Obento April 28, 2010

Today's bento has three sorts of skewers.
Rolled asparagus/bacon skewers
Rolled chikuwa/cheese skewers
Cherry tomato skewer
Braised shiitake mushrooms
Stir fried bamboo shoot and shirataki (konnyaku noodles)
Boiled egg balls
Brown rice topped with hanabira-fu (pink flower-shaped gluten puffs)



Have you ever seen chikuwa?  It's a grilled fish paste tube-shaped, a kind of kamaboko.  I think it's a good item for a bento dish.  It's okay to eat both cooked and non cooked.  You maybe able to find it at an Asian food section of supermarket.  Today, I rolled it with processed cheese slices.  Chikuwa goes well with cheese and it's so easy to make a chikuwa/cheese roll.  So how about it when you can get some chikuwa!?

Obento April 27, 2010

Hi my dear friends!  I was taking a break from posting for awhile.  I had a lot of things I'd got to do.  But I realized in the meantime, that I wanted to be connected with people who share the same feeling.  I'm grateful that many of you inspire me anytime.  And I mean to post as much as I can from now on!
Well, here is today's bento.   Ugh...featureless bento!?



Sauteed chicken tenderloin flavored with oyster sauce and syoyu
Shrimp fritters with sauce
Carrot kimpira
Boiled string beans with creamy sesame dressing
Brown rice topped with scrambled egg 

How to make Shrimp Fritter
First, coat shrimps in a beaten egg then put some potato starch (or corn starch) over them, then repeat the same work only one more time.  And then fry them in a little olive oil (or another vegetable oil you like).

How to make Oyster Sauce Chicken
Dredge pieces of chicken tenderloin with some potato starch (or corn starch or flour), then saute with a little sesame oil (or another vegetable oil you like) in a pan.  Then add a little of syoyu and oyster sauce and water, then mix well.  Done!!



Fritter Sauce
1 Ketchup
1 Tonkatsu sauce or Uster sauce
1/2 Shoyu
A Little spicy seasoning (Chili powder or Tabasco or Mustard or minced Hot pepper or any spices you like)

(Oh boy!!  I forgot to put this sauce into the carrying bag!  Awww the left bottle...  sadly)


Finally, some sorts of flowers are coming up but it's still not warm outside.  Sakura does not start to blossom yet.  I'm really longing for ohanami (cherry blossoming) picnic!








©photographed by Yuppi

Tulip is about to bloom right now.  What color will it come out!?   Can't wait!

©photographed by Yuppi

And... I forgot to stick this picture HAHA!


Ketchup chicken
Curry flavored chikuwa tempra
Sauteed shiitake mushrooms
Slices of negi omelet
Nori cheese rolls
Cherry tomato skewer
Brown rice topped with nori

Magewappa Bento #3 and Sukiyaki Bento

The other day, Yuppi's new school term started so I've been a little busy lately. I'm sorry that I can't have enough time to leave a comment to my favorite blogs but I read their posts and enjoy them.
Now, winter is back here. Where has spring gone?! It's snowing and blowing hard right now. Spring had come once, though... The dull weather continues so my camera doesn't do a good job and I can't take clear pictures in my dark room.  I'm wondering whether I should get a new one!? OK, I'm going to consider more about this matter. Make an effort, my camera!!


Magewappa Bento #3
Grilled salty salmon filet
Mashed potato
Simmered bamboo shoot and chicken
Stir fried chikuwa slices flavored with shoyu and curry powder
Daikon radish pickles
Medium polished rice





Sukiyaki Bento--- super quick bento
Simmered pork slices, shirataki (konnyaku noodles), onion and carrot
Green peas flavored with salt
A soft boiled egg
Koume (plum pickle) and pieces of kombu sheet on the white rice




My travel report is STIll continuing.  Those of you who wonder how long does it continue.  Yes, of course until I get satisfied!! hehehe. I'm still basking in the afterglow of the trip...*^.^*


Otaru Aquarium
There faces the sea.  Sooo many kinds of marine animals live in there!
I'm afraid I couldn't take pictures of all kinds of the animals.


A sliding earless seal
What a cute style!!
Hyuu~~~~ Kersplash!


''Hey what's up?''
He has such cute feet!


Jumping dolphins




CLAP!  Great job!!!


"Howdy!"
(Wow...out of focus)


They said "Thank you all! ^o^"  And were speaking something.  I was not able to understand it, though.  I think I must learn the language of dolphin.
Thanks for the great show, Iruka chan!

Magewappa Bento #2 and Ninjin shirishiri Bento

Today's magewappa contains cheese-stuffed chicken cutlets,
slices of nori-rolled egg,
stir-fried radish leaf and shirasu (teeny tiny sardines),
mentsuyu (sauce for Japanese noodles)-braised carrot stars,
pink kamoboko roses
and a pickled radish.




The second bento has dishes that go well with rice.
Stir-fried pork slices flavored with syoyu and suger,
grilled mackerel slices,
braised shimeji mushrooms and chicken fillets flavored with yuzukosyo (yuzu citrus/green hot pepper sauce)
and ninjin shirishiri (stir-fried shredded carrot and egg) flavored with salt and black pepper.
Ninjin shirishiri is one of Okinawan home style dishes.  Okinawa is south islands of Japan.  I live in a big north island of Japan, though.



My travel report is continuing.  We stayed at Hotel Kiroro last weekend.  Kiroro city is like 250km (150 miles) away from our town.  Although there was hardly snow around the town, Mountain Kiroro had tons of snow.  My hubby, daughter and nephew enjoyed skiing a lot.  I'll carry the rest of animal pics on next time!


Hotel entrance


Hotel lobby


Skiing at Mt. Kiroro

Korokoro Bento

Today's bento has only simple dishes (as usual). 
This one contains two rice balls,
a boiled egg squeeze ball,
potato and chikuwa kimpira (flavored with shoyu, suger, curry powder and sesame)
Fried chicken fillets and bell pepper (flavored with ketchup and shoyu).
korokoro is meaning 'small balls'.


We went on a ski trip last weekend for 3 days.  We enjoyed skiing and aquarium (I didn't skiing at all, though).  We were able to see various animals and fishes.  I will post the travel pics more next time!

First Magewappa Bento

Today's bento photo is boring but the bentobako is not boring.  This is my latest bentobako, I really love it!
I thought that I had to put wafu (Japanese traditional style) dishes in this wooden bentobako.

Today's bento dishes...
slices of tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet),
grilled mackerel fillets,
pieces of chikuwa tempra,
pieces of teriyaki carrot/pork roll,
daikon radish pickles (flavored and colored with yukari),
and broccoli sprouts.




Guess what this is?  Yep an orange, name is 'Dekopon', featuring its weird shape and name.  But It's the best Japanese orange (I think).  There are countless kinds of citrus fruits in Japan.  Dekopon is juicy and delicious in particular.  I made some dessert using this citrus and marshmallow.

Today's OYATSU
Super easy fluffy yogurt dessert
The marshmallows have got smooth, fluffy and yummier.  It must melt away in your mouth.



Ingredients are just plain yogurt and marshmallow.
At first, wash marshmallows briefly (remove corn starch away), then drain well.
Mix it with yogurt then cool it overnight in refrigerator.
You could garnish any sorts of fruits you like before serving.
My mint is coming out the new tiny leaves from the ground!