Totoro and Girl's Day Empanadas Bento

Totoro Empanada Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

We were gifted with handmade empanadas today, so the kids get a treat for their bento. There are a variety of flavors, and they are a hit. As an enclosed baked pocket of goodies, an empanada (and other similar types of foods) makes an ideal candidate for bento. They are easy to eat, neat to pack, and require no utensils. Perfect for kids! I decorated MisterMan's as Totoro, with yellow carrot and watermelon radish details, and on the side I packed some strawberries, carrots, grapes, lightly steamed broccoli and yellow cauliflower.

TinySprite's empanada is decorated as a girl in honor of Girls' Day, which is celebrated on March 3rd. Her head is a quail egg with nori detail and a flower pick, and her kimono has yellow carrot and watermelon radish detail. I was able to squeeze in some strawberries, a carrot and some peapods as well. This bento is an enameled metal bowl (from Daiso) with a plastic sealing lid. It's lightweight and a perfect size for my 4 year old. Added this one to What's For Lunch!

Mushroom Bacon Risotto Thermal Bento

Mushroom Bacon Risotto Thermal Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today I'm packing the mushroom and bacon risotto in the Zojirushi Classic thermal bento set. It's a fairly large set, especially for my second-grader, but he's game to try it. He practiced with each of the bowls so I'm confident he can open them all. The smallest bowl is meant to contain the soup, but I've packed veggies in it. I put the risotto in the largest container, which is meant to contain rice. The fruit (which I always include in his bento) is packed in the third container. The way I've packed this set is less than optimal; obviously I don't want all his food to be kept warm, so I have to keep the fruit separate. This defeats the purpose of the thermal set, but I don't see what else I can do about it. At this point, I'm wondering whether this kind of set is the best choice for my purposes. Anyway, after I've heated up the thermal outer container, I'll pack the risotto and the veggies, close the lid, and send the fruit alongside. I've already done a temperature test (I'll post about it later in my full review) and I know the food will stay warm; but we'll see what my 7-year old thinks about his "hot" bento. Fingers crossed!

Mochiko Chicken Bento

Mochiko Chicken Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I made pseudo-mochiko chicken (oven-roasted instead of deep-fried), and used a slightly different recipe this time. The method (I originally found at Hapa Bento's site but adapted a bit) is the same, though.

Per pound of chicken thighs (cut into cubes):
4T cornstarch
4T mochiko
6T shoyu
4T sugar
2T sake
2 eggs
2T chopped green onion (white part), chopped garlic (to taste), and grated ginger (to taste).

Marinate a few hours, then bake in preheated, oiled pan at 400F. Turn to get all sides brown and crispy. It won't be as crispy as deep-fried, but it's still quite tasty. You can sprinkle with sesame seeds after (which I forgot to do) and serve with rice. Yummy! Both kids get chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli and yellow cauliflower, sweet potato, and assorted fruits (cara cara oranges, grapes, berries, and a mini mandarin). These bentos look the same size, don't they? Eek! I'm interested in whether she'll end up eating the whole thing. She LOVES chicken so I wanted to make sure she had enough, but she has a tendency to eat the fruits first. Plus, she's a slow eater. My boy's bento is deeper and actually has a lot more chicken, and it's packed a lot tighter than hers. I have no doubt that he will finish his :)

Misobutterfish Bento

Misobutterfish Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today I went back to the usual type of bento, in a single-layer bento box. The results of the thermal bento day were pretty good; the food stayed hot and the kids ate everything. I'm still going to do more testing before I write my review, since there are lots of aspects to consider. Stay tuned! Today I packed some misoyaki butterfish (recipe here) for each of the kids, along with a nice variety of vegetables (kabocha, broccoli, carrot, yellow cauliflower, romanesco and Okinawan sweet potato). We have strawberries now, and so I packed some of those along with blueberries, a mini mandarin for TinySprite and some blood oranges for MisterMan. I've learned -- and recommend to you -- not to give blood oranges to a toddler wearing school clothes, unless they happen to be in the precise same shade of dark red. You're welcome. To add a little kawaii to her bento, I made a bunny from two hard-boiled quail eggs. I rolled one into a long oval shape before slicing it in half to form the ears. The yolk just happened to be teardrop-shaped. So happy to see some color: out in the garden, in the markets, and in our bento! How about you?

Added to What's For Lunch. Go ahead and add yours!

Sticky Rice Bento

Sticky Rice Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I made sticky rice today and it just begged to be used for bento. It's a nice way to put together a one-dish meal. I make mine in my trusty rice cooker, which happens to have a "sweet rice" setting; but you could probably use any old rice cooker. This batch contains Chinese sausage (lup cheong), shiitake mushrooms, and shredded baby bok choy. You could also add char siu or other vegetables if you like; I don't think it's necessary to stick to traditional ingredients. The rice itself is a mixture of one part regular Japanese white rice to two parts sweet (glutinous) rice. I found brown glutinous rice in my market and used some of it to replace the regular glutinous rice, but I think the brown takes longer to cook. Or I could have possibly soaked it longer. Anyway, I ran through another cycle and it was okay. I also replaced the water with chicken broth, which imparts a nice aromatic flavor. I put the sticky rice in a thermal frog bento, and sent along another box with steamed broccoli, romanesco and yellow cauliflower, plus carrots and blood oranges. And a frog fork to complete the set. I have two new thermal food sets to test and review, so stay tuned for that. Hope you all enjoyed your Chinese New Year!

Sticky Rice Method
2 cups glutinous (sweet) rice
1 cup medium grain (Japanese) white rice
3 cups chicken broth
Start rice cooker. About halfway through the cooking cycle, add ingredients of your choice, such as sliced lup cheong, shiitake, char siu. I used baby bok choy, which I added even later, to avoid too much wilting. You can also use green onion. Stir and serve! Delish!

*Note added 4/2/11: If you're in the market for a thermal bento jar like this one, there's a blue version up for auction right now on Bento4Japan! Just click here to see it!

Chicken Wings Bento

Chicken Wings Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today's bento contains a bunch of chicken wings we grilled the night before. I asked my 7-year-old if he could eat 6 of them and he said "yup!" I also pan-fried some lightly steamed red kabocha in butter and garlic, and snugged some steamed colorful veggies in the spaces (yellow cauliflower, broccoli and romanesco) There's also a purple carrot skewer, a grape tomato, some chopped blood oranges and a blackberry. All packed up in our LunchBots Duo. Bento: accomplished!

Kung Fu Panda vs. Ninja Panda Bento

Kung Fu Panda vs. Ninja Panda Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Since my last panda bento on Monday, I got to wondering: who would win the ultimate panda martial arts showdown between Kung Fu Panda and Ninja Panda? Hmmm. Food for thought. We all know how sneaky and protective ninja can be, but don't underestimate the power of kung fu. Didn't you see the movie? There was only one way to test the theory. I'd have to make both, side by side, and let TinySprite determine their fate. I put two nori-decorated quail egg pandas -- the ninja wearing stealth wear and the kung fu panda wearing loose pants to better unleash the power of his fists -- in their own edamame-lined cups. To keep it fair I excluded weaponry. The rest of the bento includes buttery kabocha slices, steamed yellow cauliflower, chopped blood oranges, blueberries and a cherry.

I tried to get a shot of her decision, but it was instantaneous. She selected the ninja for first demise, quick and painless. She spent way more time playing with the Kung Fu panda's arms before demolishing him, and then demonstrated his moves in person. You may recall she's a white belt Kung Fu practitioner herself, so maybe this has something to do with her choice. This may not be the final word though. Next time: weapons!

Butteryaki Salmon Bento

Butteryaki Salmon Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I'm pretty happy with this omega-3-packed bento for MisterMan: it includes butteryaki salmon, mini red kabocha and little Okinawan purple potatoes lightly steamed and then fried in the same pan.

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To make my butteryaki salmon:

Heat oiled pan, sear salmon on both sides. 
Add a T butter and melt, turn off heat, drizzle shoyu over salmon and into hot pan briefly. 
Remove salmon and serve. 
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Yummy! There's also mixed rice (black, white, black quinoa, cracked wheat and bulgur) onigiri with cherry tomato, steamed broccoli, romanesco and yellow cauliflower, and tiny purple carrot flower shapes. Fruit section has alternating blood and cara cara orange wedges, along with two cherries in the last corner. I'm so happy to have more colors and fresh produce for bento now that spring is coming / here. Do you feel the same way?

In case you were wondering what my mini red kabocha squashes look like, here's a photo. There's a Cutie next to it for scale. Isn't it cute? ^_^

Panda Blueberry Egg Bento and Thai Chicken Bento

Panda Blueberry Egg Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

TinySprite has a finger foods bento again today. She still has that long-lingering cough, which I am hoping will clear up in a few days. Her appetite has been unpredictable lately. Some days she'll eat everything and ask for seconds, and other days it'll take her forever to finish. This afternoon she had eaten her entire lunch and even came home and scarfed up the leftover veggies from my lunch. Today I gave her a bento she can eat with her fingers (her preferred method): hard-boiled egg decorated as a panda with blueberries and nori, sauteed asparagus and kabocha, turkey skewer, steamed romanesco and yellow cauliflower, carrot sticks and blood oranges.

MisterMan has a more standard bento, including many of the same items, along with Thai chicken (not homemade), cherry tomatoes and a cup of yogurt with fresh blueberries and chopped blood oranges, dusted with toasted wheat germ. The cup (included with the EcoLunchBox) comes with a leakproof lid, making it perfect for sauces, gravies and.. yogurt.

California Roll Bento

California Roll Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Today's temperature exceeded 90F again, and I think MisterMan might welcome a cooling bento. I made that kids' favorite: California roll. Instead of crab salad I used krab stick so I wouldn't need mayonnaise. I also used cucumber, avocado, and green onion. I made a reverse roll and sprinkled sesame seeds on the outside before flipping and rolling in cling wrap. It's easier to cut if you leave the roll wrapped in plastic and cut through the plastic wrap before unwrapping. I packed the sushi in plastic wrap to prevent drying out and also to prevent the rice from sticking to the container. I topped with pink and purple carrot skewer, as well as yellow carrot flowers. Other section has steamed broccoli, a jack o'lantern carved tangerine, some mango plum slices and some red jelly bellies. Just kidding! They're tiny grape tomatoes. Aren't they cute? We're supposed to get a bit of cooling tomorrow, so that'll be a nice relief. Our late heatwave is making up for the "summer that never was" here in the Bay Area! ^_^

Want to make a difference with What's For Lunch? Shannon is! Link up and find out how!

Smoked Salmon Rollups Bento

Smoked Salmon Rollups Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

I'm on a "roll"! Get it? No sushi or kimbap today, but whole wheat bread rollups. These eight mini rollups resulted from two slices of bread, flattened with a glass jar (or rolling pin, but mine wasn't handy), then smeared with cream cheese, layered with arugula, capers, and smoked salmon, then rolled up tightly and sliced. Like sushi, hehe! I even gave him a pair of chopsticks to eat them with, for fun. To fill in the gaps I stuck steamed yellow cauliflower and romanesco. Also broccoli, strawberry cherries and yes, homegrown apricot. Another fresh summery bento, to go!

Added at What's For Lunch Wednesday!

Panda Somen Salad Bento

Panda Somen Salad Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Okay, starting to cook a little for bento now. Does boiling somen noodles count? It's been so hot here that somen salad is really the best thing to cool down with. I topped this one with shredded carrot, ocean salad, green onion and furikake. You could also add lettuce, egg, ham, krab, kamaboko, or whatever you like. I put some tsuyu in the round blue container for him to pour on the somen just before he eats it. To the side I put the standard three: steamed broccoli, yellow cauliflower and romanesco. In the bottom tier of this cool skinny bento I put all the fruits: cherries, white nectarines and -- yes -- lychee!! It's not summer if I don't make my traditional lychee/blueberry panda. So here he is. I also added some other panda pals too, so they can have a panda party in the skinny bento! Not sure how I feel about this shape yet. I've seen others use it so elegantly, but I feel like I have to handle it carefully or it'll flip out of my hands and fall straight on the floor. It is unique though, isn't it?

Hamtaro Char Siu Bao Bento

Hamtaro Char Siu Bao Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Another no-cook bento today! This one is that kid favorite: the char siu bao. I have used a similar bread to make a Pirate Monkey, and a raccoon Kireizukin Seikatsu, and this time I made Hamtaro. I slipped a knife between the baked brown layer and the fluffy bread layer to make his white face, and I used the extra brown part to make his ears. For his eyes I halved a black grape, and poked a little circle of bread and another little piece of nori on top, securing it all with a rice stick. The rice sticks were also useful for whiskers. His nose and tongue are ham and I cut his mouth from nori as well. The other side of the bento is separated from the bread side in this unique box by Sistema. I filled the two sections with all kinds of fruit and veggies: cherries, strawberry, blueberries, white peach, black grapes, carrots, broccoli, yellow cauliflower and romanesco. Whew! There's a lid that secures the bread section, and then the whole thing closes together with the pink latch on the right side. I was even able to fit the tiny fork in there too!

I added my lunch to Shannon's What's For Lunch link here: you can too!

Koffing Bento

Koffing Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

Koffing Pokémon, made of Okinawan sweet potato with satsumaimo and regular sweet potato detail. Toxic yellow cauliflower "gases", atop homemade vegetarian pad thai. Peapods, purple cauliflower, and "lotus cut" radish. True lotus should have been more curving at the bottom; I will try again next time. It added a bit of bright red accent to this side which I felt it needed.

Fruit section has red grapes, strawberries, raspberries, green plum, orange sunsugar cherry tomatoes. No-salt cottage cheese with pumpkin seeds and wheat germ. Usually I put fruit in here, but probably my boy will eat it with the berries anyway.

MisterMan has currently interrupted his Star Wars phase to obsessively read the series of Pokémon books he inherited from his cousins when we visited over Labor Day... he would stay up all night if we let him :|