Chicken Katsu Onigirazu Bento

Working on improving my onigirazu technique; today I made oven-baked chicken katsu. There are lots of recipes out there describing this method - basically instead of deep-frying the panko-breaded chicken cutlets, you bake them in a 400F oven for 30 minutes or so. The key is to toast the panko on a frying pan first so that it turns a nice brown color, like how it would look if you had actually deep-fried the chicken. You really can't compare oven baked chicken katsu with real deep-fried chicken katsu, but I thought it came out okay. It will never be as crispy as deep-fried, but it definitely is less oily. And there is very little cleanup involved. I like that!

For this onigirazu I didn't use a mold; I simply placed some rice in the middle of a sheet of nori, then layered with shredded cabbage, a few slices of chicken katsu, a squirt of tonkatsu sauce, more rice, then folded up the four corners and cut in half. I like how it looks, but I can still add more filling. Next time that's what I'll do. Also, I'll fold a little more tightly. The learning experience continues. Also inside our LunchBot Clicks: strawberries, orange cherry tomato, steamed broccoli.

Cooking Channel Promo Shoot

Cooking Channel Promo Shoot, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yesterday we had a bit of excitement over here: The Cooking Channel sent over a crew to film an interview and bento-making session with me and the kids. They're interested in using it for a promotional spot to be aired sometime in the summer (I think). About 15 people came to the house and set up a bunch of lights and cameras both inside and out in the backyard. They spent 3 hours filming us making bentos and then interviewing us about our passion for bento. It was quite an experience! Everyone was very friendly and warm, and made us feel as comfortable as we could under the blazing lights. After our photo shoot experience for the New York Times article a year and a half ago, I was a bit nervous about how the kids would react to all the attention. Can you guess how they did? MisterMan was the essence of chill: laid-back and reserved. He thought the best part was all the gear they brought in their giant trucks double-parked in front of our house, and the fact they coned off the street.

TinySprite was the exact opposite: so excited she could barely contain herself. Added to her usual -er- "enthusiastic" self, and the fact that it was nearing her bedtime, you can imagine the antics. She named some members of the group (Beautiful Lady, Makeup Lady, Brown Lady, Big Hair Man) and referred to them by those names DURING the filming; she tried grabbing the mike hanging over us several times, and she insisted upon running to the kitchen, fetching another bento and eating (again) while we were conducting the interview. Sigh. Well, I guess you can't say it was a dull shoot for them! It certainly was a fun learning experience. Stay tuned for updates! ^_^

*Edited to add: See the link to the finished commercial here!

Bunny Kimchi Fried Rice Bento

Bunny Kimchi Fried Rice Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I made kimchi fried rice (Kimchi bokkeumbap), inspired by a twitter friend whose dinners often inspire mine! As an aside, I've found that twitter has given me cooking/food ideas/recipes on several occasions. Of course, I follow quite a large number of "foodie" types, so that explains it. Invariably the folks I've met and chatted with are always generous and helpful. It's been a great resource for me.

Anyway, back to the bento:
My kimchi rice is vegetarian; it's also mild, since my kids are heat-intolerant! But, not totally mild, since kimchi is in there! Also, being the healthy mom that I am, I added some nontraditional ingredients. I understand that the recipe can be fairly flexible and may include "leftover" kimchi and assorted vegetables. I began by sauteeing minced garlic, then adding carrot, onion and shredded baby bok choy. I also used minced kale! I've already mentioned how I add this ingredient to rice occasionally for added vitamin enhancement. This dish is so highly flavored, I doubt the kale is even noticable. I forgot the mushrooms, but this would have added a nice rich flavor. Then I put the cold rice in the pan and let it get crispy on one side before I began tossing it. This is because I love crispy rice. Then I added the chopped kimchi (napa cabbage type). You should add in the liquid from the kimchi as well, but as I mentioned I was wary of doing that. However, I could not avoid the liquid which was retained in the kimchi itself after I cut it. Okay, I could have, but I didn't. I really wanted the orange rice color. I also drizzled some shoyu and sesame oil for taste. If this were for me, I would have added a lot of gojuchang, but as it was, it was still pretty tasty. Top with chopped green onions and a fried egg, and it's a very satisfying meal!

I fried a quail egg in a metal bunny mold, and the yolk managed to stay in the exact center of the face. Now that I look at it, I wish I had used the yellow yolk as the nose. Wouldn't that have been cute? I almost forgot, the bunny makes this bento eligible for Hapa Bento's B.O.M.B. Yay! I added a nori face, some maroon carrot and peapod flowers, and I was done. The extras include cut carrots, a bit of broccoli, strawberries and black grapes.

Verdict? It was a hit :)

Spring Blossoms Bento

Spring Blossoms Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Okay, ready for more spring blossoms?
Pink sakura (beet-dyed satsumaimo), white plum (plain satsumaimo), and um, carrot flowers. I made chicken "medallions" using an egg/flour mix and pan-frying. The kids love chicken like this, and I don't know why! It's really easy and they don't even ask for any sauce although I like sriracha. I tried making him a smallish musubi, hoping he'll start to like eating more rice. Plus it made a nice background for the pink flowers. Steamed broccoli and enoki mushrooms complete this bowl. Other bowl contains three super juicy strawberries and a little clementine.
Am I overdoing the flowers theme bento? Can't help it. Got flowers on the brain -- everything blooming over here right now!

Snowman Bento 'R Us!

Snowman Egg Toddler Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I have finished up a week of Snowmen bento, as a kind of fun challenge for myself! I did a similar thing during Halloween, with jack o'lanterns. I think the results here were mixed, with some snowmen turning out cute and others, more - well - interesting. I'll post the series here, and you can decide for yourself! Which one do you like the best?

In this first one, I made TinySprite a snack bento featuring a snowman egg wearing a purple carrot scarf, and with nori facial details and a mini carrot stick nose!
Along with him, she gets a fruit selection of satsuma mandarin, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Also, some edamame skewers.

This guy is made of roasted baby potatoes, and goes with lemon garlic salmon and brussels sprouts, along with purple potato "chips" and starred fruits :)

This happy snowman is made of spinach ravioli with purple potato and purple carrot detail. There are those purple potato chips again!

Okay, the cauliflower snowman isn't quite as cute, but perhaps I can get some props for being adventurous? The fried egg sandwich and 4-bean salad was a hit, though!

The minestrone seemed to call out for a little riceball snowman.

I tried for a nashi (Japan pear) snowman this time, surrounded by fruit! He went with chicken and pickle wraps.

Are all these snowmen starting to make you feel like singing? Go ahead! I know you are, hapa bento ;)Happy winter!

("Frosty the snowman...")

Chow Mein Bento

Chow Mein Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Chow mein with various veggies, satsumaimo flowers, broccoli, peapods, roasted sweet peppers, garlic roasted purple potatoes. Fruit side has grapes, one whole satsuma mandarin, and purple carrot discs. I wanted some contrast to the orange, and wished I had blueberries. Oh well -- the purple carrots seemed to do a sufficient job.

This is a handy Monday bento, when after the weekend I am too tired to cook anything. A quick chow mein can be supplemented with onions and mushrooms, then roast a few other things on the side and add them too. Even decoration is minimal, with only simple florettes. Still, the effect may be pleasing, especially since the boy loves fried noodles (his favorite food, I think!)

Three Flowers Bento

Three Flowers Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

This round bento box always seems to call out for flowers, for some reason. It's also my favorite "box", because the food seems to look nice with minimal effort at arranging.

MisterMan has chicken lettuce wraps, red (Bhutanese) mixed rice with furikake, sweet potato maple leaves, purple and gold cauliflower, romanesco, yellow pear tomatoes. Fruit section has satsuma mandarins, strawberry, blackberry and raspberries. The lavender flowers are steamed purple potato with steamed purple carrot centers.

These purple potatoes seem to be different from the black-skinned purple potatoes I get from the farmers market in that the flesh is much lighter in color. Both types taste just the same as regular potatoes (to me), and perhaps next time I'll cook both together to compare. Maybe you have noticed that I like purple hues... if there is a purple food to be had, you can be sure I will be determined to obtain it :)

A Bunch of Halloween Bento!

I have embarked on a mission to include a carved jack-o-lantern of some kind in each of my son's bento until Halloween! I know what you're thinking: huh? why?

Hmm. I don't know.

Because it's fun? For this one I made a cucumber witch too, with rotini pasta hair. The jack is made from an orange cherry tomato. There's also a skewer of multicolored carrots, and some watermelon radish.

Here I made chicken, and the jack is a tiny carrot disc. The fruit side has yellow plum and tiny sugar plum, with sweet kiwi and carrot/sweet potato detail.

This one had banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches), and the side box has romanesco, fruits, and a plum carved jack-o-lantern!

And finally, a ravioli bento with sweet potato jack. Did it feel like Jack overload? Putting them all in a single post kind of makes me look obsessed...but really I'm just very festive. Really! Wait til you see the post of the bento from this coming week. Happy Halloween!

Sausage & Forbidden Rice Bento

Sausage & Forbidden Rice Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Chicken sausage (all natural, TJ), Forbidden black / brown / white rice onigiri with radish and sweet potato detail, sesame spinach and garlic enoki. Maroon & yellow carrot skewer. Purple & yellow cauliflower, tomato, peapods.
Fruits: plum, strawberry, black grapes and golden raspberries.

This one is not so fancy, but has lots of interesting tastes :)

Garlic Shrimp Bento

Garlic Shrimp Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

MisterMan has garlic shrimp, a superfast dish cooked in minutes on the stovetop in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Next to the shrimp he has romanesco, which I was so excited to find locally :) At the same market I also found arugula sprouts, and the two hearts are cut from yellow beets. Purple cauliflower, tomato/artichoke salad, peapods and purple/maroon carrot skewer. Fruit section includes strawberry, golden raspberries, dapple dandy plum grapes and blueberries.

This is one of my favorite bento boxes, because of its classic round shape, 3 divided sections, and transparent lid! All important aspects of a cool box to me. The topper would be if it had all those characteristics AND were made of stainless steel... but I am still on the lookout for such a thing. :)

Honey Garlic Pork Bento

Honey Garlic Pork Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I made honey garlic pork ribs, and I have been wanting to use shiso recently ( I did use it in tamagoyaki a few days ago -- it was good!). After the meat is cooked through, I sprinkled the shredded shiso on top, so it didn't really cook. It adds a nice minty flavor; very nice.
So, MisterMan got some pork slices, and a brown / jade rice bunny onigiri, but I used a sandwich mold instead of a rice mold, which was bad planning because I subsequently really had no way of sliding it out after I shaped it. So, anyway, it's a girl because I wanted to use the associated bow cutter, and isn't it cute? He also gets purple and yellow cauliflower, peapods, ocean salad, garlic sesame spinach, and tricolor tomatoes. Fruit section has yellow plum (don't know the name of it but it's sweet!), organic strawberry and blueberries.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento

Chicken Teriyaki Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I made chicken teriyaki, one of the kids' favorite...it's nice to put the broccoli next to it so MisterMan can eat it with the sauce. There are also sweet potato stars, yellow cauliflower, tomato, peapods and red leaf salad with marinated artichoke heart.
Fruit section has sliced red pear, tangerines, raspberry, blueberries and red grapes (underneath).

Everything did fit, although I had to push down the fruits :)

Chasoba Bento

Chasoba Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Chasoba (green tea soba) with surimi, ocean salad, sauce in container, edamame skewer, tomato, peapods, purple carrots and quail egg. In cute round bento!
Fruit square has Elephant Heart plum, strawberry and red grapes.

Little pea hen was lost on MisterMan... he didn't notice it at all! Perhaps I should be a bit less subtle with the facial features next time ;)

Tiger Bento

Tiger Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

For MisterMan, Rock Cod Bento #2 -- this time steamed in ginger scallion sauce with shoyu and sesame oil. I gave him a brown / black rice onigiri with a sweet potato tiger on top, roasted asparagus, Okinawan purple potato flower, roasted cherry tomatoes, yellow capsicum rings, and a bit of broccoli. Almost all red fruits today: strawberry, raspberries, red grapes (underneath), red plum, and 2 beautiful snow-white lychee!

Rock Cod Bento

Rock Cod Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

My first-grader gets: rock cod pan-fried in olive oil, butter, garlic and herbs for just a few minutes. The fish was fresh-caught by a friend (thanks George!). A tiny brown & black rice flower onigiri with sweet potato cherry blossom topper, steamed broccoli and peapods, garden-grown yellow pear tomato, and skewer of Okinawan purple potato and avocado flowers. On the fruits side, big strawberry, lychee, blueberries, orange tomatoes, flavor grenade plum, grape, and mango plum slices (all yellow, all the way through!)

I am really gonna miss all these amazing summer fruits when the season comes to an end!

Garlic lemon salmon bento

Garlic lemon salmon bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I try to make a point of having fish (salmon is best) at least once a week, since it's so delicious and it's packed with omega-3s too. So this is why you see salmon bento so many times here! Luckily, the family likes it a lot and I haven't had any complaints yet ;)

So this one has a garlic lemon sauce, on a bed of greens, with an orange tomato/mozzarella perlini (after seeing them in hapa's bento, I had to get them --they are so cute and mini) skewer, more cherry tomatoes, Okinawan purple potato gingko leaves ~ can you see the shape? It is so pretty...I should have used a ligher background. Other side has peapods, yellow pear tomato, pluot, white nectarine, blackberries, strawberry and lovely lychee.

I like how this one turned out; balanced and nicely visually pleasing.

Bunny Bento

Today I decided to make a cute bento for my toddler; what's more, I remembered the quail eggs I bought earlier this week and decided to use them. First, I hard-boiled the eggs. Peel them carefully, so as not to get too many nicks and blemishes. It's best to do this with a dry egg. For the ears and arms I cut radish shapes with my plastic cutter, and inserted the ears into the head after cutting small slots into the egg with a small knife. The facial details are cut from nori. The carrot is a tiny triangle cut from a real carrot, and the carrot top is a bit of cilantro (this will not be eaten by my girl, which I know from experience). Bunny sits on a bed of soba, which she loves. Noodles of all kinds are a big hit with her. Perhaps you can see a failed egg under the soba as well. In addition, she gets a sweet potato and a golden beet flower, and various summer fruits: blueberries, Bing cherries, golden raspberries and strawberry. Finally, I decorated with snips of fresh herbs from my garden: rosemary, mint and lemon verbena (my favorite). It is a fragrant and happy bento for my little girl, for sure!