grilled eggplant quinoa salad

another day, another quinoa salad, right?!  lately i feel like i have been obsessed with quinoa… but in all seriousness, it’s so tasty, and so good for you compared to other rice-y/grain-y options!

a while back, i received a few bottles of chile olive oil because of my participation in an HGEats twitter chat.  although i have significantly reduced the amount of oils i use in my cooking, there is always room for some good “healthy” fat, and i knew i wanted to save these samples for something special.  this past weekend, my parents came over for a combined birthday brunch (my mom’s birthday and mine are just five days apart!), and i whipped up this salad with veg from my CSA share.  it’s TIU-approved and is actually quite versatile — delicious with the veggies still warm from the grill, still delicious chilled in the fridge the next day.  click through for the recipe and olive oil review.

“summer chill” quinoa salad bento

quinoa — which is actually a seed, not a grain — is a superfood that i’ve used before (see exhibit A and exhibit B).  but since getting on the tone it up nutrition plan, which requires me to avoid starchy foods in the evenings, i’ve been turning to it more frequently as an accompaniment to lean proteins or as the base for refreshing salads.  the salad in today’s lunchbox is a perfect “summer chill” concoction, full of fresh seasonal veg and piquant flavor — i made it for some girlfriends coming over to hang out and drink wine on my roofdeck.  click through recipe and nutrition info.

forbidden violets bento

this is my entry for mademoiselle.m’s “passion bento” contest.  there are still 2 days to enter; why not join the international fun and put together a bento reflecting the things (or people, places, etc.) about which you are passionate?

this bento reflects my passions of art (including the art of bento-making itself!) and nature.

the above composition is made from a black-and-brown rice blend, purple potato (with white cheese, yellow cheese, and sesame seeds), basil leaves (from the plant on my windowsill), shredded takuwan, baby pear tomatoes, a kiwi berry, two raspberries, steamed broccolini (i used only the stems, which are tender and less woody than regular broccoli, and very tasty), vegetarian meatballs, and sweet potato.  the forbidden rice is layered on top of my favorite spicy stewed korean tofu.

i originally saw the three-petaled violet idea at akinoichigo’s blog, and decided to put my own spin on it.  this is another thing i’m passionate about — i feel so grateful to be part of this supportive community where everyone shares ideas and inspiration, and where this type of adaptation is encouraged!

spring roll bento

main compartment:  leftovers from last night’s dinner of homemade vietnamese spring rolls (mine are vegetarian — bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, tofu, carrot, and glass noodles dressed with soy sauce, sesame oil and chili flakes), with yellow beet stars added for garnish, lined with a cabbage leaf and buttressed by pickled radishes, yellow and red tomatoes.  right compartment:  leftover fried rice with a yellow beet and purple potato flower garnish.  bottom compartment:  edamame in a silicone food cup, with yellow wax beans and red carrot sticks.  not pictured: homemade peanut butter/soy/sriracha dipping sauce for the spring rolls.

mandoo bento

homemade veggie dumplings (tofu, kimchi, mushrooms, onions, cabbage) with carrot sticks, tomato skewer,  takuwan flowers with nori centers, soy sauce (chick bottle) and salad dressing (plain bottle).  apple sidecar has apple and nectarine slices, raspberries, a lemon fruit gel and a basil garnish.

[as seen on granny choe’s blog]