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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!

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Today’s bento, what with all the eating and drinking during the week-end, was a light affair.
It turned out to be of the “expat” (European/American) style and could well appeal to Rowena, Allison and Biggie!

I wonder how I could call those “nigiri/rice balls”. They are of the “loose/soft” variety, made with “shari/sushi rice” mixed with chopped Japanese green cucumber pickles and “tobikko/flying fish roe” with a slice of French cucmber pickle and tartare sauce in its core and pieces of smoked salmon, seasoned with lemon juice and capers, randomly inserted. The nigiri are served in lettuce for easy eating as they tend to crumble away easily.

The salad consisted of semi-soft-boiled eggs, greens, plum tomatoes and pieces of Shizuoka-made Gouda cheese.

Problem is that my (?) half forgot to include some dressing I had to buy in a local shop! LOL

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Usually, on Monday, my bento/lunch box consist of (home-made) sandwiches and I do not bother to describe them. But today, the Missus reverted back to normal Bento. I hope Rubber Slippers In Italy will like it!
DeLuscious Life might also be tempted for its balance!

Rice came under the form of three “nigiri/rice balls” of rice mixed with “umeboshi/Japanese pickkled plums” and “goma/sesame” partially envelopped in “shiso/perilla” leaves and accompanied by three kinds of “tsukemono/pickles”: home-made wasabi stems and leaves pickles, red daikon pickles, and home-made “asabata” daikon pickles

As for the “garnish”

(From left to right), potato, cucumber and pepper ham salad, deep-fried cuttle fish dumplings wrapped in lettuce, boiled mini asparaguses and mini corn, cherry tomatoes.

All meade from “leftovers”!

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Tuesday is basically the day when my better half (I’d better say not my worse, or Rubber Slippers in Italy will clobber me!) is preparing me a solid rice-based bento. She tries to keep it both balanced and hearty as it is a long day until dinner.

So she concocted three “nigiri/rice balls” of steamed rice mixed with finely chopped Japanese green cucumber pickles topped with pitted “umeboshi/pickled Japanese plums” of the sweet variety, or I shall end with too much salt, as it was accompanied by French pickles/cornichons, home-made red turnip pickles and Kyoto-style “shibazuke/pickled cucumbers”. “Pickled Cucumbers” uber alles, as you can see!

The fare to accompany the rice consisted of “kara-age”/deep-fried chicken. This is one dish whose secret my wife has always steadfastly refused to reveal. The only thing I know is that it involves a two-step frying process… Lettuce and plum-tomato grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, a medium soft boiled egg and some potato and broad bean salad. I was given a few “mikan”/mandarines for dessert and needed vitamin C.

By the way, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce a lady from the States who lived quite a few years in Japan before going back home and devising a professional Bento Website called Lunch in a Box! You will find all you need to know there to prepare lunch for your own and loved ones!

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When I talked about today’s bento/lunch box with my better (worse?) half last night I “ordered” plenty of vegetables to help me recuperate from the usual heavy toll my body takes on week-ends.
Here what she came up with:

Three “nigiri” rice balls, left with “hijiki” seaweed and amatare/sweet sauce, centre with “umeboshi”/salted Japanese plum and right, with “hujiki” seaweed and sesame seeds.
A piece of processed cheese, French pickles and homemade Japanese pickles.

Boiled brocoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, white sausage from Fukuroi City and chorizo sausages. Dressing came apart.

Boiled eggs mimosa-style on a two-tiered vegetable bed of beans and small greens, boiled mini asparaguses and cherry tomatoes. Dressing served apart.
A few biscuits for dessert to go with coffee. Et voila!

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Tuesday is one of my “regular bento day”!
Well, today my better (worse?) half happened to have some fresh “anago”/conger eel ready.
She concocted “Anago Kabayaki Shirashizushi”
She first prepared sushi rice that she mixed later with some finely chopped cold Japanese pickles.
She then cooked sweet Japanese-style scrambled eggs she spread over the rice after they had cooled off.
She then made Anago Kamayaki. This usually done over a grill, but she cut the fish into appropriate pieces and fried with Japanese seasoning. Once cooked she mixed them with Tare/Japanese sauce in a bowl and placed them over the rice. The last touch was Italian parsley leaves on top of each fish piece:

As for the salad to go with it (Vitamins C…), she used already greens topped with cheese, pickles and boiled baby corn. The dressing was added separately for later seasoning!