Polenta Bento

This one is a mishmash of stuff we had at dinner, including the polenta that made an appearance on my toast in the previous post. I think TinySprite would prefer a box filled completely with sausage; she's a definite meat lover🐖🐮

😊❤🍱

New Bento Box Review: Yumbox

Today's review is on the Yumbox. This box is designed by a pair of moms who wanted (from their website): "a bento-like tray, with one lid that sealed all compartments; designated food groups to encourage and assist parents in packing a balanced meal; built-in portion control; a cool design and illustrations to make this little box more of an adventure in good nutrition than just plain old lunch!" 

The boxes come in a variety of sizes and with different numbers of sections. The one I have has 6 sections; there are other versions with 3 and 4 sections as well. They come decorated with different themes on the bottom of each section, like Pirates, Mermaids, Circus, and Rockets. The theme of mine is Parisian Pink. It's very cute!

The graphics are very colorful and artistic. They are labeled with different food groups, in order to help with balanced and nutritious meal planning. The image is applied to the underside of the plastic so there is no risk of scratching from the food. The inner (clear) plastic compartment is removable for easy cleanups.

Our first bento contains a bunch of different foods, and this type of bento would be ideal for kids who prefer to graze upon smaller portions of lots of variety of foods.

I packed: spiralized zucchini raw "noodles" with fresh off the cob sweet corn and shredded mozzarella cheese, pickled napa cabbage and beets, garlicky smashed cucumber pickles, steamed Okinawan sweet potatoes, purple carrots, peaches with homemade granola, and little chocolate bear cookies because they fit perfectly into the tiny circular section. This box worked very well, kept everything separate, and prevented leaking of any liquid. The latch was easy to use and young kids will have no problem securing and opening it on their own. It would also work well as a snack box for an older child.

The garlic smashed cucumber pickles came from the Lucky Rice Cookbook, authored by Danielle Chang, who came with her crew to film a segment with Happy Little Bento for Lucky Chow a couple months ago. I thought her cookbook might contain lots of fun ideas for packing into bento, and I was right! I'll show you more of them in the future. Happy weekend, friends!

Disclosure: Yumbox generously provided me with this product for use without cost to me. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.

Jack o'cheese Pasta EcoLunchbox Halloween Bento

Jack o'cheese Pasta EcoLunchbox Halloween Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Remember I went through a big jack o'lantern phase at Halloween a few years back? (Check them all out here if you like) Wow, that was weird, wasn't it? I did discover plenty of ways to cut a jack-o-lantern out of food, though. This is my first jack this season, and it's an easy cheddar cutout. I used a squash/gourd cutter that makes these jacks look a little like skulls (to me). So maybe they aren't the *cutest* jacks, but lets see what TinySprite thinks. The rest of this meatless Monday bento includes rotini pasta with zucchini and mushrooms, plus a bonus broccoli sprig. This fit into the EcoLunchBox Solo Cube perfectly. I sent along an EcoDipper to hold the sliced Asian pear and cute sugar plum. A perfectly sized Halloween lunch for my 1st grader.

Enchilada Soup LunchBot Thermal Bento for Fall!

Enchilada Soup LunchBot Thermal Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Everyone is talking about the upcoming fall weather, and I'm starting to get excited about fall soups. So even though it's not exactly cold yet, we're having chicken enchilada soup (see the recipe and method I used here). As usual, I added a lot of nontraditional extras such as zucchini, carrots, corn, celery, and leeks. It was good (if a tad bit spicy). I served TinySprite's portion over rice, and she ate hers without too much complaint over the heat. I get to use the LunchBots Thermal food jar for this bento, and packed it along with a side container of white peach, grapes and strawberry. Happy Fall!
Added to What's For Lunch.

Beet Kohlrabi Latkes Bento

Beet Kohlrabi Latkes Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Kohlrabi: never heard of it? Me neither, but I saw other people buying it at the market so I thought, why not? Latkes I've never made either, but it seemed pretty straightforward. The recipe called for coarsely grated kohlrabi, beet, and onion mixed with a beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of flour, to be formed into round shapes and fried 4-6 minutes on each side. I added grated zucchini and some cheese, because that's how I roll. I had to squeeze quite a bit of liquid from the ingredients before forming the patties, which ended up holding together very loosely. I'm not sure if that's the way regular potato latkes look or not. I was kind of expecting a more "burger-y" type of patty, similar to the beet patties I made here. The recipe also recommended serving with a horseradish sauce, which sounds great, but I had mine with chimichurri (this stuff is very versatile!). I sprinkled some green onion on TinySprite's two patties, which I packed into the divided container along with a homegrown mesclun microgreens salad topped with shaved iberico and yellow tomatoes, some marinated mini peppers, and a selection of white peach, blueberries and a super ripe dark orange apricot.

Seeing as tomorrow is the last day of school, I made shoyu hot dogs (by request) for the kids to share at their snack party. Can't believe the year is all over and we have the long hot summer ahead of us at last! I don't know who is more excited: me or them! Counting down the hours starting now...
Added to What's For Lunch.

Vegetarian Spices LunchBots Bento

Vegetarian Spices LunchBots Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

So today we are starting a week of unseasonally warm temperatures over here in the Bay Area; today was predicted to be the warmest, and it reached the upper 70s in my 'hood. It was a fantastic harbinger of summer! I decided I wanted to not-cook tonight, and just have salads, in honor of the heat and also the fact that it's Earth Day. I almost did no cooking, but I did griddle up some veggies to go with the chickpea salad. It didn't take long, though. I sliced some eggplant, zucchini, shallots, tomatoes and garlic, and fried in olive oil until tender. I drizzled honey and sprinkled oregano to taste -- very simple. The chickpea salad is simply fork-mashed chickpeas tossed with sliced onion, cilantro, cumin, lemon, salt and pepper. The next section has grated carrot and beet salad (tossed with cider vinegar, pomegranate juice, a sprinkling of ground ginger, salt and pepper), beside the pickled cucumbers, daikon, baby turnips and kumquats. I also added pickled red onion since she likes that. Some fresh farmers market strawberries and a little sprig of broccoli for color round out this fresh vegetarian bento for TinySprite. Happy Earth Day!

Kamut Chili Bento

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

Ka-what? Kamut? Yeah, that's what I thought too. Turns out this grain is some kind of really big wheat. Its origins are somewhat fuzzy, but it seems to be agreed that it's a kind of ancient grain that is high in protein and minerals such as selenium, zinc and magnesium. It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture, sort of like farro, or barley, or brown rice (to me). I found this recipe which incorporates Kamut, but which is basically just a chili recipe into which you add the grain. I decided to cook the Kamut with brown rice in my Zojirushi on the brown rice setting. I soaked overnight and it turned out fine. I thought it had a substantial quality to it, and made the chili quite hearty and filling. You could just as easily substitute farro or barley, though, in my opinion. I packed this batch for MisterMan over rice, and I should have used a leakproof container, obviously, but luckily there wasn't enough lunchbag-swinging to cause any spillage. The top tier holds: watermelon (!), satsuma, tomatoes and blueberries.

Kamut® Chili (from this recipe; it's very basic so I'm not sure why I used it)

Ingredients
1cup Kamut grain, soaked overnight, drained
2cups cooked pinto beans
1large onion, chopped
1green bell pepper, chopped
3cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1carrot, diced
3teaspoons chili powder
2cups tomato sauce
1cup water
15ounce stewed tomatoes
1/4tsp Tabasco sauce (I omitted)

Cook soaked Kamut in rice cooker on brown rice setting.
Add remaining ingredients in with Kamut. Simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Chili Thermal Bento

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

Oh man, this looks like a fall / winter bento. But chili is such a great one-pot meal that I can't resist making it throughout the year. Toss in all the vegetables you can think of, simmer in a tomato-based broth with beans and sausage, and that's it. Even gets better the next day. Can't beat that! I pack thermal bento in the morning right before the kids leave for school. They should stay hot for at least 4-5 hours. I pack the fruit selection in a stainless steel box to go alongside, and I don't have to worry whether they're getting their daily servings of vegetation. Simple ^_^

Portobello Pizza Bento

Portobello Pizza Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I saw this portobello pizza idea somewhere...maybe on Pinterest or something? Anyway, it was described as a low-carb way to enjoy pizza. Gluten-free too; so I gave it a try.

Here's the method I used:
1. Dust/clean portobello mushroom cap, and remove gills with a spoon to create a little mushroom "cup."
2. Cut off stem.
3. Fill with your choice of toppings (I used shredded zucchini, bell pepper strips, spinach, pepperoni, cheese)
4. Top with cheese if you like, and bake at 350F until mushroom and toppings are softened, and cheese is melted.
5. Alternatively: put cheese in first, and layer toppings on top.
6. Bake at 350F until everything is softened and bottom cheese is melty.

Well, the first thing I noticed is that since the mushroom cap doesn't absorb any moisture, it can fill up with moisture from the veggies. It might be better to saute the veggies before putting them on, maybe. Also, I prefer the cheese on the bottom version, because I like the fresh vegetables looking nice on top. In fact, you can reduce the cooking time as much as you like, and keep the veggies on the crunchier side, too. Still good that way. Anyway, my boy wanted to take one to summer adventures program, so I packed one in this Sistema-look-alike box. The only thing different about this box is that there are 3 divided sections on the fruit side instead of 2. I took the picture with the pizza inside the big section, but actually what I did was close the fruit section and place the pizza on top of the lid in its wax paper before closing the domed lid on top of it. Worked great! He liked all the attention his weird pizza got. In the fruit section: corn on the cob, carrots, broccoli, peaches, lychee, and cherries.
This is a fun meal that the kids can help with, and you can pile a lot of stuff in those portobellos :)

Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pizza Bento

Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pizza Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Hello people! Remember the first gluten-free pizza crust I made over in this bento last month? It was from a mix, and it was okay. It had that gluten-free background flavor, not like real crust. Well, this time I wanted to try something totally different, and I found this cauliflower pizza crust idea floating around. I saw it at RecipeGirl's site first, but she noted that lots of others had tried similar variations. All you do is grate a head of cauliflower, mix it with egg and cheese, form a crust and bake. Sounds crazy? Actually I thought, there's no way this is going to stick together to make a crust. So I added some rice flour and some flaxmeal. Did I ruin it? Who knows? Let's just say this does not turn out to be what you think it'll turn out to be. It's basically a cheese cracker with some cauliflower bits mixed in there. Nothing wrong with that, but I mention it just so you'll know. Now, I love a cheese cracker. Salty, crispy, and yes - greasy - goodness is hard to argue with. So of course my little girl loved it! But if you try it, I'd caution you to use a nonstick pan, or parchment paper.

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust (from Recipe Girl)

1/2 large head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
[not in original recipe but I added 2T rice flour and 2T flaxmeal]

Directions:
1. Grate the cauliflower into small crumbles. You can use the food processor if you'd like, but you just want crumbles, not puree. I used a box grater. You'll need a total of about 2 cups or so of cauliflower crumbles (which is about half a large head of cauliflower. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes. Give the cauliflower a chance to cool. They'll be nice and soft.

2. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.

3. Add toppings of your choice and return pizza to oven to broil for 5 minutes or until toppings are hot and cheese is melted and bubbly.

For this pizza I used chopped mushrooms, sliced zucchini, pepperoni, and diced capsicum in varying colors, then topped with shredded mozzarella. The pizza came out nice and crisp, since I pressed the crust as thin as I could manage. It doesn't stick together very well, so a thin crackery crust probably works better than a thicker crust which might break. I packed some in her Keroppi sandwich box, and placed some refreshing fruit and veggies in the lower tier. Pretty successful as a gluten-free pizza, but my search continues...
Added to What's For Lunch.

Pizza Bento!

Pizza Bento!, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I haven't used my Keroppi sandwich bento in a long time; it's nice for certain foods that are large and bulky - like sandwiches. I used to pack bánh mì in the top portion for MisterMan in summertimes past. Today I used the extra-tall part to pack a pizza for TinySprite. This one is homemade with arugula, sauteed mushroom and zucchini and melty cheesy toppings on a gluten-free crust. I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free pizza dough mix for the first time. It's very, um, different than regular pizza dough. If you weren't exactly sure what gluten is or does to baked goods, try this pizza dough and you'll understand. For one thing, it's not stretchy or elastic at all. It's also very wet and doesn't stick together very well. While I was rolling pressing it out, I wondered how in the world this was going to make a pizza. It came out pretty nicely crispy though, and held up to the toppings very well. I think the trick is to press it as thin as possible. TS loved it, so that's what matters! On the bottom section I gave her some cottage cheese with sunflower seeds, by her request, and some carrots, strawberry and blackberries. Gluten-free experiment seems to be progressing quite well!

4-Section Variety Bento

4-Section Variety Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Today I made a fun one for TinySprite. This is a 4-sectioned plain old plasticware container that I used to use for my kids when they were babies. I distinctly remember packing this box to go to the park with MisterMan, my moms' group, and their babies. I'd put cottage cheese in one part, scrambled eggs in another, kale-oatmeal (yes, for real!), and sweet potato or some kind of fruit. I always thought of it as baby-sized, but now that I dug it out of the cabinet, it looks like a good size for my preschooler actually. Yeah, MM has always been a HUGE eater. TinySprite's appetite has been unpredictable recently, and she's getting over a bug of some kind, and we're also trying a gluten-free diet with her for awhile, so I thought this box would be appropriate and fun for a change. She ate this one at home with me, so I got to watch. She loved looking at all the different portions. The first thing she downed was the corn tortilla/cheese/spinach wraps, then the yogurt with strawberries and sunflower seeds. She then informed me that she doesn't like blood oranges, so I had to swap those out for cara cara oranges. She stared at the sauteed mushroom/zucchini for a long time, and let me tell you she actually liked the lettuce leaf better. She did end up eating the whole thing, though, and even shared my green smoothie afterwards. Success!

Spaghetti Squash Bento

Spaghetti Squash Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

This quickie bento is an adaptation of one of my basic pasta stand-bys: spaghetti with sauteed onion, zucchini, mushroom and nitrite-free chicken sausage. It still contains all those things but I intended to substitute the whole wheat spaghetti with spaghetti squash. I've never made this squash before; have you? All you do is bake it for awhile, then slice it open lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then pull out the spaghetti-like strands of flesh. I was skeptical, but that's really how it turned out! I tried it out on the kids, and they seemed to like it just fine. If I had tossed it with tomato sauce or pesto, I bet they'd like it even more. I ended up not completely omitting the pasta, just so that they'd have some comfort food in there too. I filled up two sections of this bento with this one-dish meal, and saved the 3rd for cottage cheese topped with berries and carrots.

Daytrippers Pasta Bento

Daytrippers Pasta Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Happy Monday! Are your Mondays as disorganized and chaotic as mine? No? Oh. Well, this is why you'll find many of my Monday bento are composed of food that cook easily from ingredients that are already in the pantry and refrigerator (or leftovers from weekend eats), and nearly always have no cute components whatsoever. Sometimes they are literally thrown together so quickly that there's no time (or need) to take a picture. Like today: it's a simple wagon wheel pasta bento tossed with nitrite-free chicken and roasted red pepper sausage and zucchini. Other section contains strawberries, grapes, grapefruit and tiny mandarinquat slices. Everything is packed in my Daytrippers bento box (from Paperchase), which comes with a separate section for the matching fork and spoon under the cute decorated translucent lid. TinySprite has a variable appetite, which grows when the meal includes her favorites. Like this one -- I know she loves this combo and it will disappear in no time, even without the cute parts. And that's a recipe for a successful bento ^_^

Delicious Zucchini Bread Recipe

Zucchini Bread side view, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Have you recovered from the Thanksgiving weekend of feasting? I'm having a bit of a delay in getting back to the bentomaking. But I'm enjoying the memories of the good eats we had over the past few days. Here's a little bento-break special interest food item I thought I'd share with you. I made this zucchini bread for both MisterMan's and TinySprite's class Thanksgiving Luncheon parties (minus the nuts and chocolate). I love this bread because it's very cake-like, moist and delicious -- and yet it's packed full of zucchini. Muahaha! You might sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top to make it more festive (for say, Christmas parties?), but it's really not necessary. Really. You can even ask a bunch of 8- and 4-year olds.

Zucchini Bread
3 eggs
1C vegetable oil
1C packed brown sugar
2C grated zucchini (about 3 small zucchinis)
2 tsp vanilla

Mix the above ingredients together in a large bowl.

1C flour
1C whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1C chopped walnuts
1/4C wheat germ
1/4C mini chocolate chips

Mix the 2nd group of ingredients together in a medium bowl, then add to wet ingredients in the large bowl. Pour into 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350F for 1 hour.

Quinoa Salad Bento

Quinoa Vegetable Salad Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

Has it really been over a year since I made quinoa salad? Oops. Can't imagine why I hadn't made it this summer. It's a great way to use summer squash, along with colorful bell peppers and crunchy celery, for a protein-rich meatless lunch option. Quinoa is an ancient grain that comes in a variety of colors (see my picture here). I used a tricolor mix today for this salad. The non-recipe is an easy one: simply saute the peppers and minced garlic in olive oil until crisp-tender, then add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water (or broth of your choice). Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add sliced zucchini about halfway through cooking. Season with salt to taste, and I also added cumin. It's done when the quinoa is tender but not mushy. Turn off the heat and add celery and nuts for crunch. This recipe is very adaptable - you can add any vegetable you like. Try tomatoes or kabocha, or top with chopped apples; it's refreshing and nutritious. I tucked a piece of corn on the cob, an Okinawan sweet potato "spaceship", some carrots, and a cup of Greek yogurt with berries and sunflower seeds into this EcoLunch Box to round out a fresh meal. Happy little bento!

As a side note, my recent Domokun sandwich bento has been receiving attention from ParentMap magazine (see article here) and Happy Daddy magazine (a French blog here). Coincidentally, the PBS.org article I mentioned last time also featured a (different) Domokun sandwich bento I had made. I guess it's the season for Domo. RAWR! ^_^

Squash Blossom Pizza Bento

Squash Blossom Pizza Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

We made squash blossom pizza a la our favorite pie from Pizzeria Mozza and Scala's Bistro. I used whole wheat flatbread rounds for the kids' bento since they are such a cute size and perfect for little hands. I sliced the zucchini thinly, and sauteed briefly, then scattered on the flatbreads along with chunks of mozzarella. I layered fresh squash blossoms (a whole bag from my farmer's market for $2) on top and baked. For the adults I added peppers (Scala's uses padron) and for the kids I added garlic powder. Super yum! These happened to fit just right in the two-tiered stainless steel tiffin, and I was able to keep the fruit and vegetables separate on the top: corn, cauliflower, tomatoes, grapes, cherries and pluots. Looks like a pretty sunflower, kind of. ^_^

Sausage Zucchini Skewers Bento

Sausage Zucchini Skewers Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

My kids got matching bentos, consisting of chicken and spinach nitrite-free sausage and zucchini skewers. I love the way they fit in the long section of my LunchBot Trio. Veggies went in another section: car-shaped Okinawan sweet potato, corn on the cob, broccoli, and orange and purple carrots. Fruit went in the last section: luscious peaches, raspberries, blackberry, and baby sugar plum.

TinySprite's bento had the same ingredients, in a more petite version. Ta-daaa!

Sausage Skewers Bento

Sausage Skewers Bento, a photo by sherimiya ♥ on Flickr.

I sometimes hear from parents who tell me they don't know how to cook, or they don't have time to cook, so there's no way they could make such an elaborate lunch for their kids. Guess what? I'm not a professional chef either. I have two kids at home and I don't have time to spend a lot of time cooking or preparing bento either. If you take a look at my bento posts, you'll see that many of them involve leftovers, or foods that can be prepared and assembled quickly (usually under 30 minutes). You don't have to spend a lot of time to give your kids a healthy homemade lunch; all you need is a little pre-planning. Most kids won't eat an adult-size meal, so a few vegetables, some fruit, a little protein and maybe some rice (or bread or pasta) is all you need to consider.

Take this bento, for example. I made this for my 4 year old to take to preschool. She's had a slightly smaller appetite lately than usual, so this one is a bit smaller than what she typically eats for lunch. The main compartment contains two skewers of pan-fried chicken and sundried tomato sausage rounds alternating with sliced zucchini. She'll love those because they're finger foods, and it's fun to eat off a stick. I always add at least two colors of vegetables -- in this case, steamed broccoli and peapods, as well as raw carrots I've carved into flowers with my paring knife. To finish off, she'll have a sweet ripe strawberry and some blackberries. If she had more time at school (or if she were at home) I might add a half corn on the cob and a musubi (riceball), or she might ask for string cheese or a hard-boiled egg, which are foods that are easily prepared ahead of time. Once you start packing bento, it'll become easier until it's just a part of the usual school routine. You'll feel better knowing your kid is eating a healthy meal, and she'll learn to look forward to lunch. Now that's a worthwhile effort! ^_^

Chicken Sausage Zucchini Bento

Chicken Sausage Zucchini Bento, originally uploaded by sherimiya ♥.

First bento back after a long President's Day holiday weekend. Ours was kind of tiring: my hubz was working all weekend, MisterMan had a Kung Fu rehearsal and demonstration at City Hall, and I wanted to make a video with the kids since we had such beautiful weather. That may sound unremarkable, but it's a lot more "eventful" when you have no video-editing experience. Let's just say I'm exhausted after the weekend and am actually very happy to see it end for once! This double bento requires no real cooking; just a quick stir fry with sliced sweet chicken sausages, zucchini, mushrooms and kabocha squash. I put a couple of raw carrots in there, a spotted "mushroom" radish, lightly steamed broccoli and an array of fruit: strawberry, oranges and grapes. I finished both bento in half an hour. Woo! The radish was the most time-consuming because I actually couldn't remember how I cut the stem. I ended up whittling it so it had a nice flared edge. But the rest of the food was pretty much just tossed in. This is when the divided boxes really come in handy; you don't have to think about arrangement at all but it still comes out looking nice and neat. I likes that!