295663 Fri Jan 09 09:38:34 -0800 2004 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1625643 I got a bento box for xmas (Yippie! Even has silly English on it as well). I've been trying to concoct easy peasy lunches for it (or for anything else really-it's not too watertight): The only time I have to make them is inevitably when I'm tired. By the time i've cooked dinner I can't bear to think about doing something again. There is no microwave at work, nor are we allowed to get one (if it blows, the landlord doesn't want to get sued). I have been known to office heat, (i.e., boil the kettle, put the water in a bigger bowl in which my food-filled smaller bowl is suspended), however this makes leftovers just as much of a pain as anything else. I can deal with making some things ahead, like on a weekend, but when it gets closer to the end of the week, cooking while tired is unavoidable. I can't get good lunchmeat where I live, but most other things are fairly easily had. Now, I have of late taken to making sushi and it suits my lazy tendencies--make one lot of rice, and roll it up as needed. I use smoked salmon b/c getting sushi grade fish is also impossible. Inauthentic, I know but tastes good. But alas, a girl can only eat so much sushi w/ yuppie salad (i.e., the kind that comes in bags). If anyone can come up with lunch ideas, I'd be very happy (as well as impressed!). Dawn Fri Jan 09 09:38:34 -0800 2004 0 drdawn 1 1625668 I usually bring bento at my work and I know sometime it's so hard to come up with what to put in a bento box. I have a microwave at a work place, so I usually use lefover dinner for my bento. What I suggest to you is to make something tasty when it is eaten as cold. Meaning, salad is usually a good place to start. Noodle salad, rice salad, pasta salad, tofu salad. Sandwich is always good for lunch -- regular bread, tortilla wrap, nan, flat bread. Brittos are good even when it is cold. I will email you recipes. anko Fri Jan 09 11:38:35 -0800 2004 1625643 0 anko 1 1625672 Stuffed eggs. Fritatta. Dolmas. Pate. Eggplant dip, spinach dip, and hummus (and dippers for them). Cold roast chicken. Cold soba noodles with peanut sauce. Cheese and fruit and crackers. Fri Jan 09 11:48:38 -0800 2004 1625643 0 Sharuf 1 1625825 Rice balls (nigiri) are good - I use umeboshi or katsuo-bushi or beni-shoga in the middle. I sprinkle shiogoma or furikake on the outside sometimes, and take the nori separately. This is a lot easier than sushi as you don't bother making sushi rice. A few pickles (maybe some takuwan or just my home-made tsukemono) and I'm good to go. I bought a plastic form for the nigiri - makes nice triangular nigiri. But you don't really need to do that. If you can boil water there are decent instant soups to eat with lunch - the osuimono is good, and there are even a couple of edible brands of misoshiru. You can always put a package of the instant salmon ochazuke on your rice and pour on the hot water. There are different dried items you can put in your soup - lots of types of croutons. You can bring some slices of different fish cakes - kamaboko, chikuwa - these are good in the soup or even alone with the rice. Everything's available at the Japanese food stores. Fri Jan 09 21:59:34 -0800 2004 1625643 0 applehome 1 1625884 Here is a recipe that I got from a friend of mine, it's called Mixing Sushi. Easy to keep on hand and make rolls or handrolls with it. Very tasty and a nice change from the regular maki sushi. What about some nice hot miso soup in a thermos to go with it? * Exported from MasterCook * MIXING SUSHI Recipe By : Ritsuko Gima/adapted by Dawn Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Appetizers Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/2 cup sushi vinegar 3 cups cooked short grain rice 5 ounces salmon -- sauteed and crumbled 2 eggs -- scrambled 1 carrot -- grated pea pods -- slivered shitake mushrooms -- soaked and then chopped You want all the ingredients to be in small pieces. Mix all ingredients together and store in a bowl. Use it in maki rolls as desired. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sat Jan 10 18:25:36 -0800 2004 1625643 0 dawnie2u