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    Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom
    Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom
    Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom
    Ebook409 pages1 hour

    Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom

    By Kanae Inoue

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    A collection of family-friendly, easy and inexpensive recipes used and honed over many years by Japanese mom Kanae Inoue.

    Real Bento is packed with the time-saving tricks that allow you to make bento box lunches each morning in just 10 minutes, using ingredients and recipes that will satisfy the whole family! The recipes are presented by flavor type and key ingredient, so it's easy for parents to find dishes their kids will love.

    In Real Bento, Inoue presents 200 recipes, divided into "main dishes" and "sides" for 22 completed bento boxes. The colorful photos and step-by-step instructions make this an incredibly practical and easy-to-use resource for busy households! In her recipes, Inoue places great emphasis on healthy, fresh and colorful foods that look and taste great when presented together.

    Her recipes include Japanese favorites and original recipes like:
    • Teriyaki Chicken
    • Stuffed Bell Peppers
    • Ginger Salmon
    • Broccoli and Pasta Salad
    • Beef and Egg Stir Fry

    Inoue got hooked on bento fifteen years ago, when she began making daily bento box lunches for her husband and herself to take to work, and later for their three children to take to school. She sees bento box lunches as a way of saving money and getting her family to eat fresher, healthier meals.

    This beginning bento book is a perfect tool for getting lunches packed and a family out the door on a busy morning!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTuttle Publishing
    Release dateApr 7, 2020
    ISBN9781462921591
    Real Bento: Fresh and Easy Lunchbox Recipes from a Japanese Working Mom

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      Book preview

      Real Bento - Kanae Inoue

      KANAE INOUE

      REAL BENTO

      FRESH AND EASY LUNCHBOX RECIPES FROM A JAPANESE WORKING MOM

      Contents

      Meet the Family

      My Bento Philosophy

      Basic Ingredients for Bentos

      Equipment notes

      A Week of Real Bentos!

      MONDAY

      Teriyaki Chicken Bento

      Teriyaki Chicken and Potato; Asparagus with Miso; Japanese Omelet

      TUESDAY

      Salmon Spring Roll Bento

      Salmon Spring Rolls; Curried Potato and Bacon; Stir-Fried Broccoli and Almonds

      WEDNESDAY

      Seafood Tempura Bento

      Seafood Tempura; Pea Shoots with Plum; Grilled Pumpkin with Miso

      THURSDAY

      Savory Pork Patty Bento

      Savory Pork Patties; Spicy Spinach and Cheese; Grilled Carrot and Potato

      FRIDAY

      Teriyaki Tofu Rice-Bowl Bento

      Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl; Mushrooms and Green Beans with Lemon; Ketchup-Potato Salad

      SATURDAY

      Rice Omelet Bento

      Rice Omelet; Sweet Potato Salad

      CHAPTER 1

      The Secret to Making Delicious Bentos

      My 7 Rules for Quick, Delicious Bentos

      Tasty and Salty-Sweet

      Stir-Fried Beef and Egg with Oyster Sauce

      Honey-Mayo Chicken

      Soy-Simmered Bell Peppers

      Butternut Squash Salad

      Lotus Root Simmered in Sweet Vinegar

      Saucy Pork and Onions

      Okonomiyaki Chicken

      Pepper and Sweet Potato Stir-fry

      Tofu Croquettes

      Crunchy Carrots

      Seafood with Potatoes

      Sweet & Sour Crispy Pork

      Sweet & Spicy Mackerel

      Soy-Simmered Cabbage

      Mushroom and Pork Rolls

      Spicy Chicken with Green Beans

      Simple Salt and Pepper

      Chicken & Pepper Stir-Fry

      Grilled Sweet Potato

      Salt & Sesame Cabbage

      Herb-Grilled Lotus Root

      Crunchy Chicken Patties

      Celery with Sesame

      Simple Sautéed Chicken

      Sesame Pork with Pea Shoots

      Salted Salmon

      Sesame Bell Peppers

      Japanese-Style Broccoli

      Grilled Onions

      Spicy Potato and Carrot

      Steamed Eggplant

      Tofu Fritters

      Mini Pork Patties

      Seasoned with Miso

      Pork and Eggplant Rolls

      Chicken in Miso Sauce

      Spinach with Sesame-Miso

      Miso Potatoes

      Chicken with Sweet Miso

      Cabbage with Mustard-Miso Mayo

      Cheese and Tofu Rolls

      Lotus Root and Chicken with Miso

      Chicken with Miso Mayo

      Pork & Peppers with Miso

      Carrot with Miso Sauce

      Pumpkin with Miso Butter

      Grilled Onions with Miso Mayo

      Eggplant with Plum Miso

      Broccoli and Pasta Miso Salad

      Creamy Miso Potatoes

      Seasoned with Soy Sauce

      Pork and Celery Noodles

      Pork with Mustard-Soy Sauce

      Salmon and Green Beans in Soy Sauce

      Fish Sticks with Cheese

      Cheese & Cabbage Rolls

      Savory Cabbage

      Mustard-Soy Chicken

      Tofu Steaks with Soy Sauce

      Speedy Noodle Stir-Fry

      Spinach & Ginger Tofu

      Spicy Eggplant

      Pumpkin with Soy Sauce

      Pork & Eggplant Soboro

      Seafood in Soy Sauce

      Savory Carrot Pancakes

      Spicy Pea Shoots and Cheese

      Seasoned with Mayo

      Mackerel with Mayo

      Mayo Pork & Mushrooms

      Spicy Mayo Cabbage

      Tangy Carrot Salad

      Mini Omelets

      Broccoli with Sesame Mayo

      Oyster Sauce Chicken

      Noodles with Soy Sauce and Mayo

      Chicken with Mayo and Citrus Sauce

      Burdock Root Salad

      Celery and Egg Salad

      Sautéed Salmon & Mayo

      Pumpkin and Bacon Salad

      Miso-Mayo Eggplant

      Seafood and Mushroom Stir-Fry

      Tangy Potato Salad

      Seasoned with Tomato Ketchup

      Savory Pork and Onions

      Teriyaki Salmon

      Crunchy Lotus Root

      Cheesy Ketchup Pumpkin

      Chopped Pork Patties

      Chili Chicken

      Fluffy Egg with Ketchup

      Stir-Fried Beef

      Mushrooms with Ketchup

      Tofu with Ketchup

      Chicken & Green Beans

      Cabbage Omelet

      Seasoned with Pickled Plum

      Chicken in Plum Sauce

      Zingy Spinach & Cheese

      Plum & Soy Mackerel

      Cabbage & Plum Salad

      Chicken Piccata

      Zesty Chicken Sauté

      Chicken & Plum patties

      Omelet with Plum

      Potato Namul with Plum

      Eggplant in Plum Sauce

      Stir-Fried Plum Noodles

      Cheesy Pork Rolls

      Seasoned with Curry

      Curried Grilled Salmon

      Buttery Spinach & Corn

      Curried Pork with Green Beans

      Stir-Fried Curried Pork

      Curry-Marinated Carrot

      Honey Teriyaki Chicken

      Curried Chicken

      Spicy Buttered Pumpkin

      Curried Onion Tempura

      Crispy Curried Chicken

      Curried Noodles

      Curried Cheese Omelet

      Salads and Sweet Touches

      Stir-Fried Seafood

      Sweet Orange and Tomato

      Marinated Strawberries

      Kiwi and Carrot Salad

      Potato and Apple Salad

      Grapefruit and Celery Salad

      Crunchy Coleslaw

      Sweet Potato Salad

      Apple & Cabbage Salad

      Honey Nut Squash Salad

      CHAPTER 2

      Time-Saving Techniques

      Rule 1

      Make 3 items at once in the microwave!

      Stuffed Pepper Bento

      Stuffed Bell Peppers

      Ratatouille

      Sweet Potato with Lemon Butter

      Ginger Salmon Bento

      Ginger Salmon

      Mushrooms with Bonito Flakes

      Citrusy Eggplant and Bell Pepper

      Stir-fried Pork and Bell Pepper Bento

      Pork & Pepper Stir-fry

      Potato with Tuna

      Celery with Mustard

      Rule 2

      Grill 3 items at the same time!

      Sesame Pork and Fried Egg Bento

      Sesame Pork

      Fried Egg

      Asparagus and Bacon Salad

      Crispy Chicken Bento

      Fried Chicken Tenders

      Soy Sauce Mushrooms

      Cabbage and Wasabi Miso

      Eggplant and Meat Patty Bento

      Eggplant and Meat Patty

      Grilled Boiled Egg

      Sweet & Sour Squash

      Rule 3

      Marinate dishes so they cook while you sleep!

      Marinated Cabbage

      Lemon Daikon

      Chinese Carrots

      Ginger Cucumber

      Spicy Greens

      Sesame Sticks

      Rule 4

      Use thermos food jars!

      Noodle Soup with Plum

      Chinese Style Shrimp Soup

      Hearty Cabbage Soup

      Tomato, Corn and Cheese Soup

      Mushroom and Onion Soup

      Macaroni Sweetcorn Soup

      Rule 5

      Make on the weekends, just pack on weekdays!

      Super-Quick Chicken

      Lotus Root in Oyster Sauce

      Korean Vegetables

      Simmered Sweet Potato

      Marinated Mushrooms

      Mushroom Medley

      Bok Choy and Sesame Namul

      Simmered Fried Tofu

      Sweet & Sour Vegetables

      Marinated Eggs

      Eggplant and Peppers in Ginger Sauce

      CHAPTER 3

      Tips for Good-Looking Bentos

      Tip 1

      Use multicolored ingredients!

      Six-Color Soboro Rice-Bowl Bento

      Broccoli Soboro

      Eggplant Soboro

      Potato Soboro

      Bell Pepper Soboro

      Curried Meat Soboro

      Egg Soboro

      Tip 2

      Try a rice sandwich bento!

      Rice Sandwich Bento

      Beef with Mustard

      Root Veg Stir-Fry

      Tamagoyaki

      Fillings and Toppings for Rice

      Salty Mushrooms

      Eggplant and Tuna Soboro

      Buttery Beans

      Sesame Carrot

      Scrambled Egg

      Pepper Stir-Fry

      Chicken Soboro

      Pork Soboro

      Beef Soboro

      Mackerel Soboro

      Tofu Soboro

      Celery Soboro

      Tip 3

      Try a rice-bowl bento!

      Salmon Rice-Bowl Bento

      Miso Pork Rice-Bowl Bento

      Sweet and Savory Eggplant and Tofu Rice-Bowl Bento

      Ten Tips For Making Your Bentos Look Good

      Making Rolled Omelet in a Regular Frying Pan

      Index of main ingredients

      Meet the Family

      Kanae (me)

      I love cooking and make a living as a cook and food blogger. I go to Tokyo as often as eight times a month for work, but try to come home on the same day. The reason? To make bentos for my family. No matter how late I get home, or even on days when I have a hangover, I always get up at five thirty every morning to make bentos.

      Tenkichi (our son)

      A sophomore in college. Even though he can eat anything he wants really cheaply at the school cafeteria or at any number of restaurants elsewhere, for some reason he brings a bento with him from home every day . . . maybe he’s trying to save money? Incidentally he’s a good cook – good enough to impress his sisters when mom is away on a business trip!

      Naa (our older daughter)

      In the third year of middle school, she has to take a bento to school for lunch every day. There is a school cafeteria, but the after-school sports club she belongs to forbids her from eating there, and also requires her to keep her weight in check. She loves eating above all else. She loves Thai food, fresh coriander, oysters . . . she’s always thinking about food.

      Sue (our younger daughter)

      In the first year of middle school. Her school has a lunch program, so she basically doesn’t need to bring bentos, but she does occasionally need bentos on the weekends for her club activities or for school outings and events. She is a very picky eater, with definite likes and dislikes, so her mother is already worried about what’s going to happen if she has to bring a bento every day once she gets to high school.

      Hubby (my husband)

      A businessman, six years older than me. Even though his wife is getting rather well known in the food world, he has a policy of not talking about her work at all to his work colleagues, friends or other acquaintances. Previously, not only could he not cook, he never even entered the kitchen! But recently he has developed the ability to make coffee. This is a dramatic improvement.

      Mei (our beloved dog)

      A girl labrador retriever. She loves Mom to bits, and stalks her all the time.

      My Bento Philosophy

      About ten years after I put my oldest son in daycare and went back to work, I started making bento lunches for my husband and myself. That was when I published my first book of hearty, simple bentos filled with the brown-colored food that my husband loves, titled Bentos for Guys. So I was making guy bentos for my husband, and then for my son too, once he started middle school and had soccer club every weekend. Since then, five years have passed. My oldest daughter has started middle school, and now I’m in the throes of making bentos without a break seven days a week, with my daughter’s taking center stage. She needs bentos every day, and my oldest son, who’s now in college, needs a bento four days a week. (Incidentally, my husband now has his lunches at his company cafeteria, which are delicious.)

      Unlike the guy bentos I started out making, the bentos I make for my two daughters, who are much more critical, are first and foremost ones that make them happy, or what I like to call praiseworthy bentos. From my point of view, as the bento chef of the family, they also must be:

      •easy and quick to make, using inexpensive ingredients

      •really delicious, nice to look at, and something my daughters will want to show off to their friends

      My older daughter in particular always gives me feedback, really focusing on the flavor of every item I put into her bentos. Based on what she tells me, I get to thinking, Well, next time I’ll try this, or Tomorrow I’m going to make her a bento that makes her even happier, or She’ll love it if I put that in her bento tomorrow. And that, I think, is the reason why my bento making has improved — or perhaps I should say, continues to improve!

      In this, my ultimate bento book, I have put together bento items that can be made using various time-saving tricks in ten minutes in the morning, using basic ingredients found in any ordinary refrigerator. On top of that,

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