Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Kabocha Bento


Kabocha Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.
Today MisterMan has a kind of traditional Japanese food bento today. I found asparagus in the market today so I wrapped in turkey and roasted. At the same time I also roasted kabocha, Okinawan purple potato, and satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato). I bought a regular (green skin) kabocha and cut into wedges before roasting with sea salt. It's delicious just like that. I also made a quick tamagoyaki with shredded spinach to fill in the gap. I cut the satsumaimo into sticks so they kind of look like french fries, and somehow that makes them even more desirable. I topped with some carved carrots and added Fall plum chunks in the final section for dessert. That's it! Even with cooking, this bento probably took less than 30 minutes, and most of that was waiting for the roasting to be done.
Look -- it's Kabochan! Isn't he cute? This little character reminds us not to fear the tough exterior of the sweet kabocha, since it protects the delicious sunset-hued squash within. He is the mascot of the Kabocha Lovers Club, and was illustrated by the talented Alissa Staples. I myself was hesitant to cut into my first kabocha, and asked the vendor to make the initial cut for me. Since then, I've cut numerous wedges with my sharp chef's knife with relative ease. Try the kabocha; join our club! Don't be afraid, indeed -- and you will be rewarded with the delicate flavor of Autumn!

12 comments:

  1. I agree. Don't be afraid of the delightful kabocha. Sharp knife,steady hand, and a hunger for an amazingly yummy squash. That's all you need.

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  2. Looks yum yum :D
    btw please check on my recent post about blogger award!!! and claim yours! ^o^)/ congratz!

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  3. So true Debra. If I can overcome the kabocha skin, anyone can!

    Thanks Sysyl, and thank you for the kind award!

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  4. Fabulous bento for MM! The foods are quite filling without have to put rice. Roasting sounds fun and healthy too. Love the cute Kabochan illustration. Alissa is very talented illustrator (^.^)

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  5. Hi Lia, Thank you! You noticed I don't have rice in there... I still don't think MM would enjoy the rice filler as much as the other foods, so I used a variety of veggies and potatoes instead. The meat is pretty flavorful and balances the rest pretty well. Kabochan is cute; I wish I could design like that, so kawaii :D

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  6. Ouuu..I love kabocha too...
    for me, they tasted so sweet :p

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  7. YES! Kabochan!! ka ka kaaaa boo boo chan! :P, I should compose a song to kabochan ^_^.
    Delicious bento! I see tamagoyakis with nice leaves there! Ahahahaha (internal joke)
    :D

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  8. Beautiful, savory bento full of autumn-roasted goodness, the turkey-aspargus rolls are awesome and so playful. Thanks for sharing the kabocha love, I'm looking at mine sitting on the windowsill with less trepidation now :D!

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  9. agreed - the tough exterior can be a little intimidating at first, but oh what delicious autumnal flavor waits inside! can't wait to see how long you can keep this awesome kabocha roll going with so many different flavors and uses. and what a delicious bento, i love making one with such traditional foods once in a while. hope MM enjoyed as much as i would have, hehe!

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  10. Thanks Yenny!
    Thanks karaimame! My kids weren't as observant as yours and didn't even ask about it. Haha!
    Thank you bentobird! Can't wait to see your kabocha bento :)
    megan, Thanks a lot! Also, the pre-cut kabocha does help :D

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  11. Yummy, everything looks delicious and Kabochan is super cute!

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