I just made this simple bento style lunch for Rachel. It didn’t take long at all, and i thought I would share it. We had leftover lentils from a big pot that Rachel made last week (leftovers are awesome). I stir-fried a few organic broccoli florets with mirin and shoyu (soy sauce or tamari). I’ll do a post about stir-frying some day. Then I just made some rice in the rice cooker (simple), and combined it with a little fresh cucumber and avocado. I topped it all with a little chopped, toasted nori from Trader Joe’s. And Voila! A simple lunch to go. Super simple healthy cooking. So easy. So tasty.

What is a bento, you ask? “Bento” is actually a Japanese word for a little lunch box. We use the term when we make lunches that are in the bento style – meaning they have a little of everything you might find in a full meal. They usually have rice too. In some communities there is a huge craze to make super fancy bentos for school kids. It’s a lot of work to do that, but it is fun. Click here to do a google image search for “bento.” It’s pretty fascinating.

PS: This is the type of toasted nori I used. There are dozens of brands out there. They make great snacks. Our daughter loves them, but they go fast! Just crunch them up on top of some sushi rice for a super tasty addition to a simple meal.