Omuraisu is a Japanese name for Omelet & Rice. The ingredients are still scarce in my fridge, so this is my ultimate effort to come up with something that is both ethtetically and nutritiously satisfying.
Menu: Omuraisu, Steamed broccoli, Cucumber & cherry tomato salad
Kiwi fruits for dessert
As a sign of changing season, I see many Japanese “Nashi” pears, in addition to Kyoho grapes, displayed in grocery stores in my neighborhood. Compared to what you find in the West, Japanese pears are rounder (sphere) and juicier (maybe comparable to that of watermelon). Again we generally pear the skin off, as it kind of disturbs the taste of the flesh in my opinion. I know, I may be taking its precious vitamins off, but what can I say, that’s how I’ve always eaten my Nashi… (FYI, in Japan we incline to peal off skins off most of the fruits. Must be something to do with… fertilizer?)
Menu: Grilled salmon, Edamame mixed in rice (with sesame sprinkle), Mashed pumpkin & egg salad, Steamed broccoli, Cherry tomato
Japanese “Nashi” pear for dessert
After a long, hot & humid summer, there is finally a sense of autumn in the air. The temperature at night time has cooled down, which makes us sleep better and hence gives us more appetite.
As dessert, I packed one of the seasonal fruits in our daughter’s bento – Kyoho grapes. The flesh is very juicy and sweet, but the skin is quite thick and bitter. I usually peal it off before eating, but left it on this morning partly because I am always in a rush in the morning, and that she can now do it on her own, but mostly because of this beautiful colour of elegant dark purple that I wanted my daughter to see and remember as part of our autumnal delicacy.
Menu: Chicken soboro & scrambled egg on rice, Stir-fried potato & spinach, Boiled green beans, Cherry tomato
Kyoho grapes for dessert
….that today’s bento was prepared from only a few ingredients left in our fridge/freezer?
Over the weekend we visited our friends in the coastal city called Zushi in Kanagawa prefecture. We had a great two day stay, relaxing by the seaside.
As a result, we didn’t get to do any grocery shopping. But I flashed my super mum card and fixed this bento – not too bad I’d say 🙂
Menu: Grilled Mutsu (Japanese bluefish), Goma-konbu, Cucumber sticks, Simmered daikon & carrot in chicken stock, Aonori seaweed omelet, Rice
Apple mousse & mashed pumpkin with cinnamon & raisins for dessert
After a long month and a half, there are only a few more days left with our daughter’s school summer holiday. Today, her school opened up prior to the new semester for so called ‘Summer Day’ service. Basically, they start the day an hour later than usual, so that the kids (& parents) could gradually adjust themselves back to their normal school routine, including their favorite lunch time.
As such, my bento making routine started a few days earlier as well.
Menu:
Grilled salmon flakes mixed in rice, Fried mini sausages, Asparagus omelet, Cucumber sticks, Cherry tomato
Japanese Nashi pear for dessert
Summer holiday starts at the end of this week (usually 21st of July) in most of the public schools in Tokyo. Our daughter’s school is one of them, and today is the last day for me to prepare a bento for the next 40 days. Despite the joy of bento making for my dearest daughter, it is such a relief not having to do so every day for a while.
Menu: Onigiri with grilled salmon filling, Omelet, Boiled edamame, Boiled vegetables in chicken stock
Kiwi & banana for dessert
The daily bento making will resume in September. Until then, I will try to write some essays on cultural topics I’ve meant to write for a while…
Thank you always for visiting my blog. It means a lot to me.
Menu: Chicken soboro (frozen) & sliced green beans (leftover) donburi with flower-shaped carrot (frozen), Corn (leftover) omelet, Daikon & cucumber salad (leftover)
Apple mousse (frozen) & mashed sweet potato (frozen) with raisins for dessert
Menu: Simmered sword fish, Steamed pumpkin, Steamed cabbage & daikon slices, Cucumber sticks, Rice
Grapes for dessert
I cheated and microwaved cabbage & daikon. Somehow it makes me feel a bit guilty to cook veggies in the microwave, but it can’t beat to save some precious time in the morning.
Once a year around this time of the year, the oldest kids at my daughter’s school make Japanese style curry as a special in-school activity. As requested by her homeroom teacher, I only packed rice (and a bit of veggies & dessert) for her bento today. The kids will pour in their handmade curry to the empty space in their bento box. What a lovely idea, and next year, it’ll be my daughter & her friends turn.
With the leftover niku-jaga in the bento yesterday, I made a bunch of croquettes as a variation by mashing the niku-jaga, applying flour, beaten egg & bread crumbs, and deep-frying them.
Despite my effort and to my dismay, however, my daughter only ate one of them in her bento today, claiming the sauce was missing, and it wasn’t very tasty… What an excruciating criticism from a 4-year-old…
Yes, indeed I did omit to season it with her favorite Japanese Worcester sauce this morning. The magic sauce that works wonders with deep fried food such as croquettes and tonkatsu (Japanese style pork schnitzel). I thought it wasn’t necessary because the niku-jaga was already seasoned.
But my daughter is right, the niku-jaga croquettes do taste much better with the sauce, so I served now the leftover croquettes for dinner, this time with her favorite Japanese Worcester sauce.
SMALL TOKYO KITCHEN 