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!

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! \(^__^)/

Salmon, Potatoes and Asparagus LunchBots Bento

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

I haven't used the LunchBots Clicks in awhile, and I really should because I love them. Not only are they stainless steel, but they come with leak-proof translucent lids. You can see what's inside and there's no chance of anything dripping out. How awsome is that? And they are the perfect size for the kids' lunch bento. Here I've packed TinySprite's omega-3-rich salmon furikake in one box, alongside some roasted baby potatoes sprinkled with garlic powder and pencil asparagus. The other (slightly shallower) box contains sliced peaches, pickled cucumbers and pickled red onions. I think this bento is just about the right amount for my chatty girl. She can manage to get everything eaten and still have time to run around outside with her little pals before settling down for the afternoon session of 1st grade. Did your kids settle back into the routine without problems? I think my girl is having a bit of trouble remembering what it means to sit still and be *quiet* during class time >.<

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.

Mama Loves Her Bunnies Bento

Mama Loves Her Bunnies Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

It's Mother's Day this Sunday, so I'm sending my kids to school with a reminder of how much I love them. I can still give them both a big squeeze just like this, which I love to do! Even though they are 9 and 6, and growing bigger every day, I'm going to keep squeezing them. Every chance I get. I made TinySprite a calzone with spinach, mushroom and cheese, her favorite. A little broccoli and pea pods fill in the spaces, along with the usual pickled onions, strawberries, carrots and nectarines. How will you celebrate the mothers in your life? Happy Mother's Day!

Rubber Ducky Curry Bento

Rubber Ducky Curry Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Packing some curry today (see the recipe I used here). I made it a lot more "soupy" than the recipe calls for, because I like it that way. TinySprite's Hello Kitty thermal food jar is topped with a handcut yellow capsicum "rubber ducky" taking a swim. The side box holds: a perfectly sweet and unblemished organic (tiny) apricot, sliced nectarines, baby strawberries, a steamed Okinawan sweet potato, and some pickled stuff. The weather's been cooling down a bit (a bit; down to the upper 60s), so this warm bento should be welcome!

Children's Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no Hi) Fish Slaw Bento

Children's Day (こどもの日 Kodomo no Hi) Fish Slaw Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Happy Children's Day! Okay, it's not until the 5th of May, but since that falls on a Sunday, we'll be celebrating it today. I made kind of a deconstructed fish taco (but without the tortilla), which kind of falls in with Cinco de Mayo too. Yay! I pan-fried snapper and served it with a fresh cold cabbage slaw which was tossed with shredded carrots, onions, cucumbers, and rice vinegar with a sprinkling of sugar. I also made a tomato cara cara orange salsa. A cup of mango completes the tropical feel. Along the pickled red onion there are some cucumber koi nobori (carp) to go with the cheese nori boy with his Okinawan sweet potato hat. A couple of big strawberries fill out the box. I know it's "Children's Day", but when I was a kid we called it Boy's Day (and there's a Girls' Day to balance in March), and so this one is for my MisterMan. Hope he likes it!

Gyoza EcoLunchBox Solo Bento

Gyoza EcoLunchBox Solo Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I made a giant truckload of gyoza (see my method and recipe here) tonight; enough for 20 per person... or so... but of course, some of them were destined for bento so we didn't actually eat that many. I could have, though! These were made with ground pork and turkey, green onions and chopped swiss chard. Because I'm just that untraditional. I packed as many as I could fit in the EcoLunchBox Solo Cube, which is perfect for this kind of "dry" meal, alongside the last few remaining baby strawberries, pickled onions, carrots and daikon, and a small Okinawan sweet potato. My kindergartner can handle this easy-open box, secured with a felt band, and it's just the right size for her appetite as well. Enjoy, TinySprite!

Sakura Ma Po Tofu Bento

Sakura Ma Po Tofu Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

MisterMan's ma po tofu gets an accent of three beet-dyed sakura cut tofu "blossoms" floating atop his meal. Did you enjoy the cherry blossoms in your neighborhood? Seems this year I noticed quite a few specimen trees that I never noticed in years past. There's one fabulous double-blossomed tree that I pass every single day, and somehow I never realized its striking beauty until the past couple weeks. I can't take a picture because there's no parking, but I've been slowing down to appreciate it each day. So here's my homage to that lovely spring display. His upper tier has a couple of the last market strawberries, and some cups of: marinated baby bell peppers and pickled red onions; pickled turnips with sliced kumquats, pickled carrots and daikon, and pickled bittermelon. The baby turnips recipe called for lemon, but I substituted kumquats -- it's delicious this way! I think the kumquats would be nice by themselves as well. They are an unusual fruit in that the flesh and juice are tart but the skin is sweet. Have you had them? And this batch of bittermelon was marinated in equal parts vinegar and pineapple juice. It's a lot more palatable this way. I think this method is a winner! I may put together a post of all my pickling experiments, in case you have a hankering to try any of these, and so that I can remember what I've tried so far. What do you think?

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!

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup Bento

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I got this chicken soup recipe from Bon Appetit magazine and it went over pretty well. I substituted chicken breast meat since that was what I had, and the meat was tender. It made a pretty big pot of soup, and the family completely slurped it all up. Good thing I reserved some for the Hello Kitty thermal. The little side box holds: blackberries, strawberries, Okinawan sweet potatoes, and the usual pickled stuff. This time I added sliced kiwi in with the bittermelon, and the sweet fruit actually helps cut the intense bite of the bittermelon, if you eat both together. Unfortunately, the kiwi gets soft and falls apart in the solution, so you have to add it upon serving. I think it looks pretty. If you don't think you'd like bittermelon, I suggest you try it this way. It's not bad!
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Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup (from Bon Appetit)

1 T olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2" thick
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2" thick
12oz. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup orzo (I used whole wheat orzo)
1/4 cup chopped dill (I omitted)
Lemon halves (for serving)

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes. Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over.

Pikachu Chili Bento

Pikachu Chili Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Today the kids got vegetarian chili in their bento; chock full of whatever I could find in the fridge and pantry. The top tier has the usual colorful fruits and such, along with what's currently pickling in my fridge: carrots + daikon, red onions, and bittermelon + cauliflower. That last one is kind of a tough sell. I think I'm going to try adding something else to counter the bitterness; I have some ideas. And since I was in a creative mood, I decided to freehand a little cheddar Pikachu. I used my tiny paring knife and carved out his face and body, but don't look too close at his back leg. A little nori and carrot detail and voila! Hey, it wasn't that hard after all. ^_^

Tonkatsu and Pickles Bento

Tonkatsu and Pickles Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This is a bento of firsts: my first time packing tonkatsu, and my first time making pickled okra. As for the tonkatsu, there's not really a reason not to pack it for bento. I mean, it's true that it's crispier when eaten immediately, but it's still tasty the next day, and when you let the kids dip their own tonkatsu sauce, you'll find that they eat the cabbage too. Besides the mess and hassle of deep-frying, it's not hard to make tonkatsu. I use thin cut pork and dip in flour, egg and panko, and fry until golden brown. And of course, kids LOVE it. About the pickles; I've actually been on a kind of pickle kick. I am obsessed with pickling. My favorite is red onions. It's super easy, and amazingly enough you don't need to add anything at all except rice vinegar -- the onions just magically become sweet and delicious after a day or so. And look at the color! I mean, how can you resist? I also shredded some carrot and daikon and pickled those together with a little sugar, and then I saw a recipe for okra pickles. I think they are meant to be eaten relatively soon after preparing, due to the slime factor, but the flavor was really good! It called for shoyu, which made a big difference. I thought the kids might be grossed out but they actually finished this batch first. Kids eating raw okra? Score! The other box shows off all the spring color: pineapple chunks, carrots, blackberries, and supersweet baby farmers strawberries.
Added to What's For Lunch.

Little Sistema Spring Salmon Bento

Little Sistema Salmon Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Happy April! I can hardly believe it's the 1st of April already. Next month we'll be done with school. Summer is almost here!! Okay, let's calm ourselves down a bit. There are still quite a few more bento to go before we get to take a summer break, and let's start with this one for TinySprite in our Sistema Bakery Box. It's a good Monday bento which required very little prep since the day before was spent running around, searching for eggs, and enjoying the springy Easter weather without a thought for the next day. I had some wild salmon in the freezer, which took only a few minutes to cook in butter and shoyu, to be packed with a cute floral cup of red rice and furikake, another cup of edamame, a fresh stash of pickled veggies, more Moloka'i Okinawan sweet potatoes, and the sweetest EVER organic farmers market strawberries. They are smallish in size and oddly shaped, but the flavor burst when you bite into them will bring tears to your eyes. The vendor actually guarantees you'll be back for his berries because they're the best. He's quite the salesman, but he's right. I'm definitely going back next week. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Anpanman Egg Salad Sandwich Bento

Anpanman Egg Salad Sandwich Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

We're baaaa-aaack! Did you notice a dearth of bento over here on this little page of the internets? We were on Spring Break last week. Anyone else? Yeah, it seemed a bit early to us too. But we did enjoy some time off to play and have some fun in the sun. We went to the beach, scarfed down the requisite shave ice and malasadas, and generally warmed up our winterized (well, California winterized) bodies. After a nice relaxing week, we're ready to get back into the bento habit! Actually, this one was from before the break: an egg salad on whole wheat sandwich thin with baby spinach. Couple of carrots, the usual pickled condiments, and a few berries make up the rest of the lunch. Happy Meal!

Okay, this photo was not taken by me (thanks and photo credit to Steve Anderson), but we saw some humpbacks breaching just like this, from shore. It was spectacular! And very "Life of Pi"-like: we also saw fish leaping over the waves and slow-floating turtles poking their heads up for a look around while they fed on coral reefs. There was even a report of a first ever shark sighting in the Ko'Olina swimming lagoons, but luckily we missed that.

Shoyu Chicken Furikake Rice Sistema Bento

Shoyu Chicken Furikake Rice Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

The dual compartment leakproof Sistema click box makes this ordinary bento stand out: with TinySprite's favorite shoyu chicken and furikake rice (with broccoli and tomatoes) on one side, and pickled cukes + red onions, strawberry and grapes on the other. Don't let the compact nature of this box fool you; it actually holds 630ml. If I were in the habit of taking bento with me, I think I would love to tote this one around. In addition to providing a bit of separation, it also allows visual appreciation through the translucent top and sides. Cute, right? If they ever come out with a 3- or 4-compartment box, you know I'll be all over it too. ^__^

Mouse Gets The Cheese Curry LunchBots Bento

Curry Mouse and Cheese LunchBots Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I usually pack the kids' favorite keema curry (see the Just One Cookbook method and recipe I use here) in a thermal food jar, but lately my daughter hasn't been finishing her meals in that container. Is she getting bored of the presentation? Let's try packing lunch in a different container, with a fun radish mousie and "swiss cheese" as a dining companion! Doesn't that make the bento more appealing? The LunchBots Clicks are leakproof, making them ideal for soupy, saucy kinds of foods. The lids are translucent, so you can see what's coming up for lunch too -- a little touch I like a lot. The matching side box, a bit shallower, holds pickled cucumbers and red onions, along with a variety of berries. Just the right size for my kindergartner. P.S. She gobbled it all up. ^__^