Saba Man and I love to dine at small “our little secret” places!  Unfortunately for us—but good fortune for Caravan Kebab— the secret got out!

This cute little restaurant does cook-up  the most awesome Middle Eastern and Indian food so their recognition is well deserved.  

I’ve written about them before and my opinion hasn’t changed. 

But since today’s bento features tandoori chicken, doggy-bag leftovers… I owe them a shout-out for sparing me cooking duties. 

I had a especially stressful work-day (yesterday) and I couldn’t wait to return home and just relax with my bestest friend in the world, Saba Man.

I slipped out of my heels, grabbed my book and his hand, then headed to the beach.  The plan was to cover a few chapters while waiting for the sun to set…but alas the wind picked up, the clouds grew heavy and dark.

The chilly air forced us back into the car.  I heard a “grrr”… was my stomach protesting too?

After a while, viewing the Puget Sound through the windsheild lost it’s charm, so off we went to eat! 

The place was packed, but luck, unlike the sunshine, was on our side and we snatched the last table.

There’s a silver lining to a packed dining room…our “little secret place”  will probably make it through the winter and beyond.

Good for them and great for me, especially on days like  yesterday.

With that said, Saba Man’s bento contains the tandoori chicken (in the cell phone pic below) along with bento-stash forbidden rice, broccoli, tomatoes and cute little baby fig.

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As this compilation photo demonstrates…there are many different styles of bento boxes and fillings to choose from.  And if you’re a beginner, you may have some questions.

If you are new to packing bento lunches… here’s some help.

But before we get to the helpful hints, I’d like to again thank the talented bentoists who submitted their own back-to-school themed bentos for August’s B.O.M.B. challenge. Please note that you do not need to make cute lunches like these to be a successful bentoist!

Ok, so one of the questions I hear a lot is “What size and shape of bento box do I need?” I asked the same thing when I first started packing lunches…here are the guidelines:

1. Select a box that, when tightly packed, will contain enough calories for a satifiying  meal.

2. The total calories (balanced carbs, protein, and veggies) will be approximately equal to the box’s ml size.  In other words, if the box size is  400 mls, then the calories will equal about 400 or so calories.

3.  You want a bento box that will sit upright in a book-bag or backpack to prevent possible leakage. Avoid having to tip or turn the bento on it’s side for transport.

Are there any specific “Back-to-School” bento rules?

Sure there are… the first (and one that I feel strongly about) is to be sure the “bento box lunch lifestyle”  is for you.  They take extra  planning and little more of your time, but the rewards are immeasurable, especially if you involve your kids with menu decisions and assembly!

Other than checking with your child’s school for a list of  prohibited items, all you need to remember is to label EVERYTHING and pack the most nutritious foods that you child will “tolerate.”   :)

Strive to keep things simple and low-cost  by using seasonal produce.  You don’t have to be a charaben artist in order to pack a pleasing bento.  Color and interest can be achieved by using a variety of foods.

But if you have the talent and time to make awesomely cute “Hello Kitty” rice balls… I say go for it!

“Where do I buy a bento box?”

If you have a local Asian grocery or department store in your area, check them out as they may stock them.  Otherwise you can order boxes  from the many online stores available on the web like my affiliates here.

“Do I have to use an official bento box?”

No you don’t.  A sturdy, water-tight plastic food storage container will work fine as a bento box.

“How do I get started?”

Here’s a link to my bento-basics page for general “get started” tips.

Need more  inspiration? Some links to  back-to-school bento examples:

Inarizushi and Chicken Bento

“How to Pack a Bento” Videos

Chicken and Omelet Bento

Grilled Cheese Bento

Musubi and Nimono Bento

Vegetarian Bento

Classic Bento

Vegetarian Sandwich Bento

Noodles Bento

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I couldn’t decide what to name this post and was going to start numbering the bentos like some blogs do.  And in hindsight I think it was a very smart move on their part. 

Is it too late for me to start numbering the bentos instead of a description?  What number would I start with? 

Number one?  That would seem weird.   I’ll have to think about it.

But anyways, here’s today’s bento, as described: forbidden rice with salmon patty and boiled egg.  Also in there are cucumbers, tomato (not from my garden), lotus root, shiso leaf and takuan.

That’s it. Short and sweet, unlike the title of this post!

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I  have to sneak one more back-to-school bento on the blog before school officially begins!  And today’s bento features one of my favorite meals…noodles!

Noodles are versatile:  spaghetti with meatballs, pasta salad, mac and cheese…all good stuff that can easily be packed for lunch.

And when balanced with a serving each of protein and veggies,  noodles offer a satisfying meal that keeps a body going.

This noodle dish is a Japanese recipe that’s usually eaten in the summer.  But for those who live in a warm climate, why not have it throughout the year?

It’s very simple to prepare and you can customize the toppings to your child’s taste.  It’s a flexible recipe for sure.

For Saba Man, it’s blanched carrots, eggs, (boiled and omelet) thin-sliced cucumbers, julienned ham, lotus root and a cherry tomato.

You can pretty much include any type of thinly sliced meat or vegetable—convenient for multiple bento packing don’t you think?

Line the boxes  up,  add noodles, then portion out the toppings as needed!

Hiyashi Chuka

Noodles:

1 package of Chinese egg noodles,  “chuka soba” or if you can’t find…ramen noodles.

Sauce:

Adjust the amounts to your own tastes.  I like a “punch” of sesame flavor so I add 2 to 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds…and freshly ground is best.

Suggested toppings:

Boiled eggs,chopped omelet, ham, chicken, pork, cucumbers, beni shoga (ginger), mushrooms

Instructions:

Boil the noodles until tender then rinse with cold water amd drain well.  Set aside.   Mix the ingredients for the sauce together.  Pour over the noodles and mix well so the noodles are coated.

Arrange the toppings on the noodles and serve.

A spicy Japanese mustard called Karashi is usually added to the dish, but it’s not necessary.

For bento, pack extra sauce in a small  container to give your noodles a boost when you’re ready to eat!

Added to What’s for lunch Wednesday!

Need more back-to-school tips?  I’ve added a roundup of ideas here.

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Congratulation Lia of  My Bentolicious!  You are the B.O.M.B.!  Your very cute back-to-school bento has been selected to represent the back-to-school theme for August!

A huge thanks to all the participants for sharing their creativity with everyone!   How do you all come up with such cute ideas?

To see the other entrants go here.

The theme for September is in the works… stay tuned.

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Did your teen-ager declare herself a vegetarian and refuses to eat food bought from the school cafeteria? No problem, pack her a meat-free bento lunch!

A co-worker of mine, when discovering that I was a vegetarian, sighed in relief when I shared some bento tips for packing a lunch  for her daughter.

But anyways, I explained and showed her a few photos of my own veggie bentos which I hope has inspired her.

So to that end, here’s today’s featured back-to-school bento…a vegetarian  lunch.

The top half is a pita sandwich filled with hummus, carrots, lettuce and cucumbers.  It’s wrapped inside a brown paper bag which absorbs moisture keeping  the pita dry without drying it out.

Plus it looks cool and serves as a palette for decorations.

I affixed a few stylish stickers but you could  write a  note… “Have a fun day!” or draw a smiley face, etc.

Also packed: veggie burger pieces, tomatoes, and a cheese ravioli salad!

The ravioli salad I bought from the deli, but it’s very easy to make.

Cooked al dente, the  cheese ravioli is cooled then tossed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, onions, red bell pepper, olives and pine nuts!

It’s very tasty, in fact this lunch is so delicious that it’s not restricted to only teen-aged vegetarians!

Need more back-to-school tips?  I’ve  added a roundup of ideas here.

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More  ”back-to-school bento” using the ever-popular sandwich box!  There’s a specific reason why I like using this style of box.

Because it was designed for sandwiches…it’s shallow!

And shallow is good.

Why?

Because you can pack tightly without adding too much food!  And that means your items don’t move around in the box.  Your desire is for the food remain as they did when you closed the lid.

Your hungry student will appreciate a good-looking lunch at the “reveal”.

Today’s bento is filled with more traditional bento fare: musubi, chicken tsukune, tamagoyaki, quick-fried snap peas and the-ever-popular tomato!

Here’s a previous post featuring another sandwich box with other menu suggestions.

Have your kids already started back to school?  How are you doing with your bentos?

Need more back-to-school tips? I’ve added a roundup of ideas here.

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School is not yet in session in our area—not until after the “Labor Day” holiday.  So unil then, I’ll  post a few more back-to-school bento examples.

Today’s bento was packed in a sandwich box! 

You say you have a box like this?  

Great! 

Skip the sandwich;  pack some yummy noodle salad, tofu, broccoli, cheese, and white peach!

Just kidding… you don’t have to go vegetarian. 

But what else works in this space?   Spaghetti goes well with  bits of chicken or meatballs… how about a mini corn muffin with barbecued sausage? 

And of course, my “go-to”  traditional rice-ball with side dishes are perfect too!

A sandwich box ( like this one) holds approximately a cup and half or 350 ml of food. 

Very compact and portable as long as you don’t pack liquids or very wet foods—use a thermos-type container for those — and you’ll be fine.

If this box is too small for an entire lunch,  then use it for snacks or side items.

Or use two boxes… how cool would it be to pack one  for a sandwich and the other for veggies and fruits!

Stack them one on top of the other and fasten them together with a large rubber band or recycled produce band (like I did).

Instant two tier bento box!

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A rare baking post for me as I am really not much of a baker.  I dream creating light, fluffy swirls of sugary decadence…the stuff that makes co-workers and family members beg for more.  But no, that’s not  my thing and this recipe?  Definitely not light.  Decadent?

Yes!

I asked a good friend for her favorite “tried and true” recipe for butter mochi, a sort of hybrid dessert with roots from Japan mixed  with Hawaiian-cooking ingenuity.

Of course being me I couldn’t resist tweaking the directions a bit.  The batter called for water, but I skipped that part; I wanted a thick, rich slab of chewy coconut and butter goodness.

Another wacky thing I tried (and it turned out fantastic) was cooking half the recipe using my rice cooker!

But first here’s the conventional instrucions.

Beat 4 eggs  and set aside.  You’ll add this to the other liquids ingredients shortly.

Use a larger bowl than what I picked.  I told you I’m not much of a baker!

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a seperate bowl.  Set aside. 

Now I could be wrong, and some of you more experienced bakers can correct me, but isn’t it true that you should not over mix or work the batter too much?

I think that’s where I got my-fear-of-dough.  Too much “food-tv”.   Like I’m going to ruin it somehow.

In another larger bowl —one that I should of used for the eggs— mix all the liquids together.

When the it’s all blended add the liquid to the dry and mix well.  Then add 1 cup of shredded sweetened coconut.  Mix again.

It’s a thick batter. Not like cake.

Pour half of the batter into a brownie pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  I placed this pan on top of baking sheet to avoid burning the bottom.  After 50 minutes of baking, sprinkle the top with more shredded coconut.

You can see  a piece of the finished mochi in the top photo. Golden and slightly crisp on the outside.

Now here’s where I got creative.

I poured the remaining half of the batter in my rice cooker pot, (my very old rice cooker),  which ended up about a smidge over 1 inch deep, then  covered with more shredded coconut before cooking.

Turned it on and waited for the chime.  “Ding!”  It was about 30 minutes.  The hard part was not taking a peak but I managed to leave the lid alone to let the mochi steam… another 30 minutes then I lifted the lid and there it was!

It cooked!  It really cooked!

Not as golden as its baked counterpart but it was cooked through. UPDATE:  You may have to cook it twice, I’ve been told by friends  who attempted this, that they had re-set the cooker a second time to turn this out perfectly.

Now the hard part…how to get it out of the pot?

I did have presence of mind to butter the inside of the pot before adding the batter… and  I was praying that my cleverness payed off!

To remove your mochi from the rice cooker, wedge a rubber spatula between the mochi and the pan then sip your fingers under and wiggle your way all the way around  until you get your hand under the whole piece.

Lift!

And transfer to a plate.

The bottom was slightly browed.

Good stuff!   If pressed… I would say I like the “rice cooker” version better.

Why?

It’s moist, very moist.

But that’s not to say that the baked version is dry because it  certainly is not.  The baked piece is chewier and  lighter where it’s steamed cousin  is dense but almost melt-in-your-mouth!

Saba Man preferred the baked version. Which means that I ‘ll have to do both from now on! 

If you’ve never eaten mochi before than be aware that this is not cake-like.  It’s heavy, but delicious heavy.

And very difficult to resist. Be careful if you try this as I cannot guarantee that you won’t eat it all at once.

Luckily I had plans to pack most of it for a gift so  I summoned up my will power and did not eat all of the second batch!

Okay, Saba Man and I ate a couple of chunks…for quality controls of course.

Butter Mochi with Coconut

4 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour)
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup melted butter
1 can coconut milk (approx. 12 oz.)
1 can evaporated milk
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, 1 cup for the batter, 1 cup for the topping

Mix together dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix all liquids together in a separate bowl.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Blend until smooth.  Add 1 cup of coconut flakes.  Pour into greased 9 x 13, or 2 square cake/brownie pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes  then sprinkle the remaining coconut onto the top.  Bake for about 5-10  more minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and cut into pieces.

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Bought some rainbow chard for the first time!

Not a bento post but I did use the chard in this bundle (far right) for two bentos here and here!  Arriving at this farmers market was  serendipitous; what a nice way to stumble upon fresh produce!  

A few weeks ago we  planned a road trip to visit the town of Sequim, WA.  It’s a 30  minute ferry ride across the water and a 45 mile drive… a beautiful 45 mile drive!  While in Sequim we planned to tour the town, eat lunch, then partially hike the Dungeness Spit, a  national wildlife refuge.   

I’m not going to describe in words but instead let the photos (click on each image) tell the tale.  But the bottom line is that we had a fun-filled day that we will never forget.   

P.S. We got lost and stopped at the visitor center to ask directions to the spit.  No kidding and with a straight face…”From Highway 101, take Kitchen-Dick Road north..”  *snort*  

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