Spice Up Your Life With a Taste of Japan

*Fun Bento Box**Cute and Natural Food From California*

2/20/2014

Japanese Hamburger Steak Character Bento





I made a batch of hamburger steak last week and froze the extra for bento.

                                                
                                            See chicken tofu hamburger with radish bear 

Defrosted in a microwave and cut a smaller one in half to create the ears.
Used cheese and nori seaweed to create the face parts.
Very easty bento:)

I got some leaf shape food dividers last year and finally got to use it today....><
I gotta use them more:)!

Tofu Chciken Hamburger Steak 

250g Ground chiken
250g Silken Tofu
125g Onion
1 Egg
40g Panko bread crumbs
1/2tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
*2tbs Soy sauce
*2tbs Sake
*1tbs Sugar
*1/2tbs Vinegar

1. Mince onion and saute until transparent.
2. Mix the onion, tofu, egg, panko, salt and pepper in a bowl by hands.
3. Divide into 6-8 egg shapes.
4. Heat oil in a pan and cook the patties for 1~2 minutes over medium heat. (with a lid on)
5. Turn down to low heat and cook for 3~4 minutes.
6. Flip the patties and cook for another 3 minutes. ( no lid)
7. Mix * ingredients and pour over the patties.



2/17/2014

Pooh Bear Bento



Used up leftover curry for bento.
I was going to make rabbit with mashed potato, but the potato I had at home was yellow....
So made pooh bear instead :p
I think the most difficult part of character bento is crating face parts....
It was difficult to cut the narrow lines like mouth><

Again, the hear was made with red pepper<3



2/14/2014

Japanese Curry Bear



Happy Valentine's Day!!!
I made curry bear for my husband<3<3

Arrange the face parts....


And transfer curry to the plate! Make heart by cutting red pepper<3


2/13/2014

Chicken Tofu Hamburger with Radish Bear


What do you think this bear is made with??

The answer is....


Daikon radish!!!

I made tofu + chicken Japanese hamburger.
This kind of hamburger is eaten with grated daikon radish and soy sauce in Japan.
Much healthier than with sauce, right?

It is very popular to make character with grated daikon in Japan right now.....
So I gave it a try!

Tofu Chciken Hamburger (adapted from Japanese recipe site)

250g Ground chiken
250g Silken Tofu
125g Onion
1 Egg
40g Panko bread crumbs
1/2tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
*2tbs Soy sauce
*2tbs Sake
*1tbs Sugar
*1/2tbs Vinegar

1. Mince onion and saute until transparent.
2. Mix the onion, tofu, egg, panko, salt and pepper in a bowl by hands.
3. Divide into 6-8 egg shapes.
4. Heat oil in a pan and cook the patties for 1~2 minutes over medium heat. (with a lid on)
5. Turn down to low heat and cook for 3~4 minutes.
6. Flip the patties and cook for another 3 minutes. ( no lid)
7. Mix * ingredients and pour over the patties.

To make dakon bear,

You need,

Daikon radish
Soy sauce
Nori seaweed

1. Grate daikon


2. Squeeze a little liquid out of grated daikon by a hand, just enough to make it easy to shape.
3. Add a little soy sauce to color the daikon.
4. Shape body, hands, legs and face and put those together.
5. Cut a piece of nori seaweed to create the face parts.



2/04/2014

Chicken Teriyaki Bento


Chicken teriyaki is one of the popular Japanese dishes!
Usually it's made with chicken thigh, but I made it with chicken breast for bento.
Marinated with grated onion, chicken breast gets soft and juicy:)

I made a chicken and a chick with rice and egg for fun, thinking about oyako don! (oyako means parents and kids )


Chicken Breast Teriyaki

1~2 Chicken breast
1/2 Small Onion
1 Garlic clove
2tbs Soy sauce
1tbs Mirin (or sugar)
1tbs Sake
1tbs Honey
pinch Salt & Pepper
Potato flour, enough to coat chicken

1. Grate onion and garlic. Mix the onion, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, sake, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Add chicken and marinate for about 1 hour.
3. Take the chicken out and wipe with paper towel. Coat with potato flour.
4. Heat oil in  a pan and brown chicken.
5. Pour in marinade mixture. Reduce liquid and done!


How to make a chicken and chick

You need,

White rice
Scrambled egg
Nori seaweed (eyes)
ketchup (cheeks)
Carrot (beak)

1. Make an egg shape rice in plastic wrap. Push down the middle as shown.

2. Put the rice in a bento box. Place scrambled egg in the hollow.

3. Make the face parts by cutting nori seaweed and carrot.
I used heart shaped pick to make chicken cockscomb, but you can make it by cutting red pepper instead!