I made duplicates of this lunch – one for my friend Mark to take home with him, and one for myself to take to work the next day. I put the sides in silicone cups for easy removal before heating if desired (I ate mine at room temperature).

Container: EasyLunchBoxes

Left Side: Hippo – polenta made with broth and cornmeal (stir 1/2 cup cornmeal into 1 cup of vegetable broth, heat at medium-low heat while stirring, when it becomes a ball and is somewhat firm, remove from heat and spread onto a plate at the desired thickness for your cookie cutter. When cool, cut with a cookie cutter), Spanish Garbanzo Beans (see recipe below).

Top Right: Hippo – honeydew melon (cut with a cookie cutter), blueberries

Bottom Right: Hippos – carrots (cut with a cookie cutter), celery with almond butter

Spanish Garbanzo Beans (2 servings)

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 medium green pepper, chopped

16 ounces of tomato sauce (I use more or less depending on how thick I want it and add more during cooking if desired)

15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed

In a medium pan, heat olive oil until medium hot. Saute shallots and pepper until onions are translucent. Add tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.