Lunch Muse

My friend Matt, local photographer and single parent, was recently challenged by his daughter's decision to become a vegetarian. Because we all know that single parents need extra challenges. Matt is not now, nor has he ever been, a vegetarian. "What am I gonna cook? What will I send her for lunch?" In his infinite resourcefulness, Matt has not only been cooking her some amazing dinners, but has been posting photos of his lunch creations on Facebook. Luckily his daughter likes fresh fruits and veggies, which simplifies packing, but with his photographer's eye he combines various colors and textures to create lunches that seem simple on the surface, but which are a feast of color and flavor. For instance, in one container are bright red peppers and sections of yellow corn cobs; in another, some raw green snow peas; in another, crackers and cheese slices, or maybe a container of pasta and a container of sauce. He might also add a banana or an apple and some snack bars to the box, and maybe a baggie of pretzels, and she's good through all her after-school activities. Lots of color, lots of choices.

While packing bento-style is fun, some foods do migrate, and some eaters, Monk-like, don't want their foods to touch. This morning's lunch was like that: a beautiful black bean-corn-and-salsa salad that was destined to leak all over everything else in the container. So I drew inspiration from Matt and used separate containers. My lunch came out less colorful than his (and less well photographed), but it will be tasty, I hope:

Yellow beets, black bean salad, honeycrisp apple, jello with pineapple, corn flakes.

My original plan was to send the black bean salad with quesadillas and do it all cute, but La Primera woke up sick, and La Segunda eats very little lunch anyway, so this represents the simplified version. Matt's inspiration came just in time. The beets and jello were made on Sunday; the bean salad was made last night while I was making black bean soup for dinner. I set aside two cups of beans as soon as they were cooked and made the salad while the soup was finishing. So this morning I only had to cut the apple.

Even though Matt was challenged at first by his daughter's dietary choices, he has totally risen to the occasion. To steal a quote from his FB page "I never ate so healthy until my daughter turned veggie!!! Thanks kiddo!" Dietary "restrictions" can open up a whole new world of good eating.

Here are two recipes that you might enjoy: one for the tomatillo salsa, and the other for the colorful black-bean salad.

Lori's Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt. Quarter enough tomatillos to half-fill your food processor bowl. Add a small quartered onion and a handful of cilantro. Pulse to chop; leave some texture. Season with lime juice and salt. Yum! It will be a bit watery; that's normal. Serve on EVERYTHING.

Bento Mom's Black Bean Confetti Salad

Black beans, fresh corn, carrots or red pepper, tomatillo salsa. Drain the beans, mince the carrot or red pepper, and cut the corn off the cob. Mix together. Add salsa to taste, and extra salt if desired. Yum!