winter

Bento filler: Parsnip kinpira

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A classic Japanese vegetable side dish made with a very European vegetable. continue reading...

Bento filler: Cucumber and Nashi (Asian pear) marinated salad

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A really easy and refreshing salad that keeps for a week in the refrigerator. Great for bentos of course. continue reading...

Hearty meatball and vegetable soup (that's almost a stew)

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The Guy (also known as Max) and I have a shared resolution this year: We Must Lose Weight And Get Fitter Or Else. He has high blood pressure, I have high or disturbingly fluctuating blood sugar. But we both have this basic problem, that we love to eat good food. And, especially during the day, we need our tummies comfortably filled or we get cranky.

One solution to this problem: soup for lunch! continue reading...

Chana Dal with Fennel and Almonds

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An Indian-influenced complete-meal recipe, great for thermal lunch jars or cold in regular bentos. Vegan, gluten-free, and even diabetic-friendly, but I promise it still tastes terrific! continue reading...

All-season shredded vegetable pickle-salad, plus migrating birds!

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A very simple ‘instant’ pickle-relish-salad made with always available vegetables, plus an equally easy decorative cutting technique. continue reading...

Looking at thermal bento sets and lunch jars

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Do you like the idea of bentos, but not the idea of eating cold food all the time for lunch? Or maybe you just yearn for some hot soup in the winter months, but you don’t have access to a microwave at lunchtime. A thermal bento set or lunch jar could be just what you need. But which one? continue reading...

Two-color namasu, a make-ahead daikon radish and carrot salad

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Here’s a recipe for a classic vegetable dish that is served at New Year’s in Japan. It actually gets better after some time in the refrigerator, and is a great bento side dish that may even bring you some luck! continue reading...