Porcupine Bento #14

This is actually a bento from a few days ago that I am now just posting. Porcupine is actually the name of the meat dish pictured. It is a surprisingly yummy twist on normal meatballs/meatloaf, and is adapted from one of my mother's old old Betty Crocker books.

Porcupines

1 pound hamburger or ground turkey
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup water
~1/2 tsp. onion powder (depending on taste)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix the hamburger, rice, 1/2 cup water, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper together. Shape the mixture into 12 balls. (Note: if using ground turkey, the mixture might be a bit soft and not hold shape very well, but won't affect the outcome.) Cook the meatballs in a skillet until brown on all sides. Drain of and residual liquid or fat.

Mix the tomato sauce, water, and Worcestershire sauce together and pour over the meatballs. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. (Check it occasionally and add more water if looks too dry or threatens to stick.)

Piggie Bento (#13)

I went garage sale shopping over the weekend, and found something that would be perfect for bentos. They are ice cream sandwich molds in the shape of a cow and a pig. I couldn't help but see the potential in them, so I now have my first cute accessory for my bento lunches!





Here is today's lunch:

• Piggies sandwiches (homemade Sally Lunn bread, turkey, provolone)

• Spinch/Romaine salad, with carrots, cauliflower, celery, olives

• Cottage cheese with dill and garnish

I was very pleased with how today's bento turned out. The ice cream sandwich molds worked perfectly for sandwiches, and I can't wait to see if they can mold onigiri as well. Basically I lined the box with lettuce, propped the sandwiches on carrots, and put the rest of the salad stuff on the right. It was looking a bit too "white" at first, so I put the cottage cheese in a red dish, and moved one of the sandwiches over to the middle of the box.

Gyoza Bento (#12)

Another vegetarian bento. (Finally! I've used up all the tofu in the fridge!) I felt a tad bit creative today, so today's bento features something totally new: Gyoza. After poking around the internet a bit, I used store bought dough, and filled it with a mix of tofu, celery, carrot, soy sauce, parsley, and salt/pepper. I sauted them for a few min, then added some water and let them steam for several more minutes.

The rest of the bento features a romaine/spinach salad with avocado, cauliflower, and olives; a carrot "divider"; and two homemade oatmeal cookies with three cherries. I tried to take the picture before the avocado started to turn colors, but it was rather ripe and had other plans!

Bento with a Bumblebee! (#11)

I am still using up leftovers from the first vegetarian themed bento of this week. Thus another mini-potpie is featured in today's bento, nestled in a bed of romaine and spinach with fresh veggies and a few three-cheese tortellini tossed in. A little bumblebee seems to be enjoying my lunch too! (I made it out of an olive and carrot triangles. I was pleased with the result!).

Here is an aerial view:

Another Vegetarian Contest Bento (#10)

Being that I still have tofu sitting in the fridge, I figured I might as well create another bento for Maki's May contest at justbento.com. Today I've having an improvised vegetable and noodle stir fry!

I picked up an interesting package of noodles from a oriental store a few weeks ago. About all I can tell you is that they are rather white and salty. Here is a picture of the package:



While I boiled and drained the noodles, I lightly stir fried the tofu in a little bit of olive oil and pressed garlic. Then I added carrots, broccoli, shiitake, and celery and stir fried it till the broccoli started turning a shade of bright green. Next I added a 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp brown sugar, dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. I let the veggies simmer till the liquid was almost gone, tossed in the noodles, and lastly added a garnish.

Vegetarian Contest Bento (#9)

Haven't been in the bento/cooking mood much this week. However, Maki at justbento.com is hosting a contest, and the theme for May is Vegetarian. Thus my inspiration for today's lunch: Homemade mini-potpies, carrot/cucumber/avocado maki, rice pudding, romaine lettuce, cherries, and carrot/cucumber flowers. For more information on the contest, click here: http://justbento.com/forum/may-theme-vegetarian-bento-contest

The potpies were my kitchen project yesterday afternoon. I made a crescent roll dough in the bread machine, divided the dough into pieces, rolled out the dough, and lined muffin pans with it. My improvised filling included peas, carrots, celery, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and a creamy mushroom soup base. Spoon the filling into the muffin cups, top will some more rolled dough, pinch the edges, and bake at 350 degress for 15 min. I'll probably tweak the recipe in the future, but overall I was happy with the results.

My camera is still very flash happy. The first picture I took turned out like this:

Bento #8

Today's bento looks a little anorexic due to the lack of filler material. And yes, there are only two spears of asparagus. I'm not so keen on eating it. I enjoyed picking the vegetable when it grew along the irrigation canals of my parents farmland. I like the way it looks. I enjoy cooking it. Just don't make me eat it! However since it is in my fridge and I have vowed to not let food go to waste, I figured a little bit couldn't hurt me.

The wedges that sorta look like colored onigiri are actually a sort of potato pancake or omelet. I learned that this is what people in Spain call a tortilla. A Spanish tortilla isn't like Mexican tortilla, which is made of flour or corn. Rather, its more like an Italian frittata, but with more emphasis on the potato than the egg. Cookie cutters would be perfect for shaping this treat!

Lastly, this bento features a Copper Penny Salad. It's a refreshing way to serve sliced carrots, and I hear celery, bell pepper, or cucumber could go well in it too. There really isn't "one" way to make this side dish, so feel free t adapt it to your tastes! (I've tried to put some measurement values for reference.)

3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
~ 2 cups of water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (I used rice vinegar because its what I have on hand.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of an herb of your choice (I prefer dill or parsley)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

1. Add a dash of salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced carrots, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until they are just tender.

2. Strain the carrots and let them drain. (If you are into making your own broth stocks, you can strain the cooking water into a bowl to save it.)

3. Mix the vinegar, oil, herbs, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the carrots and toss with a spoon until the carrots are well coated.

4. Refrigerate until ready to eat!