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Showing posts with label lunches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lunches. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Secret Ingredient* Pasta Salad
Secret Ingredient* Pasta Salad
1 cup cooked pasta cooled
1 Tablespoon minced white onion
1 Tablespoon capers
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped roasted red bell peppers
12 black olives quartered
Gently toss all ingredients together.
In a separate bowl (I use a small Mason jar.) mixed together
1 Tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 splash white wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
ground pepper to taste
*plus 1 1/2 teaspoons V8
Shake like crazy and pour on pasta. Cool and serve.
Labels:
Bento boxes,
bound for bento,
lunch boxes,
lunches,
recipes
Monday, July 8, 2013
When my appetite calls for one slice
Oh Pepperoni. I swore off cured meats. But I so enjoy the occasional slice of pepperoni pizza that I made a pie with only one slice.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Two Lunches
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Sakana on Foothill Blvd
The best Japanese restaurant in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mtns. Well, I have not tried them all, but I loved this place. The staff was super nice. The lunches were served two-tiered. Don't forget to look at the lower plate (waitstaff says to bento person Ha Ha!)
Look at the lovely yumminess!
Labels:
Bento boxes,
dumplings,
fish,
lunches,
sushi,
vegetables
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Cold Somen Noodle Bowl with Homemade Smoked Salmon Sushi
I am fascinated with noodles and these Somen are typically served cold although the hot versions sound yumski too.
This was a lunch for one. Me! The asparagus tips - so tiny, and carrot matchsticks, a whole shiitake, and baby bok choi were steamed al dente.
The noodles were boiled and returned to cold water. They came out pretty good considering how quickly they could have turned to mush.
I had a sauce for dipping, a combo of sesame oil and shoyu and dashi. It was perfect.
This was my first attempt at homemade sushi.
I went to a favorite restaurant Friday for lunch and got a sushi component where the chef decides. He gave me a smoked salmon one and I loved it!
So I knew I had smoked salmon from Alaska in the cupboard, sooooo
I tried.
Yeah. It is not the greatest picture, and it didn't taste like my Friday lunch, but it was good, and it was good to try.
Are you trying any new dish? Would you like to share your results?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Fourth of July Burger
Avocado, bacon, and double cream Gouda burger with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. So very yummy on those Brown Sugar Buns I made a day or two ago.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Bleu Cheese Burgers
Labels:
appliances,
burgers,
comfort food,
holidays,
homemade,
lunches,
sandwiches
Monday, October 18, 2010
Rainy Day Lunch
We had scores of thunder yesterday with some rain, and on-and-off rain today. Cloudy and cool and decidedly October. At last!
I made tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, a classic combination, for lunch. And yes, I like my grilled cheese cut into quarters.
Labels:
bread,
comfort food,
favorites,
lunches,
sandwiches,
soup
Monday, September 27, 2010
A Healthy Lunch
A cheese omelet with sauteed asparagus and shiitake mushrooms
with a side of cut nectarines and raspberries.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Snack Happy
I returned to my castle with the goods. My expedition was successful. Hello Kitty sticks, check. Hapi party mix, check. Kiwi gummy fruit, double check. I also bought many things I've never tried before. Oh wait! Everything here I've never tried before. It's all new to me. But you know if the package says, "WANT WANT Rice Crackers," then I got a feeling I'm going to want want them.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Kai Lana
New restaurant Kai Lana was a pleasant surprise. I had the lunch special with two options (tempura and gyoza) and he had it with three options (tempura, spicy garlic chicken, and beef teriyaki). Lunch came with miso soup, rice, and salad.
We were both amazed at the huge portion size. This photo doesn't do it justice, but the tempura was piled high and originally there were five dumplings. He seemed to think if we came back in a year, it might not be so big.
All the food tasted delicious. It's hard not to compare sushi/Japanese restaurants we frequent, but I must say Goshi's win the quality prize, and Kai Lana wins the price prize. And although Kai Lana isn't much to look from the outside, inside was clean with no fishy or weird smell, and the server was super nice.
Also they do an abundance of "Special" rolls, and this fascinates me, so we'll be returning soon!!!
We were both amazed at the huge portion size. This photo doesn't do it justice, but the tempura was piled high and originally there were five dumplings. He seemed to think if we came back in a year, it might not be so big.
All the food tasted delicious. It's hard not to compare sushi/Japanese restaurants we frequent, but I must say Goshi's win the quality prize, and Kai Lana wins the price prize. And although Kai Lana isn't much to look from the outside, inside was clean with no fishy or weird smell, and the server was super nice.
Also they do an abundance of "Special" rolls, and this fascinates me, so we'll be returning soon!!!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Pizza Porn
One of the fun things I discovered last year was Flickr groups, the other is how easy it is to make pizza. That's right! From scratch - the dough, the sauce, the toppings.
Then I discovered that you could put anything on a pizza - basically whatever was in your fridge or pantry.
Then I discovered great bottle sauce and stockpiled it like the end is near.
Then I discovered pre-made pizza crust super easy-to-make pizza dough that is better and cheaper than anything pre-made.
So even though I buy pepperoni, mozzarella, and bottled sauce (not Ragu), I make the dough. It's pretty easy to do if you have a KitchenAid with a dough hook too. What's that you say? No KitchenAid stand alone mixer. Well now you know what to ask for for your birthday, Christmas, or the next time you shop at Target.
I adapted the recipe from someone on the web, but I don't know who. Pisser! I would love to give credit.
Their secret ingredient was white wine. Me? I use sake. The yeastie beasties love sake.
So I'll have to find that recipe and report back.
Then I discovered that you could put anything on a pizza - basically whatever was in your fridge or pantry.
Then I discovered great bottle sauce and stockpiled it like the end is near.
Then I discovered pre-made pizza crust super easy-to-make pizza dough that is better and cheaper than anything pre-made.
So even though I buy pepperoni, mozzarella, and bottled sauce (not Ragu), I make the dough. It's pretty easy to do if you have a KitchenAid with a dough hook too. What's that you say? No KitchenAid stand alone mixer. Well now you know what to ask for for your birthday, Christmas, or the next time you shop at Target.
I adapted the recipe from someone on the web, but I don't know who. Pisser! I would love to give credit.
Their secret ingredient was white wine. Me? I use sake. The yeastie beasties love sake.
So I'll have to find that recipe and report back.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
German Potato Salad
Inspired by Lil'chan, I decided to make a hot potato salad for lunch. The moment after I took this photo to your left I realized that I wouldn't be using bacon and perhaps not onion either, but both are good additions.
What I did use was:
3 white potatoes
2 small shiitakes
1 red bell pepper
8 black olives
1 carrot
1 medium fennel
2 Boar's Head all natural beef franks
I cut the ingredients in mouth-sized pieces (except for the mushrooms and fennel which I diced). The potatoes were boiled in salted water for 20 minutes or so. The red peppers and carrots were par boiled separately until done. The disced franks were pan fried with the shiitakes. The fennel wasn't cooked.
When everything was ready, it was mixed in a big bowl with the dressing.
The dressing is a basic oil and vinegar dressing with a tablespoon of mustard. I like Dijon.
The verdict:
Before eating, he said, "I'm not hungry. I just ate breakfast a few hours ago."
During eating, "Hey! This is good! A really nice flavor!"
SCORE !!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Spicy Pork Meatballs Are God
So last week I'm driving all over town with my significant other, The Mister, picking up items for our meals for the coming week and stuff for a gift basket I made for work and we made like ten stops and that is very wearing on a person especially in 95 degree heat and we finally got to our last stop which was the grocery store to pick up our protein which is what they call on Top Chef I mean we've always called beef, pork, chicken but now we call it protein like we're foodies or something and the checker and the box boy which is what we used to called them but they're now probably called "associates" so they feel better about being paid $6.80 an hour were very talkative not to us mind you but amongst themselves and this has always annoyed the heck out of me because here I am spending my money or rather his money and lots of it so give us some respect but no and the box boy who was a girl announced she was getting off work in an hour to another associate as she tossed over her shoulder bags of our groceries then we hit a snag a daikon snag the checker I mean associate first didn't know what it was and then couldn't find it on the price list and after five minutes literally I could see steam emit from The Mister's ears blah blah blah it went around to the checker the box boy and another checker and then the manager and then the checker wanted to know why I even *wanted* the daikon. In the parking lot now:
I can't believe how stupid people are, he said.
And slow, I said.
I thought I was going to .... (trailed off).
Now we go home, I said.
Finally, he said.
[Driving in silence]
[for a long time]
[hitting every darn redlight across town]
[last light]
[turns red just as we get there]
God must hate you, I said.
Oh you know it, he said.
God is punishing you, I said.
He's been punishing me ALL DAY, he said looking at me when he said ALL DAY.
{pause}
{I laugh}
{pause}
What?
Just what makes you think God's a He, I said.
Spicy Meatballs
2/3 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (or more to taste)
1 egg
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
In a bowl mix all ingredients using a butter knife to cut and fold. Cut, scoop, and turn the bowl a quarter turn. This will keep the meatballs from becoming buckshot. Take your time. When fully mixed, take a teaspoon amount and roll out little balls, place on parchment in a cooking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Rawh! Bento Box Love.
I'm thinking I might have to change the name of this blog. Or maybe start another new one all about bentos. I've been bit by the bento box love. Normally I don't eat breakfast. If I'm home, I will start to snack around 11am. However if I'm at work, I generally bring a lunch. [The restaurant food in the town where I work is not the greatest. (No place-naming please.) Yes I like the pizza place, but I am a nibbler. A bite every hour or so, and pizza gets kind of gross if it sits around for 4 hours without a fridge (even with a fridge).] So I usually bring my lunch.
The photo above. Clockwise top left: Roasted panko chicken drumettes and pickled beets, vegetable nommies with hB egg and apricots, fruit, and peanut butter and butter STAR sammich.

Here we have "I'm Late" lunch on Wednesday. This was fun because I tried so hard to be organized. Wok the pork, zuch, and red bell pepper, fresh streamed rice with gomasio, soy egg. and other stuff, but most importantly oranges and chocolate. Guess what I ate first?
Here's my darling - but of course. Bunny bread cut outs with butter and peanut butter and chocolate ears. I ate the ears and put together the bunnies for a sandwich. Dates, apricots, pickles, red bell peppers, and hB egg. Hello Kitty!Friday, August 28, 2009
Beginnings Of Bento Box Lunches
I don't know why but I can eat tons more carrots if they are shaped like flowers. Here is Day One of Bento Box. I am using a Mr. Bento. 1. Oatmeal 2. Steamed rice with cooked pork (cut from baby back ribs) and carrots, lightly steamed 3. Cut nectarines, dried apricots, fresh blueberries 4. A soy hard boiled egg, one Bubbies pickle, two cherry tomatoes, and a teeny container of soy sauce (has the red top and it's in the shape of a fish).Note that Mr. Bento is four containers that stand vertically inside a Thermos type container. Either it's a hot meal or a cold meal. I put hot water in the oatmeal right before I left for work. The residual heat kept the rice dish warm.
They call it Mr. Bento for a reason, I told The Mister. He opened his wide mouth like the wide mouth type Thermos that holds four separate containers. I told him - That's a lot of food. He made groper-type mouth movements. What a brat! Day two of Mr. Bento lunch: shown here only two dishes. 1. Teriyaki chicken with Shitake mushrooms and broc 2. (not shown) steamed rice 3. (not shown) plum slices, blueberries, dried apricots 4. hard boiled egg with salt and three cherry tomatoes.
Day three of first week of Bento Box Badness ( and my last day of work for the week ) I used my Hello Kitty Bento Box. Very very cute! Two layers tall with dividers (must not let food touch) and comes with chopsticks too. Bottom level: string cheese, croutons, blueberries, dried apricots. Upper level: cut off the bone teriyaki chicken (Yum!), two cherry tomatoes, and one hard boiled egg (I forgot the salt. boohoo). All served cold.
They call it Mr. Bento for a reason, I told The Mister. He opened his wide mouth like the wide mouth type Thermos that holds four separate containers. I told him - That's a lot of food. He made groper-type mouth movements. What a brat! Day two of Mr. Bento lunch: shown here only two dishes. 1. Teriyaki chicken with Shitake mushrooms and broc 2. (not shown) steamed rice 3. (not shown) plum slices, blueberries, dried apricots 4. hard boiled egg with salt and three cherry tomatoes.
Day three of first week of Bento Box Badness ( and my last day of work for the week ) I used my Hello Kitty Bento Box. Very very cute! Two layers tall with dividers (must not let food touch) and comes with chopsticks too. Bottom level: string cheese, croutons, blueberries, dried apricots. Upper level: cut off the bone teriyaki chicken (Yum!), two cherry tomatoes, and one hard boiled egg (I forgot the salt. boohoo). All served cold. Lessons learn.
1. Do not mix brassicas with anything in a container. Must be separate because they emit a gas that is not good for appetite.
2. Oatmeal doesn't really work.
3. Slice the pickle.
4. Cold blueberries will make crisp croutons soggy.
5. Don't forget salt or utensils, silly.
6. Bento boxing is fun!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Order Up!
My birthday is just around the corner, and I must say I'm getting to like them these days. I took a week off from work. Judy's Birthday Week!
You know the funny about taking vacation is everyone wants to know where you are going. Since I'm not going anywhere, I plan to make up a different story for each person that asks.
I'll steal from the web, of course. "I had fabulous time in Cancun! Thanks for asking!" Um, then why aren't you tan? "Zinc oxide, you silly bean!" OR "Oh Yeah Baby! The pubs in Thailand are to kill for!" Really? I heard they serve rat, cat, or bat. "It's all in the spices, Darling!"
Just keeping it real, people. Really fake!
What really happened last week: I was putting in an order to Williams-Sonoma because I gots to have me these Master & Commander wine glasses. And I have been wanting a deli slicer forever. So on the off hand chance The Mister might be giving me these things, I wandered out to the kitchen and asks him.
"Oh Damn!" He said. (yay! I smile to myself.) "It's supposed to come on Thursday." (yay! I'll get before my b-day!) "How do you do that?" He asked. Me: "I don't know." (yay! I am totally gifted!)
So happy Sunday (third day into my vacation) I make a Pastrami Sandwich on Sourdough Rye with Dill Pickles (and plenty of Dijon mustard). Yes I used my new deli slicer with 30 degree tilt for gravity feed to cut the hunk of Pastrami, and then I thinly sliced up a Filet Minon (cooked yesterday) for his sandwich.
with my sandwich, and that's lime juice in the wine glass, in case you were wondering.
And this is...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
California Cheese Burger
California Sourdough Bread (toasted). Fresh Sirloin Ground Round (grilled). Havarti Cheese (melted on the burger). Bubbie Pickles (sliced length-wise). Best Foods Mayo (real). Dijon Mustard (Grey Poupon).Sunday Lunch.
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Local Pale Ale (Whatever).