Thursday 18 April 2013

Week 76

This bento box has the cutest color. It was found in a shop for fishing gear.

In Holland one has to be creative about finding bento boxes, because most lunch boxes here are either 1) too big or 2) only made for bread. See, the Dutch are big bread and cheese eaters. It is a cliche but it is true. Hence most lunch boxes that can be bought are suited for bread... with cheese.



Ingredients for this bento include chicken filet and Romano salad.
The salad leaves were dressed with a newly discovered (and immediately loved) herb: fresh mint.
The chicken is accompanied by freshly opened walnut pieces.

The chicken breast was cut into cubes and baked with a sauce that would make one feel warm, because the weather in Holland is dreadfully cold right now. The sauce is based on Mexican mole.

A warm feel can also be done with peanut or satay sauce but I wanted to see if the chocolate sauce my brother gave me would also be good to cook with. And it is. :-)


*** HAVE A HAPPY BENTO DAY !!! ***

Week 75

This two trier bento was made for my friend Simone.

She is vegetarian and I had bought some boiled peanuts. I had NO idea what boiled peanuts were.
I saw a can of them in some "toko" and thought: let's try that! (Curious? Check this link:
http://www.nuts.com/nuts/peanuts/boiled.html)


This bento uses the flavors: carrot, broccoli, orange (or mandarin), egg, tofu, nuts and cheese. 
The different flavors are repeated in different mixtures in the different compounds of the dish.

Peanuts were pealed then mixed with tofu and cooked broccoli stem cut in little cubes.
The mixture was put in a ring. Egg white was poured over it. Then cooked on a low heat with the lid on the pan. The combination is very yummy!




Carrots were roast in the oven. Garlic and spicy red peppers also, but in separate parcels.

Little green "pearls" were cut of the top of the broccoli flower and were put aside. Mandarin parts (!) were peeled (!) and the little compartments ("parcels") of juice and the juice were put aside.

The roasted vegetables were mashed and put through a sieve to create a REALLY smooth mash. Next the nice little pearls and parcels were added. Also the mandarin juice. Finely chopped mint leaves and rock salt were added to really finish the mash.

To fill the bottom trier of the bento box the sponge-like, Spanish omelet with the soft earthy nuts was placed on top of the creamy, fresh, orange mash.

A great combination!




Broccoli parts were steamed (also the cubes that are in the omelet are steamed, to retain color and flavor).

Two types of vegetarian cheese,  walnuts, whole mint leaves and pomegranate seeds.


The left over egg yolks were used to make a mayonnaise. The mayonnaise was flavored with mint, rock salt and mandarin juice.

Other ingredients include: mustard, lemon juice, two types of oil and freshly ground black pepper.






And this is what it looks like on a plate!
(This way the peanuts can be seen).






I loved the combination egg-boiled peanuts with the carrot mash so much, I recreated a lunch for myself the next day.


*** HAVE A  HAPPY BENTO DAY !!! ***

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Week 74

This week"s bento consists of spinach ravioli, baked cod topped and a mayonaise-like sauce made with lemon, mint and spicy red peppers.




The cod that was baked on a low heat in real butter was taken out of the pan to rest. Then celery sticks, chili flakes, lemon, good olive oil and lemon juice (the skin was already on the cod) were added to make a sauce.



*** HAVE A HAPPY BENTO DAY !!! ***

Tuesday 2 April 2013

Week 73

This bento is spring in a box
(while it actually feels like winter outside)
 

This bento is filled with celery sticks.
Then Croatian Ajvar (check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajvar) served in a cute container.
Pickled little onions in the same box on the right top.
On the bottom: hot red pepper - cut in cute sizes - but still hot.
Black sausage (Dutch style) cut into cute leave shapes.
Liver worst (Dutch style) cut into cute leave shapes.
And Goats cheese with fenugreek seeds (also Dutch style) (also cut into cute leave shapes).









This bento is made with leftovers:
Guacamole &
Chicken breast &
Danish carrot and cranberry salad


*** HAVE A HAPPY BENTO DAY!!! ***