This is a very Asian bento. All the components are things that could be found in a Japanese bento, however they are extremely easy to make here in the U.S.A., the ingredients can be found in your nearest grocery store, and I have adjusted them a bit for a taste that our palates would enjoy. (Did not want a repeat of the pickled radish incident). These dishes take no time at all to cook, so they are great for a busy weekday night.

Bento Components:

• Egg Noodles Tossed in a Salty, Sour, Nutty Dressing
• Ginger Pork
• Steamed Carrots
• Simmered Mushrooms
• Ramen Quail Egg

Today I will be sharing my recipes for the noodles and the ginger pork. In the future I will share how to make a ramen egg, soft boiled or hard boiled, in a post where I have a better picture of the egg, the inside and the outside. Call it vanity but these little eggs did not look that pretty, they looked average in this picture which makes no justice to the amazing flavor that it packs. Yes, I am deeply passioned about ramen eggs and just ramen in general… don’t judge.

 

As you can see I make these noodles a lot, above is a different bento with noodles as well. 

Egg Noodles Tossed in a Salty, Sour, Nutty Dressing–

Ingredients:

-1 package of fresh egg noodles (I get mine from Publix, in the vegetable aisle)

-1/4 cup soy sauce (The Salty)

-1 Tbsp sesame oil (The Nutty)

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar (The Sour)

-1 tsp of mirin (can substitute with 1/2 tsp of honey)

-3 stalks of green onions, chopped.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions. In a mixing bowl add soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and the mirin. Then, you guessed it, mix it all together. Once the noodles have finished cooking add them directly to the sauce. Mix everything really well until all the noodles have turned a beautiful brown. Then while the noodles are still warm toss in the green onions. That’s it. Super simple. Can eat warm or at room temperature, which makes it great for bentos!

 

Ginger Pork–

Ingredients:

-1 pound of pork loin cut into bite sized pieces

-1/2 cup soy sauce

-1/4 cup mirin

-the juice of 1 lime

-1 Tbsp grated ginger

-3 garlic cloves chopped

-1 tsp cumin

-1 Tbsp sesame oil

-salt and pepper to taste

-4 stalks of green onions sliced very thinly

Combine all of the ingredients, except for the green onions, in a bowl. Let the pork marinade in this sauce for at least 1 hour. Then in a saute pan (the frying pan you have that has the tall edges) add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and put on medium high heat. Then throw in the ginger pork mixture. Saute, making sure to stir constantly so that all of the pork gets some one on one time with the hot pan (bow chicka bow wow). It will be ready when the pork has absorbed 90% of the sauce.

When this happens, turn off the heat and wait 5 minutes… yes 5 minutes without eating your glorious bounty, I know it is hard, but trust me on this. Just walk away, go do a five minute workout, go start some laundry, go meditate on the delicious feast you are about to eat. Once the five minutes have passed add the green onions. Stir them in and serve. The reason I want you to wait is because if the pork is too hot when you add the green onions it will overcook them and they will barely add any flavor to the dish. But if you let the pork cool slightly then the yummy oils of the green onions will mix with the flavor of the dish without getting overcooked, which makes it taste like a billion times better.

Now if you just absolutely CAN’T wait, if you are coming off a month’s fasting, just did a crazy diet cleanse, or are just impatient, then add the green onions to the top and do not mix them in. Just let it sit for a minute or two while you grab a plate, a fork, a knife, and whatever other side you will be eating with this (rice, bread, noodles are a few of the things that work really well), just before you serve yourself give it a quick mix and enjoy!

 

When packing either of these dishes into a bento just let them cool to room temperature. They go great with steamed vegetables or a side salad. You can reheat in a microwave, just cover with a moist paper towel when you put them in, to keep them from drying up.