Bento #112: Fish Salad

Though We strive mightily to be vegetarian, sometimes We crack.  Our love of delicious fish supercedes Our desire to eat low on the food chain and to live and let live.  Thus, this fishy salad was born.

Here is lettuce, tomatoes, miniature bell peppers, carrots, pea pods, and lightly pan-fried mahi-mahi with a honey-mustard vinaigrette.  Yum.

Bento #111: Hummus and Rye Crackers

Citizens, We love hummus.  And gosh, but We love those dang rye crackers!  You know the ones--they're fiber-tastic.

So here is hummus, rye crackers, carrots, plum, and a cookie that both neatly fills the little space and fills the dessert-shaped hole in Our soul.

This is Extra-Garlicky Hummus:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 T. tahini
• 1 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. olive oil
• garlic, grated finely.  As much as you can stand!

Put everything but oil and garlic in a blender.  Put oil in a small saucepan and heat.  Add garlic and let it sizzle for about a minute.  Keep a close eye on it.  You want it golden brown, but not burnt.  Burnt garlic is Very, Very Nasty, citizens.  When it's golden, immediately dump it over the cool ingredients in the blender to stop the cooking process.  Blend, adding reserved bean liquid if necessary to make it process.  Eat your lovely garlicky hummus.

Bento #110: Chutney and Cheese

Nothing exciting to see here.  Sandwich on Kingdom bread, carrots, apple.

The sandwich innards are chutney and cheese.  Mmm, chutney and cheese.  One of Our favorite combos, to be sure.

We are so overcome by Our love of chutney that We meant to give  you the recipe for the plum chutney, but We cannot find it!  Oops.  So instead, We give you the most common chutney We make for sandwiches: Tomato-Pear chutney.

Tomato-Pear Chutney:

• 2 1/2 cups large chunks of tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups diced pears.  Diced here means like 1/4" cubes; larger than that and your chutney might be sort of chunky.
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (can use regular, but won't be as attractive in color)
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (We sometimes use more)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (this will not make the chutney spicy.  For spicy, use 1/2 to 1 tsp.)
• 1/4 cup pimiento or other similar mild pepper (optional, or can use more bell pepper, etc.)

Put everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer 45-60 min, or until fruits and veg are softened and chutney is thickened.  This chutney tends to be a little on the chunkier side.  If using pimiento and using canned, add this in right at the end.  For immediate use, pack in a jar and place in fridge.  If wanting to store, pack in sterile 1/2 pint jars and process. Makes 3-4 1/2 pint jars.

Now you, too, citizens, can make your very own chutney and cheese sandwiches!

Bento #109: Krabby Quiche

Ah, yes, citizenry, it is that most perfect of pie devices: quiche.  This quiche features a host of veggies: onions, greens, peas, and tomato as well as feta and fake crab meat.  Oh, how We love krab.  It is a Major Weakness--along with other processed seafood items, like fishsticks or those fish balls that show up in weird asian soups.  Yum.

Alongside the lovely quiche, We have carrots with some sort of dipping sauce, a plum, and a tiny yellow pear tomato.  Delicious!