White Bean and Chicken Salad, and a delicious lunch

Wednesday this week, I knew I would need to spend a fair amount of time at school working on our exam. I needed a lunch that would stick with me and last... and it had to be something available in my cupboard. I had a can of chicken, but almost no other meat, so chicken it is.

White Bean and Chicken Salad
1 (12 oz) can of chicken
1 (16 oz) can of white kidney beans, or other white bean
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1-2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

I mixed it all up, cooked 2 oz of whole wheat penne, tossed the penne in olive oil and combined the whole works in my ECOlunchbox with some shredded Parmesan. It was an absolutely delicious (if bland looking) lunch. I couldn't come close to finishing it - which worked out, since I would need to eat later in the day.

The rest of the week was somewhat uneventful food-wise. Back to turkey sandwiches at home.

This morning though, I was tired of turkey. Instead of a turkey sandwich I opted to try out my new silicon egg poachers.

Poached egg with Capicola, Bleu cheese and Rye
1 slice rye bread
2-3 slices of smoked hot capicola
1-2 Tbsp crumbled bleu cheese
1 egg

Boil water and soft poach the egg according to your poacher directions (or if you're talented, poach them without the help of a little silicon cup!) Layer the capicola and bleu cheese over the rye. Microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften the cheese and render some of the fat in the capicola. Put the soft poached egg over top and slice the yolk so the whole thing is covered in runny egg goodness. Serve with coffee. Devour.

Rob thought my lunch smelled funny and wouldn't try it - but he's not a huge fan of stinky bleu cheese. Sad. It was delicious! The bleu cheese I used was pretty powerful, so it did taste largely of cheese. Even with the cheesiness, the saltiness of the capicola and the runny egg made it a deliciously flavorful and rich lunch. No need for extra salt or pepper!

I went to my apartment and picked up my microplane because I want to try this for lunch sometime this week. Mmm. I will admit that the bento project has had me seeking out more creative, and filling lunch options. I like it!