Happy Halloween! Hope all of you are having a fun and safe holiday. I love all the fantastic Halloween bentos I've been seeing this week, and don't worry, I have one of my own to share as well!
October 27
The week started out with this rather decadent lunch I made for Steve. It features leftovers from one of our favorite meals to make: Cabernet-braised beef short ribs. The rib is served over gorgonzola polenta, with a sprig of rosemary for a garnish. In the little cup in the second container is the gremolata we serve over the ribs. It features lemon zest, rosemary, thyme and parsley... really livens up the dish! Then there's a little fruit for dessert: Fuyu persimmon slices and pomegranate seeds.
Here's my lunch: a flavorful vegetarian bento. The lively salad in the front features goat cheese and purple bell peppers with cute little bottles storing some red wine vinegar and olive oil. In the back is a brown rice medley with a sprig of rosemary (which was really tasty with the rice!). And like Steve's lunch, mine had pomegranate seeds and persimmon slices for a sweet treat!
October 28
Here's a bento I made and ate at home. We had a couple garlicky shrimp leftover from a meal earlier in the week (there they are in the red square) and I thought I'd whip up a batch of goat cheese "mac" to go with it. I threw a few kalamata olives in there for some more flavor. In the yellow square are juicy pearl tomatoes and some roasted asparagus, and finally, in the green square, there's a heart-shaped oatmeal raisin cookie for dessert!
October 30
And here's my Halloween bento! The Jack-o-lantern is made from kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkin. So yes, a pumpkin made out of pumpkin! I simmered the squash in dashi stock seasoned with some soy sauce and mirin. Then for ol' Jack here I cut a smiling face from nori. Next to him is a wasabi-ginger-sesame tuna salad. In the middle container is black rice (which, as you can see, is purple when cooked) and some edamame. I liked the colors together.. reminded me of Halloween somehow. It was also my first time having black rice, and it sure is delicious! It's hearty and has a great nutty flavor.. and plus, it naturally looks so cool in bentos! In the back are kiwi slices and some "Ghoulie Gummies": gummy candies with a gooey liquid center...shaped like pumpkins and spiders! I believe the flavors were boysenberry and orange... so yummy.
Wow! Can you believe we've already reached the end of October? I sure can't... uh oh, that means winter's a little bit closer. >_<
Hope everyone had a great Halloween (with more treats than tricks)! See you next week with more bentos!
Your bentos are so colorful for the eye - and they sound delicious. I especially like the first veg bento that you posted. Rosemary and rice tastes really good together.
ReplyDeleteAll of the bentos look great but especially that short rib and polenta one on top!! Get in my belly!
ReplyDeleteA ride on a culinary magic carpet...gremolata sounds divine, especially combined with gorganzola polenta (YUM!) and short ribs. Inspriring as always, Megg!
ReplyDelete@Stretching My Imagination: Thanks for your comment! I love furikake on rice but sometimes a simple herb is just the thing!
ReplyDelete@Carol and Jenn: Thanks you two!^_^ I want to post the recipe (for the ribs and polenta) soon but not sure if the photos I took this time turned out that well... but maybe that's just a perfect excuse to make it again!
Absolutely beautiful bentos! The beef short ribs sound amazing, especially with the gremolata! I would love to see your recipe...... teeheehee
ReplyDelete