Innie or Outie

Included in this local version of mini-bento meal were mackerel, sweet potato, omelet, kamaboko, konyaku, carrot, string bean, white rice with mountain veggies, brown rice with beans, and salmon roe.

(Click on image to view large size)

So you spent the day repainting the ouside of the house and don’t really feel like fast food, yet you really aren’t in the mood for a heavy or complicated solution, Paint Day Kwiqi Meal:

(Click on image to view large size)

For the meal, I made a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, diced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, and chopped scallions topped with bacon bits, creamy cheese dressing, grated parmesan cheese, and dried oregano flakes; accompanied by fresh mushrooms, sliced spicy sausage, and frozen mustard greens sautéed in sesame oil and minced garlic paste with white pepper and soy sauce and topped with cracked black sesame seeds; also, deep-fried store-bought frozen spiced chicken and home fries served with a mayonnaise and dried parsley flakes dipping sauce; and the remaining leftover frozen springrolls made by hubby served with a simple ketchup and soy sauce dipping sauce.

Here’s another simple, yet quick and tasty, put-together meal, Foil-Wrapped BBQ Fish Dinner:

(Click on image to view large size)

For this barbecue, hubby wrapped red fish fillets with minced ginger paste, minced garlic paste, olive oil, butter, fresh parsley, white pepper, and leek greens in a foil packet; in a separate foil packet, I added sliced bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, chopped leek whites, white pepper, powdered tarragon, sesame oil, and cracked black sesame seeds; and a third foil packet had spicy pork sausage with soy sauce and whole grain mustard. To complete the meal were a small salad of iceberg lettuce, arugula, sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped scallions, herb-croutons, and bacon bits; as well as, a rice cup of leftover precooked rice, turmeric, butter, milk, chopped shrimp sautéed in olive oil and minced garlic paste, chopped cherry tomato, chopped fresh parsley, and spiced seaweed sheets.

When time is in short supply, here’s a super quick home cooked meal that can be put together in minutes, Under 10 Chicken & Rice:

(Click on image to view large size)

Simply remove some basic crockpot chicken base from the freezer; heat in microwave on high for at least 5 -6 minutes; remove from microwave and place in serving plate; at the same time, reheat precooked rice in microwave; remove rice and combine with chicken; sprinkle with dried thyme flakes; serve.

We had a brief reprieve in the weather the other day and decided to throw together an outdoor meal, Spur-of-the-Moment Chicken BBQ:

(Click on image to view large size)

The meal consisted of chicken mini-drumsticks marinated in sesame oil, whole grain mustard, honey, dried thyme flakes, white pepper; and minced garlic paste; pork sausage, foil-wrapped sweet corn-on-the-cob with butter, soy sauce, and dried parsley flakes; leek; a salad of iceberg lettuce, arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber; and dried oregano flakes drizzled with a creamy cheese salad dressing; and a Chinese-style fried rice (from a local supermarket) with nori cup.

This is a simple, tasty, and frugal home cooked meal idea of hubby’s, Papa’s F&C Veggie-Tenpura Dinner:

(Click on image to view large size)

For the meal hubby made a tenpura batter, dipped some red fish fillets in part of the batter; sautéed the morsels in olive oil; then smothered the results in tartar sauce. He then used the remainder of the batter for a thin veggie-tenpura of kaiware daikon, leek, fresh basil, and chives; and rounded the meal off with some home-style chips drizzled with ketchup.

This is a local “Western-style” bento meal with ingredients most people will recognize: braised chicken on a bed of rice, hamburger with demi-glaze sauce, deep fried fish fillets with tartar sauce, corn niblets, carrot, green beans, and tomato sauce penne.

(Click on image to view large size)

Here’s a simple and tasty meal for those semi-busy days, Tarragon-Pork Dinner:

(Click on image to view large size)

The meal consisted of pork roast marinaded in sesame oil, minced garlic, white pepper, balsamic vinegar, and dried tarragon flakes; then sautéed in the marinade with cracked black sesame seeds and white onion slices added; sliced then placed on a bed leftover rice with turmeric, butter, dried parsley flakes, and sour cream added; surrounded by canned button mushroom slices and chopped frozen asparagus sautéed in olive oil with white pepper and soy sauce added.

Sometimes hubby just feels like a good steak ‘n taters meal, Papa’s Here’s-the-Beef Dinner:

(Click on image to view large size)

The meal consisted of steak sautéed in olive oil and smothered in a red wine, garlic, white pepper, and ginger sauce; baked potato with a dollop of sour cream; frozen mixed veggies and frozen karashina sautéed in butter; and a side salad of arugula, iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and kaiware radish with creamy cheese dressing drizzled on top.

Here’s another original home cooked meal idea, Make Ahead Carrot Soup Brunch:

(Click on image to view large size)

This is another “from scratch” meal. I prefer to keep the skin on the soup veggies for the added nutritional and fiber benefits. This method tends to make the soups a bit thicker than usual. Also, a regular pot method can be used if you prefer to not make the soup ahead of time.

Equipment and All Ingredients Needed

1 Crockette 1 Strainer 1 Knife 1 Cutting board 1 Cookie cutter 1 Blender/processor
1 Microwavable container with lid 1 Microwave 2 Frying pans 2 Stovetop burners

7 Frozen shrimp

4 Cherry tomatoes

2 Slices bread

1 Spanish olive

1 Large carrot

1 Thin slice white onion

¼ Cucumber

1½ Cups milk

1½ Cups cream

1½ Cups frozen karashina (mustard greens)

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 Tablespoon leek

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced garlic paste

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 Teaspoons white pepper

1 Teaspoon minced ginger paste

1 Teaspoon powdered marjoram

1 Teaspoon dried oregano flakes

1 Teaspoon cracked black sesame seeds

1 Teaspoon chicken broth granules

½ Teaspoon powdered thyme

¼ Teaspoon anise seed

¼ Teaspoon horseradish

Iceberg lettuce

Fresh radish sprouts (kaiware)

Fresh parsley sprigs

View video with further details.