More photos to follow tomorrow. Inspiration from: https://www.justonecookbook.com/meal-prep-3-dollar-bento-challenge/

• 

• 

• 

Ingredients:

1 round loaf of bread

1 whole eggplant

1/2 onion

Olive oil to brush of eggplant and onions

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small container grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh basil

2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic

3 sandwich slices Munster cheese

3 slices extra thin cheddar cheese slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degreese. Slice eggplant lengthwise about 1/4 inch size. Slice onion. Arrange on pan and coat in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Flip and roast another 10 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, brown tomatoes on the stove on medium high heat. Add butter and squish tomatoes with wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering. Add basil, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cut a lid out of the bread and carve out space for the fillings. Once vegetables are cooked, spread tomato sauce on bottom of sandwich and on lid. Layer cheese, eggplant, onions, and cheese. Put lid back on bread and squash down, pressing hard with both hands.

Bake for 8 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and slice. Makes 8 slices.

Eric rated as a 10/10 for a vegetarian sandwich and 9/10 for a sandwich overall. I also thought it’s a 10/10!

A fresh, simple salad that is great plain, served with chips, or even over rice.

Ingredients:

2 avocadoes

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1/2 jalapeno

1 cucumber

1 can great northern beans or chickpeas

Juice of 1 lime

Ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and cut up vegetables, avocado, and cilantro. Rinse beans.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a lid.

Can store up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

This chicken Tikka Masala is seriously good. My 4 year old son said that it was the best thing he has ever eaten in his life. My husband and I thought it tastes almost exactly like our favorite Indian restaurant in Japan. It’s even lightened up using Greek yogurt and milk instead of cream, but there is definitely nothing missing from this curry.

Ingredients:

3 raw chicken breasts

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coriander

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon maple syrup (or 1 teaspoon fenugreek)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 15-oz can tomatoes sauce

1/2 cup milk

Fresh cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken into cubes, then stir together with yogurt, garam masala, and coriander. Marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator, but even longer can be better.
2. Heat oil (I used coconut oil) on a pan on medium heat and cook onions for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cinnamon, maple syrup, garlic, salt and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. I added a little extra garam masala at this point as well, just a dash or so.
3. Add marinated chicken and tomato paste, stir. Cook for 1 minute, add tomato sauce and milk. Stir until completely incorporated, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. No need to stir as long as heat is low.
4. Serve in bowls with naan bread or basmati rice, top with cilantro to garnish.

• 

The first time I tried this wonderful combination was in Vienna while studying abroad. Even more delightful was the fact that it was socially acceptable to eat chocolate and pastry dough for breakfast! The next time I saw them was in Japan, at the bakery sections of the grocery stores. I definitely had these for lunch in between students on more than one occasion! Here is how I made them at home with my 4-year-old son.

Ingredients:

Chocolate

Pastry dough, thawed

Egg

Powdered sugar

Roll out pastry dough. Cut into triangles.

Put chocolate in bottom of triangle and roll up into crescents.

Wash with egg.

Bake for 20-25 min at 400 degrees.

Cooking with miso reminds me of my first time going over to my boss’s house in Japan. She invited her sister over to teach me how to cook with miso. Even though we couldn’t understand each other’s language, she taught me a lot, and by the end of the night we had made over 7 dishes, all with miso used in various ways. I was exhausted, but we had a great family party with kids and coworkers and too much food to handle. I appreciate everything that she taught me that day and I will remember to use the lessons going forward.

That being said, this recipe is not authentic by any means. I didn’t have soy sauce so I actually used salt, plus it uses chicken broth instead of dashi. Still, we thought it was pretty great and tastes more like the real deal from Japan than I’ve ever made before while in the US. 4-year-old tested and strongly approved. Hopefully this recipe will tide us over until we go back to Japan later this year!

This recipe has three large bowl servings.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon oil (I used coconut oil because it’s what I have)

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2.5 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

12 pieces about (1 cm in size) firm tofu

1/2 chicken breast cooked and shredded

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 blocks ramen noodles (not the instant kind)

1 tablespoon green onion

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Toppings like corn, veggies, more green onions, wakame seaweed or a soft boiled egg.

Instructions:

1) Heat oil in the pan over medium heat and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and add cooked chicken, tofu, soy sauce, and miso. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2) Add chicken broth, cilantro, and green onions. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for as long as directed (my noodles said 7 minutes).

3) Dish into bowls and add toppings.