Four nests bento

Bento content:
-Japanese noodle (soba)
-Quail eggs
–Kohlrabi and walnut sprinkles
-Red cabbage flavoured with ginger, Brussels sprouts,
-Broccoli flavoured with paprika
–Sweet Japanese black beans
–Radish and carrot pickles with olives
-Bf’s cheese sandwich and Brussels sprouts.

It’s the first time I find quail eggs in the nearby shop. I couldn’t resist trying them. I had in mind a eagle’s nest made with soba noodles and some green sprinkles which should be quite flavoured to highlight a bit our cold lunch. I had prepared some flavoured greens to go with them and was trying to present it not to awfully, when Bear came with the idea of doing 4 nests and adding olives to the last nest.
The broccoli nest is laying over some sweet Japanese black beans mix. These pulses are really sweet and make a truly good bento item. The salty taste from the sprinkles contrasted really nicely with this sweetness. Bear came home really happy of this bento! I enjoyed it too by the way, but somehow when Bear enjoys it too it’s so more meaningful…

Little flowers to remember that Spring will come somehow

Bento content:
-Rice
–Omelette flavoured with miso
-Brussels sprouts, red cabbage flavoured with chilli pepper and ginger,
-Broccoli, raw mushrooms, carrot and radish pickle,
-Flower made with raw red cabbage, carrot, parsley stalk and mushrooms.
-BF gets mini cheese sandwiches.

Lately I was in a creative mood. I wanted to colour a bit our bentos and I had this pattern in the mind: a yellow omelette with a flower to remember that Spring will somehow knock at the door and fight back the snow and the grey skies.
Because most time the kyaraben don’t resist travelling I’ve glued each element with cheese spread. Therefore, when we opened our bento at lunch time, the flower pattern was still prettily there. As usual, there’s such a different between what I have in mind and how I poorly manage to present them.

Solar eclipse

Bento content
–Spinach mix, ratatouille
-Mushroom, tomato and cucumber slices
-Parsley hedge
–Glazed seitan with Brussels sprouts
-Broccoli trees, carrot flowers, cheese suns and nori planet
-Black rice, white rice.

We were speaking about bento making and decorations with Bear. And, when looking in my cupboards he found this black rice, that I cherish, and came up with this idea of solar eclipse. One picture before the eclipse and one during it, using the two rices. It took me quite a while but I believe I managed to feature the image he had in mind.
On the cooking side, the only new item is the glazed seitan with Brussels sprouts. The spinach is the left-overs of the filling of the spinach pancake we made on Saturday evening, the ratatouille is the left-overs from Sunday meal.
The broccoli was cooked in water flavoured with ginger, chilli pepper powder, garlic, salt and pepper. The carrots are raw and cut with tiny cake cutters, the stalks of the flowers are made out of parsley stalk.

Thinking about Maki’s challenge and advised proportions : Bear told me that one half of the bento full with rice is far too much…Have to review my proportions!

Spicy tomato sauce and cabbage

Bento content:
-Grated carrot with a Japanese style vinaigrette
–Quinoa beetroot bites sprinkled with chilli pepper powder
-Broccoli and cabbage mini burgers sprinkled with ginger powder
–Lentils and pumpkin seeds muffins
-Basmati rice with carrot and nori
–Spicy tomato sauce and cabbage
-Chocolate and banana yoghurt cupcake

Oh, I’m so sad, we finished our beetroot cupcakes! I had to prepare new cupcakes. These are easy yoghurt cupcakes flavoured with banana and chocolate.
The other new item in this bento is the spicy tomato cabbage.
And guess what, I managed to forget my bento at home! I had to go back and eat at home.
Grr…There’s no use to prepare a bento if you forget it! I’m so scatterbrain.

This time you can have a view of the two bentos. Bisounours_51 decorated mine (two tier bento) and me his (blue bento).
Okay, I have to admit…he’s so more creative!

A similar bento with broccoli and cabbage mini burgers

Bento content:
-Grated carrot with a Japanese style vinaigrette
-Carrot variation of the vegetarian sushi
-Broccoli and cabbage burgers sprinkled with ginger powder
–Quinoa beetroot bites sprinkled with chilli pepper powder
–Lentils and pumpkin seeds muffins
–Beetroot cupcakes.

Well, the bento is really similar to yesterday’s. But, it’s well-balanced (for a vegetarian eater) and took less than ten minutes to put together. So, at least, I managed to stick to my goals! Thanks Maki for the motivation!

I cannot give you the precise recipe for the broccoli and cabbage burgers, as I merely just cooked both veggies in water with a vegetarian stock cube, blended them, added ginger, rice flour, soya flour, polenta and flour until it was thick enough to make burgers that I could cook in a frying pan (both sides). I wasn’t awake enough
to keep track of how much of what I put inside to make them. I hope, you’ll forgive me.

Oh, by the way, the blue bentos featured lately are Bisounours_51’s. I wouldn’t be able to eat so much! 🙂