leggo my obento! the bento blog

my bento blog turned 1 on Dec 28th!  i’m currently on vacation so no bentos.  expect more bento action january sometime…

his bento

niku jaga; rice with umeboshi; steamed asparagus

here’s my recipe for niku jaga, i like it really sweet:

thin sliced sukiyaki beef (about half a pound at most)
4 small or 3 medium potatoes (the small ones with thin skin)
1 carrot
1/2 yellow onion
1 cup (japanese - 180 ml) dashi
2T sugar
2T soy sauce
1T sake

chop carrot, cut potatoes into fourths, and slice the onion.  stir fry beef, potato, onion, and carrots in heavy skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes.  mix rest of ingredients with the dashi in a seperate bowl then add.  turn heat to med-low and cover skillet.  cook until the potatoes and carrots are soft (this varies by individual preference).  serve hot (but i think it still tastes good at room temperature..!).  ideal side dishes are green vegetables and some kind of light crunchy fresh food, like tomatoes or cucumber salad or apples.

my bento

cherry tomato, pan fried green beans; kabocha; hot dog; umeboshi and rice

this is a good time to suggest to bento fans that want to pack their own but don’t have a real bento box.. try disposable plastic ware!  fill rice up to the halfway point and then put your side dishes on top of the rice (or next to it).  you can make a simple bento using hot dogs and vegetables such as green beans, snow peas, asparagus, corn, spinach.  add a hard boiled egg cut in half, or if you don’t like hard boiled eggs, make deviled eggs, or a small one egg omelette (try smoked cheese and spinach!!).

my bento

fish ball stir fried with green onion; green beans wrapped in bacon; kabocha; hard boiled eggs with mayo (deviled egg); fried rice with dried shrimp and takanazuke  (i love that stuff!!)

japanese mayo is perfect for making deviled eggs.  traditionally americans make deviled eggs by mixing the egg yolk with a little mayo, a little mustard, and a little white vinegar.  since japanese mayo is made with rice vinegar and is sweeter than american mayo, the extra flavor additives are unnecessary.  just pop out the egg yolks and mix with a little mayo.  deviled eggs is a good alternative solution to bento lovers that don’t like traditional hard boiled eggs…!  although i love both… it’s a nice treat every now and again.

his bento

umeboshi rice; chicken katsu with sauce on lettuce leaf; dove caramel chocolates; steamed broccoli with mayo; cabbage and carrot salad with rice vinegar and sugar dressing; mandarin oranges

my bento

curry rice; steamed broccoli w/ mayo; chicken katsu w/ sauce on lettuce leaf; cabbage and carrot salad; cherry tomato

we had curry this weekend and had a little bit of the sauce left, so i mixed it with my rice.  i love japanese curry, it’s very sweet and full of flavor.  for his lunch, i mixed the umeboshi with the rice since he prefers it that way to the whole umeboshi and i think it’s more colorful.

my bento

hard boiled egg (it fell apart ); pan fried asparagus; fish cake tube with asparagus (this tastes GREAT with kewpie mayo but i’m watching my calories); cherry tomato; shrimp tempura (pre-frozen from trader joe’s, probably one of the best investments i’ve made!); rice fried with bacon and roasted sweet corn

i work today but he doesn’t.. so i get a bento, and he gets a plate.  *sigh* i want to stay home :(  but at least i have a nice lunch!!

his bento

strawberry; dove chocolate with caramel; tamagoyaki with kamaboko; octopus wieners with okonomiyaki sauce; soy ginger broccoli; bacon grease fried rice with takanazuke, soy sauce, and sake

his bento

rice with kamaboko; takoyaki; green beans wrapped in bacon; sweet corn pan fried in butter; pears in kiwi gelatin for dessert

his bento

okonomiyaki with dried shrimp, cabbage, eggs, okonomiyaki mix, and calamari, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, nori flakes, bonito flakes, mayo, and red ginger;  mandarin oranges in light syrup fruit cup; dove milk chocolates with caramel

packing lunch was easy today!!  haha.. i love okonomiyaki night!!

i made a felt ornament of the prince from the me and my katamari game..!

also thought i’d share our stockings (even though they have nothing to do with bento nor food)