If it wasn’t for the near-vegetarian pasta this week I think I need another break from meat; it’s too easy to go for chicken as the ‘show stopper’ item in lunches. It’s a good thing that with the warmer weather we’re finding more interesting and delicious veg (read: they BBQ well) to make use of.
This week I think has been rather educational in the culinary sense – I finally got around to make an attempt at pad thai: first for dinner, then as a bento. As with readily found advice on the interwebs it is indeed not a dish suited to pack as the rice noodles clump readily, almost smugly as if mocking my learner efforts. It scoffed at my futile efforts to keep the noodles separate without adding more oil and laughed manically as I tried to correct things as I didn’t work fast enough. But the dish for lunch was slightly altered which though not a passable rendition it definitely was there in spirit (that’s what I say to console my broken self).
At least the major sauce components will be in the fridge for a while – and I think they’d probably suit a way to flavour up future side dishes (watch this space).
August 3
Plain white rice seems so naked without furikake.. Lunch consists of BBQ leftovers: sliced lamb, “cheater’s” ratatouille, tomato, steamed broccoli and pickled radish
August 4
Finally attempted personal challenge 315: lunchbox pad thai. And it’s looking like a huge lunch with the egg as a separate item, the other toppings include prawns, roasted peanuts, spring onion & cress and bean sprouts with a lime wedge to garnish..
That’s one huge bowl and a lesson that rice noodles don’t play nice when not fresh. But it’s surprisingly less dense than egg noodles.
A good effort but probably one left to the experts
August 5
Oh yeah I can make sushi too.. A fusion extravaganza today with BBQ roast ratatouille, carottes râpées with cress, pickled radish, tomato, tamarind konnyaku & bean sprouts and makizushi (crabstick, mayo, sesame, carrot and cress)
August 6
And to think all this food is almost vegetarian (contains traces of anchovies). Lunch is linguine with ratatouille veggies with roast tomato & olive pesto, chopped oregano & cress, pan roasted cherry tomatoes and rocket.
It was tastier than it looks, honest! And pretty filling too!
August 7
I think I’ve cracked the flavour* of the chilli chicken from a food stall back home, more than 10 years ago. Pity I didn’t keep the rest to myself! Lunch is chilli chicken, steamed broccoli, cress tamagoyaki, carottes râpées, tomato, pickled radishes and an umeboshi.
Yay, chicken doesn’t have to be deep fried to be tasty!
* Sriracha, and a touch of Chinese 5 spice
