Cauliflower Bake & Vaggies (192 calorie bento)

I found a perfect baking pan - exactly the right size to fit in one of my bentos. This time I made a Cauiliflower bake.

Really easy to make: Steam cauliflower, with a fork make it into crumbles. Make a mixture of eggs & egg whites, season to taste (I switch from different Mrs. Dash combinations plus a pinch of salt). Combine egg mixture with cauliflower crumbles and bake until set.

Bento Content:

• Cauliflower Bake (76)
• Olives (48)
• Taboule (56)
• Carrots (13)

Total Bento : 193 calories

Salad Trio - 260 calorie Bento

This bento is a combination of three totally different types of salad : Taboule, Corn Salad and a twist on a Waldorf Salad. The last one was a salad a fellow MFD'er - Crystal - created and I replicated with my favorite dressing.

Bento Content:

• Caribbean-style Corn Salad (53)
• Taboule (60)
• Salt & Pepper Rice Crisps from Trader Joe's (51)
• Seasoned croutons (27)
• Laughing Cow Light Wedge (35)
• Crystal's Waldorf Salad (34)

Total Bento : 260 calories

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The Waldorf salad: Granny Smith apples, celery, pomegranate arils and Bolthouse farms Parmesan Caeser dressing.

The Caribbean-Sytle Corn Salad : Corn Kernels, red onion, cilantro stems, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, Sour orange juice (or lime juice with a little bit of orange juice), salt & pepper.

Mediterranean Mix - 297 calorie Bento

Every once in a while I indulge in Gyros - yes, I know, but I can't help giving in sometimes. But, I've discovered that from one order I can eat a few times! Have you seen the amount of meat those platters have? And to think I would eat the whole thing without a whimper - now, enough for a few times. Ah...things change!

My Mom would make Taboule from scratch when I was little. A lot of work, let me tell you! All the bulgur soaking, and then the squeezing until not a drop of water was visible. Then the chopping - wowie. Well, she still does it but not very often...I wonder why? I don't mind the chopping - I find it to be very soothing - but I do mind the soaking and squeezing of the bulgur. Reminds me of Potato Latkes - the squeezing of the grated potatoes. Yikes!

Well, I found the Near East Taboule mix in the supermarket and it turned out to be a very close match to the regular bulgur - except for the squeezing part! Eureka! Don't tell my Mom......I still use the rest of the veggies and I still do chop them, so I don't feel so much of a traitor. Somewhat.

In this bento, I added some pomegranate arils that weren't very red, but hey - pomegranate is pomegranate - I love it anyway I can have it!

Bento Content:

• Taboule (63)
• Pomegranate arils (13)
• Grape Tomatoes (21)
• Mini-Pitas with Gyro meat & spinach (200)

Total Bento = 297 calories