I "Like" Mondays with 'Anna the Red's Bento & Plush Factory'

When I encourage my friends or acquaintances to do what they love and love what they do, this is a great place to use as an example.  'Anna' was born in Japan and moved to the U.S. in 1994.  This former art student loves to use her talent towards the most fantastic bento box meals (as well as plush art).  What child wouldn't love opening up his lunch to reveal such a playful meal?  This is nutrition well disguised.  To see her amazing food art, "Like" her facebook page or blog.

As we begin to think of back to school, give thought to a bento box this year.  I used an egg mold and some other clever side accompaniments last year and the result was a group of lunch ladies (as well as many students) finding much entertainment with each bite my little boy took.  Anna's site is well designed with many pictures and 'how-to' lessons.  She has given me much inspiration for a new school year of lovingly prepared and healthy meals.

For many choices in Bento Boxes and tools you may want to check out: 

The BEST Deviled Eggs

  

If we get married, will you still make your deviled eggs?"  When my husband and I reached a serious point in our relationship he asked me this question.  I just smiled and laughed, but a few days later he opened the fridge to find 2-dozen deviled eggs, all placed neatly, forming the shape of a heart.  If there's one compliment I can count on, it's my eggs. The funny thing is, I'm not a big egg fan.  I've just made them so often for friends and family that it's reached a point where I really need to share this concoction...as well as many others.  It's a beautiful addition to your table.  So here it is, in the only form I know how to give it: 

You will need:

as many hard-boiled eggs as you'd like

good, quality mayonnaise (Hellman's or Best Foods is fine)

prepared mustard 

worcestershire sauce

dry dill weed

ground mustard seed

ground turmeric

salt (any fine salt will do, I use  red Hawaiian alaea)

pepper (preferably a 5-spice blend of pepper)

fresh chopped chives or spring onions or Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish 

paprika or red pepper powder for garnish

1)  Slice eggs lengthwise placing yolks in a bowl.  Lay your whites on a presentable platter. 2) Mash yolks with large fork until light and powdery. 3)  Mix in a heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise.  Continue adding in more mayo until you have a nice, smooth, consistent paste -- a little at a time though, or your paste will be too thin.

4)  Add a 'dallop' of mustard.  The idea is to give your eggs a bit of color with only a slight tang in flavor. 5)  Add a few dashes of  worcestershire sauce.  6)  The dill weed is a key ingredient.  I use a full heaping teaspoon to about a dozen eggs and sometimes more.  Mix it in gently.  7)  Sprinkle in a small amount of dry mustard, a touch of turmeric, small pinch of salt and pepper.  The turmeric will enhance color slightly -- it doesn't take much and too much will give a bitter taste to your eggs.  The same goes for the dry mustard.  This is where you get to start tasting your mixture to your approval.  A few more grains of salt?  Another drop of worcestershire?  Maybe slightly more dill weed?  It's all up to you.  8)  Once your egg paste is up to your standards, begin filling your whites using two kitchen teaspoons; one to scoop up some mixture, the other to scoop it off with.  9) To garnish your eggs start by giving them a light sprinkle of more dill weed.  Top them off with chives or spring onion greens, and some *red pepper powder or paprika.

*  I discovered red pepper powder at the Asian grocer.  Don't let the name fool you, as I find it extremely mild in flavor, yet bursting with color.  I use it mainly for garnish in our meals -- our preschooler never complains.  (If you'd like to be daring, sprinkle red pepper flakes instead).  I buy Hawaiian Red Alaea salt from Atlantic Spice

See:  How to Hard Boil Eggs Perfectly

See:  Jasmine Fried Rice

Note:  I use these same ingredients when making potato salad.

What's In Your Bento? - Bento Box Review

  

Many, many years ago, schools did not serve lunches as they do today.  During this time, children in Japan would bring their meals to school in a bento box.  A bento box, is basically a Japanese lunch box.  It normally consists of 4 parts rice, 3 parts meat, 2 vegetables and a side of something pickled.  My first experience with bento left me almost too afraid to eat the food -- it looked so lovingly prepared.  Perhaps that is why I love Bento Boxes so much. 

Preparing a meal, is an expression of love with me.  My husband has learned to very carefully tell me when he doesn't like something I've cooked.  Though I do not have the time to prepare as many elaborate pieces as others might, our son still enjoys the little Americanized ways with his bento.  I've found that cutting vegetables into shapes entices children to try them.  I have a little neighbor boy who at first turned his nose up to starfruit.  After I cut it into its natural occurring star shape and explained that it tasted like an apple, he tried it...and loved it.

You can purchase many kinds of different shaped cutters and accessories for your box if you wish, or you can be as simple as you like.  I have a lot of different sized cookie cutters, and I just get resourceful with them.  But you can buy actual vegetable cutters from Asian shops.  Bento boxes come in dozens of options; dishwasher safe, microwaveable, 1-tier, 2-tier, etc.  I love that I never have to use plastic bags.  They are very fun for children and I think the popularity with bento is quickly growing.

If you happen to have an Asian market of some kind near you, take a look around.  You will probably be pleasantly surprised at what you find there.  I found these perfect sized bowls -- small and medium.  I loved them so much that I had to go back and get a second set of each.  (I also found my son's bento box at the Asian market.)

see:  Back to School with Goodbyn Lunchbox (Americanized Bento)
see:  Japanese Egg Molds

Jasmine Fried Rice

I remember waking up in my father's home to the smell of fresh steamed rice.  There was never any cereal or pancakes that I can recall.  Instead, there was fresh fish in the refrigerator and washed vegetables on the counter.  "What would you like for breakfast?" dad would ask.  The answer was always the same; 'fried rice'.  I have fond memories of his quick arms working to the rhythm of the sizzling oil, tossing in eggs, bacon and then the rice. It is still one of my favorite breakfast meals.  The recipe has transformed over the years, but I think dad would be impressed.

 

Here's what you need:

2-4 cups cooked Jasmine rice (preferably still warm)

cooking oil

1/2 yellow or white onion coarsely chopped

4 large eggs

6 strips turkey bacon coarsely chopped

soy sauce (fermented Japanese type such as Kikkoman)

garlic butter (recipe follows)

4-6 diced green onions for garnish

toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Note:  It is important to have all ingredients prepared beforehand, as stir-frying is a very quick process.

1)  place a large non-stick wok or frying pan on medium high and drizzle in a little oil.

2)  Add chopped onion and bacon and cook until onion is transparent, and bacon slightly browned. Remove onion bacon mixture and set aside.

3)  drizzle more oil into your pan and add eggs.  Scramble eggs in pan creating bite-sized pieces, then remove.

4)  drizzle oil until a light layer coats pan then add your rice.  5)  fry the rice using a spatula, making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of pan.  Add soy sauce to taste.

6)  toss in your bacon/onion mixture and stir.

7) toss in your scrambled eggs, stirring gently.  Salt and pepper to taste.

8) scoop in 2-4 tablespoons of garlic butter mixture and stir gently.

9) garnish with green onion and sesame seeds.

Garlic Butter

(I like to mix my garlic butter the night before to intensify the flavor)

Mix together the following ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro/parsley

Simple Garlic Butter:  mix softened butter and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder together with dried cilantro/parsley.

Super Simple Garlic Butter:  just toss 2-4 tablespoons of butter into your rice at the end and sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder.  (I believe this is the technique in Japanese restaurants)

Note:  Grapeseed oil is excellent for stir-frying as it handles high temperatures.

Just a note on rice.  I probably would not find life worth living without it.  It is a staple in our home.  We eat it 4-6 times a week in many forms.  If any of my children claimed to not like it, I would say they were mixed up at birth.  My first dinner date with my husband was at a Thai restaurant of my choice.  He tasted chicken panang for the first time and was completely enthralled.  I noticed he wasn't eating his freshly steamed white rice (which in my mind was a misconduct and a definite incompatibility trait).  He claimed it was too plain, but when I explained that he was meant to eat the panang and sauce over the rice, I opened a whole new door in his life.  He now orders more steamed rice then me. 

I've been told by my aunt Zenaida, that in the Philippines during WWII, my grandmother was saved by rice.  Pregnant with one of her 9 children, she crawled on her hands and knees through the rice fields, concealing herself for hours while carefully evading the adversary.  So to me, "Rice is Life" literally.

The above "Got Rice?" pic is a t-shirt I made for our 5 year old.  What is bread and butter to some, is hot rice and chopsticks to another.  Some mornings, a bowl of rice and butter with a mild sprinkling of salt is a perfect way to start the day.  (You don't have to use chopsticks).

Find more recipes like this on 'Parsnips and New Mace'