Japanese Bento Box Lunch

 

Source: Gathering Dreams

For the omelet (Tamagoyaki)

1 egg
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin - substitute with rice vinegar + ½ teaspoon raw brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - or avocado oil

For the Japanese salad

½ cup red cabbage - finely shredded
½ white cabbage - finely shredded
1 small carrot - cut into matchsticks
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
4-5 cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon miso paste
½ tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon grated ginger

Other ingredients

¾ cup cooked brown rice - around ¼ cup uncooked rice per bento box (50g)
½ cup spicy salt & chili edamame
2 slices smoked wild salmon - or fresh sushi-grade salmon



Omelette (Tamagoyaki inspired)

• In a small bowl, beat the egg well using a fork (or in authentic Japanese style, you can use chopsticks).
• Add the soy sauce, mirin, and a tiny pinch of salt and mix until all the ingredients are combined. If you don’t have mirin, you can add rice vinegar and a ½ teaspoon of brown sugar to give it a bit of sweetness.
• Heat a small skillet at medium-high temperature, and with the help of a pastry brush or a kitchen towel, spread a light layer of oil.
• Pour a thin layer of egg mixture into the skillet. Once the egg has cooked slightly, roll it into a cylinder and let it cook for another few seconds.
• Remove the omelet from the pan, let it cool slightly, and press it a bit before slicing it into thin rolls.
• Note: A real Tamagoyaki is made by creating different layers of cooked egg. This is a much-simplified version that you can prepare in a few minutes for your quick and easy lunch.

Japanese salad

• In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger, miso, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water and set it aside.
• In another bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds together with the dressing 

Bento Box Assembly

• Assemble all ingredients into your bento box.
• Let everything cool down at room temperature before sealing.