American Bento

You can so tell that it is the last week of classes!  I haven't really gone grocery shopping in two weeks.  We are dwindling down the stores of food and things are looking a little sparse.  For this bento, I had to search around quite a bit.  For better or for worse, here it is.


As you can see, it is one of the larger My Bento Meal boxes that DH loves because there is so much food.  My goal, as usual, is to fill him up with more fruit and veg than junk food.


Layer 1 contains ham and boursin roll ups in a low carb tortilla, a carrot, slices of white peach, orange, and grapes.  I tried for a swirl effect with the fruit in the center but it just didn't come together as I wanted it to.

My children have officially requested bentos again after a winter spent in fascination of homemade soups and mayo.  Yes, homemade mayo, I am told, tastes better than that stuff in the jar.  :)  I think I'm raising foodies.


This is what I came up with today.  It is similar to DH's bento but I've added elements.  The little cup on the left contains last night's cucumber and green pepper salad with olive oil, red wine vinegar, mint, salt, and pepper.  Above are chunks of Cajun chicken, a single shrimp cooked in saffron, and a little hard boiled egg. The right side contains two onigiri like the ones I made for DH but here they are topped with flowers cut from ham and a little piece of cheddar.  Between the onigiri is a small piece of avocado.  There is also some broccoli, a strawberry, some grapes, and a slice of peach.

What I like about this bento is the fact that they nest inside one another for storage.  I think I bought 3 on ebay as a group and got a great price.  I'm gearing up with some new bento toys soon that I hope will help spark some further creativity, but that's a subject for another post.



 This smaller section is filled with my attempt at some onigiri.  I made them with leftover long grain rice (not a good idea by the way).  The rice has onion, green pepper, tomatoes, peas, and carrots in it along with some saffron.  I've added two shrimp steamed alongside the rice, some cheese, and a little more broccoli.

Here is the bento stacked and ready to go.



My kids said something rather cute today.  They asked me to keep making bento over the summer because they like "Daddy's lunches."  :)  So sweet!

DH was really sweet to me too.  I asked him if he'd mind if I bought some new bento gear.  He smiled and said if I wanted it, I should have it.  What a kind man!!!  Well, I guess he benefits from my little hobby . . .

In my last bento, I included some homemade raviolis.  To be completely honest, my mother made them for me the last time she came for a visit.  However, they are a good stash item because you can freeze them and pull them out whenever you need a quick meal, so I thought you might like to know how to make them.


The basic procedure is the same for a quick and easy ravioli.  You can make up your own fillings and cook in a variety of ways, so feel free to play and share your own ideas.

1 pkg wanton wrappers
1 acorn squash
a few slices of black forest ham, diced fine
1 large portobello mushroom, diced fine
butter
1 egg separated
plain breadcrumbs

Bake the acorn squash the way you like it.  I make mine with butter, salt, pepper, garlic, and cinnamon.  I make them as a side item with roast chicken and just make an extra for this project.  It helps to cool the acorn squash so that the filling is easier to handle.

Sauté the mushroom in butter.  Season with a little salt and pepper.

Mash the acorn squash interior, adding the mushroom and black forest ham.  Add the egg white and enough breadcrumbs to have a firm (not runny) filling.  The amount of breadcrumbs you use will depend on how much liquid your acorn squash contains after cooking and how much moisture is left in your mushrooms.

Mix the egg yolk with 1/2 tsp water and blend.

Take out a wanton wrapper (keep the remainder covered or they will dry out).  Paint the edges with the egg yolk.  Add a small amount of filling to the middle and fold over to create a triangle shape.  Press the edges firmly together.  Then, moisten two tips of the triangle opposite one another.  Fold together and press firmly.

Repeat until all your filling is gone.

If you get tired of making these and want to stop, the filling freezes well on its own.  You can always package it up and make more another day.

This is essentially a western version of dim sum.  You could steam it in that way, bake it either in sauce or as I did for this bento, or boil as a traditional ravioli would be.  I like these particular raviolis with a light mushroom cream sauce.

Enjoy!