Tag Archives: レシピ

Vegan Japanese Dessert: Sweet Potato, Apple & Gardenia Seeds Kinton

February 4, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

It is always a bit complicated for vegans and vegetarians alike to create desserts without using eggs or dairy products, unlessyou start using derivatives and susbstitues, which is not always a good idea.
The Japanese must be, without knowing it, the greatest creators of vegan desserts thanks to such techniques as found in the making of wagashi!

One variety of wagashi is called Kinton.
Kinton, or きんとんin Japanese is a Japanese tradtional dessert made with chestnuts/kuri/栗 and sugar.
Originally created in Gifu in the late 1870’s it is now found and available almost everywhere in Japan for the pleasure of all, vegans and vegetarians included.

Kuchinashi (Japanese) or Gardenia jasminoides (also known as Gardenia augusta) is a fragrant flowering evergreen tropical plant, a favorite in gardens worldwide. It originated in Asia and is most commonly found growing in Vietnam, Southern China, Taiwan and Japan.
The fruit is used as a yellow dye, which is used for clothes and food (including the Korean mung bean jelly called hwangpomuk).
Medicinal uses:
Gardenia jasminoides fructus (fruit) is used within Traditional Chinese Medicine to “drain fire” and thereby treat certain febrile conditions.

Kuchinashi no Mi/Gardenia fruit.

Kuchinashi no mi/Gardenia fruit, dried as found in Japanese stores.

I took the precaution to go through these preliminary explantaions before introducing the following dessert:

Sweet Potato, Apple & Gardenia Seeds Kinton!

INGREDIENTS:

-Apple: 1 large
-Sweet Potato/Satsuma Imo: 1 medium
-Lemon juice: 1/4
-Sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Gardenia seed/Kuchinashi no Mi: 1

RECIPE:

-Peel the sweet potato, cut in four legthwise and across again every 2 cm. Leave aside in clear cold water.

-Peel the apple, cut into 8 wedges and slice again every 5 mm. Drop in a stainless pot. Add lemon and sugar. Cover with lid and simmer on a low fire until softened.

-Cut the kuchinashi no mi/Gardenia seed in two and insert it in a small cooking bag (gauze as for bouquet garni).

-In a different pan, drop the sweet potato with ebnough water to boil them. Add teh kuchunashi no mi/gardenia seed. Boil until the sweet potato is soft enough to be easily skewered with a bamboo/wooden toothpick.

-Throw the water of the sweet potato out. Keep cooking the sweet potato to let their water evaporate.

-Add １/３ of the apple to the sweet potato and mix well.

-Serve the sweet potato topped with the cooked apple.

NOTES:

-Roast some some walnuts and top the dessert with them!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Bamboo Shoots Tips & Umeboshi

February 3, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

Here is anothe Japanese vegan recipe for bamboo, especially young new bamboo shoots which are around the corner.

This particular recipe is called 筍の姫皮の梅肉和え/Takenoko no Himekawa no Umeniku Shitae.

Himekawa are the very tip of young bamboo shoot, not the bamboo shoot which is found in tinned bamboo shoots, but actually the inner soft part of “leafy end” of the shoot. If you have the fresh bamboo shoot, you may of course add the tip of the bamboo shoot itself.

As for umeniku, it means the “flesh” (not the seed!) of a Japanese pickled plum.
Chose large plums. I fancy the honey pickled ones for their small amount of salt!

INGREDIENTS:

-Himekawa/Bamboo shoot inner tips
-Honey pickled umeboshi (low salt content)
-Cooking Japanese sake
-Soft taste soy sauce
-Dashi: (Check HERE for Vegan Recipe!)

All ingredient quantities are up to you! Do experiment!

RECIPE:

-Cut the tip of the bamboo shoot. Discard any leafy, hairy, hard or dark part.

-Cut the bamboo tips in short strips.

-Boil the bamboo tips in dashi and soy sauce just enough to soften them a bit more and season them.

-Mash the umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum with a knife.
Season the drainedbamboo tips with the umeboshi, cooking Japanese sake and a little soy sauce in a bowl and mix.

Serve in individual plates.
This can also be served as part of a salad or a side dish. Decorate with green shoots for better impression.
You may add spices, but you will have to be careful when experimenting!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Simmered Bamboo Shoots

February 2, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

In Japan, and in Shizuoka in particular, the bamboo shoots season is about to come.
Fresh, they are so tender and provide a good bite sensation for people with vegan and vegetarian priorities.
Naturally you can buy them tinned all year round, but the quality just does not compare!
The Japanese are very found of new shoots grilled with their “skin” around them to later peel and eat them almost like corn ears!
By the way, did you know that bamboo is not a tree, but a grass?

Here is a simple vegan Japanese recipe. All ingredients hopefully can be found in Asian markets abroad:

Simmered Bamboo Shoots/Waka Take Ni/若竹煮!

INGREDIENTS:

-Bamboo shoots: 2 small, fresh if possible
-Wakame: as appropriate (can be boughtin Asian Markets in sachet/bags. Wash their salt off first and soften them if necessary)

-Ki no Me (see above): Ki no me is also also called Sansho or Japanese pepper, especially when fresh and in leaves. It is called Shishuan pepper when dried: as appropriate. If unavailable, use leafy greens or fresh spouts of any kind!

-Dashi: 2 cups/400 cc/ml (Check HERE for Vegan Recipe!)

-Salt: 1/2～teaspoon
-Soft taste soy sauce: 2 tablespoons
-Japanese sake: 1 tablepoon (if unavailable, experiment with white wine!)
-Mirin/sweet sake: 50 cc/ml

RECIPE:

-Peel bamboo shoots if necessary. Cut them along their lengths into 6 radial trips.

-Wash wakame in clear cold water and cut into bite size.

-Pour the dashi, soy sauce, sake, salt and mirin in a pan. Simmer the bamboo shoots and wakame in the mixture for 20 minutes on a medium fire, taking care not to overboil it.

-Serve hot or chilled with its soup decorated with some frsh ki no me or other greens

NOTES:

This is the “soft style” recipe. You may vary the amount of salt and add spices.

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/08)

February 2, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

After the deluge we bore yetserday, clear bright skies were welcome today. The drawback is that I had to ride of those stuffing buses to work as I had left my bicycle at work last night. Don’t worry, it’s safe and nobody wills steal it. This is Japan! I still marvel at the patience shown by the Japanese in their common transport. Not a single complaint….

The Missus was quickly back into her meat mode today. I suspect that she is planning well ahead as she has started taking regular pictures of her concoctions!
“I will start a notebook when I have one hundred of them!, she said.
It’s about time she started her own blog!

The rice was steamed together with shredded carrots on top, then mixed before being served with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and some shredded takuan/pickled daikon.

The garnish consisted of meatballs fried coated in cornstarch first in oil then with a sweet and sour sauce of the Missus’ invention. It was complemented with half-boiled eeg, boiled na no hana/rape flower seasoned with sesame sauce, and beans (canned) and cucumber salad.

Dessert was benihoppe/red cheek strawberry like yesterday with orange wedges.

Hearty, healthy and yummy!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: New Cabbage In Sweet Vinegar Marinade

February 1, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

New cabbages are coming to the markets in Shizuoka!
They are both juicy and crunchy and are just great raw!

Here is a simple recipe for vegans to enjoy:

New Cabbage in Sweet Vinegar Marinade!

INGREDIENTS:

-New Cabbage: 4~5 leaves
-Graound sesame seeds: 2 tablespoons
-Sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Rice vinegar: 1+1/2 tablespoons
-Light taste soy sauce: 1/2 tablespoon

RECIPE:

-Cut the cabbage leaves in 4 cm square pieces.

-Heat salted water in a pan to boiling point.

-Throw in the cabbage.

-Take cabbage out just before boiling point and set aside.

-In a large bowl, mix ll ingredients with cabbage while they are still hot.

-Let it cool down completely.

It can actually be savoured warm, lukearm or chilled, although the quicker you eat it, the better!

Add some leafy greens or sprouts for decoration!

Simple again, ain’t it? (I tend to repeat myself! LOL)

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Japanese Cake: Dorayaki-Basic Recipe

February 1, 2010 dragonlife 22 Comments

Dorayaki (どら焼き, どらやき, 銅鑼焼き, ドラ焼き) is a type of Japanese confection which consists of two small pancake-like patties made from castella wrapped around a filling of sweet red bean paste.

It has been made popular by the famous manga character, Doraemon.

Here is a simple recipe that will please children and adults alike!

Japanese Cake: Dorayaki!

INGREDIENTS: For 6

-Pancakes:
Eggs: 2
Sugar: 100 g
Honey: １＋１/２ tablespoons
Salad oil: 1 tablespoon
Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
Sodium bicarbonate: １/３ teaspoon
Flour: 150 g
Water: 40~60 cc/ml

-Salad oil for cooking

-Sweetmeats/Anko/Bean jam:
300 g: (50 g per dorayaki)Look HERE for basic recipe!

RECIPE:

-Use a hand whisker instead of an electric whisker/blender as overmixing will achieve poor results!
Respect the order of the ingredients!
Beat the eggs and add the sugar. Mix until the mixture whitens.
Add the honey and mix until it has completely nblended in.
Add oil and mix.
Add bicarbonate sodium and mix.
Add mirin and mix.

-Add half of flour and mix well.
Add other half and mix well.

-Add water and mix. The amount of water might vary with the kind of flour.
Experiment!

-Heat a frypan over a medium fire first.
take frypan off fire.
Lower fire.
Once the frypan has cooled down bring over the fire again.
Wipe it with a kitchen paper soaked with salad oil.
Wipe off excess oil if necessary.

-Pour pancake mixture. Bear in mind that the size of the panckes must be the same. The amount, whatever it is must be the same. Choose your ladle/spoon well beforehand!

-Cover with lid.

-When bubbles have appeared across the surface turn the pancake over.

-The very minimum of oil will garantee an even cooking!

-Too much oil and your pancake will have that look!

Sandwich sweetmeats/anko between two pancakes and serve hot.

Once cooled down you may deep-freeze them wrapped in cellophane paper.

A perfect look!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/07)

February 1, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

“You must eat more fish!” said the Missus this morning.
Alright, I love any fish as sushi or sashimi, but when it comes to cooked fish, The Japanese tend to include too much salt for my own liking with the result of emphasizing the “fishy smell and taste”.
I suppose I will have to hold myself on a leash for some time to come!LOL

The positive side of this morning’s (grumpy) conversation is that the Missus is planning to buy a cedar wood bento box for better presentation!

Today’s rice was her specialty: Steamed together with hijiki/sweet seaweed and tinned beans and their juice. It does make for good diet balance and colours.

My compulsory tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette, crucnhy sauteed renkon/lotus root and a sprig of fresh cress for the looks and Vitamin C.

Mini tomatoes for more Vitamin C, Na no Hana/Rape flowers, boiled and seasoned with sesame sauce and seeds for iron, and the fish: salted salmon the Missus fried with soy sauce and other seasoning.

And more Vitamin C with Benihoppe/red cheeks strawberry from Shizuoka and kiwi fruit.

Well-balanced bento, I agree.

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Tomatoes marinated in Sweet Vinegar

January 31, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Like the Aubergines/Eggplants, Tomatoes are available all year round!

Here is a very simple and healthy recipe that anyone can use and eat at will!

Tomato No Amazu tsuke/Tomeatoes marinated in sweet vinegar!

INGREDIENTS:

-Tomato: 250 g
-Onuon: 15 g (finealy chopped)
-Celery: 10 g (finely chopped)
-Coriander: to taste (fresh and finely chopped

Marinade:
-Sugar: ２，１/２ tablespoons
-Rice vinegar: 50 ml/cc
-Water: 100 ml/cc

RECIPE:

-Pour allthe marinade ingredients in a saucepan and heat until just before boiling point. Switch off fire, let cool completely and chill.
Chill chopped onion, celery and coriander inside the fridge.

-Plunge the tomatoes in hot water, then ice-cold water and peel.
Cut into small enough pieces and add them to the marinade. Chill inside fridge.

-Serve tomatoes with chopped vegetables on topas shown in above picture.

You may add optional chopped vegetables and leaves.
As for salt ot spices I would experiment very carefully!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Marinated Aubergines/Egg Plants

January 31, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Aubergines/egg plants are available all year round and are so versatile.

Here is a simple recipe for vegans and vegetarians to expand on:
Marinated Aubergines!

INGREDIENTS: for 2~3 persons

-Aubergines/egg plants: 3
-Garlic: 1 clove (thinly sliced)
-Capsicum/red chili pepper: 1 (Cut into thin rings)
-Wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Olive Oil (EV): 3 tablespoons
-Mint leaves

RECIPE:

Cut the aubergines into 5 mm thick slices.
line them in a dish with salt.
After 15 minutes, the aubergines should have expelled enough water.
Wipe the aubergine slices with some kitchenpaper.
Sprinkle with salt and deep-fry.

-In a dish spread the aubergines on top of each other. Place the thin garlic slices over the top layer. Place the thin rings of capsicum over the garlic. Sprinkle the whole with wine vineagar and olive oil. Place plenty of mint leaves over the top.
Chill thoroughly inside the refrigerator.
Mint leaves might change colour with the wine vinegar. You may add them last when you serve the aubergines.

You may add more garlic slices in between the aubergines layers for stronger taste.

Serve as shown in above picture.

Easy again, isn’t it?
Great with beer!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Taro in Sesame and Miso sauce

January 29, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Here is another vegan recipe that is not only healthy and easy to pprepare but will also give you plenty of satisfaction:
Taro In sesame and Miso sauce!

INGREDIENTS: For 3~4 people

-Taro/sato imo: 3 medium to large
-Miso: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Mirin/Sweet sake: １/２ tablepoon
-Ground sesame seeds: １/２ tablespoon

RECIPE:

1- Wash the taro/sato imo and wrap as they are in cellophan paper. Cook them in a microwave oven at 600W for 7 minutes. Turn them over halfway.

2-Take them out and peel them. Shi\ould be easy by hand.. Cut them into pieces of your preference.

3-Mix the miso, sugar, mirin and ground sesame and season the taro/sato imo with them.
Serve in individual or large plate.
Add some freshly chopped greens or sprouts.

Bear in mind that depending on the size of the taro/sato imo, you might have to amend the cooking time.
Don’t forget to turn them over once halfway.
You can also vary the quantity of ground sesame!

Easy again, ain’t it?

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Strawberries: Facts & Tips

January 28, 2010 dragonlife 14 Comments

I was going to start an information series on Fruits like I’m doing for vegetables, but after realizing the enormous task I decided to limit myself to the fruits popular and grown in Japan.
Believe there are enough!

Why do I start with strawberries?
Can you guess?
Shizuoka Prefecture with more 1,500 strawberry commercial growers officially registered is called “Ichigo no Ookoku/Strawberry Kigdom” in Japan!

The garden strawberry is a common plant of the genus Fragaria which is cultivated worldwide for its fruit, the (common) strawberry. The fruit is widely appreciated, mainly for its characteristic aroma but also for its bright red color, and it is consumed in large quantities — either fresh, or in prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, milk shake, etc..

The garden strawberry was first bred in Bretagne/Brittany, France in 1740 via a cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America , which was noted for its flavor, and Fragaria chiloensis from Chile and Argentina brought by Amédée-François Frézier, which was noted for its large size.

Cultivars of Fragaria × ananassa have replaced, in commercial production, the woodland strawberry, which was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century.

TIPS:

-Best season for natural Strawberries is May~June
For green house-cultivated, hydroponically or not, specimens the season is from December to April.

-To preserve them, don’t wash them, cover themlightly with cellophane paper and keep them inthe vegetable compartment of your refrigerator.
If you want to freeze them, get them rid of their leaves and stem first, then wash them and drain them thoroughly.

-if you wish to wash them, leave them in clear cold water for 5 minutes. If you take the leaves and stem out before washing them, they will lose a lot of their vitamin C.

-Wherever possible, don’t take the leaves and stem out before eating them. Strawberries in decoration cakes have lost large amounts of tehir beneficial elements!

-Eat strawberries after drinking alcohol or when stressed! You will be surprised how much they help!

VARIETIES:

Although Japan was late in starting growing strawberries, they probably have the largest number of varieties!

“Benihoppe/Red Cheeks”
A recent cultivar developped in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Really sweet, but with a striking balance with just enough acidity.
Most of them go to Tokyo!

“Amaou/Sweet, Round & Big”
From Fukuoka Prefecture. Sweet and a little acidity.

“Nyohou”
From Tochigi Prefecture. Juicy. Cultivation has recently decreased.

“Tochiotome”
From Tochigi Prefecture. The most common in Japan. Very sweet.

“Moikko/One More Please”
From Miyagi Prefecture. Round and refreshingly sweet.

“Sagahonaka”
From Saga Prefecture. Extensively sold in Western Japan. Very sweet.

“Hatsukoi no kaori/the Scent of First Love!”
Developped in 2006. Probably the most expensive strawberry in the world.

Its flesh is completely white while the skin is ivory with red seeds. It is not an albino strawberry!
But the taste is somewhat average.

“Aiberi/Love Berry”
From Aichi Prefecture. High qaulity and expensive. Great balance. Red flesh.

“Toyohime”
Very popular with “strawberry picking tours”. Very sweet.

“Sachinoka”
High in sugar. Popular for its high sun resistance.

“Yayoihime”
From Gunma Prefecture. Ver sweet. Especially available in December (in time for the celebrations!).

“Hinoshizuku”
From Kumamoto Prefecture. High in sugar, low acidity. Available from December, too!

“Yumenoka”
From Aichi Prefecture. Very juicy and great balance.

FACTS:

Strawberries contain a great amount of Vitamin C and flavonoids.
7 medium-sized strawberries contain enough Vitamin C for a whole day for an adult human!
Thy also contain Vitamin B1, B2.and B6, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium and a little iron.

They also contain a lot of digestible vegetal fibers, helping digestion a lot.
They also contain a lot of collagen, helping skin against blemishes!

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with yams, or yoghurt, or chickory, or shiso/perilla, helps strengthen the stomach, helps combat cancer and ageing.

-Combined with broccoli, or pink gapefruit, or tomato, or red carrot, helps combat cancer, stress, and helps the skin and stimulates brain activity.

-Combined with wakame seaweed, or onion, Judas’ era mushroom, or peanuts, helps prevent high blood pressure, heart diseases and blood vessels hardening.

-Combined with oyters, or kiwi fruit, or lemon, helps the skin and combats stress (and over-drinking!)

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Vegetables facts & Tips 8: Leeks (Expanded and amended)

January 28, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

negi-1

Leeks, or “negi” in Japanese, are an almost universal vegetable.
It is used in cuisine at restaurants and homes on all continents and have been recognized for ages as very beneficial plant.

Recent research has demonstrated that They are an effective cure against colds in particular, not only for humans, but for many animals, too.
Some people do not appreciate them because of their pungent smell and taste, but this can be taken care of with a couple of simple steps.

Back home in France, we boil the central part of fat leeks and eat them under the name of “poor man’s asparaguses”!

FACTS:
-Season: leeks can be bought all year round, but the best season is from November to February in the Northern Hemisphere.

-Main beneficial elements: Carotene (green part), Vitamin C (white part), Calcium, Vitamin B1 (beneficial for blood circulation), B2, B8, Potassium, Calcium (in big amounts!), Iron, Manganese, vegetal fibers.

TIPS:
-Fatter specimens will have more taste.
-Choose specimens with a “wet” bottom cut.
-If you use large specimens raw in salads, first cut 5~8 cm long sections, then cut them thin lengthwise and leave them some time in clean cold water. The pungency will greatly diminish.
-To chop leeks for cooking, cut them first in 5~10 cm sections, then cut them thin lengthwise, and only then, chop them crosswise.

VARIETIES:
There are innemurable varieties in the World, but I will introduce here the main varieties encountered in Japan:

negi-senju
“Senju”
The most common and popular variety

negi-hakata-manno-negi
“Hakata Manno”:
A choice specimen raised in Kyushu Island

negi-hime
“Me” or “Hime”:
Could be called leek sprouts,too.
Eaten raw in salads, sushi, finger foods.

negi-ito-negi
“Ito” or Thread Leek, used in the same way as “Me/Hime”.

negi-kositsu-negi
“Koshizu”, another common and popular variety.

negi-kujo-futo-negi
“Kujo-Futo”:
A choice specimen originting from Kyoto.

negi-kujo-hoso1
“Kujo Hoso”. Same as above, but a lot thinner.

negi-riiki
“Riiki”
A short fat specimen popular for “nabe” and soups.

negi-shimonita-negi
“Shimonita”.
A fat variety with a short stem and long leaves. Popular with soups and “nabe” (Japanese-style pot-au-feu)

“Aka Negi”
Red Leeks in Japanese, soft with little pungency. Considered as a delicacy.

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with Juda Ear Mushrooms, or sardine, or mackerel, or seaweed, heolps lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, and prevents blood vessels hardening.

-Combined with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plums, or Japanese sake, or ginger, or shiso/perilla, helps prevent and cure colds, combats ageing and helps recovery from diseases.

-Combined with onion, or cucumber, or garlic, or Judas’ Ear mushrooms, helps blood flow and combats blood clotting.

-Combined with seaweed/wakame, or sweet potato, or lotus root, helps combat constipation and obesity.

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Grilled Aubergines-Egg Plants and Garlic Chives Dressing

January 27, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Looking through my notes I found another easy vegan Japanese recipe with aubergines/egg plants that requires only little work and provides plenty of beneficial elements!

Chinese Chives, or Garlic Chives (English), Ciboule de Chine (France), or Nira/韮 in Japanese have a dintinct taste and are widely used in Japanese cuisine for fried foods.
Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used as a flavoring similarly to chives, green onions or garlic and are used as a stir fry ingredient.

Garlic Chives and tofu.

The flowers may also be used as a spice. In Vietnam, the leaves of garlic chives are cut up into short pieces and used as the only vegetable in a soup of broth.

Grilled Aubergines/Egg Plants and Chinese Chives Dressing!

INGREDIENTS: For 3~4 people

-Aubergines/Egg plants: 3
-Garlic Chives/Nira: 1 bunch
-Soy sauce: 1.5 tablespoons
-Rice vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar: 1/2 tablespoons
-Sesame oil: 1/2 tab;espoon
-White sesame seeds: 1 tablespoon

RECIPE:

-Chopp the garlic chives finely. Drop tthm in saucepan with the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix well. Let marinate for 15 minutes, stirring form time to time.

-Cut the stem end of the aubergines./ egg plants
Grill the egg plants/aubergines directly over the flame on a grill.
Doing it in the oven is fine, too.

-Once the the egg plants/aubergines have been evenly grilled and become soft inside, peel them completely.

-Cut the aubergines/egg plants into bite-sized pieces and serve topped with plenty of garlic chives dresing.

-Can be savoured hot, lukewarm or chilled!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/06): Pasta Bento

January 26, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The Dragon is still in a good mood (the bright weater and her day off might explain it! LOL).
For once, she kept away from rice or bread and concocted a pasta bento.

It certainly made for a colourful bento!

The pasta base was made with spaghettini.
After boiling and cooling them she mixed in tinned smoked oyters, and vegetables she had lightly fried beforehand: shimeji muchrooms, red and yellow pimentoe, red onion and sliced shiitake. She seasoned the lot with the smoked oysters oil and smoked salt, and a little dressing. She finally topeed it fresh cress.

As for the garnish: Boiled green asparaguses rolled in raw ham and mini tomatoes lined with lettuce.

The side dish consisted of soft boiled egg, and vegetable sticks with their dipping sauce: carrots, cucumber, and celery.
A few walnuts and a mini banana (not featured) for dessert.

Very healthy, indeed. No wonder the Missus is checking my waistline every morning! LOL

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/05)

January 25, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Today was a bright day and the Missus was in a fairly good morning mood (evenings are somewhat different), and the colourful bento proved it!

The Missus? (picture taken at a fashion store in Shizuoka City)

Friends who know my e-mail address know that a dragon and a raabit are featured therein, but have you ever wondered who was which? LOL
If you want to see more pictures of everyday life in Shizuoka with more dragons and oddities, just go THERE!

As I said, the bento was full of colours!

The rice is violet because it was steamed together with pieces of violet sweet potatoes/murasaki satsuma imo. The potatoes were placed on top of the rice before steaming it. They were then stirred together with black sesame seeds when the rice was cooked.

As for the garnish, I got my compulsory tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette (cooked with pieces of sweet pimentoes), lettuce and mini-tomato.

The shiitake and the rolls were fried together and seasoned with wasabi dressing.

The rolls were made enoki (farm-growned) mushrooms rolled into thin pork belly strips and fried together. The enoki being thin, long and tender,they blend in very quickly.

The salad/dessert side dish consisted of a bed of shredded greens covered with pieces of lettuce, celery, orange sweet pimento and cheese, cucumber slices, walnuts, home-made apple compote and wedges of kiwi fruit for dessert.