Obento, packing lunch…

(This is a Japanese food pyramid poster sponsored by some major food corporations, I believe the official government one is far larger and includes categories for fermented foods and sea vegetables.)

I usually just pack leftovers as a lunch for the hubby. When there are no leftovers, he sometimes leaves in morning with a banana and an orange and calls it a meal. With our families always insisting he’s too thin, I try feed him as often as I can. Usually in addition to dinner, he eats most of my baked goods and I pack him lunch when he’s substitute teaching. Here’s an example of my obento (not the cutest or most elaborate).

1 1/2 cup cooked short grain rice

1 tsp red shiso furikake (rice seasoning)
1/2 sheet nori (cut into small strips)
1 egg (beaten w/ dash of salt & pepper)
3 shitake mushrooms
1 korean pepper
1 tsp sesame

2 tsp mirin
1 tbsp oil
handful of (1 cup) baby spinach
4 cherry tomatoes (halved)

Cook rice according to package (I used a rice cooker and added some mixed grains). Cut mushrooms and peppers into strips. Heat up a small pan, add oil and then sesame seeds. Give it a few seconds for the sesame seeds to toast up and then throw in the mushrooms and peppers. Cook till mushrooms have shrunk and the peppers soften, then add the mirin and the spinach, stir till they wilt. I put the veggies in one corner of the dish, and the rice on the other half. With a hot pan coated in oil, pour the beaten egg in and swirl around. It should spread out thin like a crepe, and fold it over on itself twice to get a wedge. Stick in the egg and tomatoes, and sprinkle the rice with nori and furikake. You can make it completely vegan by replacing the egg with tofu or natto (for the adventurous). I think I got in a good chunk of the food pyramid, and I applied the principles of washoku (balance of colors and flavors). Made me feel like a Japanese housewaifuu.

 -L

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