Bento-style meals?

[Crono]

I just bought a bento (box? not really a box, more like a carrier) kit (this) and I could use some recipe recommendations for soups and other small courses that are relatively cheap and easy to make. The only restaurants that are open at the time I work (8PM - 5AM, lunch for me is around midnight or later) are fast food places which don't offer a ton of tasty, healthy food, and I'm usually likely to overeat whatever food I get from those places. Plus I only have a 30 min lunch, and it takes too long to drive and come back, and I like to spend some of my time reading or talking to coworkers.

Anyone have recommendations? Doesn't need to be Japanese or Asian cuisine necessarily, any type of cuisine (within reason) is acceptable to
me.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

That's actually pretty damn cool. Would be perfect to take along to the slopes in the winter.

 

[I Saw OJ]

So you bought a 50 dollar lunch box?

 

[Crono]

That's actually pretty damn cool. Would be perfect to take along to the slopes in the winter.

Yeah, I was holding off on getting it for a while, but ordered on weekend with a 32 ounce Nissan Thermos (coffee maker at workplace sucks).

I go camping with friends from time to time, would be useful also to bring for a lunch meal between hiking trails.

 

[Key West]

This is not only common in Asia, it's a must.

While I grew up there, everyone brought these thermo bento boxes for school lunch. The rice still stayed warm and you have an array of side dishes you eat it with.

The most amazing part is that friends will huddle up together and share all side dishes, turning it into a mini potluck lunch.

That sure beats bringing lunch meat to HS here.. (oh wow and a bag of chips!)

 

[gaidensensei]

I have always had bad experiences with using soups at work, sloshing around and need to hold upright for the trip.. ymmv. Did it once and it was a bad idea, stuck to solids ever since then.

That link is obviously created for asian cuisines, (Zojirushi brand) as the multiple bowls implies the concept of different selection.

I'm guessing the real purpose you bought it for was mainly for eating healthy.

One bowl is pretty much for the rice - use brown or red bean , aromatic or middle eastern rice if you want to go healthier. Fried rice works too. None of these are FDA implied, just culture concepts with it.

Do you know how to make chinese food?

 

[Crono]

I'm guessing the real purpose you bought it for was mainly for eating healthy.

Partly, yes. Mostly about portion control; I am trying to lose 15 lbs over the next 2 months.

Do you know how to make chinese food?

Most I've made is chicken fried rice in a wok.
Other than that, no, though I guess I could learn. Time to pull out my wok?

EDIT: that didn't come out right, lol

 

[iGas]

Japanese & Korean bento lunch tastes like ass IMHO.

The real foods are from the rest of Asia such as South East Asian & South Asian foods.

 

[gaidensensei]

Most chinese is doable at home provided you have the patience.
But some of the stuff they have at restaurants aren't doable at home because they require high flame or special ingredients to achieve a specific taste.

I'm sure you could do lots of easy things. Tomato & egg, stir fry vegs, stir fry bean sprouts w/ whatever meat + green onions, green leek w/ meat, beef with onions (viva mongolian beef). Tofu w/ tomato + meat, etc. Miso soup is VERY easy. Combos and possibilities are endless.

Just takes eating it the first time or looking at some pics and trying it out on your own.

 

[Crono]

Japanese & Korean bento lunch tastes like ass IMHO.

The real foods are from the rest of Asia such as South East Asian & South Asian foods.

Well, I like all cusines.

I can do Indian and Pakistani, have an excellent illustrated cookbook at home.

 

[Crono]

Most chinese is doable at home provided you have the patience.
But some of the stuff they have at restaurants aren't doable at home because they require high flame or special ingredients to achieve a specific taste.

I'm sure you could do lots of easy things. Tomato & egg, stir fry vegs, stir fry bean sprouts w/ whatever meat + green onions, green leek w/ meat, beef with onions (viva mongolian beef). Tofu w/ tomato + meat, etc. Miso soup is VERY easy. Combos and possibilities are endless.

Just takes eating it the first time or looking at some pics and trying it out on your own.

All of that sounds good. I'll try looking up some recipes online.

Hopefully Alton has some; that guy is a culinary genius, lol.

 

[gaidensensei]

Pick up an asian girlfriend and kill two birds with one stone. Needs to be really from asia tho, don't see the americanized ones doing too well at cooking. Actually I've yet to see an american born asian that cooked restaurant style. Well, not sure about the koreans. They seem more eat-out types but really I'm just stereotyping.
Some of their moms really know how to make good stuff.

Or if you have a spanish cleaning lady, drop her for an chinese one.

Speaking of korean, not sure if you have one of those markets around you but if you go to the prepared food section (where the kimchi usually is), they have lots of "ready to cook" stuff if not already done. Chinese don't really seem to have much of those "DIY meals", it's more like it's done or not.

 

[shopbruin]

When you first said bento, I immediately thought of this mom's blog, but she makes the lunches for her kids.

What are you comfortable with making?
I'd do something along the lines of rice, meat, vegetable and a soup if you want to fill all of them. You can do miso soup really easily, or else egg drop soup. When you get adventurous, you can move on to making your own various soups.

As for meat, this week I had some leftover stir fry beef, so I just fried that up in some soy sauce, and I'm having that with rice and korean style spinach (sigeumchi namul.)

You can also bring pasta in there.

It's easiest to bring leftovers.

Recipes:
Korean: http://www.maangchi.com/
Asian Cooking Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/AsianCookingmadeEasy?blend=2&ob=1
Foodwishes Youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/foodwishes?blend=1&ob=4 (I like his videos)

 

[quikah]

Pick up an asian girlfriend and kill two birds with one stone. Needs to be really from asia tho, don't see the americanized ones doing too well at cooking. Actually I've yet to see an american born asian that cooked restaurant style. Well, not sure about the koreans. They seem more eat-out types but really I'm just stereotyping.
Some of their moms really know how to make good stuff.

And then you meet the one that learned to cook from her Jewish roommate. Seriously. Her dad is an amazing cook, her mom is terrible (makes good meatballs though).

 

[Toonces]

I eat school lunch here, but my friend who made bentos swore by this site: http://justbento.com/

 

[Crono]

I eat school lunch here, but my friend who made bentos swore by this site: http://justbento.com/

Browsing that site for a bit, and some of the recipes look really interesting, delicious, and fun. I'll stop by the grocery store this afternoon, try a recipe or two.

Thanks!

 

[Terzo]

Really you can put whatever the hell you want in a bento. In my mind what separates a bento from a typical american lunch is that a bento is an array of cooked/prepared foods, while over here it's quite common to make a sandwich then thrown in a fruit and some sweets.

Anything that you would cook for dinner would probably make a decent bento. Get yourself some protein, veggies, and rice and that's really all you need. I don't know much about soup, but that's because I don't trust my tupperware to hold it without leaking.

I eat school lunch here, but my friend who made bentos swore by this site: http://justbento.com/

Another recommendation for a bento site with asian influenced recipes is cooking cute. Good for lunch or dinner or whatever. The hoisin chicken buns are damn good, btw. I rarely make them but when I do they disappear in a flash.