Pork in Lettuce Wrap Bento

Pork in Lettuce Wrap Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I made a Vietnamese style marinade using fish sauce, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar using a recipe from Bon Appétit. And instead of pork chops I used thin cut pork loin, for kiddie-friendly eating. I did a pan sear, and served in home grown "baby lettuce" leaves alongside pickled carrots and daikon, and cucumbers. There's also a baby cherry tomato in there for color. Before I left for a 2 week vacation this past summer, I had placed a little planter of baby lettuce sprouts into my fig pot. When I got back, the lettuce had taken over and grown to an immense size. So now we have lots of salad in our future! The rest of this bento contains super juicy and sweet late-season pluots, grapes and cherries. A tasty bento lunch for the kiddos!
Added to What's For Lunch.

Deconstructed Fish Tacos LunchBot Quad Bento

Deconstructed Fish Tacos LunchBot Quad Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

We've done the deconstructed fish taco many times before. This one is pan-fried snapper seasoned with lemon pepper. I packed it with cheesy tortilla strips, homemade tartar sauce (in container; just yogurt with sweet relish), a cabbage tomato onion green onion salad, and a selection of cherries and strawberry. I find that presenting the food like this, in the LunchBot Quad, works better than actual fish tacos because she's still at the stage where everything always falls out of the tortilla, causing quite a bit of frustration. Here she eats everything individually, without incident (or tears). Yay!

First Day of School LunchBots Bento!

First Day of School Bento!, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Hi there everyone!! We're back from summer vacation and all ready to tackle another school year. MisterMan is in 5th grade, and TinySprite is now in 1st grade. Over the summer, MisterMan had been preparing bento for himself and his sister for their summer programs. Today, I put out the empty bento boxes and guess what? TinySprite asked if she could put the food inside. She arranged the fruit and veggie side sections for both of them, and her brother did the rest. With all this teamwork, maybe I can retire as head blogger at Happy Little Bento and turn the reins over to the kiddos! I wonder when he can start cooking dinner for us...? I made a quick and easy dinner for us, consisting of colorful veggie pasta, pan-fried nitrite-free chicken sausage, and steamed corn. They added shredded cheese and spinach toppings. The other side holds two color grapes, cherries, tomatoes, and pickled baby cucumbers. All packed up in the LunchBots Duo. I got so much mileage out of this box over the summer; I think my boy took it every single day. He can fill it easily, there are only two pieces to keep track of, no latches to break, and after school he even washes it for the next day's use. I sure got spoiled this summer. Let's see how this coming school year shapes up!

The Mid-Summer Bento: Tebasaki in EcoLunchBox!

The Mid-Summer Bento: Tebasaki in EcoLunchBox!, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Helloooooo out there! Is anybody still out there? Or are you all on the beach, kicking back and letting the kids live out their summertime dreams? If you're like us, you've been milking every minute from this long-awaited summer. We took off the very day after the kindergarten graduation ceremony back in May. Literally. Of course, after all the fun at Legoland, Disney, museums, beach, camping, county fairs, concerts, and poolside, the kids still have to eat. But guess what? MisterMan has been picking up the ball and making bento for himself and his sister throughout their summer programs. Score! Me -- since I've been on bento hiatus I haven't even booted up the laptop much less brought out the camera setup to take any photos. But I have been taking phone pics of his creations, and I really want to show you a sample of his handiwork. You know, later.
So yes, I've been enjoying my summer too, bento-wise. However, I did manage to make their bento today, just because I kind of missed it. This simple bento contains tebasaki (crispy chicken drumettes and wings, see the method and recipe I use here); vinegary two-color cabbage slaw; fresh corn-off-the-cob; pickled cukes, carrots, daikon and red onion; cherries; and cantaloupe. All packed up in the very practical and stylish Ecolunchbox Three-in-One. I think I did okay! This is my token mid-summer bento contribution, to keep my chops fresh. Hope you are all having a blast this summer so far! We've still got half the rest of summer yet to go, so see you out there! \(^__^)/

Chimichurri Pork LunchBots Bento

Chimichurri Pork LunchBots Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I packed TinySprite's bento with pan-fried peppery thin cut pork chops on shredded cabbage, topped with a chimichurri sauce (parsley, cilantro, shallot, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, pepper, sherry vinegar). This version is a bit on the spicy side, so there's just a very little bit for flavor. She also gets sesame-marinated mini bell peppers, pickled cucumbers, carrots and daikon. The last section of the very practical LunchBots Trio holds strawberry, a quartered donut peach, and cherries. And that's it for the week!

Salmon, Tomato Relish, and Slaw Bento

Salmon, Tomato Relish, and Slaw Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Today I made TinySprite a compartmentalized bento, so I could give her a little bit of several different things. I find that she's more likely to finish everything if there isn't too much of it. She gets a piece of king salmon, pan-fried in olive oil, pepper, and parsley, served beside a red cabbage/savoy cabbage/carrot/onion slaw. Since she loves pasta, I also gave her some tricolor rotini topped with cherry tomato/shallot/garlic "relish" and shaved parmesan. I squeezed some cherries, blueberries and a halved strawberry in the rest of the sections, along with a couple of pickled cucumbers. The four dividers keep everything separate, and since there's no sauce in this bento either, there shouldn't be any crossover leakage. Hope she enjoys this one!
Added to What's For Lunch.

Herby Chicken Lunchbots Bento

Herby Chicken Lunchbots Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Here's the last bento for the week: and it's good old chicken and rice. I loved this combo when I was a kid, and my kids kind of do too, minus the rice. Sigh. But I find that they will grudgingly eat rice with furikake (and also in hot dog maki, fried rice, sticky rice, or jook), so I put a cup of it in here. This rice is black rice and pearl barley. I disguised it as a cupcake with a tomato "cherry". The chicken is just garlicky herbes de provence olive oil chicken, oven baked. I made more kale chips tonight, which didn't survive for bento extras. The rest of the LunchBot Trio holds a variety of pickled stuff, carrots, cherries, strawberry and baby peach. Oh, and a broccoli tree. Have a great day!

Fish Sticks Lunchbots Bento

Fish Sticks Lunchbots Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Remember those perfectly rectangular fish sticks from elementary school? Do they still serve those? I've never made them at home, but I saw this oven-baked version of fish sticks and decided to try. I used cod which I cut into strips, coated with egg and seasoned panko, sprayed with oil and baked in a 425F oven until golden. I also baked some diced purple potatoes under the rack of fish at the same time, and we also had kale chips (which we ate for dinner; no leftovers). I packed the LunchBot Quad with vinegary cabbage carrot onion daikon slaw on the side, and a selection of springtime fruit: cherry tomatoes, cherries, apricot and strawberry.
Added to What's For Lunch.

Portobello Pizza Bento

Portobello Pizza Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I saw this portobello pizza idea somewhere...maybe on Pinterest or something? Anyway, it was described as a low-carb way to enjoy pizza. Gluten-free too; so I gave it a try.

Here's the method I used:
1. Dust/clean portobello mushroom cap, and remove gills with a spoon to create a little mushroom "cup."
2. Cut off stem.
3. Fill with your choice of toppings (I used shredded zucchini, bell pepper strips, spinach, pepperoni, cheese)
4. Top with cheese if you like, and bake at 350F until mushroom and toppings are softened, and cheese is melted.
5. Alternatively: put cheese in first, and layer toppings on top.
6. Bake at 350F until everything is softened and bottom cheese is melty.

Well, the first thing I noticed is that since the mushroom cap doesn't absorb any moisture, it can fill up with moisture from the veggies. It might be better to saute the veggies before putting them on, maybe. Also, I prefer the cheese on the bottom version, because I like the fresh vegetables looking nice on top. In fact, you can reduce the cooking time as much as you like, and keep the veggies on the crunchier side, too. Still good that way. Anyway, my boy wanted to take one to summer adventures program, so I packed one in this Sistema-look-alike box. The only thing different about this box is that there are 3 divided sections on the fruit side instead of 2. I took the picture with the pizza inside the big section, but actually what I did was close the fruit section and place the pizza on top of the lid in its wax paper before closing the domed lid on top of it. Worked great! He liked all the attention his weird pizza got. In the fruit section: corn on the cob, carrots, broccoli, peaches, lychee, and cherries.
This is a fun meal that the kids can help with, and you can pile a lot of stuff in those portobellos :)

Hello Kitty Gluten-Free Calzone Bento

Hello Kitty Calzone Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I tried another gluten-free pizza dough this time; using Nicole Hunn's recipe at Gluten Free on a Shoestring. If you haven't worked with gluten-free dough before, you'd be surprised at the texture, but she explains what to expect, and my dough looked just like the picture she posted. You have to pat the dough out, since it doesn't stretch like regular pizza dough. It works well for calzones too, which is what I made for TinySprite's bento here. Since this dough doesn't stretch and just kind of sits there, it's actually just right for making cute calzones like this Hello Kitty. I just patted out a circle, put in my fillings (spinach, zucchini, pepperoni and cheese), folded in half to close, and added extra dough pieces for the ears and bow. After baking, it came out just the way it looked when it went in. I added nori eyes, but I should have made whiskers and a nose so she's recognizable. Can you see her? The rest of the bento contains carrots, peapods, a couple of beet-dyed cherry-shaped quail eggs, blackberries, blueberries and cherries. Do you think TinySprite liked this one? (Yep, she did) ^_^

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Oh, and by the way, The Huffington Post Kitchen Daily ran a bento article today, with a mention and a shot of my Hello Kitty Pizzawich Bento in there. Happy Little Bento represent!
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Gluten-Free Pizza Dough (from Gluten Free on a Shoestring)

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus an extra tablespoon or two for drizzling)

1. In a medium-size bowl or the bowl of your food processor, place the flour, xanthan gum, yeast, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.

2. To the flour mixture, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the water in a steady stream, either pulsing in a food processor or mixing with a spoon or fork to combine. If you are using a food processor, pulse while streaming in the water, until a ball begins to form. Otherwise, stir constantly while streaming in the water and continue stirring until the mixture begins to come together. If the dough seems super sticky, add some more flour a tablespoon at a time, and stir or pulse to combine. Press the dough into a disk.

3. Place the dough in another medium-size bowl and drizzle it with olive oil. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. This will prevent a crust from forming on the dough while it is rising. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise until doubled in volume (about 1 hour).

4. After the dough has risen, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before rolling it out.

5. To make pizza, roll between two pieces of plastic wrap. Create a crust by rolling in the edges, brush the dough with olive oil, and blind bake it at about 400 degrees F (that is, bake it plain, before topping it) for 5 to 7 minutes, sot he crust begins to crisp. Then, top it with sauce, cheese, and whatever else you have in the fridge, and return it to the hot oven until the cheese is melted, another 5 to 7 minutes.

Salmon and Lil' Mouse Bento

Salmon and Mouse Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This week's salmon and rice format is packed in a newish two-tier strawberry shapes bento set from Daiso; so cute right? And only $1.50; you can't beat that. The only problem is that it's just a tad bit big, so I think the salmon layer probably moved around a bit by lunchtime. TinySprite gets red rice and salmon with furikake kabocha, a little cup of steamed corn off the cob, and a cute radish mouse. The lower tier contains white peach slices, cherries, blueberries and homegrown sunsugar and yellow pear tomatoes. Simple but satisfying.

Carnitas EcoLunchBox Bento

Carnitas EcoLunchBox Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

MisterMan's bento is packed in the two-tier EcoLunchBox today: he gets leftovers from dinner out, which means super quick bentomaking. Lower tier contains carnitas, Mexican rice, corn, broccoli and Okinawan sweet potato star shapes. Upper tier contains a small box of yogurt topped with blueberries, raspberries, sunflower seeds and wheat germ, plus a selection of strawberry, cherries, peach pie donut peach, and lychee. I love the way I can fit a whole lot of food (lunch and snacks) in this double box. And that's it for the week. Happy weekend friends!

Salmon in a Forest Bento

Salmon Forest Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Another TinySprite bento: this one comprised of our weekly standard salmon and rice. I used cajun spices which I mostly rubbed off of TS's portion. It fit nicely into the curve of this box, which is why I chose it. I packed furikake rice on the side, and topped with a broccoli tree, sweet potato flower shapes, and a mushroom-shaped radish. Fruit sides include: homegrown sunsugar cherry tomato, peach pie donut peach, blueberries, baby white homegrown peach, and dark red cherries. One of my favorite go-to, easy-make bento for a carefree summer day. Don't you just love those? ^_^

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese Bento

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yes, it's the peak of summer and I made mac and cheese. It's TinySprite's favorite, and she's been asking for it, so how could I refuse? She ate two bowls for dinner, and requested another serving for lunch, packed in her Hello Kitty thermal jar. So here it is: my special version of ka-broc-mac and cheese. There's a side box of summer-ripe cherries, homegrown sunsugar orange cherry tomatoes, a homegrown yellow pear tomato, a cup o'blueberries, and a sweet lil' lychee. See how Korilakkuma looks like she's hugging it? That's just exactly how I feel about lychee too. ^_^

I've posted my ka-broc-cheese recipe before (here) but this time I've made it wheat-free and soy-free. The only changes are a substitution of brown rice flour in place of the whole wheat flour for making the roux, and the omission of the spicy soyrizo. Actually, I made this batch in parts, because I happen to love the soyrizo in here, so I just kept it separate to mix in later. I also had to make separate kinds of pasta (quinoa elbows for the gluten-free version and whole wheat elbows for everyone else). It was a bit complicated, but totally worth it. If you don't have any issues with wheat or soy, I would keep to the original recipe; it works and tastes just as good as this one. I know, I know, it is totally untraditional, and the cheese isn't smooth and creamy with everything I've thrown in. But it is substantial, and it fills you up, and you don't even have to worry about a side salad or something. Cuz the veggies are already IN THERE. Woot!

Wheat and Soy Free Mac and Ka-Broc-Cheese Method/Recipe

Cook 8oz (or more if you like) quinoa (or corn) elbow macaroni, 10-12 minutes or until just al dente. Drain.
Steam or microwave 5 slices kabocha (or more) and one small head of broccoli until softened.
Grate the kabocha and mince the broccoli.
Melt 3T butter in a saucepan over medium low heat.
Whisk in 3T brown rice flour, 1tsp dry mustard, a few pinches of pepper, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper until smooth, a few minutes.
Add 2 cups milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6-8 minutes, until milk comes to a boil.
Add: 2C (or 3C, or more) shredded cheddar, parmesan, or whatever cheese you happen to like. Stir to incorporate.
Add the grated kabocha and the minced broccoli. Stir.
Add more cheese if you like it cheesier.
Add pasta, stir to completely incorporate.

Is it more cheddar on top of my lovely creamy cheesy sauce? 

No.... muahahaha!!

It's shredded kabocha. Really.

Look: you can barely tell it's in there.

I'm serious. The cheesalicious flavor overpowers the kabocha.

Yeah, that's a lot of broccoli.

Okay, it's kind of lumpy now. 

If you don't like it, go ahead- add more cheese.

Go on, it's okay. It's cheese! It's all good.

Chicken and Rice Lunchbots Trio Bento

Chicken and Rice Lunchbots Trio Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This is the first time I packed TinySprite's bento in the Lunchbot Trio, I think. It doesn't look too big because the separate sections keep things compact. There's furikake rice and shoyu chicken in one section, carrots, broccoli, corn and strawberries in another, and some cherries, blueberries and a soft ripe apricot in the last part. A few cute picks make it nice and girlish, in case she tried insisting it's a boy's box. Looks like bunnies galore in this photo, doesn't it? ^_^

Hello Kitty Onigiri Bento!

Hello Kitty Onigiri Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This bento is one I made for myself, and it was also meant to be my entry for the annual Bento & Co contest. The theme was onigiri, so I made two Hello Kitty mini-onigiri using my mold. I decorated their faces with nori, corn, and radish bows. I think this is the first time I've used this mini-onigiri mold, which was a gift from a dear friend. It's so cute! I added some oven-baked mochiko chicken pieces to the side, and then squeezed in some sweet fresh steamed corn off the cob, edamame, broccoli, carrots, and grape tomatoes. The second tier contains cherries, a homegrown apricot, raspberries, white peach, strawberries, blueberries and a few slices of steamed Okinawan sweet potato. I think I represented just about all the rainbow colors in this one! I packed it all inside my favorite stainless steel boxes. Each comes with its own gasketed lid, which don't have latches but which will stay leaktight if bound with elastic. You can use only one oblong box if you like, or stack two together and bind them with one larger band, which is what I did. There were 237 entries to the contest this year, and sadly I didn't make the final 10. But you can click over to see the ones that did, and cast a vote for the one you like the best (you have until Monday, July 16th). There are some unbelievably beautiful bento crafted by folks from all over the world; I was amazed and so inspired! Contests like these just go to show you how widespread the bento culture has become, and it's heartwarming to see all the healthy, delicious bento created by people influenced by this meal tradition from Japan. Very cool^_^

Sausage Arugula Pasta Bento

Sausage Arugula Pasta Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Now that the kids are getting older and their appetites are getting bigger, I find myself reaching for the more spacious bento boxes more frequently these days. My preschooler can still use the cute little one tiered character boxes, but probably not for much longer. And my almost-4th-grader definitely needs more food. This summer he's been very active, with various enrichment programs such as cooking, chess, mad science, and sports. He can eat a lot. I found this nice-looking two-tiered box today and thought it would be perfect for him in the coming months. It supposedly holds over 1000ml, but I find that the containers themselves take up space and there isn't a need to pack super tightly. This one has a snug-fitting upper divided tier that sits deep into the main compartment. Thus, I have to be careful not to pack the bottom too high. I like the gasket in the lid and the two double latches, as well as the transparent nature of this Clic-Tite box, made by a company called Novo. Here I've packed a quick-cook meal of thin whole wheat spagetti, wilted arugula and spinach, and pan-fried chicken sausage to layer in the bottom on a lettuce leaf. The top holds a silicone cup of yogurt with blueberries and sunflower seeds, another of steamed corn off the cob, carrots, cherries, strawberries, lychee, Okinawan sweet potato and regular sweet potato.

 

Bolognese Panda Bento

Bolognese Panda Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Who says gluten-free has to be boring? Here's a bento for TinySprite I whipped up quickly using leftovers from dinner: pasta bolognese (naturally gluten-free) tossed with brown rice tube pasta, topped with romano and parmesan, and oregano. She's a meat lover, this girl, and meals like this are very satisfying for her. I'm happy to be able to pack it in her favorite panda bento bowl. She had previously asked to "always use this box please" - so I'm trying. The upper tier contains some super sweet dark cherries, a couple of pristine white lychee, Okinawan sweet potato flower shapes, a baby homegrown white peach, a homegrown apricot, some black splendor plums, and fresh corn off the cob.

Bolognese Sauce (from Real Simple)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whole milk
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (I omitted)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, then add the beef and cook until brown. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with cooked pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

4th of July Field Trip Bento

4th of July Field Trip Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I couldn't let this holiday go by without a theme bento, and it's even a field trip bento at that -- so I couldn't use my star or flag picks (or anything nondisposable). So I settled for as many stars as I could fit in this recycled plastic strawberry package. I hope he gets the theme I was going for! There's a turkey spinach cheese rollup in a whole wheat tortilla, a quail egg with a star cutout that cracked (darn!), some Okinawan sweet potato stars, carrots, broccoli, steamed corn on the cob, red pepper stars, radish, cherries, strawberries and blueberries. I wrapped it all up in wax paper, snapped the box closed, and packed it with a rubber band around it to prevent accidental opening due to excessive swingage. He's going to the Tech Museum for a day of science fun. Then, we've got the 4th off -- yippee! How are you celebrating? Hope you enjoy a wonderful 4th of July/Independence Day!

Last-Day-Of-School Salmon Bento

Salmon Asparagus and Potatoes Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Wow, it's been so long since my last bento post! Seems like we've been on summer vacation forever! Luckily, it's only the 2nd day of actual summer so far, and I for one am really looking forward to the next 2 months of fun and freedom! We've been out of school since the first of the month, so there haven't been any new bento since then. I'm showing you the last few bento I made during the last week of school, when it was just too busy to post and blog. They should look very familiar, and I've come to rely on salmon/asparagus/potatoes as one of my standard fall-back bento. Happily, the kids love salmon, which I prepare in a few different ways to change it up (butteryaki, furikake, cajun, miso, dijon). Misterman's version comes in the EcoLunchbox while TinySprite's is packed in the cute 4-sectioned plasticware box. There's also yogurt with fruity toppings in there too.

The kids have just now started their summer sessions, so I'm back to packing bento again. But since I've gotten accustomed to not-blogging (and feeling like enjoying a relaxing summer), I may not post each one. Instead, I'm thinking of showing you the other things I'm cooking up in the kitchen these days. I've been baking and making ice cream and have all kinds of good things planned this summer...

Hope you all are enjoying the best season of the year!