Roasted Vegetables and Chicken Bento

This bento is full of healthy comfort foods. I roasted the potatoes, carrots, and chicken breast in the oven at the same time while I put together the rest of the bento. Pre-planning like this makes filling a balanced lunchbox a snap.

Top tier of bento: Garlic roasted potatoes and carrots, creamed spinach. Garnish: sliced mushroom dividers (around the potatoes and carrots) and a mushroom smiling face (used a nori punch for the first time: awesome.)

Bottom tier of bento: Baked chicken breast (I used a brown rice flour base for the seasoning), raw asparagus sticks with lemon-tahini dip, raw carob and spiralina trail-mix squares (got these bulk at the health food store), pickled carrot flowers, beet greens.

My Bento Recipes:

Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Carrots (2 portions)
Um, yum. I doubled this and served some for dinner.

Ingredients:

3 small red potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

* Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
* Blend the garlic cloves with the olive oil and salt and coast the veg with it. 
* Bake the vegetables for 30 minutes. 

Notes: I baked the chicken breast at the same time after rolling it some boxed GF seasoning. Also: Using a mini blender really helps with the small portions. If you don't have one you could also mince the garlic and add that to the oil.

Creamed Spinach (2-3 portions, cut recipe in 1/2 if only for a bento)
Normally creamed spinach uses some flour to thicken it. I avoided using flour by using blended spinach with the cream!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
a generous 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of nutmeg or 3-4 fresh gratings 
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup half and half

Directions:

* In blender blend 1/4 cup of the spinach with the half and half, cheese and seasonings until smooth and creamy. 
* Mix this with the remaining spinach and sprinkle with a little more cheese to top.