Bento

During the weekend I made a few things to freeze for when I didn't have anything handy. One of these things were the Spicy Mini Turkey Meatballs. I froze them then I nuked them before putting them in the bento (I let them cool, because then my spinach would have wilted!).

The baby lima beans were from a frozen bag. I simply took the frozen baby lima beans, put in one of those microwave bags, added a cup of tomato sauce and a pinch of Pizza Seasoning. Nuked it and that was that! Very tasty!

Bento Content:

• Baby Lima Beans in Tomato Sauce (117)
• Spicy Mini Turkey Meatballs (138)
• Campari Tomatoes (11)
• Baby Spinach (5)

Total Bento : 271 calories

Spicy Black Bean Spread Pinwheels & Salad - 235 calorie Bento

This was a very, very quick bento to put together. It was also very tasty! The pinwheel filling is simply Trader Joe's Spicy Black Bean Spread/Dip. I was going to put some meat in it, but decided against it. I made the right choice! No need for meat this time.

Bento Content:

• Spicy Black Bean Pinwheels (208)
• Green Leaf Lettuce & Grape Tomato Salad (27)

Total Bento: 235 calories

Roast Beef w/Horseradish & Roasted Flat Beans - 223 calorie Bento

Well, I find this to be a non-photogenic bento...but very, very tasty!

I can't get enough of roasted green beans. These beans happen to be flat beans. This recipe transforms green beans into carmelized pieces of heavenly veggie-ness (you know what I mean). It will not work with French Beans (Haricot Vert - the skinny ones). You will need a meatier veggie because the flavor really comes out once they start to shrivel a little and get a bit brown. If you use the skinny ones, there will be no substance to nibble on!

Bento Content:

• Roasted Flat Beans (15)
• Mushroom Barley (14)
• Roast Beef & Horseradish Sandwich (194)

Total Bento : 223 calories