The Lunch Geisha

Tasty Lunch Ideas ` Japanese Gyoza dumplings

Today's bento lunch is filled with gyoza dumplings (or Japanese pot stickers), steamed green beans, fried mushrooms and half a boiled egg for protein. Dessert is a simple fruit salad lightly sweetened with maple syrup. 

 

I make Japanese dumplings for dinner and of course make sure there are left-overs for the next days lunch.

They are great hot with a nice bowl of steaming rice or cold, for lunch. They are a 'bento' favorite.

Lunch tip: let them cool completely before packing them or they will be soggy at lunch.

The traditional way to eat these dumplings are by dipping them in a mixture of rice vinaegar, soya sauce and red chili pepper oil (rayu), however, a few years ago my older brother introduced us to mayonaise and soya. Try it, you may get hooked.

Here are two great food bloggers who show you, step by step, how to make gyosa. Visit them if you want to learn how to make these tasty dumplings.

 

Namiko @ JustOneCookbook

http://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/gyoza/

 

Jaden @ Steamy kitchen

http://steamykitchen.com/5874-gyoza-recipe-japanese-pan-fried-dumplings.html

 

 

 

 

Sakura blooms - Season of Fresh Beginnings

Springtime in Japan is nothing less than magical.

From late March to the end of April, Japan's iconic sakura (cherry blossom's) capture the hearts of young and old, tourists as well as locals, as their beautiful pink & white flowers blanket the country in colourful splendour!

 

Cherry blossom viewing along one of the many canals of Tokyo.

 

3 Extra Classes added for Bento Ateliers - Reserve your spot!

Bento lunches don’t have to be synonymous with sushi or takeout. For 25 years and counting, chef and educator Mikio Owaki has helped many learn how to craft their signature sushi rolls in their own kitchens; he now offers the new and trendy courses for making healthy and appetizing ‘Bento’ style lunches.

During the 3-hour class, Chef Owaki teaches 4 popular recipes for 'bento' lunches: onigiri rice balls, ginger pork, tamagoyaki omelette & ingen no shirae (blanched green beans with tofu dressing).

Take home all the knowledge of Japanese 'bento' cuisine you need to stop being hooked on expensive and calorie rich takeout lunches!

To reserve your spot, call: 514.985.5797.

Dates:

Tuesday, November 18th

Tuesday, November 25th

Thursday, December 4th

Happy Valentine's Day ~ Cannelloni Bento Lunch

Today's Bento lunch is cannelloni with home-made pasta and tomato sauce.

We were so lucky today that my good friend Franka made us these delicious heart-shaped cannelloni's.

I packed them for lunch but they taste much better if you can warm them up at work or school. I know I went a little overboard with the heart shapes, but I was having fun!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone and Bon Appetit!

 

 

P.S. I will ask Franka for her family's secret tomato sauce recipe and post it on the blog soon. You'll love it!

 

 

 

Dreamy Steak Bento Lunch - idée de boîte à lunch

Is it possible all young teenage boys dream of steak for lunch?

I know my teenager loves steak anytime. So, for his lunch today I prepared a steak bento. Teens may want a purely protein meal, but give them some vegetables on the side and they'll discover it's pretty tasty with steak and rice.

This recipe comes from the cookbook by Kentaro Kobayashi: 'Bento Love'

HOW-TO make Dreamy Steak Bento:

Since lunch is eaten several hours after it's made, it is essential to cook meat well. 

Coat a well-heated pan with oil.

Add meat, season with salt and a dash of soy sauce. Cover and cook. Flip and cover and cook until steak is done. Leave the heat on high throughout the cooking process. Steak is done when no juice comes out when a skewer is inserted. 

Once cooked, cut into strips and dunk each strip into soy sauce. Once cooled, place on a bed of rice or lettuce.

Combine with sauteed Kabocha squash, grilled mushrooms and buttered corn.

TIP: if you are making the bento in the morning, prepare the side dishes before cooking the steak so that you can prepare the whole bento with just one pan.

BON APPETIT!

Wednesday Bento #12 ::: idée de Boite à lunch

 

::: Todays Bento lunch is Fried Chicken - Japanese Karaage

::: Idée de Boite à lunch de mercredi ~ Poulet frit Karaage - Style Japonais

 

My boys love Japanese style fried chicken more than anything. I usually use a recipe I found in Japan, but since i've been reading "Just One Cookbook's" blog, I wanted to try Nami's garlicky fried chicken ... and wow - it's delicious! I love garlic so this was a plus!

Here is the recipe and today's Bento Lunch I made for my boys. I added shredded cabbage and carrots as a little side salad with baby corn fried in butter ... I know ... but it tastes so much better!

As well, add a slice of lemon to sprinkle on the chicken - it adds a nice subtle flavour. 

 

 

Here is the basic Fried Chicken (Karaage) recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Boneless chicken thighs

3 tbsp potato starch or cornstarch

2 tbsp white flouw

sunflower or vegetable oil for deep frying

For MARINADE:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tbsp sake

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the marinade. Cut the chicken into 1 - 2" pieces. Place them in the marinade and leave to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

2. Lightly mix the cornstarch and flour and then take each piece of chicken and dust with the mixture.

3. Heat the oil for frying. When the oil is hot enough, deep-fry the chicken pieces for 4 - 5 minutes until crisp and cooked well through. To maintaint the oil temperature, do not add too many chicken pieces at once. It is advisable to cut open a chicken piece to make sure it is well cooked. Drain cooked chicken on paper towel to remove excess oil.

4. Serve the deep fried chicken with a slice of lemon. Hot or cold, this fried chicken is delicious. Another cookbook recommends wrapping the chicken pieces with lettuce leaves and chilli sauce. This makes for a nice refreshing taste.

Well, BON APPETIT!

Visit "Just One Cookbook" for the GARLIC FRIED CHICKEN RECIPE here:  http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/karaage/

 

 

 

 

Today's Bento Lunch Idea ::: idée de Boite à lunch

::: Todays Bento lunch is left-over rib meat, rolled omelette, a rice ball, sliced cucumbers and fresh strawberries.

I'm always in a little bit of panic on Monday mornings because I don't always have time to plan out lunch for the first day of the week. But ... I did have some left-over rib meat and of course some white rice. With that, i was able to add a few vegetables and a grilled Japanese style omelette to the bento lunch, and voila!

The rolled Japanese style omelette is not too complicated to make. Most kids like the sweet taste and it goes well with meat in a bento lunch. I added strips of dried sushi seaweed to give it more taste. It also adds some color for the bento lunches. 

 

 

Here is a basic "How-To" Make Japanese Style Omelette (for 2)

Ingredients:  3 eggs, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. mirin, 1 pinch of salt, 4 Tbsp. dashi stock

Instructions: Crack eggs and mix gently. Combine and mix seasonings. Pour seasoning mixture with egg mixture. Heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and stir until partially set; slide the mixture to one side of the pan and cook over low heat until set. Remove and cut into 1 cm thick slices.

:::

Do go and visit "Just One Cookbook's" blog here: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/tamagoyaki-japanese-rolled-omelette/ to get detailed instructions on how-to make rolled Japanese style omelette. She takes great pictures and really shows you step-by-step how to roll the omelettes.

Bon Appétit!

 

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::: Todays Bento lunch is Fired Pork Cutlets wrapped sushi style for on-the-go eating

::: Idée de Boite à lunch aujourd'hui ~ Cotelets de porc style sushi wrap.

 

 

Whenever my son brings anything wrapped in seaweed, all his friends think it's sushi. I guess in a way it's a take on sushi. Which is what I made for lunch today. Basically last night we had Japanese 'tonkatsu' which is fried pork cutlets, for dinner. I made extra for lunch today so I had all the ingredients left-over from dinner.

Visit Nami's Blog - Just One Cookbook at http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/tonkatsu/on how-to make 'Tonkatsu' prok cutlets for dinner.

Ingredients needed to make wrapped pork for your Bento Lunch : 

Nori (dried seaweed - same for making sushi), Japanese rice (cooked and cooled), sliced cabbage and/or lettuce, half mayo & half mustard sauce mix.

In the morning, slice cooked pork into 1/2" thick slices. Cut a sheet of Nori in 3 lenght-wise. You should have 3 strips of about 1 1/2 - 2" pieces. Using 1 strip of Nori, place rice on half the sheet of  Nori, add sliced cabbage and/or lettuce, add a dollop of mayo/mustard sauce, slice of pork .

Carefully roll everything up tightly (like if you were making a wrap). Use your finger and wet the end of the strip of Nori so it secures in place.  Voila. It takes a few minutes (after you get the hang of rolling all the ingredients together :) ...

BON APPETIT!

 

 

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Today I made a man-size bento lunch - albeit a very healthy bento lunch. Inari sushi with 5 veggie rice and some roasted red peppers, vinegared salad of daikon, carrots, cucumber and finally, fried tofu and quinoa salad.

Inari sushi for those of you who don't know is a pouch of fried tofu. Usually it is stuffed with vinegared sushi rice but I found the 5 veggie flavoured rice is a litle healthier so tried this variation. The verdict ... kids and husband came back saying it was good cold for a bento lunch!

Bon Appetit!

 

5 Time-saving Tips for Making Bento Lunches

 

I love cute 'bento' lunches, but I don't have much time nor the will to create such elaborate lunches. A lot of you may be the same. I do believe though by adding a few creative touches, it will remind the person eating it that you are sending your love through this lunch ~ especially helping children enjoy their lunch, and thus EAT their lunch.

   1. Use leftovers: When planning your evening meal, cook a little extra of everything (depending on how many lunches you need to prepare in the morning). You don't need to have a lot of any one ingredient, but you do need a variety of taste and texture.

2. Food flavor: Choose dishes that are tasty even when cold. When cooking fish or meats, add extra salt or lemon juice if you want to cut down on sodium. Salt helps keep food from spoiling, and giving it more flavor when cold.

3. Food safety: Let food cool properly so it doesn't spoil. Add a gel pack in the lunchbox before sending it off.

4. Quick prep time: Boiling foods is best for bento lunches. Boil vegetables, even meat or fish. You'll get a subtle flavor which is good for boxed lunches. Just make sure to drain water well from the boiled food. If necessary, pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

5. Visual appeal: Think of how you can add color and some fun to your meal. To have food well presented helps prepare the lunch eater to enjoy the meal.

- Using lettuce or adding cherry tomatoes, boiled carrots or brocoli reallys add a punch of colour.

- Silicone cups or molds come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes and helps separate food.

- Food picks hold food in place or can be used as a replacement for a fork.

 

Imagine the delighted face on the lunch eater

when the lid comes off that lunch box!

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