Pack Your Own Bistro Box

One of the wonderful things about working at La Tortilla Factory is the company offers on-site continuing education classes.  This has ranged from E.S.L. classes to junior college courses to the personal finance classes I just enrolled in!

It’s eye opening when you start to track exactly where your money goes.  For instance, I was shocked to discover just how much I was spending on coffee and eating out – and this comes from a gal who prides herself on cooking and preparing her own food!  Does this sound familiar to anyone? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.  As my job and agenda got busier, I found myself grabbing a Bistro Box along with my morning coffee more times than I’d like to admit.

The good news is I have recommitted myself to cooking, packing and eating food from home. Not only is it much more economical, I feel better too. This post is inspired by those clever Bistro Boxes – as I have been making a Mediterranean rendition with roasted beets, carrot purée, olives, feta cheese and our Low Carb, High Fiber Tortillas.

Below is the recipe for the carrot purée.  Don’t worry if you make a big batch because it’s a tasty compliment to any lunch, but also works great inside wraps, on top of quesadillas or on the side of a salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients needed: carrots, beets, 1/4 of a shallot, olive oil, non-fat Greek yogurt and salt to taste.
Cut veggies as evenly as possible and place on baking sheet.  Peel the shallot and cut a 1/4 piece into slices and add it to the veggies.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast everything together for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees.

Place the carrot and shallot pieces into a blender or food processor.  Add one large tablespoon of non-fat Greek Yogurt and small amounts of water as needed, to help blend the mixture.

Pulse until desired purée consistency is reached.

Cut feta cheese into cubes.  My favorite is Bulgarian feta, which is a bit more salty and dense than other feta cheeses.  You can pack some toothpicks too, if you’d like.

Get your favorite olives – I love Castelvetranos and Kalamatas.
Cut tortillas into triangular wedges and place into a small Ziploc bag – or take the entire bag of tortillas and just use what you need. Put everything into Tupperware containers and then into a cooler lunch bag.

If I know I’m going to be out running errands I’ll pack a hand sanitizing wipe and put a flexible ice pack inside as well – this keeps everything cool and safe all day long. This way, when it’s time to eat, whether I’m in the office or in my car, I look for a quiet spot, preferably someplace with a window or a view, and I enjoy my home cooked food.