Thursday, September 20, 2012

Pickled Sticky Rice LunchBot Bento

I made one of my favorite one-pot meals for today: sticky rice! See my method here. Since TinySprite is allergic to soy, I omitted the lup cheong (Chinese sausage) and replaced the meat with regular ham. I've also used Canadian bacon before (in this bento) and it went over just fine. This batch got shiitake mushrooms and a new kind of green: broccoli stalks. I thought it would give a little bite to the rice. And another new kind of green as well: pickled mustard greens. I know it sounds crazy, but my kids love pickled vegetables. Even mustard greens. Weird, right? It has a very strong flavor and totally changed the way I usually think of this dish, but in a good way. They liked it! Go figure. I put my girl's portion in the LunchBot Trio alongside: fresh pear slices, blueberries, strawberries, Okinawan sweet potatoes and carrots.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Sheri,
    Beautiful bento as always~ Do you use an icepack with your kid's lunches? Do you have problems with them suddenly not eating certain things? I have a 4yo that now says she doesn't like ANYTHING. I think it's the other kids influence. How do you keep the pears from browning? Lots of questions! Love ya, Miso

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use an ice pack if it's a particularly hot day (but we don't have those very often, and not at all this past summer). I think all kids go through food phases; who knows what's going through their minds. It might not have anything to do with their taste and may even just be due to stubbornness! I've learned to try to be patient and keep offering the foods you'd like them to eat, varying the flavors and presentation. As for pears, try a quick dip in acidulated water (water with a few drops of lemon juice squeezed in) to keep them fresh-looking.
      Good luck! And thanks :D

      Delete