Luscious, Lemony Letter 'L' Lunch

According to Webster's dictionary, the definition of luscious is something "richly luxurious or appealing to the senses." Usually, the word "luscious" makes me think foods full of calories, such as huge, decadent desserts or giant portions of delicious appetizers. Personally, I think a little bit of a luscious food is more than enough; knowing that you have a small amount to eat, makes you savor each and every bite.

With a bento, the portions seem small. That's because bentos are designed to carry the right amount of food and nutrients for its recipient. Therefore, in my own, non-nutrition-degree opinion, it is okay to include a luscious food in one's bento once in a while, especially since the portion size is much more in line with actual needed portion sizes, rather than the Americanized idea of portions.

This Letter L bento is a perfect marriage between lusciousness and portion-control.

Honestly, the components of this lunch are quite simple. And yet, because of bright lemony colors contrasted against hues of salad greens, this bento brings "lunch" up to a whole new level.

First off, the base of the lunch is Lasagna. Not to praise myself, but ... I make an amazing lasagna: ground beef simmered in herbs and red wine, homemade red sauce smothering the noodles, mozzarella & Parmesan melting on top. (Are you drooling yet?!) BUT I went the easy route for this lunch; here's my secret - it's a Stouffer's lasagna. Yup, you read that right - store-bought Stouffer's. We had it for dinner, and then I packaged up the leftovers into the bento lunches.

Next, I added a bunch of different Lettuces in the second layer. Squirt with a spritz of Lemon, and wow ... healthy deliciousness!

For dessert, I cut a homemade Lemon bar to fit into a heart-shaped silicone cup. These lemon bars are one of the best desserts ever - slightly sweet and yet a tiny bit tart. SO good!

This is something that YOU could easily take to work. In fact, I bet that all of your coworkers might be rather jealous of your lunch. Try it, and let me know how it turns out!