Veggie Frittatta - 195 calorie bento

This was a very easy frittatta to make - I made two individual ones - one for me and one for hubbie. They fit quite well in these kiddie panda boxes - quite snug! The frittatta has red onion, green bell pepper, grape tomatoes and eggs, of course! I used oil spray so the mixture wouldn't stick to the individual pie pans. I then stuck them in the oven until the egg was set. Very easy, very yummy.

Bento Content:

• Veggie Frittatta (154)


• Sea Salt & Pepper Rice Crisps (38)


• Sliced Baby Zucchini (2)


• Condiments (1)

Total Bento: 195 calories

Pinwheels - 346 calorie bento

There is something strange going on with blogger - my Bento Partakers no longer appear on the blog! It seems that this might be a known issue - I'm trying to investigate what is going on. I haven't taken you guys out - I'm trying to get you back! :)

Anyhow, this is a bento I made with pinwheels - one of my favorite ways of packing up yummy things to eat!

• Pinwheels (whole wheat rollup, egg salad, minced roasted peppers) (314)


• Grape Tomatoes (12)


• Blueberries (346)


• Tabasco Sauce (0)
  

Total Bento: 346 calories

Kabocha Squash & Egg & Cheese - 187 calorie Bento

This bento was very creamy - I love Kabocha Squash no matter how it is cooked. I have made up quite a few ways of cooking it, but this time I just steamed it. I used a japanese contraption to mold the egg. You just take a hot hard boiled egg, stick it in the mold, close it tight and stick it under cold running water for a few minutes. And there you go - a 'fish' egg. Hubbie just rolled his eyes when he saw the molded egg. Guys don't get it, do they? :)

Bento Content:

• Steamed Kabocha Squash (40)
• Hard Boiled Egg 'Fish' (77)
• Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges (70)

Total Bento: 187 calories

Quail Egg & Tomato Skewers - 199 calorie Bento

I had a few quail eggs and was wondering what I could pack with them - why not skewers? I looked in my bento-stuff bin for picks or skewers and settled for the wooden ones. I have to say that the tiny eggs held up pretty well - I thought they would fall apart, but they didn't!

Bento Content:

• Quail Egg & Grape Tomato Skewers (64)
• Red Pepper Strips (9)
• English Cucumber Strips (3)
• Trader Joe's Sea Sa;t & Pepper Crisps (63)
• Catalina Dressing - Light (60)

Total Bento - 199 calories

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

Kitchen Sink Omelette Pinwheels - 274 calorie bento

I call the stuffing for these pinwheels The Kichen Sink Omelette. Basically it has a lot of stuff except the kitchen sink! This time, it has eggs, bacos, Mrs. Dash Table Blend seasoning, 3-cheese lite from Trader Joe's, diced grape tomatoes and a bit of ketchup.

Bento Content:

• Pinwheels (214)
• Black Olives (48)
• Frozen Grapes (12)

Total Bento: 274 calories

Egg White & 3-cheese Pinwheels - 262 calorie Bento

This was a very easy bento and surprisingly filling! I found these Tomato Wraps which taste yummy and filled one up with egg white omelette, Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning plus a bit of Trader Joe's lite 3-cheese blend. I sprinkled the cheese on the omelette while it was still hot, so the cheese would slightly melt - a little trick that helps with the rolling...the melting cheese acts like a binder in the wrap!

Bento Content:

• Pinwheels (242)
• Carrots (13)
• Strawberry (7)

Total Bento : 262 calories

Molded Egg & Wasabi Peas - 249 calorie bento

I didn't have leftovers last night and I had run out of bento fillers in the freezer, so I put something simple in a flash. I have a few molds for eggs - this one was a star. I love wasabi peas - they help me with the water intake!

Tonight I definitely need to go out food shopping!

Bento Content:

• Molded Egg (77)
• Cantaloupe (27)
• Wasabi Peas (120)
• Tomatoes (25)

Total Bento : 249 calories

Mangu with Sides - 240 calorie Bento

Mashed plantains are called Mangu in Dominican Republic, while in Cuba and Africa they are called Fufu. In Africa, Fufu might be combined with other root veggies like Yucca (Cassava) or maybe Yams. I grew up eating this - maybe it is an acquired taste. Those who have never seen it usually are not impressed by how it looks, but their opinion change once they taste it.

Mangu is made out of green plantains. I love Mangu anyway I can have it, but if the green plantains are beginning to ripen (but not entirely), it makes for a bit sweeter mash. Also, many people sautee onions and put it on top. Very yummy!

Bento Content:

• Mangu (116)
• Molded Egg (77)
• Grape Tomatoes (12)
• Laughing Cow Wedge Light (35)

Total Bento : 240 calories

Cilantro & Scallion Tamago - 281 calorie Bento

Well, this was a strange tamago indeed. I chopped up some cilantro stems and scallions and mixed it in with egg whites and Bijol for color. Bijol is a hispanic brand for powdered annato - used for coloring. It gives a range of color depending on how much powder you use. If you put alot, you'll get a fiery orange, if you use a small dusting, you get pale yellow - you get the picture.

So, here I am making my Tamago and I don't know what happened, but I decided to take a mini plastic cup and cut rounds out of the tamago, instead of leaving it in the traditional shape. I liked the results - even of not traditional. I've done the same thing with pancakes in the past. Very 'pick-up-able'.

The Blistered Tomatoes are very easy. You'll need:

Grape Tomatoes, Herbs de Provence, Oil Spray, Salt

Spray a non-stick pan with oil (olive oil preferably), add the rest of the ingredients and crank up the heat. Swirl the pan around so the tomatoes get evenly coated with the oil and seasonings. Keep swirling around until until the tomatoes start to get blistered. Shouldn't take more than 3-4 minutes at the most from beginning to end.

Bento content :

• Cilantro & Scallion Tamago (76)
• Strawberries (12)
• Mini Savory Thins from Trader Joe's (69)
• Blistered Grape Tomatoes with Herbs de Provence (28)
• Mini Babybel Light (50)
• Hershey Kissables (46)

Total Bento : 281 calories