Deconstructed Fish Tacos LunchBots Quad Bento

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

Me, I love fish tacos. I like to grill the fish (I used cod here) in salt and pepper, then pile it into a tortilla along with onions and cilantro and a heaping dollop of salsa. Good right? But with kids, it never works out. Don't tell me your kids haven't at some point held the taco sideways so everything fell out, or took a bite and tore the whole thing in half, or dropped all the contents onto the floor and commenced screaming. Come on! After about age 8 (in our house), they finally seem to get it. But until then, I have discovered that it's easier to just forget about filling the taco and just let them eat the thing piecemeal. I've packed deconstructed (DIY) tacos before, where I roll up the tortillas and let them do what they will. Usually they eat them separately, plain. So I saved myself some trouble and used the Lunchbot Quad to pack a few pieces of cod in lettuce, and a cup of salsa (onion, tomato, cilantro, corn, cumin, pepper). She loved it. She especially liked the fish spear. I also squeezed in some white peach, blueberries, grapes and lychee, and some decorative carrots. What could be easier?
Added to What's for Lunch.

Deconstructed Pork Carnitas Tacos Bento

Deconstructed Pork Tacos Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Remember the slow-cooked ono pork roast from last week? This bento is an example of repurposed pork leftovers. I sliced some pork and fried it to get nice crispy edges, then packed it with tomato-onion-cilantro salsa and rolled tortillas for him to either build a taco at lunch, or eat separately as he chooses. I decorated with Okinawan sweet potato stars, and added late-season pluots, black grapes and raspberries. Yes, I know I'm using the same three-sectioned LunchBot Trio as I did for the original pork bento, but it's because this box is so ideally suited for deconstructed meals like this one. I've used it numerous times already, and it's still in great shape -- maybe a little scratched with tiny dents, but the lid still fits securely and the welded partition seams have held up without fail. Love it.
Added to What's For Lunch.

Orange Pepper Jack O'Lantern Bento

Orange Pepper Jack O'Lantern Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I happened to find the most perfect pumpkin-shaped mini orange sweet pepper at the farmers market last weekend. It just begged to be carved, so how could I resist? I stuffed it with cottage cheese and sunflower seeds after seeding and carving it. This box is convenient for deconstructed fish tacos in that the cod can go in one section while the tomato-onion-avocado-cilantro salsa goes in another. Of course, you can put them together, but it's prettier this way. You can pack the tortillas separately if you wish. I put a fruit selection (strawberry, plum and grapes) in the last compartment, and topped with a purple Okinawan sweet potato bat. I think it looks fresh and colorful. And my boy really did eat the whole pepper, cheese and all ^_^

Quesadilla Corn Salsa Bento

Quesadilla and Corn Salsa Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This was MisterMan's bento from last week. I didn't get a chance to post it then, but it turns out to be relevant for today's twittercornparty. How nice! I made some rolled corn tortilla "quesadillas" which I love to use this LunchBot for (since they fit so perfectly), and made some black bean, tomato, corn and cilantro salsa on the side. I tucked a couple of carrots in the lettuce cup as well. The delicious fruit section contains ultra-juicy cantaloupe, super-juicy pluots and fresh local cherries. Okinawan sweet potato "fish" add colorful decor to the bland tortillas. I attached the little fish to the tortilla with rice sticks through their eyes.

For our twittercornparty I made a variation on Fu Fu balls, which are a traditional West African (and Caribbean) staple made usually from steamed plantains or yams. I made mine using Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo), cornmeal and fresh corn kernels off the cob. After steaming and mashing the imo, I added cornmeal mush until I got the consistency I liked. I stirred in the corn kernels, and added butter, salt, and parmesan to taste. I shaved some parmesan on top too. Voila!

Hey, I just realized this is a Meatless Monday bento. Maybe I'll try to make a habit of it? Happy Monday ^_^

Fish & Salsa Bento

Fish & Salsa Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today's bento has fish "tacos" in lettuce wraps. Pan-fried cod with olive oil and lemon pepper lie next to baby carrots and halved grape tomato. The salsa for the fish is in the next compartment. Here's what it's made of:

One peeled, segmented, cubed orange
One peeled, cubed avocado
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped green onion
lime juice

You can alter the proportions to personal taste, and add other things like shredded cabbage, celery for crunch, or tomato. The orange and lime gives a zesty flavor that makes me think of summer. If you were making real tacos, you would put some fish and a scoop of salsa in the tortilla -- that's what we did for dinner. It's really good, and the kids love to make them.

In the fruit section he has two strawberries, some red grapes, and two "lovebirds" cut from apple with my new cutter. This detail makes it a Valentine's bento! And, it's also eligible for hapabento's RED B.O.M.B. contest!

Happy Valentines Week friends!