Talking turkey

Turkey has become more popular as a lunch meat, but have you looked at the nutrition label on that pack of "deli sliced" processed meat? The sodium is way high, and even if you don't have high blood pressure, it can't be that good for you, especially for something you eat every day.

But what can a busy worker do? Well, the next time you see a whole (not boneless) frozen turkey breast on sale, buy it. I found them for 99 cents a pound last week, and cooked it yesterday for dinner. I will have sliced turkey for the week with minimal sodium, and it'll taste like real turkey, too.

Turkey breast is easy to cook. Thaw it in the fridge a day or two before you want to cook it. Turn on your oven to 500 degrees. Drain the turkey, wash it and dry it well. Flatten out the ribs as much as you can. If you like garlic, poke a couple of holes in the thickest part, cut the garlic cloves in half and put them in. Rub the underside and top with your favorite spice mixture. I always add a little paprika or smoked paprika to give the skin a good color, and spray it with olive oil. A 5-pound breast fit snugly in a glass 8x8-inch baking pan, and for added flavor, I set it on top of two onions, each peeled and cut in half.

Put the turkey in the oven and turn it down to 325. Bake for about 20 minutes per pound, or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees. My 5-pound breast took about an hour and a half. Remove from oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes for the juices to settle in the meat, then slice. If you're only using it for lunch meat, wrap it as soon as it cools and refrigerate. It will be easier to slice when cold.

Bento there, done that

Bento boxes almost define the Japanese lunch. Long before sushi took hold of the American scene, a couple of pieces found their way onto the bento box, along with a variety of three to six other foods. This was in keeping with the philosophy of all things in moderation while providing something for each of the tastes and senses. It's a wonderful way to discover new foods, a little bit at a time.

But I still was surprised by my friend and former co-worker Gina Kim's video on box lunches.

For one thing, she interviewed a Caucasian mom (Deborah Hamilton, creator of the excellent Web site, http://lunchinabox.net) who got into the bento box for lunch when her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease. Hamilton stressed how the food doesn't have to be Japanese, it just has to be as pretty to look at as it is good to eat.

Another revelation was Hamilton's use of molds to turn hardboiled eggs into fun shapes for her little kid. I had no idea you could do that. What fun!

And there was this great tip: Use silicone baking cups as dividers in the storage containers. Not only do they keep the food flavors from blending together, they add a lot of color as well.

Great work, Gina!