Bento #24: Rainbow temaki (handroll) (05.06.09)

Bento for Wednesday, May 6, 2009:

Bento contents:
* California roll in rainbow colors, temaki (handroll) style: imitation crab salad, raw carrot slivers, avocado slices, pickled red cabbage, served with rice (with umeboshi and black sesame seeds for garnish). Squares of nori for wrapping. Soy sauce and wasabi for dipping (not pictured).
* Grape tomatoes
* Takuan and umeboshi
* "instant" Miso soup ball, from Just Bento

Soboro

I thought I'd post a few links for different versions of soboro, the seasoned ground meat "stripe" of today's sanshoku donburi. It can be made with beef, chicken, pork, egg, canned tuna or salmon, probably even tofu - basically any protein. It's really quick and easy to make.

Aside from using it in sanshoku donburi or as a rice topping on its own, it can be used as an onigiri (rice ball) filling, or as a filling for tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), among other things. It keeps in the refrigerator for about a week, and freezes well. (All of this information, and more, can also be found on Maki's Just Bento page, as linked below).

Here are two recipes that I have successfully used:

Basic Meat Soboro from Just Bento

AnnaTheRed's tuna soboro - she also has a recipe for meat soboro elsewhere on her page.

Here's a recipe for chicken soboro; I have made chicken soboro before using Elizabeth Andoh's recipe from Washoku instead.

Finally, I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I'm sure it's good, because it's a Maki recipe:

Just Bento's iri tamago - scrambled eggs for donburi

Bento #23: Sanshoku Donburi (05.05.09)

Bento for Tuesday, May 5, 2009:


Bento contents:
* Sanshoku donburi (3-color rice bowl): Rice topped with (from left to right): corn, beef soboro (a bento staple which there are many recipes for; the recipe that I based it on can be found by clicking here), and spinach seasoned with soy sauce and sesame seeds
***
Today's bento is a simple Japanese classic. Sanshoku donburi is colorful, versatile, and nutritious. It is a bento lunch staple in Japan, particularly for childrens' school lunches. If you're curious, here are a few links to photos of other sanshoku donburi combinations and recipes to try (FYI, I have not tried any of these recipes):

stir-fried gochujang bento from Just Bento Flickr pool

Maki's Bento #18 on Just Bento

photo by Flickr user Blue Lotus

Taste of Zen recipe (chicken, egg, and snowpeas version)

Kitchen Cow's version

Lunchbox #475 from "My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch!"

A sushi version, on Flickr

Bento #22: Mochi tofu nuggets (04.30.09)

Bento for Thursday, April 30, 2009:


Bento contents:
* Mochi tofu nuggets (recipe courtesy Just Bento, here)
* Steamed rice with umeboshi and black sesame seeds
* Oven fries with rosemary, with ketchup provided for dipping (and for the tofu nuggets)
* Spicy miso marinated green asparagus (Just Bento recipe, here)
* Strawberry and pineapple

Bento #21: Salmon patties and asparagus rice (04.29.09)

Bento for Wednesday, April 29, 2009:


Bento contents:
* Salmon patties
* Chicken karaage (or, for J.K., a hard boiled egg)
* Asparagus rice, recipe courtesy Just Bento, here
* Corn and lima beans in rice vinegar dressing
* "instant" miso soup ball (recipe/idea courtesy Just Bento)
* Strawberry

Bento Menus for May 5-7, 2009

As usual, only the main dish is definite. All side dishes subject to last minute change based on availability and price of ingredients.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009:
* Sanshoku soboro bento - exact components TBD
* Some kind of dessert/extra TBD

Wednesday, May 6, 2009:
* California handroll bento – vinegared imitation crab salad, avocado, rice, pickles
* Other sides TBD

Thursday, May 7, 2009:
* Frittata – eggs, potatoes, veggies, cheese – one large slice
* Biscuits or a roll, TBD
* Green salad

Bento #20: Chicken karaage (04.28.09)

Bento for Tuesday, April 28, 2009:


Bento contents:
* Chicken karaage with yuzu shichimi togarashi for sprinkling
* Steamed rice
* Asparagus and carrots
* Japanese pickles - umeboshi and takuan