Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Mabo Tofu Chicks Bento

Mabo Tofu Chicks Bento by sherimiya ♥
Mabo Tofu Chicks Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.
Today's bento has mabo tofu, one of my favorite meals which I hadn't made in a long time. When I make the kids' version I don't use any chili sauce at all, sadly, since they have no tolerance for it. This is why theirs looks so brown. After they get their serving, the adult version gets a few tablespoons of chili paste added in, which adds the nice red color that I love. For this batch I used ground chicken, and I also stirred in an egg, which is why there are yellow bits visible in the closeup. I scooped the mabo tofu over some lettuce in this bento, and I left out most of the sauce to keep it on the less drippy, bento-friendly, side. For dinner they had it served over rice, which is my favorite way to eat it. I added a red leaf and dandelion green salad with sliced grape tomatoes and feta cheese, carrots, strawberries and grapes to round out the bento. And for a final Easter touch, I put two baby chicks sitting on a leaf together. They are made of yellow carrot, with orange carrot and nori details. Cheep cheep!

10 comments:

  1. Sheri this is a beautiful bento, I love the little chicks. You are always so good and incorporating the season or holidays into your bentos. The back ground is so vivid and I really like the Maneki Neko Chinese good fortune cat! It always reminds me of you. The mabo tofu looks good, I would have to make it like this for my husband and add the chili sauce for my daughter and me!

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  2. Thanks so much Lyndsey; you're always so sweet with your comments. Nice to have a fellow spicy food lover pal :D

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  3. Really cute chicks. It really brightens up the bento. Love the feta & tomatoes. Yum

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  4. I've never had mabo tofu before but it looks delicious! Anything with chili is good, lol!

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  5. Amazing colors, cuteness, concept: I'm here grinning with delight! Have a wonderful day, cheep cheep :D

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  6. I want this today, now now now! Yum-my! The chicks look so amazingly cute. Mm, anything served over rice is a fave for me. : ) Always looks so fresh and pretty your bentos Sheri.

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  7. this looks delish, but extra chili sauce in my portion please!
    those yellow carrots are the perfect shade for chick... from your farmer's market? this early? mine haven't even sprouted yet! love their perfect nori details and the matching chick picks in the strawberries... it's a chick party!

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  8. I love to eat mabo tofu too...oh..so yummy. The baby chicks are too cute to eat, Sheri. :)

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  9. Thanks Heather, Jenn, Chantale, megan and Emily ~ really wishing I had made a double batch for leftovers tonight. :9

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