Tebasaki Chicken Wings Bento

Today's bento features that all-time kid (and adult) favorite: tebasaki (crispy salted chicken wings)! Have you had these before? I've made them for my kids' bento many times. Even though by lunchtime they are cold, the kids devour them. I have to make tons because they are small and addictive. I use LovelyLanvin's recipe and method (you can find it here), which I adapted for mini wings and drummettes, which fit better in the bento box.

Speaking of bento boxes, the long stainless steel box is from Bento and Co, and it comes in a set of two. It is of excellent quality and I love it. I often use one of the boxes (as shown here) along with a smaller side box -- in this case the ECOLunchBox Eco Dipper.

I placed the chicken in a romaine lettuce leaf (for nutrition, looks, and grease absorbancy), and six happen to fit perfectly for MisterMan. The little Dipper holds pickled cucumber, carrot and daikon in mini silicone cups, a half satsuma mandarin, and some grape tomatoes. If he wants to, he may sprinkle shichimi togarashi (7 pepper spice) from the penguin (you can find a similar one here) at lunchtime.

Gyoza in the ECOlunchbox Tri Bento and LAST DAY TO ENTER GIVEAWAY!

Gyoza in the ECOlunchbox Tri Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Yes, I'm still having fun with this ECOlunchboxes Tri Bento! I made gyoza for dinner, which turns out to be a perfect option for next-day bento lunch because gyoza is so much fun for kids to eat! It packs well and can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. I packed as many as could fit in the lowest round (I think 8), which allowed me to keep the veggies separate in the next round (pickled cukes, tomatoes, and steamed purple sweet potato), and fruit in the top (grapes, mandarin and strawberry). I love the separateness, and I bet your kids will dig it too. Everything snaps together tightly with two simple pressure latches. The stainless steel is sturdy and I am impressed with how it's holding up to the extended use I've made of it in the past month or so.

If you'd like to enter for a chance to win a Tri Bento just like this one, courtesy of the generous folks at ECOlunchboxes, all you have to do is leave me a blog comment below, telling me what you'd pack in your Tri! (if you've commented on one of the other giveaway blog posts in the past week, that's fine).
Then, click the Rafflecopter entry to leave your name and email. U.S. only please. This is the last 24 hours to enter; contest ends Tuesday at midnight PST!
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jack-o-Pepper Egg Salad Halloween Bento

Jack-o-Pepper Egg Salad Halloween Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

For TinySprite I made egg salad, but instead of a pocket sandwich (which I usually do with this type of filling so that it doesn't fall all over the place) I packed it inside a carved orange bell pepper. I found a pepper that looked pretty pumpkin-like, but was so much easier to carve than a real pumpkin! (Although this is a regulation sized bell pepper, you might like to view my tutorial on carving a mini bell pepper here) I lined it with a spinach leaf to keep the filling from oozing out of the eyes and mouth. I didn't send along the top (although it might have been handy for ensuring safe travels). Along with the jack-o-pepper egg salad, I sent a cup of pickled veggies, some grape tomatoes, strawberries and cantaloupe. Happy Halloween week!

Halloween Spidery Rollups Bento

Halloween Spidery Rollups Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Halloween Spider bento number 2: This one is for TinySprite again. I used the divided 4-compartment plastic tupperware-like container. I made tortilla ham spinach cheese rollups and cut them to fit in one section. There are strawberries and grapes next to those, a cup of pickled cucumbers, sliced white peaches, corn-off-the-cob, and a purple sweet potato spider. She loves this kind of lunch! It doesn't involve any cooking at all, so it works for me too. Yay!

Herby Chicken LunchBot Bento

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

When I need an easy standby, and we already had shoyu chicken, this one usually fills the bill. TinySprite especially loves this chicken. It's broiled with olive oil and a toss of Provencal herbs, and mixed in the pan with halved baby potatoes. It's a one dish meal, and there's always extra for bento. I steam some broccoli alongside so the kids can wipe the plates with it. There's also steamed corn off the cob, the usual pickled cucumbers, cubed nectarines and grapes. All packed in the LunchBot Trio. Happy Monday!

Samosas Bento

Samosas Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I made samosas, for only the second time, and I think they came out kind of okay. I took a few liberties with the recipe, which I can't remember the source of (it was from a cookbook that I borrowed from the library, and I forgot to note the title). I put the recipe below. If I can find the book again, I'll add the proper reference~! Anyway, I used leftover wonton wrappers, and served with cilantro chutney. GOOD. For the kiddie bento, I packed some samosas in a homegrown lettuce lined compartment (I used EcoLunchBox Three-In-One), with a couple of grape tomatoes. On the other tier I added cubed cantaloupe, grapes, strawberry, corn off the cob, pickled cucumbers and red onions. Done! And Success!

Curried Vegetable Lentil Samosas

1 1/4 cup mashed cooked peeled baking potatoes
1/4 cup cooked yellow lentils
1T minced fresh mint (I actually omitted this)
1t Madras curry powder
1t butter, softened
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground cumin
1/2 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
10 egg roll wrappers (I used wonton wrappers and I think it worked fine)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray

Combine potatoes, lentils, mint, curry powder, butter, salt, and cumin. Gently fold in peas. Spoon into wrappers. Fold into triangles. Coat with cooking spray and fy in skillet 1 minute each side. Drain on paper towels and serve with chutney.

For Chutney:

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2T fresh lemon juice
1T water
1/4 t kosher salt
1/8 t sugar
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped (I omitted this)
1/2 inch chopped fresh ginger

Process in blender until smooth. Set aside.

Sticky Rice Ono Bento Bowl

Sticky Rice Bento Bowl, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I love the sticky rice bento. Well, I love sticky rice (see my method and recipe here) for dinner first of all, because it's super quick and easy. Chop everything up and toss it into the rice cooker about 15 minutes before the rice is done. This batch has half brown and half white sweet mochi rice, and I added lup cheong, char siu, shiitake mushroom, baby bok choy, onions, and then sprinkled chopped scallion on top after. I have also added fried garlic or cubed kabocha squash before as well. I packed MisterMan's bento in the cute apple bowl, with the top tier holding an artful (to me) arrangement of plums, grapes, and pickled cucumbers, onions, carrots and daikon. Our bento these days often look like this, with no special touches other than the colorful naturalness of the variety of ingredients. MisterMan has been making his (and his sister's) bento recently, and I think his work is starting to look just like mine. So proud \(^__^)/

Totoro Calzone Bento

Totoro Calzone Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

RAWR! It's Totoro! Yeah, I know it looks weird. But really, it is Totoro. You may have to just take my word for it. It's a nitrite-free pepperoni/mushroom/cheese calzone made with whole wheat dough. And I was pleased that the ears stayed on this time instead of snapping off. Woo! I put some tufts of garden lettuce around him to make him feel at home, and his face is made of mushroom and nori (stuck on with rice sticks). The other side of this cool divided Sistema - like box holds cantaloupe, grapes, plum, and pickled stuff. One more day and the weekend's here! \(^__^)/

Curry LunchBot Thermal Bento

Curry LunchBot Thermal Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Oh yeah, you've seen this one before too. It's the standard keema curry that I always make (recipe here), only this time I added chopped broccoli and yellow cauliflower. You know me. I'll add whatever kind of vegetation I happen to have in the fridge. If you think your kids will balk at the extra cruciferousness, then you can mince it fine, but my kids don't seem to care too much. It makes the curry a little bulky, so I make extra sauce to compensate. Serve over steaming rice for best effect! I packed the curry in our LunchBot thermal food jar for MisterMan, and sent along a side box of the usual: pickled cucumbers, red onions, carrots and daikon; grapes and strawberry, sliced peaches. Yeah, they ate this on a hot summer day, but imagine how comforting it would be on a cold fall day? Not me -- I refuse to think about fall just yet -- we just finished our 1st week of school and I'm still enjoying summer in my mind! ^_^

Breakfast For Lunch Bento Pt. 4

Breakfast For Lunch Bento Pt. 4, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

We do like our breakfast for lunch. Especially when it's such an easy one to pack! This is just a section of an enormous 6-egg omelet that we had made for brunch. It was such a good one: packed with nitrite-free chicken sausage, mushroom, spinach, onion, tomato and peppers. Sprinkled with a little cheese and chopped green onion and cilantro, it should be a hearty lunch bento for the little girl. She herself packed the sides: a smattering of berries, carrots, and pickled cukes. And a few cheery friends to welcome her at lunchtime. Happy Monday!

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!

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!

Cheesy Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese Bento

Cheesy Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I made up this meal. TinySprite has been asking for mac and cheese for a long time, so I figured it was time to make a batch. I noticed a recipe for cauliflower "mac" and cheese (in which the cauliflower replaces the pasta), and combined it with another recipe I saw which incorporated butternut squash puree into the cheese mixture. I also added onion and minced broccoli, as I have been known to do, and came up with this. I've noticed cauliflower used as a gluten substitute before, and I even used it to make a gluten-free pizza dough (here), so I guess it's probably nothing new. But it's kind of a nice change from macaroni elbow pasta. I packed it into the Hello Kitty thermal food jar, and decorated the top with a red bell pepper "flower". The side box holds pickled cucumbers, broccoli, tomato, carrot, pickled onions, and a sweet white nectarine.

Angel Hair Mushroom Saute Bento

Angel Hair Mushroom Saute Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This one involved cooking, but only very minimally, which made it an easy Monday meal. I sauteed a variety of mushrooms (crimini, beech and enoki) in butter and some olive oil until softened, along with minced shallot and garlic. Salt and peppered to taste, parsleyed, and grated some aged manchego into the pan with the heat turned off. Tossed the cooked angel hair into the pan with the mushroom sauce, and it was done. And the kids gobbled it up! I packed some for MisterMan's bento, topped with some dark-skinned purple sweet potato which I found locally. He also gets the first baby nectarines I've seen at the market this year, baby strawberries, and fresh pickled cukes, kumquats, and watermelon radish. Happy Monday!

Soba EcoLunchBox Bento

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

Our heatwave is cooling off, but I decided to pack the kids a refreshing soba salad for their bento in the EcoLunchBox two-tier set. Toppings include shredded lettuce, ham, carrots and surimi. He'll pour the tsuyu and sprinkle furikake right before he eats. Sides include: carrot-beet salad (tossed with cider vinegar, ground ginger, and pomegranate juice), pickled cucumbers with bittermelon and kumquats, and sesame-marinated baby sweet peppers. Plus the favored farmers market strawberries. Seems like a summer lunch, and I personally can't wait!

Pan-Seared Chicken in LunchBot Bento

Pan-Seared Chicken in LunchBot Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I never buy skin-on chicken these days, but I wanted to try cooking it in a hot pan to make crispy skin. It was tasty, but not really worth the splattering oil factor. I'd rather have oven-broiled tebasaki, which also gets nice and crispy, but behind the oven safety glass! Still, my little girl liked it, of course. Chicken is her favorite food, I think, after bread. And cheese, and ice cream. Also in the LunchBot Trio: steamed broccoli sprig, fried lotus root (renkon), pickled cucumber / onion / carrot / daikon, sweet baby organic strawberries, blackberries, and blood oranges.
Added to What's For Lunch.

Sausage Mushroom Chard Bento

Sausage Mushroom Chard Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

It's not Monday, but it still feels like Monday to me... so that's why I'm packing a super easy and quick bento favorite of mine. It usually involves some kind of good (organic, no nitrites) sausage, sauteed mushrooms and quick pan-fried rainbow chard tossed with garlic powder. I finished out this box with steamed broccoli, a little cup of pickled onions, cucumbers and carrot/daikon, and a scattering of farmers market strawberries and blackberries. Are you excited to see colorful fruit and vegetables at the market lately? I definitely am! I've also been pickling more stuff lately, and I'll try to remember to stick some more adventurous combos in here in the next few days. Happy Tuesday!

Bearwich Bento

Bearwich Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

It's Monday and MisterMan is back from his camping trip to Gold Country! He had a fantastic time, as I expected, and he learned a lot. The kids panned for gold, baked their own cornbread in the coals, and negotiated their own solo hike (part of a 3 mile, 800 ft elevation gain trek!). I was surprised that 4th-graders were able to handle themselves responsibly and effectively (within small parentally chaperoned groups), with limited to no adult help. So proud of my young man. We spent the weekend together enjoying our reunited family, and that means the Monday bento is a quickie sandwich one. This one is a salmon burger with lettuce on a whole wheat sandwich thin, with strategically positioned steamed Okinawan sweet potatoes to depict a bear face. That's all I could manage today, along with tomatoes, blackberries and house-pickled cucumbers and carrot-daikon sticks. Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to tackle a new week ahead!