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 No. 7 - Cold Soba Noodles with Hardboiled Egg

As I make more bentos, it seems that I want to try and make more Japanese themed ones. I wanted to experiment more on flavor and I dared to go where I wouldn't have gone if I were just the eat-loving person that I was a year ago.

This bento is an experiment bento that I whipped up in under 20 minutes. Not really bad for a first time recipe!

Today's Bento Menu

• Cold Soba Noodles
• Hardboiled Egg

Cold Soba Noodles Recipe

The Cold Soba Noodles were easy enough. It just needed a few ingredients and it's good to go.

4 Tbsp Rice/White Wine	1 Tsp Flavoring or 2 Tbsp dashi stock
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce	2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Bundles Soba Noodles

1. Cook the Soba according to package instructions
2. While you're boiling the noodles, make the sauce by combining the rice/white wine, white sugar, flavor enhancer (could be dashi stock but I don't have any), and soy sauce. Mix them together until all the sugar is dissolved. It may help to heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds just help in dissolving the sugar. Don't heat it up too long or the alcohol will dissipate completely. Place it in a non-spill container that will fit in your lunch box. Remember to cool the sauce completely before packing
3. When your Soba Noodles have finished cooking, drain the water and rinse it with cold running water (I used tap, since tap water is relatively cold compared to the boiling water). This is to remove any starch. Cold Soba Noodles, as I have read, should not have the starchiness that noodles have. Be careful though, these noodles are slippery!
4. Arrange your Soba Noodles neatly in your lunch box. Garnish as desired. I used Nori Strips

Hardboiled Eggs Recipe

Do I even have to expound on how this is done? Haha.

1. Put your eggs in a pot with enough water to submerge the eggs
2. bring the water to a boil
3. once water is boiling, let the egg boil for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how hard you want your eggs
4. drain the water and submerge the eggs in cool water
5. carefully peal the shell, and cut in half, or cut in half and then peal the shell carefully

Where to Buy the Ingredients

Here's a list of where you can buy the ingredients I used in this recipe.

	Shallot Sauce Where it was bought: Carvajal, St. Binondo Alternative stores: None that I know of
	Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce Where it was bought: South Super Market, Ligaya Alternative stores: Major Supermarkets
	Wang Soba Noodles Where it was bought: Robinsons Metro East Supermarket Alternative stores: Major Supermarkets with Asian section
	Sugar Can be bought anywhere
	Egg Can be bought anywhere
	Korean Vodka(?) I don't know. This was given to us. Probably in Korean stores

Bento No. 6 Yakisoba with Sho-yu Tamago and Vegan creamcheese Bell Pepper

This bento is just a repeat of a previous bento, with just the addition of the Sho-Yu Tamago. This is actually the last bento I made for lunch as a technical consultant for my 2nd job. I didn't want to burn myself out on my last day of work so I made an easy bento. Plus, I really wanted to try that vegan cream cheese recipe that I've been reading about.

Bento Menu:

1. Nissin Instant Yakisoba
2. Sho-Yu Tamago
3. Vegetarian Creamcheese filled Bell Pepper (failed).
4. Cut pieces of Nori

The Yakisoba is easy enough, my recipe to kick the flavor up a notch can be found here.

Sho-Yu Tamago or Soy Sauce is really easy to make. Took me about 3 minutes to give the egg that brown color. More or less 10 if you include boiling the egg and shelling it. It's best done the night before.

I got the Sho-Yu Tamago idea from Just Bento, so head on over there to check out how it's made

My Bento Story I wanted to make an easy bento with enough oomph to brighten up my last day. Though I quit the job and it was my choice to leave, saying goodbye is really tough. I'm not only saying goodbye to my friends, I was also saying goodbye to the happy and fun lunch breaks I get to spend with Kitty. I actually loved to color, and since it's a remake, I assumed everything would go without a hitch, not until I tried out my vegan cream cheese! It tasted weird! I guess I have to find a neat-o recipe for vegan cream cheese. Some of the veggies I used weren't really that fresh. Some even tasted funky.. eew! So overall, this bento didn't really do well for me, but not because it wasn't good. It's just that I made the wrong choice of ingredients.