Tag Archives: tofu

Well-balanced meals

28/05/2019

For the past week, I’ve been trying to prepare healthy meals as much as I can, which is inspired by the well-balanced meals introduced in the book I’ve recently read, by Mrs. Kimiko Horikoshi, the wife of late Danjuro Ichikawa and the mother of Ebizo Ichikawa, both are renowned Kabuki actors in Japan. It is amazing to know how much thoughts have been put into their meals everyday. Certainly it is something to aspire to, although my architect-desk-working husband may not need so much nutrition on a daily basis!

Thursday 23rd, Sashimi dinner with my daughter

Friday 24th, Fried Aji (yellowtail mackerel) dinner, minestrone soup, Tofu/Edamame salad (following the recipe by Mrs. Kimiko Horikoshi)

Monday 27th, Hiyashi Chuka (it literally means chilled Chinese) noodles*, with chicken veggie soup

* Hiyashi Chuka noodles, is a perfect dish for a hot summer evening like last night (32C in Tokyo, hottest I’ve ever experienced in the month of May). Served with boiled chicken filet (used the boiled water for the soup), and black vinegar & sesame sauce.

This week’s weekday dinners

17/05/2019

Monday: Can’t remember

Tuesday: Hamburg steak with vegetables

Wednesday: Tomato & aubergine pasta, sautéed chicken with asparagus

Thursday: Ginger pork, Hijiki, Hiyayakko (fresh tofu)

Friday: Hijiki rice & Tempura

Now ready to rest. Have a good weekend!

Kindergarten bento – School starts (Tuesday 4/Sep/18)

04/09/2018

Our daughter’s school resumed yesterday for the second semester for the Japanese school year (April – March). After a month and a half of summer break, she was so excited she got out of her bed in the morning and jumped up and down in delight.

Since May, I got very busy with my freelance job and didn’t feel like posting anything. But I decided to resume my posting, especially because my bento making obligation will only last for another half a year. Our daughter will start her elementary school in next April, which comes with delicious & healthy school lunches.

Salmon rice requested by my daughter, Tofu & shirasu (baby sardine) omelet, Leftover Shepherd’s pie, Boiled broccoli

Nashi pear for dessert

Kindergarten bento – How many ingredients comparison (29/May, 30/May, 31/May, 1/Jun,4/Jun, 5/Jun)

20/06/2018

29/May – 11 ingredients

Simmered cod, rice, edamame, egg with corns, spinach in sesame sauce, cucumber, carrot, apple, banana

30/May – 11 ingredients

Fried chicken (with corn flower), green beans, broccoli, cherry tomato, goma konbu (sesame & kelp), rice, furikake sprinkle (counted as one), apple, strawberry

31/May – 12 ingredients

Bread (count as one), ham, cucumber, scrambled egg, cheese, Dutch appelstroop, peanut butter, blueberry jam, green beans, apple mousse, mashed potato, cinnamon

1/Jun – 10 ingredients

Chicken soboro, chopped komstsuna, rice, sesame, tomato omelet, broccoli, cucumber with bonito flakes, watermelon

4/Jun – 11 ingredients

Nikudon (pork slices, sliced cabbage, rice), broccoli, cherry tomato, tofu omelet (tofu, egg, ao-nori (seaweed) powder), cherry tomato, apple, banana

5/Jun – 11 ingredients

Tortillas (counted as one), ham, cucumber, cheese, Dutch appelstroop, strawberry jam, banana with Nutella (secret, as it’s not allowed at her school), boiled egg, broccoli, watermelon

Wow, I am quite consistent, with mostly 11 ingredients used every day.

Kindergarten bento – 15 ingredients (Wednesday, 23/May/18)

25/05/2018

  1. Rice
  2. “Shirasu” baby sardines
  3. Kelp (konbu seaweed)
  4. Sesame
  5. Carrot
  6. Egg
  7. Tofu (mixed in omelet)
  8. Ao-nori (seaweed) powder (mixed in omelet)
  9. Pumpkin
  10. Chicken filet
  11. Okra
  12. Cucumber
  13. “Katsuo-bushi” bonito flakes (mixed with cucumber slices)
  14. Strawberry
  15. Banana

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Kindergarten bento – Diagonal attempt (20/Jan/17)

20/01/2017

Menu: Hamburger steak (with tofu inside the pâté), Tofu omelet, Steamed broccoli, Cucumber sticks, Cherry tomato, Rice with furikake sprinkle

Strawberries & banana for dessert

For a change, I packed my daughter’s bento with a diagonal division. I’ll even teach her the word “diagonal” later today as she must’ve noticed the difference when opening the cover at lunch time. This, we call “isseki nichou (一石二鳥),” killing two birds with one stone.

Kindergarten bento – Tofu omelet (17/Nov/16)

17/11/2016

Menu: Tofu omelet, Tori-soboro & veggies, Steamed cabbage, Salted cucumber slices, Rice with sesame furikake

Bunny shaped apples for dessert


Egg is a very handy ingredient for packed lunches. I always boil it or make omelet or scrambled egg out of it. I usually improvise with whatever there is in the fridge. Today’s omelet recipe is with healthy & nutritious tofu.

An egg with a bit of mashed tofu. No need to mash it completely, just mix it with egg with chopsticks or fork.For seasoning, I used a pinch of salt and this powdered nori seaweed called “Aonori.” It gives the egg a bit of sea flavour as well as good nutrients as also indicated in the package (high in protein, calcium and iron).

Add aonori like this,Cook it on a heated pan with a bit of cooking oil (very important to heat up the pan before pouring the egg mixture),Roll, roll, roll, and voila! 

Kindergarten bento – Tofu hamburg steak (17/Jun/16)

17/06/2016

Menu: Tofu hamburg steak, potato/carrot/cucumber egg salad, broccoli and furikake on rice

Apple wedges for dessert 
Today’s main is tofu hamburg steak. Hamburg steak is a Western influenced Japanese dish which is one of the most popular dishes for children. It is based on tartar steak often eaten in a German city of Hamburg (apparently), and the mane is obviously derived from it. It is like meatloaf made of minced beef/pork (or mixed) but pan-fried instead of baked in the oven, and usually comes in oval shape. 

I made this dish the evening before for our dinner. I used the mixed beef & pork mince, put a bit of leftover tofu in the pâté for more volume and lower calories, along with chopped onion (fried until golden), beaten raw egg (to hold all the ingredients together) and salt & pepper to taste. You can’t really taste the tofu because the flavour of the meat is much stronger, but you can definitely feel it in its texture that is much lighter and airy. 

For the sauce, in the same pan as the steak, I poured in a table spoon of soysauce and maple syrup, and a bit of water (otherwise it’d become pasty) and bring to boil and thicken a bit. I’d put some herb next time, maybe chopped parsley.