Anellotti & Salmon - 308 calorie Bento

This one was thrown together quite rapidly. I have been buying all these different pasta shapes - many of them in small sizes. It fools the eye, you see! A serving of pasta is 2 oz dry. On ziti, for example, 2oz is about 10-12 pieces. In mini ziti you get a bunch more. It seems to fill the plate more and it fools the eye. Hey! Anything that will make me eat less (while my brain thinks it is eating more) is good eats!

Bento Content:

• Anellotti pasta & Wild Pink Salmon & Tomato (296)
• Strawberries (12)

Total Bento : 308 calories

Campanelle Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes & Peas - 272 calorie Bento

Hubbie wanted pasta, so I had made a bit more so I could have some for my bento. The basil is from my terrace 'farm'. I have so much basil that I think I'm going to zap some in the magic bullet and freeze it to be used in cooked foods.

Bento Content:

• Campanelle Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes. Peas and Fresh Basil (250)
• Grapes (22)

Total Bento : 272 calories

Toasted Mini Ravioli - 206 calorie Bento

This bento was a twist on leftovers. I had made Mini Cheese Ravioli that come dry in a bag from Trader Joe's. So, I just spread them in a single layer on an oven-safe pan and stuck them in the toaster oven until crispy. For dipping, a bit of marinara sauce in the little red container.

Bento Content:

• Toasted Mini Cheese Ravioli (120)
• Marinara Sauce (14)
• Cherries (24)
• Pitted Black Olives (48)

Total Bento : 206 calories

Mini Penne with Italian Chicken Sausage, Zuchinni, Peppers & Sundried Tomatoes - 230 calorie Bento

This was an easy-throw-everything-together bento. We have been using the smaller pasta (to fool the eye!) and expanding the pasta meal with lean meat and veggies. We have been religiously just cooking 2 oz. of pasta per person - and usually we have left over for bentos the following day.

Bento Content:

• Mini Penne with Lite Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers, Sundried Tomatoes and Zuchinni

Total Bento: 230 calories

Pesto Cheese Tortellini & Roasted Cauliflower - 253 calorie Bento

Good news - I finally made my pesto. Bad news - I went overboard with the garlic. I love garlic - anyway I can have it - but it is not a very social thing to do. Maybe not the best of dining options when you plan to be around people. Oh, well!

Bento Content:

• Cheese Tortellini in Pesto Sauce (221)
• Roasted Cauliflower (20)
• Grape Tomatoes (12)

Total Bento : 253 calories

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Roasted Cauliflower (yields 2 large servings)

• 1 cauliflower head
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 individual salt packet
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• Olive Oil spray

Combine all dry ingredients. Separate cauliflower into florets and wash well. Spray an oven-safe pan with olive oil spray, lay florets on top and sprinkle with seasonings. Roast in a 400 degree fahrenheit oven until florets become golden.

Tricolor Fiore with Roasted Chicken & Sundried Tomatoes - 291 calorie Bento

The contents of this bento were not intentional. I had planned to make a batch of pesto then I discovered when I arrived in the kitchen that I was missing a couple of ingredients. So, I hit the pantry and found a jar of sundried tomatoes hanging out behind a can of tomato sauce. Eureka! Threw in roasted chicken breast that was already cooked and presto - done in 15 minutes. Gotta love when that happens.

Bento Content:

• Tricolor Fiore pasta with Roasted Chicken & Sundried Tomatoes (267)
• Grape Tomatoes (19)
• Celery (5)

Total Bento : 291 calories

Veggie Orzo - 260 calorie Bento

Hubbie and I have been trying to lose weight - or at least not put on more. One of our downfalls has always been pasta. I've come up with a few things that help, one of them is using smaller sized pasta.

A regular portion of pasta is 2 oz! A 2 oz. serving of spaghetti, for example, is like 8-10 strands. Very unhappy looks from both of us. But, 2 oz. of cous-cous or Orzo is quite alot! So, we have been fooling our minds. We are buying the smaller sized versions of pasta - Barilla has a few of those. Also, interesting ones, like Trader Joe's Vegetable Radiatore, for example. Plus, they are great for bentos!

Today, I made Orzo with a bunch of cut up veggies. It was so tasty and so pretty. I was a happy camper. And guess what - the 2 oz serving of pasta was enough for both of us and there was a portion left over!

Bento Content :

• Veggie Orzo (103)
• Laughing Cow Wedge Light (35)
• Strawberries (12)
• Clementines (40)
• Bite Size Everything Crackers from Trader Joe's (70)

Total Bento : 260 calories

Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef) - 231 calorie Bento

Today I decided to take out the Slow Cooker. My plan was to finally deal with a closet I have in the hallway - things lurking in there since who knows when. So, why not have the slow cooker do the cooking?

I decided to make Ropa Vieja, which is basically beef with lots of seasonings slow cooked until very soft - soft enough to shred with two forks. It took many hours, and in hindsight I should have made much more meat, but the result was very satisfying. Looking forward towards lunch tomorrow!

Bento Content :

• Ropa Vieja (100)
• Mini Zuchinni (5)
• Grape Tomatoes (21)
• Vegetable Radiatore from Trader Joe's (105)

Total Bento : 231 calories