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Tuesday! After yesterday’s spaghetti Lunch Box, it was back to rice and Japanese-style today!

It certainly was a copious one!
Apart of the “salad side dish” to ensure I got enough greens to go with it, the Missus ventured into small meat rolls this time:

Two types: pork slices rolled around in shiso/perilla leaves and pork sices again rolled around softened home-made fresh ginger pickles. She had dipped them in a mixture of water, cornstarch and spice mix before coating them with breadcrumbs and “shallow-fried” them.
She included lettuce to rol them into before eating.

She is a specialist when it comes to soft-boiled eggs that she cooks at low temperature for quite a while (another secret?). The yolk stays liquid and does taste beautiful with a little soy sauce and black sesame seeds.

The “nigiri/rice balls” had been steamed mixed with home-made “umeboshi/pickled Japanese plums” and topped with home-made (again!) sansho/Japanese peppers seeds.

I can assure I was full (and satisfied)!

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In the heat of the Summer, the Japanese make a point of serving hearty meals and bento as this is a time when you lose so much energy. As they say in this country, this is “stamina meals time”!

To that purpose the Missus had marinated chicken in sake, oyster sauce and probably rice vinegar (that is all I could extract from her!) for a whole night.
She fried them all with baby carrots, leeks and home-pickled Japanese pepper/sanshyo and placed the ot on top of a bed of rice steamed with finely chopped fresh ginger roots (she probably added some dashi/Japanese stock soup and a little sake to the water).

Served with homemade cucumber pickles, boiled brocoli, fresh plum tomatoes and a salad “side dish”, I reckon it was plenty!

Nota Bene: No dessert was included this time as “punishment” for having eaten it during the night!

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Today’s bento had a definite Shizuoka Summer flavour to it, even if it meant I had to carry three boxes and empty two dressing bottles at the office! LOL.

The Missus prepared “Tchya Soba”/Tea soba noodles from Shibakawa Cho at the foot of Mount Fuji. having boiled and washed them under running cold water, she drained as much as possible before putting them in the box topped withfinely cut “nori”/seaweed.

As for seasoning she had chopped some leek and myoga fine, which I added to the soba before pouring some “tsuyu”/clear cold stock soup (larger bottle) and gently mixing the lot as I ate them.
The other seasoning was “goma tare”/Thick sesame dressing (vert tasty! do try it!) for the salad part:

On a bed of finely chopped vegetables, slices of raw ham, spicy cheese and “candy tomatoes” from Kakegawa City.
For once I noticed that she had not included any dessert. Need I lose weight?

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Today’s (Tuesday!) bento was almost a classic as it included my favorite: Japanese-style fried chicken. I think I finally broke the Missus’ secret when I took a sneaky view of her craft when she thought I was away in another room!
Rowena, I promise I will disclose it, especially knowing that Taste Memory Girl and Bill (and some others) are interested!

The staples were represented by four nigiri/rice balls which for once were loosely packed and made for a lghter fare. The toppings are from top clockwise: yuzu kosho furikake/dried lime pepper seasoning powder, wasabi konbu/wasabi-flavoured seaweed, umeboshi/pickled Japanese plums and kyuri tsukemono/finely chopped Japanese-style “green” cucumber pickles.
Add to this home-made cucumber and ginger pickles, and fruit (pinepapple and American dark cherries)

The “garnish” consisted of deep-fried chicken (“thighs”), half a soft-boiled egg atop plenty of greens I seasoned with sweet wasabi dressing I have andy at work.

A comparatively light bento in spite of all the rice and very well-balanced I must eckon as I was hungry until late in the evening!

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Today’s bento was more suited for the solid appetites of Foodhoe and Gaijin Tonic, although a big man like Bill may be tempted to emulate to feed his family!

The “main dish” consisted of nigiri/rice balls made with rice steamed with home-made umeboshi/Pickled Japanese Plums in shiso/perilla leaves, and Pork fillet slices shallow-fried with bredacumbs, each skewered on a toothpick to make it easier to dip in a mayonnaise and sweet miso I was provided with. The pickles are home-made cucumber and ginger pickles.

The “side dish” was a very simple assortment of raw vegetables (chopeed cabbage, plum tomato, stringbeans, carrots,…) and fruit. I used the wasabi dressing at the office to season it!

Plenty to last the whole day!

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Today’s (actually yesterday’s as I’m writing) bento would have pleased a big eater like Foodhoe!

The steamed rice was topped with freshly grated carrots before switching on the fire and mixed after cooking.
The meat, “ton/pork toro/soft part as of tuna katsu/Japanese for cutlets” was deep-fried and then dipped in tonkatsu sauce.

Half of the box being occupied with rice, the Missus layed half of the remaining space with finely chopped vegetables before topping them with boiled eggs sprinkled with black sesame and home-made ginger pickles (pink).
The rest was layed with Japanese lettuce leaves topped with home-made baby melon pickles and fresh Shizuoka tomatoes.
With the season fruits and the wasabi dressing I keep at the office, I certainly enjoyed the hearty meal!

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Today’s bento (yes, on Monday! Tomorrow will be sandwiches, then!) was more a combination “East Meets West” than a usual bento!

Instead of rice, the Missus prepared cold “ramen” for which a small bag of “tsuyu/broth” was provided to pour before eating.
The topping was more of a second dish than anything else: smoked salmon salad (with the capers!) and boiled “sora mame/broad beans) inside chicory leaves, soft-boiled eggs, asparaguses and fresh Shizuoka tomatoes.

I could have poured in the broth immediately (and make a mess of it!). Instead, I ate half of the “barquettes/stuffed chicory leaves”, and only then poured the broth.
For dessert, oranges, grapes and cherries.
Very satisfying during this very wet rainy season!

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Today (Monday) should have been a day for a simpler takeaway lunch, usually sandwiches. But last night the Missus found the edamame too salty for direct consumption and decided to include them in a bento today to attenuate their saltiness. Talking of edamame, you can expect a posting soon!

Therefore today’s lunch box consisted of edamame nigiri/rice balls with edamame and a little furikake/Japanese seasoning mix, Chicken Karage/Fried Chicken (not deep-fried, although prepared the same way and sauteed), Tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette (another posting soon!), pickled ginger and French pickled cucumber, cherries and orange.
Had a side salad to complete the lunch (and dressing in the fridge).
I won’t complain about saltiness!

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Today’s bento was very simple, but very Japanese in the sense that leftovers were used (The Left Over Queen might get interested!)>
The Missus had plenty of rice from the evening before:

She prepared “Omu Raisu” (Omelette Rice) by frying the rice with small cubes of chicken, tomato sauce and I don’t know what (I’m not allowed inside the kitchen then!). Then she made a thin omelette and covered the rice with it. She made a cut in the omelette to allow excess humidity to escape. Omu Raisu is a typical Bento fare in Japan (and the Missus was not so happy about my taking pics of it for the blog!) popular with children and grown-ups alike.
The rice amounting for quite a lot she added a simple salad with fruit.
I certainly had a bellyfull!

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-“Rice or noodles?”
-“Well, I had cold ramen salad yesterday, so please make it rice!”
-“OK Doc!”

And my other half went into the kitchen to steam the rice for Tuesday’s bento.
Biggie might be interested in those lunch boxes my wife recently found. Tupperware type, they are rigid and strong but very light and close very tightly, although even a child will find them easy to open.

The side salad of greens and cheese came into a softer type of box, but still very practical and safe. For once, I start the other way round to feature the usual veg juice (samll) carton and the wasabi dressing I keep handy in the office fridge.

Now the bento consisted of two types of sushi:

“Inarizushi” or sushi rice ball enclosed inside a pouch of fried tofu. The rice contained “hijiki” seaweed and tiny bits of home-made chicken ham.
The two nigiri balls encased in lettuce contained finely chopped pieces of pickled vegetables. The one on the left also contained pickled sakura/cherry blossom with one whole on top for decoration. The other also contained boiled “shirasu”/ baby sardines (a typical Shizuoka marine product) and “tobiko”/flying fish roe. I can hear Rowena sing I’m being cruel again!
The mini tomatoes were also grown in Shizuoka Prefecture. The pink strips are home-made pickled ginger sticks. The dessert are kinkan oranges cooked and marinated in water, honey and Cointreau (team work for once!).

Who said I’m a lucky “what”?

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Thursday is not a usual day for my Bento Lunch as this is the Missus’ free day of the week. But as she had to visit the family, she asked me to eat the office. Mind you, I don’t complain as it in fact allows more time for my own.

As we have planned to go to the movies this evening, she prepared a hearty lunch to last me until after the flicks (I wonder where she plans to go after that?). Even a hungry high school kid should have been satisfied with it!
The main dish is “dry curry” (a Japanese misnomer if there was one!) made up with canned tuna and beans enhanced by onions, all fried together with curry paste and what else. On top she “sprinkled” some soft-boiled egg with Italian parsley from our balcony (the parsley, not the egg!). Very tasty, actually.

As for “salad”, on a bed of cress she placed chicory leaves with ham, mini tomatoes, carrots and orange.
I used the wasabi dressing in the office fridge for seasoning.
I surely need no more food until after the movie theatre!

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Today is this kind of grotty day you have no wish to go outside and prefer to stay cozy at home or at work. In my case since it is a work day, the Missus prepared the kind of bento a hard-working (whom am I fooling?) man welcomes: hearty, healthy and well-balanced (Rowena will say that this time I’m making it up! On the other I know a certain Carlos who might convince his dear one to take notice. LOL):

On a (not that thick, and covering only two thirds of the bottom) bed of steamed rice coated with a layer of fresh “hime mitsuba/”princess trefoil” she placed “ton toro katsu” seasoned with “tare/Japanese sauce”. “Ton” means “pork”, “toro” is the fatty meat of tuna and “katsu” means “cutlet. You could translate the lot “fatty soft pork cutlets fried in batter”. Lighter than you might think.
Bottom middle are a couple of “rakkyo/pickled Japanese shallots”.
Top are cherry tomatoes, some “wasabizuke/wasabi plant pickled in sake kasu/sake white lees”, home-made pickled wasabi plants. To finish a semi-soft boiled egg sprinkled with black sesame seeds.
With a couple of biscuits and mini-bottle of yoghurt drink, I must say I should stay healthy until the next drink!

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The Missus has recently found these cheap hard plastic bento boxes which come into all kinds of sizes and are so practical to use, wash and carry around. Lids are very secure. No danger of spilling or oozing anything out!

Today’s (Tuesday!) bento was very Springlike!

Three smallish “o-musubi/rice balls”, one tipped with “konbu/sweetened seaweed” (bottom middle), another one with “furikake/dried seasoning mixture” (bottom right) and the last one with “umeboshi/salted plum”.
Cherry tomatoes and fresh mini-cucumbers (the latter on a bed of sweet miso paste) for fresh vegetables.
The other cut vegetables, soft pimentoes, peas in their pods and mini onion had been steamed with the “ika shuumai/cuttle-fish dumplings” (from Hokkaido) sprinkled with “tobikko/flying fish roe”
I used the wasabi　dressing in my office fridge to season the veg.

Love Spring!

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For once the Missus had to bring my Tuesday’s bento to my office before she went to work as I had to leave very early to attend a Primary School Graduation Ceremony away along Abe River.
It was quite a hearty one I must say!

The “Salad” part consisted of fresh cabbage, cress, tomato and “Tori no Tsukune”/Sauteed Chicken Balls wrapped in shiso/perilla leaves. All vegetables are locally grown.

The “Rice” part consisted of Maki/Rolls made of sushi rice mixed with “Tobiko”/Flying Fish Roe contained smoked salmon with thin leeks and wrapped in lettuce. I’m sure Allison will be interested! “Kamaboko Dango”/balls of fish paste (steamed and filled with tuna or cheese bought at the supermarket) and pickled cucumber and “Gobo”/Burdock Roots we bought in Kyoto last Friday.

I can tell you I was full and happy!