Bento No. 8 Nori-wrapped Onigiri with Pesto Torikatsu and Carrot+Cucumber Stripa

This Bento is really easy and a bit savory, so I had to tone down the saltiness with carrots and cucumbers. Flavors aren't really bursting, but it's enough to tide you over until afternoon snacks.

Today's Bento Menu

• Nori-Wrapped Onigiri
• Pesto Torikatsu
• Carrot and Cucumber Strips

Nori-Wrapped Onigiri Recipe

Nori-wrapped onigiri is really easy. It's just onigiri wrapped in - you guessed it, a sheet of Nori! So how do you do make this neat triangle-shapped, nori-wrapped onigiri? You'll need hot/warm rice. I don't usually use Japanese rice because it's expensive. I use the short-grain variety, to get that stickiness to it. There are 3 ways to make onigiri rice.

1. Pack plain rice in the rice-mold
2. Flavor the rice, then pack the flavored rice in the mold. Do take note that your rice shouldn't be too saucy or oily, otherwise, the shape won't stick
3. Fill and pack the mold halfway, put the filling in the middle, add rice on top and pack it tightly. Make sure that the filling isn't showing, or oozing out

Let the rice sit in the mold for a while, and while doing this, grab a sheet of nori and cut it across the middle, forming 2 triangles. Gently remove your onigiri from the molds and then gently wrap them with the nori, shiny side up. Make sure not to leave any gaps. You may pat the nori with a wet finger to so secure some loose ends.

Where I bought the ingredients

Nori - Most supermarkets Rice - Almost everywhere Pesto Torikatsu - Bought from SM Supermarket, Megamall Bldg A. Corn and Cucumber - Most supermarkets at markets

Bento Box Day 1 - Torikatsu Parmesan and Ketchup butter gohan with cheesy brocolli

This post is originally from my personal-anything-goes-blog, dated May 8, 2012
 

I was scheming all day yesterday about how to make my SDEHBF feel special on his birth month. I don't know about you, but I love getting the royal treatment on my birth month, and he sure did make me feel special last year. I want to return the favor this time around.

Since he's so into anime and manga, I thought, why not make him a bento box? I was prowling the Internet for ideas on bento making.

So here's my first ever attempt of a bento:


Today's Menu

• Butter-Ketchup Gohan / Rice
• Parmesan Torikatsu
• Blanched Broccoli with cheese sauce
• Vegetable saltine crackers for dividers
• Strips of quickmelt cheese over the gohan

I got the gohan/rice recipe from lunchinabox.net. It was supposed to be an onigiri or a fried rice ball but I had too much butter on my rice mixture that I wasn't able to form strong balls of rice.

My Paremesan Torikatsu was bought from SM Supermarket, pre-made, so all I had to do was fry it. Talk about speedy bentos! I had a bad experience when I bought it though. There was a cockroach on the torikatsu I bought! SDEHBF saw it before it was packed away by the cashier. They "changed" our torikatsu though. Not sure if they just repacked it or if they really replaced my torikatsu. Horrible! horrible! I fried and re-fried the torikatsu just to be sure that the germs are dead. Eeeewww.

The blanched broccoli were left overs from last night's dinner. Notice how it's mostly stalks! Haha! The cheese sauce was made by my wonderful mum. Yay!

Bento Box Story
Nothing much happening in this bento box. I think I did okay for my first bento. The colors looked wonderful, though mostly on the shade of orange.

In this bento box, I just primarily wanted  a basic lunch accommodating the 3 major food groups - Go, grow, and glow! (yeah bit childish terms!).

SDEHBF texted me at around 9am and told me that he was so excited to eat his bento that he ate it at 9am! He also said it was good! I found it deliciously sufficient.

After making and eating this bento, I find myself in a frenzy about bentos. Can't wait to make one tomorrow (or maybe this evening!)