Bento for Dinner

This post will be so jam packed it will not only include what's for lunch tomorrow but also what's for dinner tonight!  I made Juju's dinner right after I prepared tomorrow's lunch and I must be in a bento-ish mood because I served four items in four distinct places - no touching.  Usually we serve one meal for the whole family but today I was cleaning out the fridge and made Juju's dinner out of what I found plus the imitation crab I picked up today.  I try not to think too much about what imitation crab is, or how it gets that red color, I just focus on the fact that it's delicious.  And it's also really cheap (a 1/2lb was $3.00).  The dining room at my Grandparent's country club used to serve the best crabmeat salad ever.  It was on the salad bar (along with chocolate pudding!) and I loved going back for more.  It used to really gross me out but I grew to love it.  I also served leftover rice with veggies from the California Chicken Cafe, carrot sticks, and orange slices.

Tomorrow's lunch has some similarities to dinner.  I am serving carrot sticks, oranges, strawberries, grapes, turkey on whole wheat pita, and a chocolate covered pretzel for dessert.  I am still torn about whether I should be sending a dessert at all.  Some days I leave the middle space empty but it's really hard for me to see the potential for cuteness and do nothing about it.  Other days I slice up a strawberry so the smallest slot in the lunch tin does not feel left out.

Today's lunch was very basic but Juju seemed to like it, she left almost nothing in the box.  I served Trader Joe's Greek honey yogurt surrounded by Cheerios, avocado, strawberries, oranges, and a chocolate covered pretzel.

My friend Maggie sent me the coolest thing called "My Food Passport"which looks like an adorably useful tool to get your picky little eater to try new foods.  When they try something new they can write all about it in their passport and get a sticker to check it off their list.  I think this might really resonate with Juju when she is a little bit older.  Lunch box fairy, take note!

Thinking about lists reminds me that I also wanted to mention my friend/neighbor/fellow-nursery-school-parent Sarah just launched a blog called ChecklistMommy.  She has four kids so who knows how she has time to blog (though Caroline at Pregnant Fashionista has 4 kids and one on the way and she seems to handle it pretty well) but it's definitely a must-read for new moms and moms-to-be out there who are agonizing over which car seat to buy, what goes in a diaper bag, and I'm told there will soon be a post on how to color code your kids (yellow for an elevated risk of tantrums, orange for high, red for severe?).  Sarah has a fantastic voice and her blog is as funny as it is useful.

Before I go I wanted to ask why don't more kitchens have computers in them?  I don't mean those fancy fridges that order you more milk when you are out of it, but why don't we place our home computers in our kitchens?  The kitchen is where most of the action happens in my house and I'm tired of running to my office or to get my phone from my bag or my ipad from my bedroom (yes, I sleep right next to it) to look up a recipe or an ingredient or need help converting ounces to pounds.  When I get a new computer, I am putting my old one in the kitchen.  Have a good night

Lunch on May 10, 2011 - All American (and a little bit Japanese)

Ok, I'll admit it.  I am officially bored with packing lunches and now find them a chore.  I can't decide if my commitment to chronicle the lunches I pack motivates me to make them better or if it just guilts me into packing something that is halfway photogenic.

When I run out of ideas of what to pack, I go to my old standby: sushi.  It's always a pleaser and is very easy to procure from the market down the street.  I was going there anyway to pick up some fish for dinner (more on that in a minute) and I couldn't resist. 

So, I started with the sushi and built around it.  Though Juju enjoys it, I've never actually sent raw fish to school.  This is California roll made with imitation crab (cooked), avocado, and cucumber.  I am sure Juju will one day turn into a normal toddler and decide that raw fish and seaweed are an absolutely disgusting combination but for now, I am getting as much mileage out of it as I can.

Joining the sushi is half an ear of corn.  We had corn for dinner.  Juju LOVED it and insisted on more.  I told her I had none left even though this piece remained.  I think she will enjoy the surprise in her lunch tomorrow.  I also included some cantaloupe and grapes.

Back to the fish we had for dinner.  It was a really easy recipe and since some of you have told me you have tried other recipes I have posted, here goes.  Sorry there are no pictures.

Tonight we had mustard roasted fish using red snapper.  When I saw that red snapper was on sale at the fish counter I immediately remembered an Ina Garten recipe I've made before for an unusual and delicious meal using only a few ingredients, many of which I already have at home.  I had a really busy day (forgive the cross-promoting/shameless plug here but Milkstars has a new pajama set out called The Nancy, it's been a lot of work but is really exciting!) so I was glad that all I needed to pick up was some creme fraiche (Trader Joe's has a nice brand at a great price) and some shallots.

The recipe is below.  A warning, the red snapper had a lot of bones in it which I wasn't expecting.  I don't know much about fish so I am not sure if that is normal.  If you are making this for a toddler (or anyone else who doesn't like bones) ask your fish monger, (or in my friend Annie's case your husband!), to make sure there are no bones.  Otherwise give yourself some time to pull them out before cooking.  Enjoy!

Mustard-Roasted Fish

Ingredients

• 4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces creme fraiche
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons drained capers

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.