Bento Bonanza—Lunch for 1
Bento Bonanza is a delightful Japanese lunch featuring a variety of flavors and textures. This meal includes sushi rolls, teriyaki chicken, vegetable tempura, and a side of pickled vegetables, all artfully arranged in a portable bento box for an enjoyable and well-balanced midday feast.
Do This With That Stuff
- Rinse 1 cup sushi rice under cold water until water runs clear
- In a medium pot, combine sushi rice with 125 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes
- Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes
- In a small pot, combine 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt; heat over low heat until sugar dissolves
- Transfer cooked rice to a large bowl and gently fold in the vinegar mixture; let cool
- Slice 1 chicken breast into thin strips
- In a medium pan, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, and 2 tbsp sugar; bring to a boil over medium heat
- Add chicken strips to the pan and cook until fully cooked through; remove from pan and set aside
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat
- Sauté blanched broccoli florets, bell pepper slices, and sweet potato slices for about 3-4 minutes until tender-crisp; set aside in a small bowl
- In another large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup tempura batter mix with ice-cold water until smooth but still slightly lumpy; do not overmix
- Heat vegetable oil for frying in a large pot to about 350°F (175°C)
- Dip each piece of sautéed vegetables into the tempura batter using chopsticks or tongs
- Fry battered vegetables in hot oil until golden brown; remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain excess oil
- In a small skillet over high heat, toast each nori sheet for about 10 seconds on each side; cut into quarters
- Assemble bento box by placing sushi rice on one side of the box
- Top rice with nori sheets, julienned cucumber, julienned carrot, avocado slices, and sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Arrange cooked chicken strips, tempura vegetables, and blanched vegetables on the other side of the box
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup daikon radish, 1/4 cup carrot, and thinly sliced cucumber with 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt; let sit for 5 minutes to pickle
- Drain pickled vegetables and add to bento box as a side dish
Obvious and Not So Obvious Variations and Pairings
☕ Bitter
- Add 1/4 cup chopped kale
- Add 1/4 cup chopped dandelion greens
- Add 1/2 tsp matcha powder to sushi rice
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup tamari
🧂 Salty
- Increase soy sauce to 1/2 cup
- Add 1 tbsp miso paste to chicken marinade
- Add 1 tsp salt to tempura batter mix
- Sprinkle 1/4 tsp sea salt over sushi rice after adding vinegar mixture
🍋 Sour
- Increase rice vinegar to 1/3 cup
- Add 1 tbsp lemon juice to sushi rice
- Add 1 tbsp lime juice to tempura batter mix
- Increase rice vinegar in pickled vegetables to 4 tbsp
🌶️ Spicy
- Add 1 tsp red pepper flakes to soy sauce mixture
- Add 1 tbsp grated ginger to tempura batter mix
- Add 1/2 tsp wasabi paste to sushi rice vinegar mixture
- Serve with a side of spicy mayo (1/4 cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 tbsp sriracha)
🍬 Sweet
- Increase sugar in rice vinegar mixture to 3 tbsp
- Add 1 tbsp honey to soy sauce, mirin, and sugar mixture for chicken
- Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to sautéed vegetables
- Replace 2 tbsp sugar in pickling mixture with 3 tbsp sweet mirin
🍄 Umami
- Add 1 tbsp miso paste to soy sauce mixture
- Add 1 tsp fish sauce to soy sauce mixture
- Replace 1/4 cup rice vinegar with 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar in sushi rice
- Sprinkle 1 tbsp furikake seasoning over sushi rice
🍸 Alcoholic
- Sake: Complements the flavors of sushi and tempura in the bento box
- Japanese Whisky Highball: Refreshing and light, pairs well with the variety of flavors in the dish
- Plum Wine (Umeshu): Sweet and fruity, balances the savory components of the bento box
🥤 Non Alcoholic
- Green Tea: The earthy flavor of green tea complements the sushi rice and tempura vegetables
- Yuzu Lemonade: The citrus notes in yuzu lemonade balance the richness of the dish
- Calpico: The sweet and tangy taste of Calpico pairs well with the variety of flavors in the bento box
🥓 Keto
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup cauliflower rice
- Remove 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- Remove 2 tbsp sugar
- Replace tempura batter mix with 3/4 cup almond flour
- Replace 2 tbsp sugar in soy sauce mixture with 2 tbsp erythritol
- Remove sweet potato slices
🍆 Mediterranean
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup couscous
- Replace rice vinegar with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- Replace nori seaweed with 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
- Replace sushi-grade salmon or tuna with 4 oz grilled halloumi cheese
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Replace mirin with 2 tbsp honey
- Remove tempura batter mix and ice-cold water
- Replace vegetable oil for frying with olive oil for frying
- Add 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
🥑 Paleo
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup cauliflower rice
- Remove 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- Remove 2 tbsp sugar
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- Replace mirin with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Remove tempura batter mix
- Remove ice-cold water
- Replace vegetable oil for frying with coconut oil for frying
🐟 Pescatarian
- Remove 1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
- Replace 1 chicken breast with 4 oz sushi-grade shrimp
🌱 Vegan
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Remove chicken breast
- Replace 1/4 cup soy sauce with 1/4 cup tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- Add 4 oz marinated tofu, thinly sliced
- Add 4 oz tempeh, thinly sliced
🥦 Vegetarian
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Remove chicken breast
- Replace 1/4 cup soy sauce with 1/4 cup tamari (for a vegetarian option)
- Add 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
- Add 1/2 cup cubed tofu, pressed and drained
🥩 Whole30
- Remove sushi rice
- Replace with 1 cup cauliflower rice, cooked
- Remove rice vinegar
- Remove sugar
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- Remove mirin
- Replace vegetable oil with 1 tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
- Remove tempura batter mix
- Remove ice-cold water
- Replace frying with baking or air frying
🧠 Brain Health
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup brown rice
- Replace sugar with 2 tbsp honey in rice vinegar mixture
- Replace vegetable oil with 1 tbsp olive oil for sautéing vegetables
- Add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to bento box
- Add 1/4 cup blueberries to bento box
- Remove tempura batter mix and frying process, serve sautéed vegetables without batter
🌾 Celiac Disease
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup gluten-free sushi rice
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari sauce
- Replace tempura batter mix with 3/4 cup gluten-free tempura batter mix
💩 Crohns Disease
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Replace 1/2 cup cucumber with 1/4 cup cucumber
- Replace 1/2 cup carrot with 1/4 cup carrot
- Replace 1/2 cup avocado with 1/4 cup avocado
- Remove soy sauce
- Replace mirin with 1 tbsp apple juice
- Remove broccoli florets
- Remove bell pepper slices
- Remove tempura batter mix and frying step, steam vegetables instead
🩸 Diabetes
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup brown rice
- Replace 2 tbsp sugar in rice vinegar mixture with 2 tbsp erythritol or stevia
- Replace 2 tbsp sugar in soy sauce mixture with 2 tbsp erythritol or stevia
- Omit tempura batter mix and frying, steam vegetables instead
🍞 Gluten Intolerance
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup of gluten-free sushi rice
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup gluten-free tamari sauce
- Replace tempura batter mix with 3/4 cup gluten-free tempura batter mix
🫀 Heart Disease
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Replace 1 chicken breast with 4 oz skinless chicken breast
- Decrease soy sauce to 2 tbsp
- Replace 2 tbsp sugar in soy sauce mixture with 1 tbsp honey
- Replace vegetable oil with olive oil for sautéing and frying
- Remove tempura batter mix and ice-cold water
- Omit vegetable oil for frying
- Increase blanched broccoli florets to 1 cup
- Increase blanched bell pepper slices to 1 cup
❤️ Heart Health
- Decrease sugar to 1 tbsp
- Replace sushi-grade salmon or tuna with 4 oz cooked shrimp
- Replace chicken breast with 4 oz skinless chicken thigh
- Decrease soy sauce to 2 tbsp
- Increase mirin to 1/4 cup
- Remove vegetable oil for frying
- Replace tempura batter mix with panko breadcrumbs
- Bake vegetables instead of frying
🧂 High Blood Pressure
- Remove 1/2 tsp salt
- Decrease sugar to 1 tbsp in rice vinegar mixture
- Replace soy sauce with 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- Omit tempura batter mix and frying, steam vegetables instead
🍔 High Cholesterol
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Replace chicken breast with 4 oz skinless turkey breast
- Replace vegetable oil with olive oil for sautéing and frying
- Replace tempura batter mix with whole wheat flour for a lighter coating
- Increase broccoli florets to 1 cup
- Decrease soy sauce to 2 tbsp
- Increase mirin to 1/4 cup
🦠 Immune System
- Replace sugar with 1 tbsp honey in rice vinegar mixture
- Replace sugar with 1 tbsp honey in soy sauce mixture
- Add 1/2 cup spinach, blanched
- Add 1/4 cup red bell pepper, blanched
- Add 1 clove garlic, minced to sautéed vegetables
- Add 1/2 tsp grated ginger to sautéed vegetables
- Replace vegetable oil with coconut oil for frying
🚽 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Replace sushi rice with 1 cup cooked brown rice
- Replace 1/2 cup cucumber with 1/4 cup cucumber
- Replace 1/2 cup carrot with 1/4 cup carrot
- Replace 1/2 cup avocado with 1/4 cup avocado
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Remove broccoli florets
- Remove bell pepper slices
- Remove sweet potato slices
- Replace tempura batter mix with gluten-free tempura batter mix
💧 Kidney Disease
- Decrease rice vinegar to 2 tbsp
- Decrease sugar to 1 tbsp
- Remove salt
- Replace soy sauce with low-sodium soy sauce
- Replace sushi-grade salmon or tuna with cooked shrimp or crab
- Remove tempura batter mix and frying step, steam vegetables instead
🐄 Lactose Intolerance
- No changes are necessary for lactose intolerance.
🍺 Liver Disease
- Remove sushi-grade salmon or tuna
- Replace 1/4 cup soy sauce with 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- Replace 1/2 tsp salt with 1/4 tsp salt
- Omit tempura batter mix and frying step, instead steam the vegetables for a healthier option
🤰 Pregnancy
- Replace sushi-grade salmon or tuna with 4 oz cooked shrimp
- Remove tempura batter mix and ice-cold water
- Replace vegetable oil for frying with 1 tbsp vegetable oil for sautéing additional vegetables
Beti’s Reflections
On a recent culinary adventure to Japan, I stumbled upon the most delightful lunch experience that I just had to share with my fellow foodies. Say hello to the Bento Bonanza Recipe, a Japanese Bento Box that brings together sushi rolls, teriyaki chicken, vegetable tempura, and pickled veggies in a portable bento box for an enjoyable and well-balanced midday feast.
This Bento Bonanza Recipe serves one person and is perfect for those who love Japanese cuisine. However, please note that it contains fish and gluten, so it may not be suitable for those with allergies or dietary restrictions.
The star ingredients of this Japanese Bento Box include sushi rice, nori seaweed sheets, julienned cucumber and carrot, avocado slices, sushi-grade salmon or tuna, chicken breast, soy sauce, mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking wine), sugar, vegetable oil for frying tempura vegetables like broccoli florets and sweet potato slices. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating the harmonious flavors and textures that make this Sushi Rice Bento so irresistible.
To create your own Chicken Tempura Bento masterpiece at home, start by rinsing sushi rice under cold water until clear. Cook the rice in water until tender before folding in a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Next up is the teriyaki chicken: slice your chicken breast into thin strips and cook them in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until fully cooked through. For the tempura vegetables: sauté blanched broccoli florets, bell pepper slices and sweet potato slices before dipping them into a tempura batter mix combined with ice-cold water. Fry these battered vegetables until golden brown. Assemble your bento box by placing sushi rice on one side of the box topped with nori sheets along with julienned cucumber and carrot strips as well as avocado slices and sushi-grade salmon or tuna. Arrange the cooked chicken strips and tempura vegetables on the other side of the box. Finally, pickle a mixture of daikon radish, carrot, and cucumber in rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for a refreshing side dish.
And there you have it – your very own homemade Bento Bonanza Recipe! This Japanese Bento Box is not only delicious but also a fantastic way to explore Japanese cuisine and try your hand at making sushi rice dishes and tempura vegetables. So go ahead, indulge in this Chicken Teriyaki Bento and let your taste buds embark on an unforgettable culinary journey. Enjoy!
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