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 ^_^

Bear Friends Bento and Apple Bunnies

Bear Friends Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

We're back to school again after a week off for Spring Break. Did you miss us? I admit it's a bit slow getting back into the routine; I have to stock up the refrigerator and start menu planning again. So today's bento is a no-cook one consisting of ready-bought mini char siu baos. I cut the ears using a round cutter for a guide and scoring with a paring knife, then propped them up with a bit of rice stick. The facial details are cut from nori and I also used an oval piece of mozzarella cheese stick. The cheese is stuck on with rice stick too. The nori sticks well to cheese, but the eyes I glued on with honey. There's also steamed broccoli, orange and purple carrots, a half mandarin, black grapes and a strawberry. Here are some closeups of the bear friends:

Today was our monthly Twitterfoodparty, and this month's theme was apples. There were lots of delicious and creative recipes using this year-round fruit! I knew I wouldn't have time to cook anything in time, so I resorted to that bento staple, the apple bunny. Here I've carved a family of three, happily munching a broccoli-topped carrot together. Aren't they sweet? You can get the ears to curl if you let them sit in ice lemon water for awhile. The lemon will keep the apples from browning. Just a few cuts (and maybe a bit of practice to avoid shortened ears) and you've got a quick cute addition to your ordinary bento. Yay!



Temarizushi

Temarizushi, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today is Japan's National Sushi Day so to celebrate, the #twitterfoodparty decided to hold a special sushi party. There's still time to contribute if you'd like; it's only a virtual party so you can some and go as you please. I made temarizushi, which are small ball-shaped rice balls wrapped in fish or shrimp or... in my case I took a few liberties. I made one with a ham and sesame seed flower, one with carrot and radish stars and moon with furikake, one with carrot maple leaves, a black rice one with quail egg and black sesame seeds, one with purple carrots and peapod detail, and one traditional one with smoked salmon and radish and parsley. These tiny treats are perfect for parties and are dainty enough to eat neatly with your fingers, popping them into your mouth for a single tasty bite. Aren't they cute? Just right for bento too. If you'd like to join our monthly party, feel free to follow along on twitter and label your contributions with the relevant hashtag. Today? #twittersushiparty. Thanks for coming along ^_^