Everyday Bento Week Day Four - Honey Mustard Chicken On Rice

It's the very same thing for both kids, because Mum's battery is running low. The obligatory shake of sesame seeds makes the whole thing look much nicer, doesn't it?

Everyday Bento Week Day Three

East meets West Don for Takoyaki.

Menu:

Cajun grilled chicken chop

Stir-fried winged beans

Kimchi

Very Japanese Onigirazu for RM. Made with cocktail sausages and salad on the side.

Everyday Bento Week Day Two - Japanese Curry

Other than my having to wake up at 5.45am just to heat the curry and pour it in, today's bento was easy peasy.

The meat this time is pork shoulder/collar, which stands up to slow braising (1.5hrs). Cooked with carrots and potatoes. Yum.

Everyday Bento Week Day One - Storebought Pastry

This week looks rather bento-heavy due to the schedule of both Takoyaki and Roast Meat, so I took a shortcut by giving RM a chicken mushroom puff from OCK.

Tuna Mayo Sub on Sourdough

I am proud to present homemade Sourdough Baguette in today's bento. My relationship with sourdough baking has always been somewhat rocky, but yesterday we (sourdough and me) had a beautiful lovechild - mini baguettes.

The crust was crispy and chewy, while the crumb was light and sweet. Gotta bake this again!

Sausage and Egg Rice Bento

It's been a long time since I last packed a more Japanese style bento, which I really love.

Both Takoyaki and Roast Meat had Taiwan style cocktail sausage with tamagoyaki. Only the fruits are different.

Takoyaki's

RM's

Instant Noodles for First Day of Term Two

Cos I didn't have anything else or any energy left after a volleyball session.

I "nutrified" it (is there such a word?) with peas, surimi and freshly made kimchi.

Return of the Onigirazu

Reportedly one of Roast Meat's favourite bento foods (but then which of them isn't his favourite? He's like a cockroach, eats practically everything), the Onigirazu makes a comeback in 2016 with chicken mayo, corn and cucumber slices.

Happy Sweet 15th birthday to Takoyaki!

She brought kimchi soup and rice to school this morning, but she didn't know what was coming.

I'd planned a surprise birthday celebration in school for her, and colluded (haha) with her best friend to get her clique to the canteen to celebrate together.

I baked her a Devil's Food Chocolate Cake with water ganache icing. This was my first time using a water ganache and I think the result turned out better than the cream ganaches I've made in the past. The recipe is from David Lebovitz. The "Eat Me" was written with a little melted white chocolate I had left over. Girl loves the Alice in Wonderland movie (starring JD).

Chicken and Cuke Stuffed Sourdough Pita Pockets

So glad to be able to use this box for Takoyaki again, it's been too long. 

The main meal is sourdough pita stuffed with chicken mayo and Japanese cucumber slices.

Chicken Breast Spaghetti Two Ways

Chicken Breasts were baked the day before specifically for use in bentos and also for my breakfast today. Ave chicken breast!

Aglio Olio for Roast Meat

Bolognaise for Takoyaki

Herbal Chicken Rice Bento

It's turning out to be thermal week for Takoyaki, who enjoys having some hot soupy or saucy meal (she's really very afraid of cold, unlike me) when she has a long recess period at school. Seems the queues are super long on combined recess days, so she's glad to be able to just sit down and start wolfing food down while her friends are queueing up to buy food d:P

This Herbal Chicken is not Chicken Soup, which comes with lots of... soup. This is a chicken double-boiled or steamed with only the chicken's juices and some Shaoxing wine so it's really thick and flavourful.

When I first started cooking Herbal Chicken, I bought a packet of spices usually called Emperor Chicken Spices 帝皇鸡. But these packets of spices (across the brands) all contain MSG, and I always felt rather guilty using them for my family. After all, it's home-cooked food so there really should be as few additives as possible, right?

Then one day my Chinese cuisine sifu (master) served up her own version of Herbal Chicken and told me that that delicious dish was NOT made with those spice packets. Instead, she used commonly found herb packets for herbal chicken soup, except instead of following the instructions and using enough water to cover the chicken, she only added a little bit of water and wine to achieve the same result as the double-boiled dish. And to my conundrum, there the solution was.

Recipe for Herbal Chicken 药材鸡

Ingredients:

One whole chicken about 1.3-1.5kg (I always buy Sakura)

Two packets of 炖鸡汤料 dun ji tang liao (Stewed Herbal Chicken Soup), whichever brand you like

Extra goji berries (optional)

Half to one cup of Shaoxing wine

Half cup water

Half teaspoon salt

Method:

Wash the chicken well, pat dry if you wish (I don't) and rub all over with salt.

Place chicken feet and neck (if you like them) in bottom of Dutch oven big enough to hold chicken with some extra space.

Place chicken on top of feet and neck. The makeshift "rack" made up of feet and neck help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pot and potentially burning.

Rinse all the herbs (it says so on the packet - Wash before using), drain well and scatter all over the chook. Stuff a few inside the cavity. Add extra goji berries if you have them and like them.

Pour water and wine over, put the lid on and cook on low heat. 

Set timer for one hour.

After one hour, remove the lid and gently poke the chicken meat with a fork. It should be almost falling off the bone or at least, shred very easily. If not, replace lid and cook an extra 15 min.

Serve hot with rice.

Continental Breakfast Bento

The mini ham bun is from Four Leaves bakery and so is the croissant, which I stuffed with tuna mayo and cucumber. RM said it was incredibly delicious (most likely in the hope that I will make that for him again, ha!).

台湾卤肉饭 Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Bento

We love this once in a while and there are always leftovers because I cook a huge pot. Takoyaki is a huge supporter of this. And of course it must always include a braised hardboiled egg.