All posts filed under: Recipes

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich

Published by

Sandwiches are never the most interesting lunch option, but with tandoori chicken, the warm spices and juicy filling can surely lighten up your day. Takes only 30 minutes in the oven, Tandoori chicken is very convenient to make during one of these work form home days. Before your 11:30 meetings, place marinated chicken thighs on a baking sheet and send to oven. By the time your meeting is over, your lunch awaits! Tandoori Chicken Sandwich Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 5 minutes (excluding marination time) Cook time: 30 minutes Ingredients: Marinade for 2 chicken thighs: 1/3 cup Greek yogurt Juice of 1/4 lemon 1/2 garlic clove, grated 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt Grounded black pepper Chili powder Method: Mix all ingredients for the marinade. Massage chicken thighs to coat it with marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Cook the chicken for 30-35 minutes. 3. Assemble the sandwiches with lettuce, onion, tomatoes and other vegetables of your choice. …

Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

Published by

Sweet, tangy, with a hint of spice, this pineapple and shrimp fried rice is great for summer lunch and so easy to make! Before I moved to the US, I never understand why in many literature, summer night is a time that’s most enjoyable. As in Asia, summer night is usually hot, humid, and sometimes suffocating. Pineapple and shrimp fried rice is a dish represents summer in Asia for me. The tropical fruit fragrant paired with the umami from the ocean reminds me of those holidays on the beach Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 10 minutes (including marination time) Cook time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 5-6 large shrimps, cut into bite size 1 tablespoon cooking rice wine or masala wine A pinch of salt 1/2 cup diced pineapple (it can be fresh, canned, or frozen) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2.5 cups cold cooked rice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup 2-3 teaspoons sriratcha sauce 1/4 cup of frozen edamame or peas Method: Marinate shrimps with cooking rice wine and …

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Slices

Published by

Yesterday I got my second shot of vaccine. I felt well until last night. I then experienced mild fever and sore muscles for the whole night and today. I couldn’t leave bed for too long and I’m extremely fatigued. Luckily, I made my bento yesterday. I love pairing pineapple with pork tenderloin. I got this inspiration from Brazilian churrasco and roasted pineapple. The enzyme in pineapple helps to tenderize the tenderloin and keeps the pork softer and moist. The tropical fruit smell of pineapple goes really well with the spices. For vegetarians, you can try roasted pineapple slices as a starter or serve with ice cream as a dessert! Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Slices Recipe Yield: 4 bento Prep time: 10 minutes (excluding marination time) Cook time: 30 minutes Ingredients: Pork tenderloin marinade: 1 lb pork tenderloin 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon of salt Few grounded black pepper A handful of freshly chopped thyme leaves A handful of freshly chopped rosemary 2 tablespoon pineapple juice Pineapple slices: 10-12 fresh pineapple …

Braised Pork Belly with Meigan Cai

Published by

Ever since I bought a pack of Meigan cai, or pickled Chinese mustard, I feel the urge of making braised pork whenever I see meigan cai. I guess this stuff is addictive! Meigan cai is dried and pickled Chinese mustard. It is known in Taiwan as a ingredient of Hakka dish, but in fact it’s quite popular in the whole south-eastern China. Chinese mustard is a magical plant for me. There are at least five types of popular pickles are made from it. Each pickle go through different phases of process, and thus each has their special flavor. Since Meigan cai is the pickle which takes longest time to make among the Chinese mustard pickle family, it has a very deep, intense, and mild flavor. To “wake up” your meigan cai, you need to soak it in clean water till it turns soft, and then fry it to bring out its fragrance. Even though Meigan cai is generally fermented with salt, sugar, and chili pepper, there are still some minor differences in taste and flavor …

Cinco De Mayo Taco rice

Published by

I celebrated Cinco de Mayo this year with Taco rice, a fusion dish from Okinawa. I always like the origin stories of fusion dishes. It almost feels like reading classic comedies: These stories usually starts with a sad tone of how immigrants feeling misplaced, homesick, or lacking of resources, but with a twist of serendipity and innovation, the ending is nice and delicious. The bravery and perseverance of the inventors in the stories become flavorful seasonings of the fusion dish in our plates. The invention story of taco rice happened in an southern island of Japan, Okinawa, where the US troop locates. To serve the Without using taco shells, Okinawa restaurants used warm rice to pair with the fillings in taco and this dish was popular among the US troops stationed in Okinawa. I used impossible foods to make my taco rice vegetarian. It’s very delicious and easy to make. Hope you enjoy it! Taco Rice Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Ingredients: For the taco filling: 1 tablespoon …

Orange Sauce Chicken Roll

Published by

Orange sauce is a traditional Taiwanese dipping sauce made from kamquat and chili. It’s popular in northern Taiwan and was mainly made by Hakka people. It has strong citrus fragrance which makes it a perfect sauce for pork and poultry. I was so surprised to find orange sauce in a Taiwanese organic grocery store the other day. It feels almost like a twenty year reunion with a childhood friend🤣 If you don’t have any Taiwanese friend to bring you some orange sauce, you can simply ignore it or use a little bit of marmalade as a easy replacement. Orange Sauce Chicken Roll Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 10 minutes (excluding marination time) Cook time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 boneless chicken, skin on chicken thigh 1 tablespoon soy sauce (marinade) 1 tablespoon cooking rice wine (marinade) 6-8 string beans, blanched in salt water 6-8 carrots, cut into the same length and thickness as string beans, blanched in salt water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon mirin 2 tablespoon hot water 1.5 …

Tomato Tofu Sauce & 3 Ways to Use it!

Published by

Many followers shared with me about their main challenges in making bento recently. The main reason that people find making bento challenging is the required time and effort. I for one can empathize the pain. There are times when I feel unmotivated and exhausted from work and school, and the least thing I want to do is spending time planning lunch menus. Not to mention cooking! To save your time and still eating healthy homemade bento, I invented this recipe of tomato tofu sauce and three ways of using it in different bentos. These three bentos featured tomato tofu sauce as a: Topping for rice Filling for sushi sandwich Filling for portobello mushroom patty (See our recipes for Mushroom Burger and Sushi Sandwich) The best thing about this sauce is that it can be entirely vegetarian by replacing the minced meat with plant based meat. You can make the sauce in the weekend and use it during the week to make yourself some quick and delicious meals. Tomato Tofu Sauce Recipe Yield: 8 bentos Ingredients: …

Portobello Mushroom Burger

Published by

Portobello mushroom burger is my go-to meal when I feel like having something easy and quick. Since I like my burger loaded up with fresh vegetables, it usually end up become a very fulfilling meal despite its low calories. (Amazing, right?) For the filling, I usually pair it with my Tomato Tofu Sauce because I found the combo of melted cheese, portobello mushroom, and tomato tofu sauce insanely delicious. Other than that, few spoons of pesto, alfredo, or any leftover spaghetti sauce go well with Portobello mushroom as well. Like I said, this burger is easy and quick. You can play with whatever ingredients in your pantry. Also, this mushroom burger can be easily made into vegetarian version by removing the meat filling. And its flavor can be enhanced by adding few drops of truffle hot sauce on the cheese before serving. Portobello Mushroom Burger Recipe Yield: 1 bento Ingredients: 1 portobello mushroom 2-3 tablespoons of Tomato Tofu Sauce Few salt Few pepper Few Pizza Cheese Hot sauce of choice Method: Preheat oven to 350F. …

Sushi Sandwiches/Onigirazu

Published by

Sushi sandwich, or “onigirazu” is by far my favorite picnic food! I’ve made it many times for picnic, hiking, and road trips. It’s really convenient and easy to make. Usually I prep the filling and rice one day before, and in the morning, I only need around 30 minutes to assemble them. Fillings for sushi sandwich is very versatile. Any dish without too much sauce or gravy can work. Here are some of my favorites: Ginger pork Teriyaki chicken Tuna corn salad Tomato Tofu Sauce Spam & omelette Sautéed carrots & omelette Sautéed spinach & mushroom After making sushi sandwiches for so many times, here are some tips that I learned from my past experience: Make sure to use warm or hot rice. This will also soften the seaweed sheet and keep the whole sandwich stick together. When stacking the filling, keep in mind where you will cut the sandwich and plan the cross-section accordingly Let the sushi sandwich sit for a few minutes to set Before cutting each sandwich, rinse your knife to prevent …

Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly & Extra Firm Tofu

Published by

My ultimate comfort food is Taiwanese braised pork. Whenever I open the cover of a pot of Taiwanese braised pork, for a moment I almost feel that I’m in the lively wet market in Taipei, enjoying hot and yummy food. Normally I use extra firm tofu from Asian grocery stores, but since I found the high protein tofu from Trader Joe’s, I was so addicted to its natural soy flavor and started using it exclusively . By adding Sichuan peppercorn, my braised pork has a little kick of spice, which makes it more addictive. Enjoy! Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Recipe Yield: 8-10 bento Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40-50 minutes Ingredients: 3-4 pork belly strips, around 1lb Warm water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 scallion, cut into chunks 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper corn powder 2-3 chili peppers 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup cooking rice wine 2 tbsp dark soy sauce 14 oz extra firm tofu, diced 3-4 hard boiled egg (optional) Method: In a medium …