Bento #7: TMT

Today, the last of the homemade bread.  We needed to finish it up, so We made what will hopefully be the last in this endless series of sandwiches: a TMT: Tofu, miso, and tahini.  Also in the box: carrots and green bell pepper strips, a blue strawberry of spicy peanut sauce, a tangerine, a few dates, and a Valentine's Day candy for dessert.

TMT Recipe:

1. Press and crumble a block of extra-firm tofu.

2. 1/3 to 1/4 c. each miso and tahini (some people like the same amount, some people prefer more of one than the other--We like about 1/3 c. of each)

3. Add a few tablespoons of finely minced onion, a grated carrot, and about 2 tablespoons of sunflower (or whatever you like--flax or finely chopped walnuts are good too) seeds.

4. Add flavor variations: For spicy, add Sriracha or garlic-chili paste. If you like sweet-salty, honey (if you're not vegan) or maple syrup. If you're not vegetarian, fish sauce. Whatever you like. 

5. Let it all stand together for a little bit--at least an hour, We'd say--and then spread it on bread, crackers, use it as a dip for chips or veggies--it's damn irresistable.

Bento #6: New Box!

We have a new box!  It's a yellow Lube Sheep Urara box w/ little flowers on the lid.  We bought it b/c We like yellow lately, especially as paired with gray.  Which is, as it unfortunately turns out, the color scheme of this picture.  All the color balancing in the world, it turns out, isn't gonna make the lights in Our office not-gray.  But who cares?  Our new box is a sunny yellow in Our presence, and We love it very much.

Anyway, the lunch.  Bottom tier: short-grain brown rice w/ a bit of sushi vinegar and an umeboshi. Top tier:  It's lined w/ a bottom layer of spinach. On top is all the parts of a salad, though We ate them separately: a tea egg, a Babybel cheese, carrot sticks, an orange tulip full of spicy peanut dip, and a handful of grape tomatoes.   

In the travel mug is some green tea.  It was so cold here yesterday, all rainy and wet!  Not enough tea in the world.

Bento #5: Santa's February Sandwich

Egg and white cheddar sandwich with grainy mayo on homemade bread, apple slices, carrot sticks, a blue strawberry (blue?  why?  hooray!) with spicy peanut dipping sauce, and a Valentine's Day candy for dessert.

You'll notice the box: it's a Christmas-themed Little Debbie tin.  Yep, that's Santa beaming out at you, enjoying a festive drink and a Little Debbie snack cake.  You see, We have a friend named Debbi, and once she gave Us a bunch of homemade Christmas cookies in this tin, because We gave her a tiny pink goat we crocheted for her.  We no longer remember why the goat was a joke, but We are still fond of Our weird, repurposed Christmas box, especially as We would never eat such a cake!

We got strange looks in Borders today when We ate our lunch from it.  Maybe they were just envious of Our delicious lunch, when everyone else had to make do with sticky donuts and crappy carrot cake from the cafe.

Bento #4: Tofurkey and Veggies with Peanut Dip

Lunch at Our office desk again.  Tofurkey, cheese, and bell pepper on homemade bread.  There's also carrots, celery, and grape tomatoes with a side of spicy peanut dip.  We found a great recipe for this stuff in a low-carb cookbook, of all places.  But it's totally delicious--spicy and peanutty and fruity and soy sauce-y.  Interestingly, and unfortunately for the low-carb people, We totally love it over noodles, especially with some tofu and some cabbage, maybe some shredded carrots, chucked in there. 

We also have a cup of green tea and a few dates for dessert.  We keep a hot water kettle in Our office so We can have hot tea all day long.  On a class evaluation form, a student once gave Us a few low scores on the bubble side of the form, and then the only comment on the writing side was that Our tea smelled bad.  (And ere you think this student is reacting to Our Wacko Self, no, We do not refer to Ourselves with the Royal pronoun when We teach.  We are much more humble than that.)

This box, not really a bento at all (look at all the empty space!  Gasp) is one of the Fit and Fresh boxes that are great for salads or big non-bento lunches, or even 2 lunches!  One sandwich in the big compartment and one little side box of fruit or veggies or dessert or whatever for each person.  We've also used it successfully when We've needed to bring two meals, like both breakfast and lunch, or lunch and a late afternoon snack, or whatever, but when you're used to packing a small box, you have to be careful not to bring too much food.  Or you get all bloaty. 

No one likes a bloaty King.

Bento #3: Tofurkey Sandwich

Today the King ate the following: a Tofurkey sandwich with white cheddar and spinach and a little bit of grainy mustard on bread We made ourselves, a tangerine, some carrots wedged in to keep things stable, two dates, and a heart-shaped chocolate. 

Sometimes, We dunno, We feel as though We might perish w/out Tofurkey.  It becomes necessary.  We try not to rely on stunt meats, but when it's not about the substance (turkey) but the vehicle (turkey sandwich device), Tofurkey keeps Us vegetarian when otherwise We might cave.

We're pretty sure that's a cup of green tea behind it--and then there's Our messy desk.  You know, where the magic happens and the big bucks get made.

Bento #2: The Kingdom is Bankrupt!

Today we forgot to take a photo of this until we'd eaten half.  This is one of the go-to poverty lunches in our Kingdom.  The beginning of this fiscal year was unstable in the kingdom, so much fried rice was eaten, by royalty and peasantry alike.

Peasant's Fried Rice:

We take a pan and put some canola oil in the bottom--a tablespoon or two.  Then when it's hot we break an egg into the pan and stir like crazy, until the egg is cooked.  We add a bunch of frozen mixed veggies--whatever was cheap at the store (or whatever "fresh" veggies could be found in the scary depths of the Royal Crisper Drawer).  We grate in some ginger, maybe some garlic.  We slice a spring onion and throw the white parts in at this point, but not the green!  Then we add some cold leftover rice, with soy sauce, fish sauce if we're feeling non-vegetarian that day, some sake, maybe some sesame oil.  Whatever's handy.  Then we add in some chopped cilantro, the green bits of the onion, and maybe some garlic chili paste, give it a good stir, and then put it in a box.  Cheap and easy and delicious.

Often, it must be said, the peasants eat their lunches out of common Tupperware--and so does the King. 

You'll also notice that the King sometimes forgets to eat her vitamin at breakfast.  These are also the cheapo nausea-inducing (iron and zinc not buffered for her protection) vitamins.  When the King is richer, she eats fancy vitamins that are OK on an empty stomach, and so if she forgets, she doesn't have to wait until lunch to eat it without barfing.  When the Kingdom is poor, she makes personal sacrifices and so has to wait for a full meal to avoid negative side-effects.  The King sometimes is delicate.

But isn't the King's water bottle pretty?

Bento #1: Egg Sandwich

This is a fried egg sandwich with cheddar on a store-bought sandwich bun (the King blushes for shame!), apple slices, and carrot sticks.

This is a lunch we meant to eat after a workout at the pole gym, but instead a student came to our office and we missed our Pilates class.  Bother.  So we went to a coffee shop to study and ate this there instead.

This lunch box is the top tier of a 2-tier stainless steel tiffin.  It doesn't lock w/out both tiers in place, so we tie it closed with a large handkerchief and don't put anything wet in it.

We love fried egg sandwiches in the Sneaky Kingdom.  The secret, weirdly enough, is Vegenaise, which is totally delicious--better, in fact, than regular mayonnaise.  At least, we think so.