Mediterranean Bento Box Lunch

Source: Gathering Dreams

• Wholegrain couscous
• Chickpeas
• Black olives
• Bell peppers
• Red onion
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Creamy homemade hummus
• A simple dressing made with extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, the juice of one lemon, salt and pepper

Before adding the chickpeas to the lunch box, toss them in a bowl with some sweet smoked paprika, and a tablespoon of the dressing.

Chickpea Bento Box

Source: Gathering Dreams

• Prep the salad: chop 4 small cucumbers, cut in half  2 cups cherry tomatoes. Add in 2 cups chickpeas
  2 cups brown rice (cooked), chopped fresh parsley, 2 cups green and black olives
  4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix. 
• Begin assembling bento boxes by putting chickpea salad in bento box.
• Add a whole avocado and a plastic knife to the bento box. Add the lemon wedge next to it.
• Place the carrot and celery sticks in the container with a few tablespoons of hummus.

 

Easy Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas with @1 Tab. water from can
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tea. chopped garlic
2 Tab. tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tea. salt

Put all of the ingredients into your blender/food processor/ magic bullet. Blend.

Serve with pita chips,  veggies, crackers, or spread it on a sandwich.

Hummus

This recipe is from Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors by Marian Broida.

3 can garbanzo beans, drained

3 tea. chopped garlic

6 Tab. tahini (sesame seed paste)*

1-1/2 tea. salt

1-1/2 tea. cumin

3 Tab. apple juice

9 Tab. water

corn chips, crackers, sliced cucumbers or bread, optional

Mash garbanzo beans and garlic in a large bowl using a fork or potato masher. You could use a food processor or blender instead. Add the tahini, salt and cumin and stir well. Add apple juice and water and stir until completely mixed. Spread on fresh hard bread slices, crackers, cucumber slices or corn chips.