Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Panda-monium Ma Bo Tofu Bento

We're having a meat week, following up the sausage pasta with ma bo tofu (I adapted Lovelylanvin's recipe), complete with a pair of tofu panda friends. I adapted the traditional recipe quite a bit; in fact it may not resemble actual ma po tofu much anymore. I have to omit all the chili bean sauce because the kids won't tolerate the spice, and I always add greens. Today I chopped half a bag full of baby bok choy, several green onion stalks and cilantro and mixed them in for texture, color and nutrition. Sometimes I use pickled mustard greens as well. Also, there is less sauce in mine, to keep it more bento-friendly. If you wanted to keep the soupiness, it would be better to pack it into a thermal food jar. But for us today, this donburi bowl-type bento box works just fine! Top tier contains all fruit: strawberries, grapes, kiwi, blood orange and little mandarinquat. If you've never seen a mandarinquat before, here's a photo, beside some yuzuquats and a standard satsuma mandarin for size comparison. The hybrid quats taste like kumquats, but slightly different. I think kumquats are the tartest, but it could be just me ^_^


25 comments:

  1. Now you make me craving for ma bo tofu. I love to use pickled mustard greens but hubby and the kids are not a big fan of it. Sometimes I wonder whether I have a wrong taste buds because I love it since I was a kid. Thanks for showing the picture at the bottom. I don't even know there are mandarinquat and yuzuquat until I saw your picture. Great one to share Sheri! (^.^)

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    1. We love pickled mustard greens too! Do you know the dish served with pork and pickled mustard greens? I love that one. Over hot rice, it's so good. Your taste buds are just right; just have to wait until everyone else's catches up.
      I only saw these hybrid quats at the market this past week too. I can't resist because as you know I'm such a mini fan ^_^
      Thanks Lia!

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    2. Yup! Pork with pickled mustard greens are perfect dish no matter how you cook them. Steamed, soup, stir fry, braised just always turn out so delicious. I think I have to wait for the kids to catch up but no hope for hubby LOL :D

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    3. Awww -- well that means extra servings for you! *^^*

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  2. Those tofu panda friends are too cute!! are you using firm tofu or extra firm?

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  3. so coulourful and heálthy but very very cute. It looks so tasty and cute >.<

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  4. Wooot! Yuzuquat? Mandarinquat? They are so cute!!! No chance for me to see any of those here... not even "normal" yuzu... Sometimes I wonder how did I end up at this place XD.
    Pandamonium is just great! My girls also enjoy mabo tofu as long as I don't put much of anything (HA! tofu sauce maybe?) and I hope when they get older they will love these types of food as much as I did when I was a child.

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    1. Yes, we all hope the same things for our kids and wonder why they don't love exactly the same things we did when we were their age? I suppose to teach us to like different things ourselves in our grown-up years. I still hope ... ^^
      I wish I could send you the seeds to grow; you would be the hit of Finland!
      I love these hybrid quats for their cuteness - they are a bit tart though.
      Thanks L!

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  5. yuzuquat and mandarinquat! amazing!

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  6. Thanks for uploading the yuzuquat and mandarinquat picture. It makes it easier to visualise the fruits. Never seen any of those around here though. And as I said on twitter, that box is not only magical by its roundness but also by its cuteness. I love your new threaded comments too. I'll have to look up how to implement those.

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    1. That's so sweet Ceinwyn; thank you. All those little quats are too cute, aren't they?
      If you have blogger, you should have threaded comments set up too. It's very handy.

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  7. Wow! Panda fever :D. Sheri, I love your oranges photo. I especially like the Mandarinquat, looks so unique ^^

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    1. Yes, the mandarinquats have a pointy end. So cute! Thanks tata :)

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  8. Mm, is there rice underneath? Looks soo good! I've seen these gorgeous mandarinquats at the grocery store but the labels are mostly in french. And I don't bother reading them. lol. The title of this bento is just as creative as the bento itself! Love it!

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    1. Chantale,
      You know there's rice underneath! Gotta have it. That's great that you have these fruit over there. They're probably from Florida so pretty close by :) Thanks dear!

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  9. Ooooh! I wish I could have a bite! :) We used to have a kumquat tree in our backyard when I was a kid. I would climb the tree and eat them until my tongue went raw, lol.

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    1. Are you serious? I can't believe you didn't find them too tart! That kumquat tree must have had the cutest fruit; you're so lucky you can grow citrus where you are!

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  10. Sheri, Love the Panda friends as well as craving for Ma Bo tofu now !

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  11. Sheri,
    Do you use the Sweet Bean Paste? Just omit the spicy? My daughter doesn't do any spice, but I love love me some mapo.

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    1. Becky, that's exactly what I do. But every time, I try to put just a little bit more the spicy bean paste in there as well. Hopefully they'll become accustomed to it because I love love lurrrrve me some mapo too!

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