Just Bento

I’ve loaded up the recipe archives with several chicken recipes, so now it’s time to add some more vegan and vegetarian recipes! To kick things off, here is a versatile, very tasty and very nutritious tofu based burger.

I haven’t done much in the garden this year, but I did rather randomly sew a whole lot of ‘cut and come again’ type greens seeds. Despite not taking much care of them, at the moment we are inundated with loads of slightly insect and slug-nibbled arugula or rucola, Swiss chard and other greens.

These vegan burgers are a very nice way to use up lots of greens like these in ways other than in salads. They are light yet very flavorful, so that even the most hardened carnivore is likely to gobble them up. They are good plain, or with a dipping sauce, and are great for bentos. continue reading...

The last recipe in my chicken mini-marathon is this so-simple yet tasty miso marinated and pan-fried or grilled chicken. I’ve again used chicken thighs, but this works well with breast meat as well as other meats such as pork and beef, and fish too. Sweet-salty miso marinades like this are quite standard in Japanese cooking. (See New Potatoes with Sweet-Spicy Miso, over on Just Hungry.) continue reading...

Continuing the chicken theme, here is another very simple recipe using boneless chicken thighs. This time I have used skinless meat. The thighs are cut into pieces, marinated in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, and coated with sesame seeds. The balsamic vinegar adds tang and a little sweetness. They are then simply pan=fried in a non-stick frying pan that is barely coated with oil. I’ve used both black and white sesame seeds for a little added color, but you could use all-white (light brown) sesame seeds. (Using all black seeds might make them look carbonized!) continue reading...

More chicken recipes! Tsukune is a term that means “kneaded and shaped into a round shape”. It usually means a dish made with finely ground and flavored chicken or fish. Chicken tsukune are very well suited to bentos, since they are soft and stay nice and moist. They are also gluten-free (no breadcrumbs!), if you take care to use a gluten-free cornstarch or potato starch and soy sauce.

Today I’ll show you how to make two type of chicken tsukune from the same basic recipe. First, the very traditional stewed tsukune dumplings, cooked in a broth with carrots (tsukune-ni).

And here are some pan-fried tsukune, or tsukune baagaa (tsukune burgers) - actually mini-burgers to fit neatly into a bento box.

continue reading...

Poached chicken is a really handy thing to have around, for making chicken salad, sandwiches, and a whole lot more. When I have the time and the will, I poach whole chickens and stock them in the freezer. These days though, I don’t have the time or the energy for such tasks, so I cheat a bit and poach boneless chicken breasts.

While chicken breasts are so handy, it’s very easy to overcook them. This method is just about the easiest and most foolproof way of cooking the white meat so that it’s moist and tender, yet cooked through properly. continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Approx. 1 cup of zakkokumai (mixed grain rice with beans, seeds, etc.) - 220 cal
• 2 Tbs. Cooked-to-death hot and sweet peppers, 40 cal
• 4 Pan fried lemon chicken nuggets, 130 cal
• Blanched green beans, 20 cal

Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, chicken! continue reading...

Inarizushi are excellent for bento, but they can be a bit high in calories since they are stuffed with sushi rice. The original version with a 100% rice filling has about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of rice per bag, which makes each inarizushi about 110 to 130 calories. On the other hand these inarizushi are about 80 to 100 calories per piece. The secret is in the filling. continue reading...

• 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
• 1 cherry tomato and vegetable gratin with pesto, 110 cal
• Easy chili shrimp (4 med. shrimp), 60 cal
• Edamame, 10 cal
• Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 420 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed in the morning: 10-15 minutes

Type: Japanese continue reading...

Bento contents, 2-tier bento (580ml capacity):

• 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
• 1 small piece salted salmon, 50 cal
• 1-egg tamagoyaki, 100 cal
• Approx. 1/2 cup sweet pepper and onion confit, 40 calories
• Blanched broccoli flowerets, 10 cal
• Blanched snow peas (mangetout) 5 cal
• Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 445 (how calories are calculated)

Bento contents, 1-tier bento (670ml capacity):

• 1 cup (1 cup=220ml) white rice, 240 cal
• 2 small pieces salted salmon, 100 cal
• 1-egg tamagoyaki, 100 cal
• Approx. 3/4 cup sweet pepper and onion confit, 60 calories
• Blanched broccoli flowerets, 10 cal
• Blanched snow peas (mangetout) 5 cal
• Yukari (furikake made from umeboshi and red shiso leaves)

Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed for both: 10-20 minutes in the morning (depending on your assembly speed and neatness factor)

Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, egg)

This is a fairly standard, classic Japanese style bento. I make this type of bento far more than any other. I’ve already given instructions on how to make the individual pieces, but I thought it might be useful to see step-by-step how to pack a bento box properly, with an eye to the following:

• Presentation and attractiveness
• Calorie content
• Speed and ease

I’ve used two standard type bento boxes; a 2-tier model, and a 1-tier model with a divider. continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 2 okowa with chicken onigiri, containing approx. 1 cup of cooked sticky rice and 1 oz. / 30g chicken - 320 cal
• Tamagoyaki with chopped green onions, 1 egg’s worth - 100 cal
• Green beans with carrot and ginger, 40 cal

Total calories (approx): 460 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10-15 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, omnivore (chicken, egg) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 2 onigiri with salted salmon filling, each onigiri with about 1/2 cup (1 cup = 220ml) white rice (300 cal)
• 1/2 cup spicy miso marinated asparagus, 40 cal
• 3/4 cup stir-fried red pepper, onion and zucchini with fried tofu (atsuage), 100 calories
• A couple of slices of nori seaweed to wrap the onigiri
• A couple of cherry tomatoes, mainly for color

Total calories (approx): 450 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, omnivore (salmon, miso, fried tofu) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 1 cup (220ml) zakkokumai, 160 cal
• 3 tuna tofu miso mini-burgers made with tuna packed in oil, 250 cal
• Red pepper and pak choy stir fry, 60 cal

Total calories (approx): 480 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 10-15 minutes

Type: Japanese, meatless (tuna) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 3 large Samosa-like lentil snacks made without the bulgur, 180 cal
• Stovetop frittata with 2 eggs, broccoli, red pepper and onion, 240 cal
• Asparagus spears with 1 tsp. mayonnaise, 60 cal
• Strawberries, 35 cal

Total calories (approx): 515 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning

Type: Not Japanese, vegetarian (lacto-ovo) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 3/4 cup haiga-mai (wheat-germ rice) with sesame seeds, 100 cal
• 1/2 cup curried kidney beans with vegetables, 130 cal
• 3/4 cup vegan potato salad, 140 cal
• 1 umeboshi (pickled plum), 3 calories
• Raw carrot used as a divider, 5 calories

Total calories (approx): 380 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning, less if you make the kidney beans ahead

Type: Fushion, vegan, gluten-free continue reading...

(This is the web elf. This is one of the articles Maki instructed to post while she’s on the disabled list.)

Bento contents:

• 1 cup zakkokumai (mixed-grain rice, see this article), 160 cal
• 1/3 cup white beans with honey, 50 cal
• 2 mini tofu-meat burgers with red wine, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce (recipe), 160 cal
• Blanched spinach with sesame sauce (recipe), 40 cal

Total calories (approx): 410 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning

Type: Japanese, omnivore (protein comes from beef, tofu and beans) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 1 1/4 cups zakkukumai (mixed-grain rice, see this article), 200 cal
• ‘Vegan scallops’ made with komachibu and shiitake mushrooms (recipe), using 10 g of komachibu, 50 cal
• Carrot kinpira (recipe), about 1/3 cup, 50 cal
• Blanched spinach with soy sauce (recipe), 10 cal

Total calories (approx): 310 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 20 minutes in the morning if you make everything in the morning

Type: Japanese, vegan (shoujin ryouri style) continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 3/4 cup (about 160ml) white rice with sushi vinegar (180cal)
• 5 peeled shrimp cooked with sake (90cal)
• 1/2 chikuwa (80cal)
• Cucumber with seasoning (10cal)
• 1/4 carrot (30cal)
• 1 T. edamame (20cal)

Total calories (approx): 400 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning, 5 the night before

Type: Japanese, sushi

Chirashizushi is just a bed of sushi rice with toppings of your choice. Here I have used peeled frozen shrimp that is steam-cooked with a little salt and sake in a dry pan, half of a chikuwa (a fish paste produce that looks like a bamboo branch), plus cucumber, edamame and carrots. If you cut the carrots in decorative shapes, allow a little more time. It will be pretty anyway with the colorful toppings. Since the protein components of this bento are quite low fat and low calorie, the whole bento is under 400 calories. This bento was inspired by one in Yaseru Obento Recipes. continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 1 cup (about 220ml) brown rice (220cal)
• 2 Tbs. beef sorobo (80cal)
• 2 Tbs. iri tamago (70cal)
• Blanced Swiss chard leaves (5cal)
• Swiss chard stalks sautéed in butter (30cal)
• Hijiki with bean curd (50cal)
• 3 fresh lichees or litchi (15cal)

Total calories (approx): 475 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes in the morning, 20-30 previously

Type: Japanese continue reading...

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Bento contents:

• 3 pcs. bacon wrapped tofu (200cal)
• 3/4 cups white rice with sesame seeds (140cal)
• Sautéed mushrooms with pepper and onion confit (100cal)
• 1/2 lazy tea egg (40cal)
• Boiled broccoli (5cal)
• Carrot and lemon (10cal)

Total calories (approx): 495 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15 minutes in the morning, 20+ minutes make-ahead

Type: Japanese, mostly make-ahead

This bento uses a lot of staples and make-ahead items. This is really the key to assembling a varied bento lunch box without having to wake up an hour early in the morning to do so! The only thing that is made from scratch in the morning is the bacon wrapped tofu, and even that can be made the night before if needed (though it’s best if you make it in the morning.) Johbisai or staples are really great: I got six total bentos out of one batch of the pepper and onion confit, and I’ll get at least 2 or 4 bentos out of the 3 remaining tea eggs.

The star of the bento though is the bacon wrapped tofu. It’s delicious hot or cold. For a bento, the salty-sweet variation is particularly good. Be sure to use an extra-firm tofu. continue reading...

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Bento contents:

• Baked carrot slices with miso-nut topping (230cal)
• 3/4 cups white rice (130cal)
• 1 Tbs. edamame (20cal)
• Broccoli with wasabi sauce (10cal)
• 1/2 cup Pepper and onion confit (60cal)

Total calories (approx): 450 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 30-40 minutes total (20-30 the night before or earlier, 10 in the morning)

Type: Japanese, vegan, mostly make-ahead continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Fried rice with ham, lentils and garlic chive blossoms (400cal, more or less depending on the fattiness of the ham)
• Broccoli stem, celery, walnut, apple and carrot salad with lemon dressing (60 cal)

Total calories (approx): 460 cal (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Type: Japanese, leftovers yay continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 2 small pita breads (or use one regular size) (150cal)
• 3 black bean vegan burgers (150cal)
• Fruit salad containing 1/2 small apple and 1/2 small pear (120cal)
• 1 container low-fat yogurt (60 cal)
• Mixed salad - lettuce, carrots, red pepper, tomato (20 cal)
• 1 tablespoon homemade preserves (about 50 cal)
• Tzatziki salt

Total calories (approx): 550 cal (how calories are calculated)

Type: Sort of Middle-Eastern, bread based continue reading...

Bento contents:

• 4 shiso onigiri with 1 1/2 cups brown rice (330 calories)
• 2 ‘large’ hard boiled eggs (160 calories)
• Mixed steamed vegetables (about 40 calories)

Total calories (approx): 530 calories

Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Type: Japanese picnic/hiking bento continue reading...

Bento Contents:

• Brown rice (1 cup, 220 calories)
• Chicken and vegetable stir-fry (250 calories)
• Glazed baby carrots (50 calories)

Total calories (approx.): 520 calories (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 15-20 minutes

Type: Japanese continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Brown rice (1 cup, 220 calories)
• Atsuage tofu (deep fried tofu) with green onions and oyster sauce (250 calories)
• Quail egg (30 calories)
• Blanched carrots and green beans (40 calories)
• Black sesame seeds (5 calories)

Total calories (approx): 545 calories (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 20 minutes

Type: Japanese continue reading...