New sunbed bento

New sunbed for the garden which I am christening with a Bento lunch.  A pretty healthy one too, in the top layer I have some gluten free pretzels,  some beef fire sticks* and the  last of the smoked cheese**.

The bottom layer I've got piquillo peppers from a jar  (which are really yum) olives stuffed with almonds, cherry tomatoes and cucumber.

I also have a bit of passover coconut and chocolate cake.  I'm no expert on Jewish dietary rules but it is helpfully dairy and gluten free.

*They taste like very old spicy cow carcass.  I'm not sold.

**Bavarian!

The cheese and peppers is a match made in heaven. I will have to think about that....

Back to the Bento

So I'm still looking after dad and I'm still stuck in the house most of the time but the weather is (hopefully) getting nicer which means the possibility of lunch in the garden plus I need to lose a few pounds! And really sandwiches can only be so exciting! So Bentos are back baby!

Today's Bento is a combination of using up things and new things that were in my @ocado delivery today.  So the last of the sliced jarlsberg went in a Warburtons gluten free sandwich thin and got toasted while I sliced up some crudités; cucumber,  red pepper, radish*, cherry tomatoes and a couple of caper berries. The little pig has a wee bit of ranch dressing for dipping in.

Afters (as my mum calls it) was some black berries with the last of my booja booja dairy free alternative to ice cream. 

*The radishes were apparently French breakfast radishes.  Do French people have radishes for breakfast? My recent holiday to the Maldives certainly opened my eyes to what's surprisingly good for breakfast (tinned tuna with chilli and lime? Yes please!) but radishes?

Rice Burger (& trying to be paleo)

I am trying to be more paleo, and in many ways I'm succeeding but way too many of my recipes involve rice to give it up! Plus I can't give up sushi - and I won't! *pout*. So I've decided my Amazonian paleo alter ego happens to live next to a natural rice paddy so can gather some rice from time to time as well as being a kick ass huntress & totally working the animal fur bikini (she's my alter ego, she can be however I want!).

Anyway this has been percolating in my mind for a while - it's a fairly common thing in Japan and as the freezer breaking down during the night (grr) the other day meant I had some defrosted burgers to use I thought it was about time I got round to it.

Basically I just cooked some sushi rice in my trusty rice cooker then used the plastic carton the burgers came in* to mould two rice patties which I then pan fried in some garlic oil to make them crispy & give them some colour. Served here with avocado - my favourite way to add a bit of creaminess to savoury dishes without dairy.

*Using the burger carton was a mistake, burgers shrink, rice doesn't! They were way more rice than I needed and I didn't eat it all. Good though! When we get a freezer back I might make some & freeze them - easier than keep cooking bits of rice!

Fish Eggs ... Car Eggs?

So predidictably being unemployed has affected by bento making but as I used my egg moulds for the first time today I thought I would blog them.

Well I think my little fish & car are cool but I know not everyone will. Just some crunchy veg with them coz todays a fast day.

I got the sack today bento 28/8/12

I won't go into the massive favouritism & poisonous in fighting that led to it; you'd think working for a charity would be nice!

This is the first time I've been sacked, well the first proper job - I did get sacked from a waitressing job coz I used to turn up to work off my head & in the clothes I left in the night before. And I argued a lot with the 2nd chef (his hobby was making waitresses cry & I didn't like it. He used to frisbee oven trays at my head straight out the oven). Oh I shagged one of the waiters too. But I digress - my newly unemployed status will undoubtedly negatively effect the amount of bento's I make & post but here is the one I took to work today - and then took home again. I did have some almond stuffed olives as well but I ate them for elevenses.

The starring role in this bento goes to the prawn, papaya & avocado salad I made (with some fennel in too) there's some lemon & mustard seed dressing from righteous in the chick. Very tasty & refreshing.

I also had a sunshine box of veg - left over roast butternut squash, orange & yellow peppers and some radishes.

Some sesame Japanese rice crackers for a bit of carbs and a piece of (gf & df) millionaires shortbread and some friendly bacteria choc too.

A very good bento for what turned out to be my last day!

Feeding Day Bento 23.8.12

Today's a feeding day but I got up late so it's not a very impressive bento! I've got left over paleo dirty rice (still good), some fennel salami, bread sticks with aioli and chocolate pudding, more chocolate and an apple. I doubt I'll eat it all. Then again I don't finish til 4! Another fast day to go this week - I might do it tomorrow.

Fast Day Dinner Bento 22.8.12

So as I've said previously (keep up) I've been 'doing' 5:2 and today was a fast day. I must admit I haven't been counting my 500 calories religiously on fast days but I had a small piece of salmon with veg for lunch and this bento for tea and I don't think that's more than 500!

A little bit of left over turkey, some of those fig & rosemary crackers (made from almonds rather than grains) and some crunchy veg bits. A slightly discolored peach and a wee bit of sneaky chocolate!

Fast days are getting easier & I want less on the non fast days now. I certainly feel better for it.