Praise for The Just Bento Cookbook:
Itoh guides readers to build a beautiful bento lunch that is also nutritious and filling for both adults and children. Recommended for fans of bento lunches and anyone trying to get out of a lunch rut! Library Journal
Equal parts recipe book and bento how-to, The Just Bento Cookbook is an elegant guide to making lunch more fun. Filled with lovely boxed lunch ideas that can be made for one or more, depending on how many lunches you plan on packing. Serious Eats
The Just Bento Cookbook is packed with recipes for savory dishes that will make a tasty dinner or lunch. Most of the recipes include several variations using different proteins and make-ahead tips. Seattle Weekly
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Basic Bento Rules
Build Up Your Stash
Bento Safety
MAKE-AHEAD BENTOS
1. Meatballs and mini-burgers
Teriyaki Meatballs
Tomato Ketchup Meatballs
Italian Meatballs
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Japanese Chicken Meatballs
Pan-fried Meatballs and Mini-burgers
Mediterranean-style Spiced Mini-burgers
2. Chicken
Steamed Chicken with Sesame Sauce
Easy Chicken "Ham"
Chicken and Beansprouts with Umeboshi Sauce
Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili
Maple Chicken Teriyaki
Grilled Garlic Chicken
3. Soboro
Japanese Dry Curry
Classic Japanese Soboro
Meat Soboro with Miso and Eggplant
Dandan-style Spicy Meat Sauce
Bento-friendly Spicy Meat and Tofu
Mini Shepherd's Pie
Tuna Soboro
4. Pork
Pork and Vegetable Rolls
Sweet and Sour Crispy Sesame Pork
Baked Mini-tonkatsu
Stir-fried Miso Pork with Eggplant and Peppers
Ginger Pork with Peppers
Sweet and Spicy Bacon-wrapped Broccoli
Bacon-wrapped Tofu
5. Beef
Bibimbap
Sesame-miso Beef
Stir-fried Steak with Rosemary and Orange
Roast Beef for Bentos
Cold Roast Beef with Wasabi Ginger Sauce
Roast Beef Salad with Southeast Asian Flavors
6. Egg
Chicken Omu-rice
Marinated Hard-boiled Eggs
Egg Salad with Miso
Japanese Rolled Omelette
Egg Crepes
Egg Parcels
Mini Quiche
7. Fish
Lemon Butter Tilapia
Spicy Pan-fried Fish Nuggets
Salted Salmon
Salmon Soboro
Tuna and Ginger Nuggets
Salty-sweet Simmered Sardines
8. Tofu and Vegan
Tofu Donburi Bento
Baked Tofu
Ginger Tofu Teriyaki
Tofu Soboro
Fried Tofu Roll-ups
Bean and Pea Curry
Green Lentils and Brown Rice
9. Rice Sandwich
Ham and Egg Rice Sandwich
Egg-wrapped Rice Sandwich with Bacon Rice Filling
Rice Burger with Swiss Chard and Cheese
Tuna Salad with Dried Shiso Leaves
Brown Rice Sandwich with Japanese Omelette and Edamame Filling
10. Low Carb, featuring Shirataki Noodles and Konnyaku
Stir-fried Shirataki Noodles
Rice and Shirataki Pilaf with Shrimp
Shirataki Chicken "Ramen" in a Lunch Jar
Shirataki with Sesame
Chicken and konnyaku "noodle" peperoncino
Spicy Simmered Konnyaku
EXPRESS BENTOS
1: "Instant" Soup in a Thermal Lunch Jar
2: Mediterranean Pasta Bento
3: Yakisoba Bento
4: One-pan Bento
5: Deconstructed Taco Salad Bento
6: Wrap Bento
7: Appetizer Bento
8: Stir-fry Bento
9: Salad Bento
10: Tasty sandwich ideas
MORE RECIPES
How to Cook Rice and Other Grains Side Dishes: Vegetables
Roast Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar
Asparagus with Sesame Seeds
Asparagus Mimosa Salad
Spicy Broccoli
Broccoli Florets with Bacon and Garlic
Broccoli-stalk Kinpira
Salted Cabbage
Carrots Cooked in Soup
Carrot Shirishiri
Max's Lemon Carrot Salad
Miso-peanut Green Beans
Sauteed Mushrooms
Sake-steamed Mushrooms
Tricolor Peppers with Anchovies
Braised Pepper and Eggplant
Caponata
Potato and Corn Salad
Cheesy Potatoes
Spinach with Sweetcorn
Spinach Namul
Spinach with Bonito Flakes
Marinated Vegetables
Side Dishes: Japanese Vegetables
Burdock Root Kinpira
Burdock Root Tataki
Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon
Kiriboshi Daikon Salad
Buttery Kabocha Squash
Lotus Root Salad
Spicy Stir-fried Lotus Root
Lotus-root and Tofu Burgers with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Simmered Soy Beans with Konnyaku
Crunchy Stir-fried Soy Beans
Edamame Cheese
Hijiki Seaweed with Carrots and Shiitake
Hijiki Seaweed with Garlic
Simmered Konbu Seaweed
Nori Seaweed Bento
Wakame Seaweed and Cucumber in Vinegar Sauce
Wakame Seaweed and Beansprout Stir Fry
Little Bento Side Dishes
Miso Soup Balls
Tomato Soup Balls
Decorative Sausages
Other "Gap Fillers"
Dashi Stock Recipes
Katsuobushi and Konbu Seaweed Dashi Stock
Rice Sprinkles
Konbu Seaweed Dashi Stock
Shiitake Dashi Stock
Chicken Stock
Tools and equipment
Types of Bento Boxes
Bento Box Accessories
Glossary
Index
Resources