Strawberry Ice Cubes

The weather is warmer, which means it's time for cold drinks. The problem with ice cubes, though, is that they melt. Melty ice cubes mean watered down drinks. Yuck.

This is why I love Strawberry Ice Cubes. When they melt, they add a zing of strawberry!

How To - Make Gyoza

It probably isn't a secret by now that I love dumplings. Gyoza and pot stickers are pretty much the same thing - Gyoza are the Japanese version, and are usually cooked in a specific way (browned on the bottom and then steamed in the same pan) instead of being boiled or steamed. They also make a pretty decent addition to a bento, since they're fairly small and can be pre-made in massive amounts.

Frozen pot stickers can be found in even mainstream supermarkets, but making your own can be much more fun. The pleating can be a little intimidating, but many Asian markets and online stores sell a little plastic device to help fold and seal the dumpling.

To make a batch, you will need the following:



A: Some filling for the dumplings.

This is made with:

1 lb ground chicken
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/8th cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 of a shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Note: This is just what I used for this batch. In the past I've used tofu, peppers, peas, green onions, and more!



B: A package of wrappers



C: A device to make the dumplings



D: A small container of water

To make the dumplings,



Extract a wrapper from the package and put it on the maker.



Put about a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the middle of the wrapper.



Dip a finger in the water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.



Fold the maker in half and press firmly to make sure all edges are sealed.



Take the sealed dumpling out of the maker and set it on a clean plate.



Keep making dumplings until you run out meat, wrappers, or patience.

To cook the gyoza, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet (one that has a lid) on medium heat. Place the dumplings flat side down in the pan and make sure that none are touching. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the bottoms are brown. Add 1/3 cup water to the pan and cook with the lid on for 3-5 minutes, or until all water is gone. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the gyoza from the pan.



Enjoy!

How To - Make Couscous

Couscous is one of those things that I should use in bentos more often than I do. It's a carbohydrate that's decently full of fiber, fairly filling, and a fun break from rice or bread. Most of the couscous that's sold in the US is instant, which also a plus for speed bento making in the morning.

This morning I made some for my lunch, and this is the fastest and easiest way to prepare it that I have found.



First up - measure 1/4 cup of the dried couscous into a container that has a tight fitting lid. Plastic wrap can be used instead of the lid, if needed.



Boil just a little more than 1/4 cup of water. You'll lose some of the water to steam, so you only need to go a little bit over the 1/4 measure mark to compensate. I'm using the favorite appliance of college students - a hot pot. If you're only boiling a small amount of water, it works really fast.



Couscous on its own can be a little bland. While the water boiled, I added a little instant dashi and some garlic powder to the mix.



Once the water has boiled, pour into to the container with the couscous.



Quickly put the lid on the container and let sit for 5 minutes. This is enough time to do other lunch prep, or, as I did this morning, run and get ready to go to work.

After the five minutes are up, you'll need to fluff the couscous with a fork. By this time it will have gone from being the hard granules to quite fluffy and soft in nature, and will be ready to eat or put in your lunch!

How To - Egg Molds

In the Sandwich Bento I posted yesterday, I included a hardboiled egg shaped like a fish. Getting a molded egg to turn out correctly can be a little tricky, because it requires timing and a little patience, but the result can really add a neat element to your lunch!



These are egg molds, and came in a two pack. The same maker also has a bunny and bear two pack out there, and I believe these 4 shapes are the most commonly seen in recent bento pictures in various communities.



This is one of the molds opened up. On the left is the tab that fastens the two halves together. In the middle is the hinge, which also lets the two sides separate for cleaning. Inside the molds you can see the ridges which stamp features into the eggs.



These are two slightly different types of egg molds, and are probably the second most common. These don't have a hinge like the previous ones, but have a tab on each side. I think this makes it a little easier to get the mold to close properly around the egg. Also, though this photo doesn't show it, each of these has a teeny hole in the back to help drain moisture out.

There are also significantly smaller molds out there, meant for quail eggs. I have one of those molds, but since I haven't been able to locate quail eggs in my small Midwestern city, I haven't been able to try it. I understand the process for using them is very much the same, but since I haven't done it personally, I can't guarantee it for those.



To use the molds, the first thing you need is a fresh boiled egg* out of its shell. And by fresh, I mean just finished cooking and run under just enough cold water to keep my fingers from melting when I peel it.

When the egg is really hot, you'll find that peeling the shell is more difficult than when the egg is cool. This is where the patience comes in. Don't try and force big amounts of the shell off at one time, or else you'll end up tearing your egg - which will taste the same, but won't look as cute. Also, you'll also notice that the egg is somewhat pliable when hot. This is good! The more pliable, the better that your molded egg will turn out.

When you have the egg peeled, place it in the mold in the direction that makes the most sense. This fish is more or less oval shaped, like an egg, but since the mouth of the fish is a little pointier than the tail, I put the pointier end of the egg in that side. For the previously mentioned heart and star molds, I've actually had the best results by putting the egg on its end instead of lengthwise.

You can also see that my egg is pretty much the same size as the mold. That is a good thing! To get the best mold, you'll want an egg that is a tight fit, but not too large for the mold. In American markets, eggs tend to come packaged in various sizes, such as Medium, Large, and Extra Large (this is probably true for other countries as well, but since I have never gone egg shopping out of the country, I couldn't say where). Here, I'm using a large egg, and have had the best results with that size. I am thinking of experimenting with extra large eggs with the heart and star molds, since a large egg gives an "ok" but not "great" result.

Also, some people prefer to give the molds a little spritz with a cooking spray before placing the egg inside. This may help if you have problems removing the egg.



Once the egg is placed in the mold, carefully and slowly close the top. If you close it too fast, more egg may get stuck in the middle, and you may not get the egg to fill all of the corners of the mold. If you see the egg start to escape the mold, you can use a finger to carefully poke it inwards. When the mold is closed, use the tab to fasten it.

Now, place the mold in the fridge and let it sit. I usually do a few eggs at a time, so mine chill for overnight or longer. If you're in a hurry and need the egg for a bento in the next hour or so, try placing it in a bowl of ice water in the fridge. In order for the egg to keep its shape, you want to make sure the egg is completely cooled before you remove it from the mold.



Here's my egg the next morning! Be sure to be slow and careful in removing the egg from the mold, since the egg may want to stick to some of the detailing. You can see that I had a little egg spillover, so once I remove the egg from the mold, I would trim the excess with a sharp knife.



And, here's the finished result!

How to - (and how not to) Salmon Bento

Last night I was feeling pretty motivated, and did a big bento session, trying to do more things at the same time than was a good idea.



These are my new favorite bento staple. Often times my local grocery store will run individual fish fillets for 11 for $10, and I usually stock up. These are just the right size for lunch, full of protein, and low in fat! Cooking is pretty fast, too, just a few minutes in the microwave, but they can be bland if you don't give them some pre-cooking TLC.



Warning: The handling of raw fish may cause you to need to fend off a cat.



First I unwrapped the fillet, stuck it on a plate, and added some lemon juice.



Next, a squirt of wasabi paste, which I rubbed in to the fish.



Last of all, some low-sodium soy sauce, which I also rubbed in.



Then, I covered it in plastic wrap and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. This would later turn out to be a bad move. I would not advise the use of plastic wrap for this!



Since my fillet was wider than thick, I grabbed a more shallow box to use to put everything together. This is the point where I heard a suspicious sizzle from the microwave.



My fish! You can't see it as well as I hoped, but some of the escaping marinade from the fish started to boil, causing the plastic to melt (but not on the fish, thank goodness). I tossed the abused plastic wrap, and since there was still a good 50 seconds left on the cooking time, I searched around for something else to cover it.



Aha! Overturned bowl will stand in for a lid!



While the fish was finishing cooking (and then cooling in the fridge), I lined the box with a spring mix.



As well as some cilantro. I love cilantro, and have found that if I sprinkle it on a salad, I don't need a dressing. Your mileage may vary on this taste point, but I find it an easy way to save on fat and calories.



The now cooked and cooled salmon fillet! I put it in the fridge to chill so that it wouldn't wilt the lettuce.



The salmon went in the box, but the lunch was still wanting for some decoration. It looks a bit plain as-is.



A few carrot slices and a decorative pick helped.

The good news - the salmon was nice and moist the next day when I ate it. However, now that I look at the pictures, I could have fit more lettuce in the box. Ah well. It was still an excellent lunch!

How to - Leftover Stirfry bento

Yum. Day old leftovers look so appetizing. There's got to be a way to make it look less like a inspiration for a run to Subway.



First, to make arrangement easier, I seperated out the veggies and chicken bits.



Put the noodles into the box.



The original was a bit bland, so I'm added some cilantro to add a little snap.



Put the veggies on top...



Then the chicken.



Add some peppy baran to keep the noodles corraled.



Last of all, some cut up celery and a cheese wedge.



All packed up and ready for lunch!

How To - "Leveling Up" a can of tuna

Yesterday, when I was packing my lunch for today, I discovered that I needed some more protein elements to be sure to fill me up. One of the staples that I keep on hand for use in lunch is tuna (packed in water), since it is both filling and relatively healthy, and because it's incredibly versatile. Best of all? If you're short on time, you can just grab the can, drain it into the sink, and dump the meat into the box. Woo. Protein!

Of course, just because you're short on time doesn't mean that you just have to eat the plain tuna day in and day out. Life has so much more variety! You're already taking the time to open the tuna and drain it, so why not spend an extra 1-2 minutes and level it up!*


One way to do this (that would take extra time if you chop extra components) would be to make tuna salad. Now, tuna salad is good, but mayo, even lighter versions, isn't exactly the lowest fat food. Also, it doesn't always travel well without spoiling.


There are so many other things that you can mix in to tuna to give the flavor a different bend. Soy sauce, a little fat free salad dressing, paprika, garlic powder, ginger, etc... On this occasion I reached for:

Yellow Mustard, Wasabi paste in a tube, and the Bangkok spice blend from Penzeys Spices.

I stuck the tuna fresh from the can into a bowl, squirted/shook in my various additions, and...

*insert fanfare here* mildly spiced tuna!

I only used about half of this mixture for my lunch, since the can I used was quite large (things from Costco come in larger sizes, you say? Nooooooo.), but the remaining half went straight into the fridge for use in a future lunch/dinner/snack.

*Why yes, I am a huge geek. Thank you for asking.