Thanksgiving Turkey Bento

Today's bento menu:
Frozen vegetable pakoras (Trade Joe's)
Shu-mai (see this post  for the recipe)
Carrot leaves ( see this post)
Japanese cucumber
Brown rice ball

How to make turkey

You need,
Sliced mozzarella cheese (wing, hat, eyes)
Cheddar cheese (wing)
Carrot (wing)
Nori seaweed  (body, face, eyes)
Corn (mouth)
Red pepper  (wattle)

Please see Turkey bento #2 below to see how to make the hat!

1. Slice carrot and place it on sliced cheese. Cut a larger circle with a tooth pick.

 2. Cut cheddar cheese with a bottle cap. Place it on the carrot.

3. Put the parts on a rice ball. Create the body and face with a piece of seaweed.
4. Make the rest of the parts and put together.

Turkey bento #2

One of the popular dishes in Japan is tow or three color rice bowl.

It is rice bowl topped with scramble egg(yellow), meat(brown), and any kind of green.

Some people make scramble tofu as a replacement of meat.

I made two color rice with egg and tofu for the bento today and decorated as turkey's wings.

-Tofu scramble

1pk Tofu (14oz, medium firm)

2 1/2tbs Soy sauce

1tbs Mirin

1tsp Sugar

1tbs Ginger, grated or chopped

Bonito flakes, as much as you like (I used 3g)

1. Drain tofu. Wrap with kitchen paper and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave 3-4 minutes.

2. Replace the wet kitchen paper with new ones. (Tofu is SUPER hot! Be careful)

3. Place something heavy on top for about 30 mins until tofu is well drained. 

                                 

4. Tear tofu to small pieces by hands and place it in a pan. (no oil) Chop tofu with a large wooden spoon.

5. Cook until tofu gets dry.

6. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until tofu absorb the seasoning.

-Egg scramble

2 Eggs

1tbs Sugar

1tbs Sake

a little, Salt

1. Beat the eggs and mix sugar, salt and sake.

2. Heat oil in a pan and pour in the egg mixture.

3. Cook and stir over medium heat until eggs are set.

How to make turkey

You need,

Egg and tofu scramble
Cooked rice
Carrot (turkey's toe nails)
Nori seaweed (body, eyes, hat)
Cheddar cheese (face)
Sliced cheese (eyes, hat)
Corn (mouth)
Red pepper (wattle)


1. Put rice in a bento box

 2. Add tofu crumble and then the egg as shown.

 3. Cut a sliced cheese with a straw to make eyes. Cut a piece of seaweed and create hat. Put it in a sliced cheese and cut with a tooth pick.

 4. Separate the cheese and the seaweed. Cut the square part to create the space between then. ( see the top picture)

5. Cut carrot with a star shape cookie cutter. Make the rest of the face parts.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!