Sardine Melt Sandwich Bento

Throughout the pandemic while the kids were distance learning at home, they handled their own lunches and snacks. Since they were on completely different schedules and the kitchen is steps away from their workstations it was easy for them. One of TinySprite's favorites was toast. Toast with all kinds of various toppings. So today I will copy one of her standards... 

Sardines on toast! Now before you make a face, did you know that sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and selenium, and much lower in mercury than your usual tuna? They are high in protein and very good for you. Here's how I made mine.

Toast bread til crunchy. Smear on some dill pickle hummus, then zhoug sauce (or your preferred tangy sauce; maybe even pesto, salsa or hot sauce). Drain the sardines and add them in chunks to cover the whole toast. Add cheese on top, put the sandwich back in the oven, and broil to melt.

Take out of oven and add baby spinach and pickled red onions on top. That's it! I used a slightly larger bento box today so I could add a cup of sliced dinosaur pluots. These are my favorite stone fruit and I'm surprised they're stil in season right now. Still so sweet and juicy too. Hope she likes it!

Toast Of The Day: Omega-3 Sardines!

I gotta say this is my favorite toast thus far. But then I'm a fan of sardines! Are you? And because I piled so many other ingredients on my english muffin, it's not overwhelmingly sardiney, either.

I especially love that I was able to use so many healthy add-ons. I made them all; nothing is pre-processed. The tangy flavors come from the pickles, sprouts, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 

I can't wait to make (a variation on) this one again!

😊❤🍱🐟🥑🌱

Planetbox Sandwich Bento

I don't know why, but Planetbox Rover seems to scream sandwich bento! to me. Today, at least. It has a nice big compartment for it, and even though it's a square, I'm putting a baguette in there, because that's how I do it. It's a sardine sandwich, and before you judge, listen: it's packed in harissa, covered in melted cheese, and laying on a whole wheat sweet French roll. The lettuce underneath he'll pack between the bread right before eating, so it doesn't get all soggy. It's good! Besides that, he gets super ripe strawberries, cara cara orange, homegrown kadota fig, tomatoes, carrots, cinnamon yogurt, and tiny bear cookies (because they fit in that little space perfectly!). Yum!

  

Sardine Melt Mini-Sandwich Bento

Yes, it really is a sardine sandwich, and will my kids really like it? I learned how to make a sardine sandwich from my childhood friend who lived down the street. She made it for me and showed me exactly how she did it. She was a year older and I did whatever she said; if she liked it then I liked it too. And I still do! I use canned sardines packed in spring water with no added salt, and add pickle relish and cracked pepper. If it were for me, I would also add sriracha (or tapatio or tabasco) for extra zing. Melt some cheddar and toast the bread, and it's so good. I also added some romaine lettuce leaves. Not to mention all the healthy omega-3s you'll be getting. You should try it!
I used my Sistema Bakery Split Container to pack the sandwiches (two mini sandwich thins) with the carrots on one side and the fruit (blood orange, half a satsuma mandarin, and a grape tomato) on the other. The partition keeps the two sides separate. Anpanman character picks ensure the sandwich stays intact - aren't they cute? Happy Wednesday!