Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Sandwiches and Filo Tarts

Shmoo didn't want a thing to do with all the icky stuff I put in his dad's lunch today, so as you can see his lunch looks a lot different!

For starters, instead of salads and spinach I made him two sandwiches filled with Chickpea Salad (recipe from Vegan Lunch Box). This is our answer to tuna or chicken salad, and pressing the sandwiches kept all the filling in and eliminated that nasty crust. I pressed the sandwiches closed using a dough press(aka dumpling maker). I discovered that only our smooshy white bread took to pressing; the whole wheat ripped at the fold.

Shmoo did like the lemony potatoes I made for Dad, so I tucked in a few with his Brussels sprouts and topped them with a lemon to avoid any Brassica odors (this is a new concern for shmoo -- he doesn't want his lunch to "smell like anything", so I'm topping things with lemon slices and wrapping each container in plastic wrap).

For dessert I packed shmoo a donut peach, and used the same frozen filo cups as in my husband's lunch, this time filled with chocolate pudding topped with raspberries.

Verdict: It was all good but the dessert. The filo cups held up well with the drier spinach-mushroom mixture in my husband's lunch, but the pudding turned them to a soggy, unidentifiable mush. Note to self: stick with dry ingredients or use pie dough pastry next time. Not to worry, though: shmoo still got to eat a pudding when he got home. By the way, this was our first time trying storebought vegan pudding -- very, very yummy! 2 stars.

16 comments:

Bianca said...

Good tip on the lemon to ward off odors. And it's great that Schmoo likes Brussels!

Unknown said...

Are those cute little veggie characters on top of his sandwiches sauce bottles?

And I'm probably around halfway between your son and husband as far as age, and I think both lunches look delicious! :)

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I'm so excited that you're posting more lunches again!! :0)

Beauty Swirl Girl said...

Amazing presentation. I'll have to purchase these lunch boxes I'm sure my husband will enjoy a very nice looking lunch.

Love your recipe ideas and the cute little smiley face touches. Do you make these yourself?

Thanks again.

Whitney said...

After stumbling onto your blog and seeing these adorable lunchboxes, I went online and bought one! Your family is so lucky!! I'm jealous!

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Are those cute little veggie characters on top of his sandwiches sauce bottles?

Oh, it's a plastic divider sheet used to separate foods in a bento-style lunch. I order them online. This time I just set the divider on top to look nice. Love those happy veggies!

AMJ217 said...

Love this blog so much! Have been lurking for about a year now. Just got my own Laptop Lunch system and your book! It's fantastic!

Where do you get the napkins? Are they the bento wraps? Or, is it an Oshibori cloth?

Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

>>Oh, it's a plastic divider sheet used to separate foods in a bento-style lunch.


Ahh, okay. Couldn't quite tell - they're adorable though! Bento accessories are one of the best things about bento in general - I adore all the little bottles and cups and dividers that I Love Obento carries :)

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Where do you get the napkins? Are they the bento wraps? Or, is it an Oshibori cloth?

They are "Lunch Box Napkins" that I sew from cotton quilting squares. The pattern is on page 39 in the new book. :-)

AMJ217 said...

Fantastic! I haven't gotten that far in the book yet! My mom is a magician with a needle and thread! I'll have to go pick out some snazzy fabric and let her take a peak at the pattern! Thanks so much! I appreciate it!

Faye said...

Do you think freezing the pudding/fruit would help it keep its shape?

I am new to the bento world. thanks for sharing and LOVE the creativity. your family is lucky.

I manage to have dinner, but i am not so sharp on the details. :( i am gonna check out your site

Jennifershmoo said...

>>Do you think freezing the pudding/fruit would help it keep its shape?

That might work! Good idea!

Unknown said...

Jennifer, I saw your book at Borders. will definitely be getting it next time I go. We are a high raw vegan family- new to veganism.. your blog has inspired me! Thank you and I am sure my 6 children will thank you..

marci said...

Ok i have a question for you, i always see that you put fruit in shmoos lunch box , we have the same box and i can't get a even a small plum to fit with the lid closed, do you put it on the side??

Jennifershmoo said...

Well, this was a "donut peach" -- they're very flat and small and fit perfectly. But you're right, most fruit is too big to fit in the Laptop box whole. I usually cut fruit into pieces to get it to fit. A small plum, though, you might be able to fit it in if you take out the container?

There were some incredibly cute super-tiny plums at the farmer's market last week. I wish shmoo liked plums.

Karen said...

These are incredibly cute but how do they look once they are at school? I see how my kid and her friends swing their lunchboxes around!!!