Hi bento friends and happy Friday! Today's bento was inspired by megan's recent, lovely cherry themed bento. I'm always inspired by her carefully crafted, lighthearted and sweetly stylish bentos and get so many cool ideas each time I visit bento zen!
In this version, I used a really yummy brown rice blend found at Trader Joe's. "Brown Rice Medley" contains long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds. Here's how it looks before cooking:
I added some mushroom bouillon for extra flavor and scattered some hazelnuts over the top when it was done--yum! Marinated baby peppers for the "cherries" with green beans and basil for the stems and leaves.
In the upper section, more green beans and zucchini peeled into pasta-like strips and sauteed in olive oil, butter, hazelnuts. Corn for more color and to perch a sweet food pick sent by a super bento pal--many thanks, you know who!
Garden nasturtiums and catmint in a delicate muslin bag:
Have a relaxing, fun weekend guys!
36 comments:
Mmm...Beautiful and healthy bento ;)
Wow, Jenn this is so beautiful. I love your interpretation of gamene's bento. And that method of zucchini 'pasta' is cool. I'll have to try it. Have a wonderful weekend! I am going to try to convince my husband that we need to go bento shopping in San Francisco this weekend. Wish me luck! :-)
Hi there Anncoo, thanks dear!
Hi Sonoma Bento, thanks so much! You know, largely due to bentoing, I've discovered that I really enjoy zukes after being pretty "meh" about them in the past..hope you'll give this pasta-esque approach a try!
Did this recipe recently with goat cheese and toasted pine nuts--yummm!
Crossing my fingers you'll go to San Francisco this weekend! Will you go to Japan Town for your bento shopping or somewhere else? Please take pictures of your visit/finds to share with us should you go! :D
I love it! I love the wood box too! I need to look for one of those. Those cherries really stand out and look perfect with the basil leaves! Stunning! I've always like zucchini better raw than cooked, especially if it's overcooked. I love the ribbons, everything looks so good! We don't have a Trader Joe's but I've made my own "medley". Mmm...also sounds good w/goat cheese and pine nuts.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi Lyndsey, thanks!! I love your homemade medleys and other from scratch cooking inspirations...wishing you a great weekend and congrats on your stunning hibiscus bento!
Looks great! I keep meaning to buy that brown rice medley! Thanks for the reminder. ^_^
Hi Megg...thanks! This is a really nice whole grain combo and so healthful. Are there particular TJ's products you've found fun and useful for bento? Hubby just brought home a package of Harvest Grains Blend with baby garbanzos, so cute!
This looks delicious!
Perfect composition of the wooden box and the rice mixAnd the vegetable mix is so nice. I like the colors of this bento a lot =)
Hi Lil'chan, really appreciate your sweet comments...happy weekend!
Happy Friday indeed! I love how I can look at this lunch and just know that it's healthy AND delicious. I hope you have a great weekend!
Awesome brown rice! And love your red cherries ... This bento is so pretty Jenn :)
Hello Carol, many thanks and stay cool this weekend while having fun!
Hi Lia, aw so kind of you! Hope your birthday was lovely--mine is on Sunday, cool that our dates are so close together!
Your brown rice blend sounds great, but I've never found it here in my place T_T. Your cherry look like the real one, love it! :D
Hi Ta, thanks so much! How popular is brown rice where you live? I come to really enjoy its nutty flavor...
Absolutely gorgeous! I wonder about the rice mix: I've had 'wild rice mix' before but it wasn't any good because the several varieties of rice seemed to need a different cooking period :\ Maybe I should try again! Love the idea of adding mushroom stock!
hi there! thanks gnoegnoe, it was hard to go wrong when following such a lovely bento example :)
I've had the same experience with wild rice mixes...and I'm really not one for undercooked grains. The black barley and daikon puffed up tenderly along side the brown rice here, so I was happy!
I love this Jenn! Simply beautiful!
With the way you create your bento with health brown rice ~ it's not blend anymore! I like it :P
Happy Birthday Jenn! I wish all the best for you. I know you will be spoiled by that great husband of yours! Have the best day ever!
Lyndsey
Thanks Debra, your warm comments are so appreciated :D!
Thanks Kaimono888! Guess what, today I went shopping at a great Japanese food shop and found a six-grain brown rice blend, can't wait to try!
Hi Lyndsey, thank you, that is so sweet! Just got home from a super fun birthday weekend in D.C. with some amazing meals and even bento shopping at some new places! Is your B-day in late August or September?
You are real artist! Those cherries made of peppers are gorgeous :)
this bento is gorgeous, and i'm so honored to be a source of inspiration for you jenn! what a genius idea to use those little peppers, they came out beautifully -- your cherries are bold and substantive, an actual meal component (not just a garnish).
hope your birthday was FABULOUS!! belated wishes :-)
I love the earthy look of this bento!
Hello Margot! Thanks for your kind visit and comment, and happy cooking this week!
Hi megan! It was so fun to follow your example in putting this bento together!
Thank you!! Decided to extend the b-day feeling a bit by taking a couple of days off work...really looking forward to posting about some seriously yummy celebratory meals we enjoyed this weekend!
Hi Kuusou! Thanks and I know I've said this before but I LOVE your cute icon!
Wow, this is so beautiful! The baby peppers cherries with the vibrant red really stand out from the bento Love it!
That is a beautiful photo. I didn't realize that Bento was such an art form.
Hi KidsDreamWork! That super bright red really caught my eye when out food shopping!
Hello and welcome, agrigirl :) There's quite a spirit of enjoying seasonal, local foods in the bento community which has made me delve into my farmer's market like never before!
Love your blog, by the way :)
My birthday is later in August on the 26th. :D
OK, good to know ;)!
Post a Comment