お弁当 (Homemade bento lunches)

I've started bringing my own lunches again to work at least once a week since February. While not all of them are 100% healthy (one of my latest bentos was katsudon), at least I get to control what I put in my body as I try to include at least two different vegetables in every meal.

Here's some visuals of my lunch boxes for the past four months taken with my iPhone 4S. :D

 Bento - Inarizushi topped with buttered corn and crab mayo, hijiki carrot salad, sesame mixed cucumbers, leftover bulgogi chicken and ajitsuke tamago.

Bibimbap (비빔밥)

It could be the Korean lessons I'm taking. Or it could be the cold weather. But I seem to crave Korean food very frequently these few days. The ultimate craving being for good ol' simple 비빔밥 - Korean bibimbap. 비빔밥 literally translates into "mixed rice" - a bowl of rice topped with a variety of vegetables (meat optional) and red pepper paste sauce. Add a fried egg and sprinkling of sesame seeds and you're good to go. The ingredients are all mixed together right before consumption.

There are several names for the humble Korean dish, the ones I'm more familiar with are 양념비빔밥 (Yangpun bibimbap) - the ones most commonly shown in Korean dramas where the Koreans dump a whole load of leftover stuff into a kick ass metal bowl and start mixing everything before digging in with a spoon; 돌솥비빔밥 (Dolsot bibimbap) - served in a hot stone pot, where the bottom layer of the rice becomes delicious crispy rice bits and just plain ol' 비빔밥.

비빔밥 lunch bentos

Pictures 13

Enjoy.

Lemon bars and brownies made about two weeks ago for well, Fiona's birthday.

210808 bento: Inari sushi, tomatoes, broccoli, miso chicken

220808 bento: Furikake rice, broccoli, grilled salmon and loads of water. I borrowed the interesting book from the library, but a pity I couldn't finish it in time before the due date...

Berries custard tarts which were so easy to make using frozen puff pastry. Simple dessert ready in less than half an hour (could be).

280808 bento: Beef rolls, steamed veg, bean sprouts, basmati rice and tomatoes

Woo Aa's friend bought her a big strawberry shortcake. We all had a slice. yums.

290808 bento: Brown rice, beef rolls, strawberries and orange.

Ingredients in making...?

Here's a clue...matcha powder...

Matcha cookies. (: For Silvia's 22nd.

I think I'm getting into that whole "k-let's-find-suitable-props-and-bg-deco-to-match-the-food-to-snap-pictures" mode.

It's lucky how the house has these petite elegant teacups and matching saucers. Jasmine tea and matcha cookies shaped in poker- card shapes.

Flowers

One of my favourite shots. What do you think?

030908 lunch: Canned salmon, tomato, butter lettuce on nine grains bread