Mochiko Chick'n Chicken Bento

Mochiko Chick'n Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I made oven-roasted mochiko chicken today (see recipe and method here) and tossed some sliced kabocha wedges in there as well. There's also something in this bento that I don't usually pack. Do you see it? That's right: rice! I got the idea for satsumaimo rice from Hapa bento's Okinawan sweet potato gohan post. I cooked a mix of black and brown rice, then tossed with diced satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato) which I had tossed in the rice cooker whole midway through the cycle. I cut the imo after cooking, then gently folded into the rice. After packing the peapods, red plum, corn on the cob and Okinawan sweet potato stars, I had a little spot for a tiny hard-boiled quail egg chick. I cut the "eggshell" white with my small paring knife tip, and added nori eyes and carrot beak to the yolk "chick". I have a container of precut nori eyes and such, so that I can just use what I need right away. Too late, I just noticed that the two dots are different sizes. Oops. Still cute though, right?

Taro Bread Rollups Bento

Taro Bread Rollups Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Here's a bento I make quite often for TinySprite, in several variations. She likes finger foods, and rollups are a favorite of hers. Sometimes I use tortillas, sometimes sushi, and sometimes -- as here -- I use flattened bread. I've posted a tutorial of how I make the bread rollups here. The purple color of this taro bread is so pretty that I decided to use it today. It's also a nice bread to use because it's soft and fluffy. Whole grain breads are often on the dry side (it can still be used though, like I did here). After rolling the bread flat with a rolling pin, I smeared cream cheese and lay some smoked salmon on top before rolling and pressing to seal. If I had arugula I would have rolled some in there as well. I also added a golden beet-dyed hen egg decorated with a face made of carrot and nori. (Been on a kind of yellow egg roll these days. Of sorts.) There's some satsumaimo (underneath) and regular sweet potato flowers as well as steamed broccoli tucked in there. Finally, I gave her some sliced yellow peaches as a sweet treat. Cheep cheep! ^_^

Chicken Wings Bento

Chicken Wings Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Wings! And drumettes! Yay! All is right in the world. Have you made these for your kids (or yourself) yet? If not, you really should. It's quick, easy and very tasty, especially when sprinkled with togarashi, which is how I eat them (recipe here). The kids get them plain, but they could gnaw on these little guys all day. Make sure you make a big batch because you'll be surprised how addicting they are. Luckily I was able to snag a few for MisterMan's bento, along with some roasted asparagus and satsumaimo, and a side of juicy fruits (strawberries, grapes, kiwi and well, carrots). Done! Who says it takes too long to make home (bento) lunch? ^_^

Misobutterfish Bento and Bento4Japan

Misobutterfish Bento a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I used a nice butterfish filet for the kids' lunches today. Misoyaki is my favorite preparation of this fish (recipe here). I like it with a bowl of hot rice, but my boy will prefer it as is in his bento. I've packed it in lettuce leaf, and it almost looks like a misobutterfish salad here, topped with steamed satsumaimo flower cutouts. It looks like a small piece of fish but don't worry; there's more underneath. After the fish was done I pan-roasted some sliced kabocha and halved brussels sprouts and tossed those in here too. The fruit section contains cara cara oranges, grapes, raspberries and blueberries.

If you've had a chance to check out our Bento4Japan charity auction going on right now on eBay, thanks a lot! If you haven't, there's still time. There are currently 15 items up for grabs, and remember - 100% of sales goes to disaster relief in Japan. So you can shop in good conscience, knowing your money is going to a good cause. The worldwide bento community has banded together in this endeavor, and you'll see branches of this fundraising drive in the UK as well. If you'd like to join us, you can read about the mission here at the Bento4Japan HQ blog. You may not think you can do much as an individual, but our collective efforts can make a difference. In the first day of auction, $345.12 has been committed already. Thank you to everyone who has contributed! Let's hope recovery comes quickly for Japan.

Kabocha Bento

Kabocha Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today MisterMan has a kind of traditional Japanese food bento today. I found asparagus in the market today so I wrapped in turkey and roasted. At the same time I also roasted kabocha, Okinawan purple potato, and satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato). I bought a regular (green skin) kabocha and cut into wedges before roasting with sea salt. It's delicious just like that. I also made a quick tamagoyaki with shredded spinach to fill in the gap. I cut the satsumaimo into sticks so they kind of look like french fries, and somehow that makes them even more desirable. I topped with some carved carrots and added Fall plum chunks in the final section for dessert. That's it! Even with cooking, this bento probably took less than 30 minutes, and most of that was waiting for the roasting to be done.

Look -- it's Kabochan! Isn't he cute? This little character reminds us not to fear the tough exterior of the sweet kabocha, since it protects the delicious sunset-hued squash within. He is the mascot of the Kabocha Lovers Club, and was illustrated by the talented Alissa Staples. I myself was hesitant to cut into my first kabocha, and asked the vendor to make the initial cut for me. Since then, I've cut numerous wedges with my sharp chef's knife with relative ease. Try the kabocha; join our club! Don't be afraid, indeed -- and you will be rewarded with the delicate flavor of Autumn!

Cute Shroom and Bug Bento

Sausage and Cute Shroom Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today's double bento have sausage patties, zucchini and assorted other veggies: cucumber, tomato, purple cauliflower. I also included more kabocha cooked a different way: I sliced 1-inch wedges and steamed briefly until just fork-tender, then pan-fried in the sausage drippings to get a crispy edge. You don't need to add anything else; it's totally yummy as is! They both get more sliced fall plum and a few pink apple pieces as well. MisterMan's cute touch is a mushroom made from satsumaimo and Okinawan purple potato, with nori and pink carrot details.

TinySprite's cute touch is a bug face made from satsumaimo, nori and pink carrot, and pink heart picks. Awww, so cuuuute. Haha! ^_^

Check out What's For Lunch: there are quite a few!

Pink Bunny Pizza Bento

Pink Bunny Pizza Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Sweet potato pizza was for dinner and I made some extra for MisterMan's bento. I adapted the recipe from Gourmet Mom on the Go. It's easy and quick to make, and it really does taste great! Really!

Here's what you need:
2 medium sweet potatoes (I used regular ones, satsumaimo, and Okinawan sweet purple ones. All good!)
Ready to bake pizza crust (I've used whole grain lavash wrap and pocketless whole wheat pita rounds)
5 oz. mascarpone cheese, or 5 oz. cream cheese mixed with 2T sour cream (I've used the cream cheese mixture and it's delish!)
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
shredded baby spinach
roasted garlic
garlic powder, rosemary, thyme (optional)

Here's what you'll do:
Drizzle olive oil on your crust and spread evenly with the cheese and roasted garlic.
Sprinkle with shredded spinach.
Layer the peeled, thinly sliced potatoes over the cheese.
Sprinkle with garlic powder and herbs, if using.
Drizzle top with olive oil.
Bake at 425F for 18-25 minutes or until potatoes are soft and crust is crispy.
Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Slice and enjoy!

One of the best things about this pizza is that you can hide any number of goodies under the potatoes. My 3 year old will pull off all the spinach if it's sitting on top, but this way she never even sees it. It's awesome. I put two pieces of pizza in the basket part. These were baked on soft lavash, which crisped up very well. The one in the back has Okinawan purple potato, and the one in the front has satsumaimo. In the lower tier I put my pink bunny molded egg. You can see the details on this one better, whew! It helps to dye it in beet juice, I think. I also added some white peach, a half apricot, half strawberry, red grapes and a sprig of steamed broccoli. Yummy!

Red Spring Bento

Red Spring Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

This bento ended up with lots of red in it, which wasn't planned, but which nicely represents the feeling of spring awakening with lots of color!

Along with more chicken and furikake rice, I added a piece of steamed broccoli and a giant cherry tomato. The salad is composed of watercress tossed with diced Cara Cara oranges (with their nice dark orangey-red hue) and crushed walnuts. The third section has cottage cheese studded with ripe strawberry slices and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and wheat germ.

And because I am currently obsessed with beet-painting satsumaimo sakura blossoms, there are a bunch of those too! Instead of fingerpainting them, you can also simply steam a slice of satsumaimo with a slice of beet on top (you can layer them alternately too) and the beet color will stain the imo it's touching. The color comes out uneven, lending a kind of "tie-dye" effect which is really cool! It might have been prettier to make a lighter pink color, but I guess I got kinda carried away. Well, plenty of chances to try again! ^_^

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!

Spring Momiji Bento

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Spring Momiji Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Spring is here!
I can tell because the Japanese maples in my garden are unfurling their delicate leaves. Each morning I check to see if they have opened yet. My green one is completely open, but my red one will take a day or two more, I think. So for this bento I celebrate the anticipation I feel each spring while I wait for my tree to awaken from its wintry slumber.

Along with Korean Chicken, I made a lettuce-wrapped onigiri of kale/jade rice adorned with pink maple leaves. They are made of satsumaimo, Japanese sweet potato, which have been "finger-painted" with beet juice from fresh steamed beet. I decided to dye them this way because then I could get varying degrees of red color for each leaf. Plus, I didn't want to overcook by boiling in the beet juice after it was already cooked. Simply steam a small piece of beet for a few minutes, and it will begin to emit beet juice immediately. I placed the satsumaimo (naturally white in color) on the beet and lightly rubbed the color on. The leaf shapes are cut with a cutter. I like how they came out. To balance out the section, I added flower-cut baby carrots, steamed broccoli and peapods. In the fruit section I slipped in blood orange slices, a halved clementine and a strawberry fan.

It was also a positively spring-like day today, which means I had nice sunlight streaming in through my "picture" window by which to take the shot. Yay! I added a sprig of my fragrant jasmine, which is currently in peak bloom right now. Every afternoon while TinySprite naps, I relax by the jasmine vine in the warm sun. It has become the time I look forward to every day. Tomorrow I think I'll bring a cup of ice tea out there with me :)

Mochiko Chicken Bento

Mochiko Chicken Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Mochiko chicken using hapabento's recipe. Well, based on it...I deviated a bit, but I think it came out okay! The kids loved it, and since it was baked instead of deep-fried, it really wasn't that greasy. Thanks hapabento!

I used chicken thighs, and cut into smallish pieces, easy for kids to eat.
For the sauce, I mixed all together: equal amounts (4T each for my small batch) shoyu, flour, cornstarch, mochiko flour, sugar. Plus I added an egg, salt, minced garlic and finely chopped green onion (white part). Then I added to the chicken pieces and marinated for a few hours. As for the baking, I didn't get the pan super-hot like hapabento advised -- my olive oil was burning, and I should have used a different oil, with a higher boiling point, like peanut oil. So as a result it didn't "sizzle", and I was disappointed. It just quietly baked. Next time I will be sure to get the sizzle.

My boy also gets a rice "cupcake" with lavender purple potato "snowflakes" on top. The rice is actually just a thin layer of white on top -- underneath it's mixed with nori furikake. I also made more roasted brussels sprouts, and there's a "snowflake" satsumaimo and a cherry tomato. I know. It's just a star with holes in it. But I'm calling it a snowflake. Fruit square has grapes, a black plum, strawberries and blackberries.

A tip for really yummy roasted brussels sprouts: make sure you cut a deep "x" on top, toss in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and make sure the vinegar gets into the heart of the sprout. Mix around a bit during roasting too, to make sure they are all well-coated. You will find that the brussels sprouts get nice and soft-crispy, with a yummy rich flavor. Even kids will love it! Try it, you'll see!

A kind of wintry-themed bento, with the snowflakes and all, esp. since the weather here has been very frosty! Though there are really few cute details in this bento, it was extremely tasty, which made up for it :)

Goldfish Bento

Goldfish Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I stir-fried spinach yakisoba with shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, garlic and green onion; no meat because I didn't have any. Topped with carrot goldfish. These goldfish cutters are handmade with built-in eye cutouts; very intricate and precise. I have found that carrots are the optimal substrate for this cutter: they are the desired color, and they are stiff enough to hold up well to display the lovely curved shape. If you cooked sweet potato only until firm, you might get a nice result (but I like sweet potato much softer).
I also quick-sauteed horenso (spinach) in garlic and shoyu and topped with sesame seeds. Satsumaimo / Okinawan sweet potato flowers (I could have used my double flower cutter for this one, but instead I used a simple cutter for the flower, and cut out the center circle using a bit of straw -- easy and convenient!), purple cauliflower and tricolor tomato skewer. Fruit side has strawberries, raspberry, blueberries and plum.
This is quite a bright and colorful one! I think it might be the ultra-violet purple background ;)

Burrito Bento

Burrito Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Chicken-rice-bean burrito on lettuce with Okinawan sweet potato bamboo leaf cutouts and satsumaimo flowers. Tomatoes, peapods, broccoflower, broccoli, purple cauliflower, and purple-yellow carrot skewer. Fruit side has green plum, strawberries, and (not olives but) red grapes.

New Flower Cutter Bento

New Flower Cutter Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Yeah, it's the hand-cut metal flower cutter with internal flower cut-out... and I love it!! I used it to cut satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato) and regular sweet potato flowers. There is also a yellow carrot flower, peapods, purple and yellow cauliflower, cherry and pear tomatoes, and purple carrot skewer. Main meal is leftover pasta with sausage and mushroom, onion and peppers. Fruit side has the sweet green plum, strawberries and grapes underneath.

We spent the day at the Autumn Moon Street Festival in SF Chinatown, and got back late, and it was too dark in the house so I had to take the pic outside on the patio... so this explains the stray twigs and grass (no time to sweep for a neat photo).

I did get more hand-made vegetable cutters... and I will post about them when I get around to using them. One in particular is quite large, and I need to find a vegetable with enough girth to use it!!

Red & Orange Ravioli Bento

Red & Orange Ravioli Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

MisterMan gets vegetable & cheese ravioli, yellow and purple cauliflower, yellow and purple carrot skewers, peapods, sweet potato and satsumaimo flowers, radish, cherry tomatoes and ocean salad. All-red fruit side includes Elephant Heart plums, red grapes, strawberries and organic raspberries.
Hm, looking at it now, it's kind of flowery and "heart-y"... but I don't think he'll mind!
I'll be sure to make him a "boy" one next week for sure, eh?

Chili Pasta Bento

Chili Pasta Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Chicken chili over pasta, with superbright purple and gold cauliflower (from farmers market today), cucumber dividers, peapods, purple carrot discs, 3 tomato skewer, flowers made from satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato), regular sweet potato and yellow carrot. Broccoflower underneath.
Fruit cup has Dapple Dandy plum (supersweet!! from farmers market today too), blackberries and golden raspberry.

I took this photo outside since it was such a cloudy, dark day (too dark in the house), and it looks so much brighter (and overexposed) than usual! Right as I was taking it, it started to pour, so I got lucky ....

Bijou Toddler Bento

Bijou Toddler Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Radish hamster (I know, she doesn't have ribbons but I didn't have anything blue), quail egg "sunflower seed" with nori detail and red pepper bow, satsumaimo flowers, peapods, strawberry, tangerine, golden raspberries, and grapes below.

A tiny snack for TinySprite :)

Happy Face and Flower Bento

Happy Face and Flower Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

This is a happy and fresh one to remind us of those long-lost days of summer *sigh*
OK, it's only been 2 weeks, but still.

I made shoyu chicken with thigh meat, which the kids love. I also threw in some new potatoes, which soak up the sauce and get nice and soft and flavorful, but they ate them all up so there is none for the bento. I also roasted asparagus and red / yellow / green capsicum with olive oil and garlic powder. The broccoli is steamed plain, but it tastes very good dipped into the shoyu sauce, which is how the kids ate the whole head :) The white flowers are Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo), with purple carrot detail -- I think they look like a certain daffodil... The tomato flowers have green olive centers and peapod detail.

Fruit side has half a black plum, black and red grapes, strawberries, golden raspberries, a blackberry and a champagne grape smilie.