Just Bento

Warning: This furikake is very dangerous. It is so more-ish that you might find yourself putting spoonfuls of it directly in your mouth. To prevent this, I recommend making it a tad spicier than you might be comfortable with eating it on its own, so it will not disappear before you can use it on your rice. The spicy-salty-sweet taste, coupled with the interesting textures of the peanuts and the seeds, is quite hard to resist.

It’s the least Japanese-tasting furikake so far perhaps, but it fits plain white or brown rice very well. It is not exactly low-calorie, but a tablespoon or so goes quite a long way to spice up things. continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Kiriboshi Daikon (dried daikon radish) fritters
• Carrot and lemon salad
• Boiled edamame

Total calories (approx): 380-400 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 25 minutes total (10 the night before, 15 in the morning)

Type: Fusion-vegan-gluten-free continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Brown rice mixed with assorted pickled vegetables (230 cal)
• Dry-fried crispy fried tofu (220 cal)

Total calories (approx): 450 cal (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

Type: Japanese, vegan continue reading...

Kombu, the leathery seaweed that is used to make dashi stock, is packed full of umami. A traditional way to prepare it is as shiokombu (salty kombu) or kombu no tsukudani. Tsukudani is a method of cooking something with soy sauce, sake and/or mirin, and sugar until it’s very dark, quite salty and sweet too. It’s a preserving method, since the salt and sugar greatly increase the keeping qualities of the food.

Kombu no tsukudani can be tucked into the corner of a bento box to add a little variety. It’s also a good onigiri filling. Properly made and stored in the refrigerator, it keeps almost forever. continue reading...

Carrots are a staple of just about everyone’s fridge I think. They are really good for you, but it can be rather hard to find different ways of eating them. This sweet, savory and spicy furikake uses up whole carrots as well as bits of carrot left over from other uses. Plenty of sesame seeds are added for flavor and texture - and they’re not bad for you either. The warm, brown-orange color perks up a dull looking bento, especially on white rice. continue reading...

Bento contents:

• Vegan mushroom rice, with 1 cup white rice (190 calories)
• Black bean mini burgers with tomato sauce (250 calories)
• Instant radish pickles (5 calories)
• Blanched spinach (20 calories)

Total calories (approx.) 465 calories (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 30 minutes total (20 the night before, 10 in the morning)

Type: Japanese vegan continue reading...

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Bento contents:

• Shirataki noodles, 1/2 to 1 pack (5-10 calories or so!)
• Firm tofu, 1/2 block (about 90-100g) (100 calories)
• Kochujang (Korean red bean paste) based marinade (10 calories)
• Vegetables of your choice - green onions, garlic chives, ginger, garlic, peppers, cabbage, spinach, etc, with sesame oil (150 calories approx.)
• A small apple (50 calories)

Total calories (approx.) for the noodles only: 270 calories; including the apple: 320 (how calories are calculated)

Time needed: 20 minutes

Type: Asian-fusion with mainly Korean flavors continue reading...