I made a pretty tasty dish for supper last night. You might call it Buta-don. You might call it Rice Bowl. You will call it good.
As usual I rounded up several recipes and took my cue from the ingredients that crossed over and what I had in the kitchen. It came out pretty good. I'm including links to a few of them. This was my favorite and the one I based my recipe on. Here is another that gave me more ideas.
And here is what I did.
I had a couple pork chops in the fridge - not sure what cut they were - they each had a bone in the center and were rather thin. I sliced them into thinner, bite size pieces and marinated them in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake and a little sugar. Being me I also added a little red pepper flakes and a drop of sesame oil.
I also shredded some cabbage because I had some in the house and because I felt like eating some. Just a few leaves are enough, sliced as thin as you can and then put in a dish of cold water in the fridge to get crisp.
I also thinly sliced an onion partly because I have to use them up and partly because I like them. Now all I had to do was heat some oil in a non-stick skillet, toss in the onion and toss in the pork (including the bones which had plenty of meat on them). I sizzled this over fairly high heat until the pork was just about done and the onions nice and golden, then poured in the marinade. Once it boiled I simmered it until it reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze.
Serve a portion of rice in a bowl with a portion of pork and onions over it and a bit of cabbage (drained) on the side. Very tasty, quick and easy.
Quotable quotes; in the category Better Serve Everybody Else First, Just In Case!
"There is luck in the last helping." Japanese Saying
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
So What Am I???
Big guy recently bought a tub of chopped chicken liver at the market. He had seen it for sale and promised himself some next time he went there, which was last week. He said the chopped liver was good (I did not have any) but the texture was too fine.
We used to eat at Carson's Ribs in Chicago. Alas, while there once was a branch in nearly every nearby city or neighborhood, they have all closed and only the downtown location (and one in Milwaukee, and one in Deerfield) remains. Carson's is good but not good enough to double the bill with transportation and parking costs. But we surely miss the complimentary and excellent chopped liver that was available in the bar. Grab a plate and load up with rye bread, chopped liver and toppings of minced onion & egg.
Carson's liver was more coarsely textured. Closer to what I used to make "back in the day". We did not have a food processor so of necessity I mashed the poached livers with a fork for a chunky-smooth spread spiked with onion, butter & hard cooked egg. Here's how to make it.
Dice an onion or two as fine as you like. Saute in melted butter - use chicken fat (schmaltz) if you're kosher or if you prefer it - until onions are turning golden and are very limp. Cooked longer, they will turn sweeter. Add a good amount of chicken livers. Cut them into smaller pieces if you wish. Simmer until the livers are cooked through but are still soft enough to mash with a fork. Season judiciously with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper. Meanwhile, boil a couple of eggs (instructions follow).
Turn the livers into a bowl and mash them with a fork until as smooth as you like. If you must use a food processor, pulse in several short bursts rather than letting it run continuously, until as smooth or chunky as you prefer. Add the egg and mash into the spread with the fork (or food processor).
If you wish to serve this later you can melt some additional schmaltz and pour it over the top to seal it. Stir it into the spread at serving or just nudge it aside. Serve with bagels, Challah or rye bread or crackers for spreading. Serve finely minced onion and chopped egg for garnish, if you like.
To make schmaltz, save bits of chicken fat from any whole or cut up chicken you are preparing. I just slice off the fattier bits of skin and put it aside. Dice the pieces and render the fat over low - medium heat in a heavy skillet, pouring off the fat as it accumulates. Strain or not, as you desire. The leftover bits or "cracklings" are known as gribenes. These can be added to the chopped liver, used as a garnish, or eaten out of hand, like peanuts.
To make perfect hard cooked eggs fill a pan just large enough to hold the number of eggs with cold water. Pierce the wide end of the egg with a push pin or an egg piercer, if you wish, and place in the pan. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer about a minute, then turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand at least 13 minutes. Drain and fill the pan with cold water and let stand until eggs are completely cool, or until needed. I like to tap the shell to crack it all around and let it stand in the cold water for a while, which seems to make peeling easier.
Quotable quotes; in the category But The Chopped Liver Was Just Right!
"Don't be too sweet, lest you be eaten up; don't be too bitter, lest you be spewed out." Jewish Proverb.
We used to eat at Carson's Ribs in Chicago. Alas, while there once was a branch in nearly every nearby city or neighborhood, they have all closed and only the downtown location (and one in Milwaukee, and one in Deerfield) remains. Carson's is good but not good enough to double the bill with transportation and parking costs. But we surely miss the complimentary and excellent chopped liver that was available in the bar. Grab a plate and load up with rye bread, chopped liver and toppings of minced onion & egg.
Carson's liver was more coarsely textured. Closer to what I used to make "back in the day". We did not have a food processor so of necessity I mashed the poached livers with a fork for a chunky-smooth spread spiked with onion, butter & hard cooked egg. Here's how to make it.
Dice an onion or two as fine as you like. Saute in melted butter - use chicken fat (schmaltz) if you're kosher or if you prefer it - until onions are turning golden and are very limp. Cooked longer, they will turn sweeter. Add a good amount of chicken livers. Cut them into smaller pieces if you wish. Simmer until the livers are cooked through but are still soft enough to mash with a fork. Season judiciously with kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper. Meanwhile, boil a couple of eggs (instructions follow).
Turn the livers into a bowl and mash them with a fork until as smooth as you like. If you must use a food processor, pulse in several short bursts rather than letting it run continuously, until as smooth or chunky as you prefer. Add the egg and mash into the spread with the fork (or food processor).
If you wish to serve this later you can melt some additional schmaltz and pour it over the top to seal it. Stir it into the spread at serving or just nudge it aside. Serve with bagels, Challah or rye bread or crackers for spreading. Serve finely minced onion and chopped egg for garnish, if you like.
To make schmaltz, save bits of chicken fat from any whole or cut up chicken you are preparing. I just slice off the fattier bits of skin and put it aside. Dice the pieces and render the fat over low - medium heat in a heavy skillet, pouring off the fat as it accumulates. Strain or not, as you desire. The leftover bits or "cracklings" are known as gribenes. These can be added to the chopped liver, used as a garnish, or eaten out of hand, like peanuts.
Quotable quotes; in the category But The Chopped Liver Was Just Right!
"Don't be too sweet, lest you be eaten up; don't be too bitter, lest you be spewed out." Jewish Proverb.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Bento Is As Bento Does
I've been playing with bento, mostly from leftovers, the last few days. We had some leftover kabobs with chicken, beef, pepper, onions & mushrooms. I decided they could be repurposed as bento dishes.
For the first reincarnation I sliced a few pieces of the beef & chicken and sliced the pieces of pepper, onion & mushrooms. I sautéed them in a little sesame oil and finished with the little bit of teriyaki sauce left in the bottle. It was pretty good.
I paired that with some leftover macaroni & tuna salad. I mean if you're gonna do leftovers, don't discriminate! Besides, there are many versions of a macaroni salad in the bento books. Some watermelon chunks added a "dessert" and helped fill my teddy-bear bento box.
For the next recreation I tried something I had read about - minced meat cooked until saucy and served over rice with a sort of scrambled egg and a vegetable dish. I minced the remaining beef & chicken in the food processor and sizzled it in a little sesame oil, drizzling with soy sauce and mirin until it was tasty.
Likewise, I "scrambled" an egg, beaten with a little soy and mirin, by holding several chopsticks in my hand and stirring constantly until the egg was cooked and crumbly. These two "sprinkles" were spread over a bed of rice. The remaining pepper, onion & mushroom was sliced and cooked as before. These were accompanied by a quick zucchini pickle. There was enough of the meat and vegetable left for yet another bento the next day.
For this third and final version, I simply reheated the meat & vegetable (separately) adding a little more soy & mirin and spread them over the rice. I made a one-egg tamagoyaki and also made a dish of carrot, onion & celery, julienned and cooked in sesame oil with soy and mirin and a little red pepper flakes. Don't be deterred by using the same "dressing" ingredients in every dish. For some reason, each retains its own unique flavors, complemented by the sauce ingredients. They don't all taste the same.
Go ahead and use leftovers in your bento. Indeed, go ahead and use just about anything in your bento! From peanut butter sandwiches to marinated artichoke hearts to tuna casserole, anything goes. And if it tastes good otherwise, it will taste good in your bento!
Quotable quotes; in the category Yes The Bento Lunch Is Tasty But What's For Supper?
"I'm the kind of girl who thinks about what she's gonna cook for dinner when she's finishing her lunch." Padma Lakshmi, Cookbook Author, Actress, Model & Television Host.
For the first reincarnation I sliced a few pieces of the beef & chicken and sliced the pieces of pepper, onion & mushrooms. I sautéed them in a little sesame oil and finished with the little bit of teriyaki sauce left in the bottle. It was pretty good.
I paired that with some leftover macaroni & tuna salad. I mean if you're gonna do leftovers, don't discriminate! Besides, there are many versions of a macaroni salad in the bento books. Some watermelon chunks added a "dessert" and helped fill my teddy-bear bento box.
For the next recreation I tried something I had read about - minced meat cooked until saucy and served over rice with a sort of scrambled egg and a vegetable dish. I minced the remaining beef & chicken in the food processor and sizzled it in a little sesame oil, drizzling with soy sauce and mirin until it was tasty.
Likewise, I "scrambled" an egg, beaten with a little soy and mirin, by holding several chopsticks in my hand and stirring constantly until the egg was cooked and crumbly. These two "sprinkles" were spread over a bed of rice. The remaining pepper, onion & mushroom was sliced and cooked as before. These were accompanied by a quick zucchini pickle. There was enough of the meat and vegetable left for yet another bento the next day.
For this third and final version, I simply reheated the meat & vegetable (separately) adding a little more soy & mirin and spread them over the rice. I made a one-egg tamagoyaki and also made a dish of carrot, onion & celery, julienned and cooked in sesame oil with soy and mirin and a little red pepper flakes. Don't be deterred by using the same "dressing" ingredients in every dish. For some reason, each retains its own unique flavors, complemented by the sauce ingredients. They don't all taste the same.
Go ahead and use leftovers in your bento. Indeed, go ahead and use just about anything in your bento! From peanut butter sandwiches to marinated artichoke hearts to tuna casserole, anything goes. And if it tastes good otherwise, it will taste good in your bento!
Quotable quotes; in the category Yes The Bento Lunch Is Tasty But What's For Supper?
"I'm the kind of girl who thinks about what she's gonna cook for dinner when she's finishing her lunch." Padma Lakshmi, Cookbook Author, Actress, Model & Television Host.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Bento Calling My Name
It's time for another bento. I'll make one tomorrow. I have some leftover rice in the fridge so I'll make fried rice. Easy and tasty. I also have leftover ham from this week's sandwiches so I'll dice up some of that for the fried rice and maybe a couple of those mini cocktail wieners that I like so well. If I had any bean sprouts I'd use those too, but I don't so I won't.
I have lettuce so a little salad would go nice with the rice. I have some cucumbers so maybe I'll make a quick pickle too. I haven't decided if I'll make my favorite tamagoyaki or if I'll just scramble an egg into the fried rice.
Fried rice is easy. All you need is leftover rice (cold is best) and something else to put in it. Even sliced garlic will do (and boy is it good - check this out). My recipe is not authentic. It's just good. Try it and see.
Heat some oil in a skillet. Use a little sesame oil for extra flavor. When it's hot sauté a little chopped onion and/or garlic, if you wish, then toss in the rice. Break up the clumps with a wooden spoon and stir and toss until the rice is pretty even and pretty much heated through. You can push the rice aside and add other ingredients - diced ham, leftover bits of chicken or shrimp, vegetables and bean sprouts - use whatever you like and whatever you have on hand. When those ingredients are heated through mix them all together with the rice.
Now push the rice over to the side again, add a little more oil to the bare spot in the pan (easily done with a folded bit of paper towel dipped in oil) and break an egg onto the oiled spot. You can scramble it first or just crack it right into the pan. Stir it around with a pair of chopsticks to scramble it as it cooks. When it's pretty well done but still soft and tender, mix it in with the rice (if you like it cooked firmer, go ahead).
Now add some sauce. You can just pour in a little soy sauce or you can use a bottled teriyaki type sauce or if you have some leftover dipping sauce from your soba noodles or dumplings, use that. If you want to get fancy mix a little soy sauce with some mirin and sake, or just add these separately, a few dribbles at a time. Stir and toss so the sauce gets mixed all through the rice and you're about done. Serve this garnished with minced green onion or toasted sesame seeds and you're off!
To make a quick pickle, slice cucumber (or zucchini) thinly. Sprinkle with a hefty pinch of salt and toss it around in a bowl, squeezing it to get the salt working. You can weight it with a plate, put it in a pickle press or just leave it for about 20 - 30 minutes. Now squeeze out the excess water, rinse and drain and squeeze again. Dress with a little rice vinegar, or cider vinegar or even lemon juice. Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes or a few thin slices of chili pepper, toss and serve. Pickles like this will last a few days in the fridge so make enough for your next couple bentos and you're all set!
I won't try to tell you how to make a tamagoyaki. Instead, here is a link to my favorite bento web site where you can learn her technique much more easily than by trying to decipher my instructions. Enjoy your bento!
Quotable quotes; in the category Does It Make Me Feel Good Because I Like It Or Do I Like It Because It Makes Me Feel Good?
"Japanese food makes me feel particularly good." David Mitchell
I have lettuce so a little salad would go nice with the rice. I have some cucumbers so maybe I'll make a quick pickle too. I haven't decided if I'll make my favorite tamagoyaki or if I'll just scramble an egg into the fried rice.
Fried rice is easy. All you need is leftover rice (cold is best) and something else to put in it. Even sliced garlic will do (and boy is it good - check this out). My recipe is not authentic. It's just good. Try it and see.
Heat some oil in a skillet. Use a little sesame oil for extra flavor. When it's hot sauté a little chopped onion and/or garlic, if you wish, then toss in the rice. Break up the clumps with a wooden spoon and stir and toss until the rice is pretty even and pretty much heated through. You can push the rice aside and add other ingredients - diced ham, leftover bits of chicken or shrimp, vegetables and bean sprouts - use whatever you like and whatever you have on hand. When those ingredients are heated through mix them all together with the rice.
Now push the rice over to the side again, add a little more oil to the bare spot in the pan (easily done with a folded bit of paper towel dipped in oil) and break an egg onto the oiled spot. You can scramble it first or just crack it right into the pan. Stir it around with a pair of chopsticks to scramble it as it cooks. When it's pretty well done but still soft and tender, mix it in with the rice (if you like it cooked firmer, go ahead).
Now add some sauce. You can just pour in a little soy sauce or you can use a bottled teriyaki type sauce or if you have some leftover dipping sauce from your soba noodles or dumplings, use that. If you want to get fancy mix a little soy sauce with some mirin and sake, or just add these separately, a few dribbles at a time. Stir and toss so the sauce gets mixed all through the rice and you're about done. Serve this garnished with minced green onion or toasted sesame seeds and you're off!
To make a quick pickle, slice cucumber (or zucchini) thinly. Sprinkle with a hefty pinch of salt and toss it around in a bowl, squeezing it to get the salt working. You can weight it with a plate, put it in a pickle press or just leave it for about 20 - 30 minutes. Now squeeze out the excess water, rinse and drain and squeeze again. Dress with a little rice vinegar, or cider vinegar or even lemon juice. Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes or a few thin slices of chili pepper, toss and serve. Pickles like this will last a few days in the fridge so make enough for your next couple bentos and you're all set!
I won't try to tell you how to make a tamagoyaki. Instead, here is a link to my favorite bento web site where you can learn her technique much more easily than by trying to decipher my instructions. Enjoy your bento!
Quotable quotes; in the category Does It Make Me Feel Good Because I Like It Or Do I Like It Because It Makes Me Feel Good?
"Japanese food makes me feel particularly good." David Mitchell
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
What Do You Call These?
If you read my bento posts you know that tamagoyaki is practically my favorite part of any bento. Another favorite is budo mame. As near as I can tell, budo mame means soybeans simmered until tender then simmered in sugar and soy sauce until caramelized. They are, in my humble opinion, delicious. Sweet, tangy, toothsome and tasty.
Of course, they don't really get totally tender. Either that or I have never let them cook long enough. My recipe says 4 -5 hours. I skimped on that last time and the beans were decidedly not tender. Not crunchy, but with lots of texture.
This is a recipe I do not make often. Not because it's difficult - it's actually remarkably easy requiring only a few steps (soaking the beans, simmering the beans, skimming and adding water as needed and simmering in sugar and soy sauce at the end). No, I don't make them often because by the time I think of them it's too late to soak them overnight and to simmer them the required 4 - 5 hours.
Never mind. You are much more organized and forward thinking than I and you will get the beans soaking and cooking well in advance of when they will be wanted.
For an "official" recipe visit my very favorite bento web site. The recipe is here. Enjoy!
Quotable quotes; in the category Having Your Cake And Eating It Too Is A Snap Compared To This!
"Wishing to eat the fugu, but wishing to live too." Japanese proverb
Of course, they don't really get totally tender. Either that or I have never let them cook long enough. My recipe says 4 -5 hours. I skimped on that last time and the beans were decidedly not tender. Not crunchy, but with lots of texture.
This is a recipe I do not make often. Not because it's difficult - it's actually remarkably easy requiring only a few steps (soaking the beans, simmering the beans, skimming and adding water as needed and simmering in sugar and soy sauce at the end). No, I don't make them often because by the time I think of them it's too late to soak them overnight and to simmer them the required 4 - 5 hours.
Never mind. You are much more organized and forward thinking than I and you will get the beans soaking and cooking well in advance of when they will be wanted.
For an "official" recipe visit my very favorite bento web site. The recipe is here. Enjoy!
Quotable quotes; in the category Having Your Cake And Eating It Too Is A Snap Compared To This!
"Wishing to eat the fugu, but wishing to live too." Japanese proverb
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
It's Not Easy Eating Greens
I have been interested in foraging and wild foods for a long time. Several times I have attempted to cook and eat dandelion greens. Somehow, there is something enticing about the idea of foraging for food, something you did not have to plant and cultivate, and having a tasty dish for your trouble.
There is a reason Granny (remember the Beverly Hillbillies on TV?) served greens with possum gravy and pot likker. They taste pretty terrible on their own. Which is why I kept trying them but never actually got around to eating them.
According to some of the books and web sites I have read recently part of the trick is boiling. And boiling. And more boiling. It apparently helps to remove, or at least tame, some of the bitterness.
I happened to have cooked some bacon that morning and had not yet washed out the pan. I figured what better way to cook dandelions than in bacon grease, my Greek cookbook notwithstanding. I headed out to the back yard in the cool misty drizzle (not really rain) and pulled a hefty handful of dandelion greens and a few sprigs of garlic mustard (there was not much that I could reach).
I doused the greens in a pot of water and swished them around, let them stand, then lifted them from the water to allow any grit to settle to the bottom. Drained and rinsed the pan and repeated a couple times to make sure the greens were clean, then I chopped them coarsely (another tip to help with bitterness). I added a fat pinch of salt, brought them to a boil and let them simmer about ten minutes. I tasted and they seemed okay - not overly bitter. Next time I will likely drain and boil them at least two or three times - the finished greens were decidedly bitter.
After boiling I drained them and tossed them into the skillet that contained the bacon grease (and luckily a few specks of bacon which had stuck to the pan). I turned up the heat and let them go a good long time - maybe 20 minutes or so - stirring occasionally and seasoning them with a little more salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes as well as a dribble of olive oil. I would have added a splash of vinegar if I had thought of it.
They were bitter. But not un-eatable. Tender but still toothsome. If I try them again I'll let you know. For now I'll stick with kale and Swiss chard, challenging in their own way but a little easier to relate to.
Quotable quotes; in the category Nuts About Nuts Or Just Nuts?
"I look for natural ingredients in my food. That's why Grape Nuts is part of my breakfast . . . Its naturally sweet taste reminds me of wild hickory nuts."
Euell Gibbons, American Food & Nature Writer, from his Post Grape Nuts commercial
There is a reason Granny (remember the Beverly Hillbillies on TV?) served greens with possum gravy and pot likker. They taste pretty terrible on their own. Which is why I kept trying them but never actually got around to eating them.
According to some of the books and web sites I have read recently part of the trick is boiling. And boiling. And more boiling. It apparently helps to remove, or at least tame, some of the bitterness.
I happened to have cooked some bacon that morning and had not yet washed out the pan. I figured what better way to cook dandelions than in bacon grease, my Greek cookbook notwithstanding. I headed out to the back yard in the cool misty drizzle (not really rain) and pulled a hefty handful of dandelion greens and a few sprigs of garlic mustard (there was not much that I could reach).I doused the greens in a pot of water and swished them around, let them stand, then lifted them from the water to allow any grit to settle to the bottom. Drained and rinsed the pan and repeated a couple times to make sure the greens were clean, then I chopped them coarsely (another tip to help with bitterness). I added a fat pinch of salt, brought them to a boil and let them simmer about ten minutes. I tasted and they seemed okay - not overly bitter. Next time I will likely drain and boil them at least two or three times - the finished greens were decidedly bitter.
After boiling I drained them and tossed them into the skillet that contained the bacon grease (and luckily a few specks of bacon which had stuck to the pan). I turned up the heat and let them go a good long time - maybe 20 minutes or so - stirring occasionally and seasoning them with a little more salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes as well as a dribble of olive oil. I would have added a splash of vinegar if I had thought of it.
They were bitter. But not un-eatable. Tender but still toothsome. If I try them again I'll let you know. For now I'll stick with kale and Swiss chard, challenging in their own way but a little easier to relate to.
Quotable quotes; in the category Nuts About Nuts Or Just Nuts?
"I look for natural ingredients in my food. That's why Grape Nuts is part of my breakfast . . . Its naturally sweet taste reminds me of wild hickory nuts."
Euell Gibbons, American Food & Nature Writer, from his Post Grape Nuts commercial
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Bent uh-oh
I brought a bento to work for lunch today. I am not posting a picture of it because it is decidedly ugly. I tried making a tamagoyaki (rolled egg omelet) with asparagus spears rolled up inside. It failed dismally, falling apart and looking extremely un-photogenic. I know from experience that tamagoyaki is delicious. In fact it's usually my favorite part of the bento and I try to include one in every bento I make, so I'm confident that this ugly duckling will still taste great.
In addition I have beef strips with shitake mushroom and a sort of spicy chicken teriyaki. I cooked the mushrooms the day before, then added them to the beef. I also cooked some carrot, celery and radish (raw veggies from a couple days ago) and glazed them with the chicken. In case you want to try them here are my "recipes". I don't claim they are authentic but they are all based on recipes I have found at other bento blogs and cookbooks with my own adaptations imposed up on them. Enjoy!
Simmered Shitake Mushrooms: my recipe said to use fresh mushrooms. I didn't have any so I soaked dried mushrooms in water, trimmed & discarded the stems, then sautéed them in sesame oil. I added a drizzle of soy sauce, mirin and sake and a pinch of sugar and simmered until the liquid had cooked away and the mushrooms were glazed. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Sesame Style Beef: slice any tender cut of beef thinly against the grain. About a half dozen generous slices will make a nice serving. Marinate 15 - 30 minutes in soy sauce, mirin and sake - about a teaspoon or so of each. Saute over medium high heat in sesame oil, then add the marinade and simmer, turning often, until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze and the beef is coated. Optional - you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes and garnish with minced green onion if you wish. Add the mushrooms and finish the beef & mushrooms together.
Spicy Chicken: use chicken breast or thigh, as you prefer, boneless, skinless or not. Marinate in a little hot sauce such as Tabasco or Picante sauce. Saute in sesame oil until browned on all sides then add a little teriyaki sauce or a dribble each of soy sauce, mirin and sake (are you getting a picture here?) and simmer until thickened and chicken is glazed. Optional, include some celery, carrot and onion or radish, thinly sliced and cooked in sesame oil, soy sauce & mirin. Alternately, toss the marinated chicken in a little corn starch or potato starch, omit the teriyaki sauce, and cook until browned and crusty.
Pack your bento with steamed rice, the beef, chicken and tamagoyaki, if you made one, and some extra spears of asparagus or steamed broccoli florets. Add a couple cherry tomatoes for color. Allow the bento to cool completely before placing the cover on the box. This bento should require no refrigeration as long as it's eaten within a few hours of preparing.
For more bento ideas check out my favorite bento blog, Just Bento.
Quotable quotes; in the category This Way To Tasty But Ugly Tamagoyaki!
"Failures are the finger posts on the road to achievement."
C. S. Lewis
In addition I have beef strips with shitake mushroom and a sort of spicy chicken teriyaki. I cooked the mushrooms the day before, then added them to the beef. I also cooked some carrot, celery and radish (raw veggies from a couple days ago) and glazed them with the chicken. In case you want to try them here are my "recipes". I don't claim they are authentic but they are all based on recipes I have found at other bento blogs and cookbooks with my own adaptations imposed up on them. Enjoy!
Simmered Shitake Mushrooms: my recipe said to use fresh mushrooms. I didn't have any so I soaked dried mushrooms in water, trimmed & discarded the stems, then sautéed them in sesame oil. I added a drizzle of soy sauce, mirin and sake and a pinch of sugar and simmered until the liquid had cooked away and the mushrooms were glazed. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Sesame Style Beef: slice any tender cut of beef thinly against the grain. About a half dozen generous slices will make a nice serving. Marinate 15 - 30 minutes in soy sauce, mirin and sake - about a teaspoon or so of each. Saute over medium high heat in sesame oil, then add the marinade and simmer, turning often, until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze and the beef is coated. Optional - you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes and garnish with minced green onion if you wish. Add the mushrooms and finish the beef & mushrooms together.
Spicy Chicken: use chicken breast or thigh, as you prefer, boneless, skinless or not. Marinate in a little hot sauce such as Tabasco or Picante sauce. Saute in sesame oil until browned on all sides then add a little teriyaki sauce or a dribble each of soy sauce, mirin and sake (are you getting a picture here?) and simmer until thickened and chicken is glazed. Optional, include some celery, carrot and onion or radish, thinly sliced and cooked in sesame oil, soy sauce & mirin. Alternately, toss the marinated chicken in a little corn starch or potato starch, omit the teriyaki sauce, and cook until browned and crusty.
Pack your bento with steamed rice, the beef, chicken and tamagoyaki, if you made one, and some extra spears of asparagus or steamed broccoli florets. Add a couple cherry tomatoes for color. Allow the bento to cool completely before placing the cover on the box. This bento should require no refrigeration as long as it's eaten within a few hours of preparing.
For more bento ideas check out my favorite bento blog, Just Bento.
Quotable quotes; in the category This Way To Tasty But Ugly Tamagoyaki!
"Failures are the finger posts on the road to achievement."
C. S. Lewis
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