40 Days of Bento 2017 Day #4

By little black duck March 6, 2017

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We meet again, Monday.

This week, I’m going to pretend I have a better handle on things. I did some loose menu planning on Saturday and some quick shopping and cooking on Sunday night.

I wanted lots of protein this week. I’ve taken a week off from running, but a gym opened up in my office building and it’s mocking me. I’m still having calf issues and should probably see a doctor, but I’m hoping to put that off at least another week.

A few weeks ago, I bought a bag of frozen Tyson Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts, and even though the servings on the bag say 12, there were only 9 chicken breasts in the bag. I can only assume they’re sold by volume, not count. :/

Anyway, I looked for low-sodium/low-calorie ways to dress them up that didn’t include a heavy gravy or red sauce. I found a chicken dish that used mushrooms, low-sodium chicken broth, white wine, and garlic. I portioned it out into 8 containers for what should be 8 meals, what the orginal recipe calls for but I’ll likely double up. Frankly the teeny amount of mushrooms portioned out for 8 meals seems ludicrous and I envision fights breaking out at the dinner table.

During my shopping adventure, I also picked up some Dudek pierogis that I’ll fry up with a little apple sauce and sour cream. Veggies in the pantry include Grape Tomatoes, a Yellow Bell Pepper, a Green Bell Pepper, Spinach, and some Broccoli I’m determined not to ignore, despite the fact it gives me terrible gas.

Day 4

Chicken with Mushrooms
Polenta
Egg Frittata

Calorie Count: 327

Egg Frittata Recipe, from Incredible Egg

Mushrooms for Simple Chicken Breasts

These delicious mushrooms add flavor to what could be boring, bland chicken breasts in a bento. Pre-frozen boneless skinless breasts are totally the way to go with this recipe.

1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
12 oz mushrooms
1/3 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tbsp dried Parsley
1/4 Cup White Wine

In a skilled heat the olive oil and the butter.
Add the garlic and allow to cook about 3 minutes.
Add the Mushroms and allow to soften for another 5 minutes.
Add the wine, broth and parsley and reduce the liquid by half.
For bento, divide into 4-6 4-ounce containers. Ziplock makes 4-ounce sauce containers that are perfect for storing these mushrooms to grab for morning prep.
For bento, I place these around a throroughly cooked (and cooled) chicken breast.

I pair this recipe with frozen Tyson skinless boneless chicken breasts. I can thaw them out individually and cook in the morning.
I used Organic Free Range Chicken Broth, because of the convenient 4-pack.
The wine doesn’t have to be fancy. It’s probably best to use the single serving wines.
The originally recipe said this served 6-8 people, but the mushrooms are too good for that nonsense. To reduce waste, divide into four small containers.

Bento Polenta

This is a quick carb for bentio wgen I just don’t want a bunch of rice or noodles. I give them a quick fry in the morning, to brown and add color.

1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal, Dry
4 Cups water
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Cup Parmesean Cheese

Prepare a cookie sheet with a depth of about 1/4 – 1/2 inche with a sheet of aluminum foil and set aside.
Bring the water to a boil and add the cornmeal, whisking constantly. The cornmeal will stick to the bottom if you’re not careful.
Reduce heat to low medium and cook for about 10 minutes. With a clean spoon, tase every few minutes for a smooth texture. There should be no gritty taste.
Add the garlic and cheese and stir until melted.
Remove from heat. Spread out on the prepared cookie sheet until it’s smooth and even. Allow to cool on the counter for about 20-30 minutes.
When completely cool, cut into shapes, either using a knife or a cookie/veggie cutters. Store in tight sealing containers in single layers in the refrigerator or freeze.
Fry in the morning to add color.

If like me, you hate the idea of wasting leftover polenta after using cookie cutters, you can freeze the scraps and then add with veggies or ham for a breakfast hash.

Bento Box: I don’t know – I think it’s is an IKEA lunch box, like the smaller FESTMÅLTID, but is no longer available on the website. A version of this is available for $4.99 (at the time of this post). I have not been paid for its inclusion in this post.

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