Mix and Match Bento

This time I used recipes from my previous posts. I prepared mushroom, leek and bacon mini quiche, homemade fruit jelly (inspired by Nami - Just One Cookbook), and ham & cheese pinwheel sandwiches.

Details as below :

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon mini quiche
2. Ham and cheese pinwheel sandwich
3. Corn on the cob
4. Homemade fruit jelly
5. Watermelon cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon mini quiche
2. Ham and cheese pinwheel sandwich
3. Corn on the cob
4. Homemade fruit jelly
5. Roast diced beetroot
6. Kiwi fruit cuts for recess

Quiche and Sambos Bento

Another variation of quiche, this time I made spinach and feta quiche. Here is the recipe :

Spinach and Feta Quiche
adapted from www.food.com

Ingredients :
1 package frozen shortcrust pastry dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and washed thoroughly
4 large eggs
2⁄3 cup creme fraiche (you can also use heavy cream or milk)
1⁄3 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
fresh ground black pepper


Method :
1. Two hours before making the quiche, take the dough out of the freezer to defrost.
2. Lay the dough into either a 10 inch quiche or springform baking pan, make sure to have enough dough to form a crust around the edge.
3. Crumble the feta cheese onto the bottom of the crust.
4. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan and, when it is heated, throw in the spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Spread the spinach over the feta cheese.
6. Beat the eggs, garlic and creme fraiche together. Pour over top of the feta cheese and spinach.
7. Place cherry tomatoes on top of the quiche.
8. Sprinkle chives and ground pepper on top.
9. Bake at 350 F or 180 C for 45 minutes.

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Ham and cheese sambos
2. Fish drumstick (recipe here)
3. Corn on the cob
4. Sausages
5. Kiwi fruit for recess

And for my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Spinach and feta quiche
2. Fish drumstick
3. Corn on the cob
4. Sausages
5. Carrot sticks
6. Apple cuts for recess

Quiche and Mini Croissant Bento

Today I would love to share my favourite quiche recipe. It is perfect for school lunch filler or snack after school. Here is the recipe :

Mushroom, Leek, and Bacon Mini quiche

Ingredients:

400 grams Sliced button mushrooms
75 grams butter
1 medium leek, sliced
2 cloves of garlic
2 rashers of bacon, diced
4-5 eggs
½ cup cream or milk
Salt & pepper to taste
3 sheets frozen puff pastry
½ cup grated tasty cheese

Method:

1. Thaw pastry and pre-heat oven to 210 degrees. 
2. Lightly grease with spray oil a 12 cup muffin tin (standard size). 
3. Use a jar or cutter to cut out 4 circles from each thawed pastry sheet, large enough to line muffin cups. 
4. Once all muffin cups are lined with pastry, make a small cross in the bottom of each pastry cup with a bread knife, for even cooking.
5. Fry mushrooms, sliced leek, and garlic in butter until golden brown, set aside. 
6. Cook bacon and combine with mushrooms. 
7. Evenly divide mixture between all 12 cups. 
8. Combine eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a jug and whisk together. 
9. Pour egg mixture evenly between all 12 cups and top with grated cheese.
10. Cook in pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until pastry browned and cheese melted.

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon quiche
2. Ham and cheese mini croissant
3. Dried sultanas
4. Pineapple cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Mushroom, leek, and bacon quiche
2. Ham and cheese mini croissant
3. Diced beetroot
4. Apple cuts for recess

Apple, Bacon, and Maple Muffins Bento

I am really intrigued by the apple, bacon, and maple muffins recipe from Mouths of Moms. I know that pork and apple go together really well, so I guess this combination should work, shouldn't it ? 

This recipe is perfect for school lunch box filler or snack after school.

If you are as curious as me, here I share you the recipe to try :

Apple, Bacon and Maple Muffins
(makes 12 Muffins)

Ingredients :
1 Brown Onion
1 Large Apple (grated)
5 rashes of bacon
1 tbsp butter
1.5 cups Self Raising Flour
1 cup Wholemeal flour
1 Egg (beaten)
1 cup Milk
4 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup grated cheese

Method :
1. Heat oven to about 200 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tray with butter.
2. Chop bacon and onion into small cubes. 
3. Grate one large apple (skin and all).
4. Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat to fry onion and bacon. 
5. Cook till onion goes translucent and soft. 
6. Stir in half of the maple syrup.
7. Stir through grated apple then remove from heat and set aside to cool.
8. Sift both white and wholemeal self raising flour into a large bowl.
9. In a jug, lightly beat an egg with milk and olive oil. 
10. Add mixture to the flour and gently stir until almost combined.
11. Gently fold in bacon and apple mixture, cheese and the rest of the maple syrup.
12. Spoon into muffin tray (this mix will is pretty much going to fill every cup in a standard muffin tray).
13. Bake in the middle tray for 18-20 mins or until a test skewer comes out clean.
14. Enjoy!

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Apple, bacon, and maple muffin
2. Siomay with fish roe on top (recipe here)
3. Salmon quiche (recipe here)
4. Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Apple cuts for recess

My eldest son had similar lunch to his brother, but he had rockmelon cuts for recess instead.

Leek and Bacon Quiche Bento

Our family loves quiche. It is very tasty and super easy to make. Here I share you the recipe :

Leek and Bacon Quiche 

Ingredients:

400 grams Sliced button mushrooms

1 small onion, diced

1 leek, sliced

2 rashers of bacon, diced

4-5 eggs

½ cup of milk

Salt & pepper to taste

3 sheets frozen puff pastry

½ cup grated tasty cheese

Method:

1. Thaw pastry and preheat oven to 210 degrees. 

2. Lightly grease with spray oil a 12 cup muffin tin (standard size). 

3. Use a jar or cutter to cut out 4 circles from each thawed pastry sheet, large enough to line muffin cups. 

4. Alternatively, just cut the pastry square into equal quarters which will give the quiches a more rustic appearance. 

5. Once all muffin cups are lined with pastry, make a small cross in the bottom of each pastry cup with a bread knife, for even cooking.

6. Fry bacon, onion, leek and mushrooms until just cooked. 

7. Evenly divide mixture between all 12 cups. 

8. Combine eggs, milk and salt and pepper in a jug and whisk together. 

9. Pour egg mixture evenly between all 12 cups and top with grated cheese.

10. Cook in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until pastry browned and cheese melted.

For my eldest son, I prepared :

1. Leek and bacon quiche

2. Corn on the cob

3. Hard boiled egg with star shaped carrot pattern (and salt & pepper)

4. Broccoli

5. "Checker & rabbit" apple cuts for recess

For my eldest son, I prepared :

1. Leek and bacon quiche

2. Corn on the cob

3. Hard boiled egg with heart shaped carrot pattern (and salt & pepper)

4. Banana for recess

Variety Bento

I found that by baking goods on the weekend, will make packing lunches easier, especially when you are having a busy morning routine. 
This time, I shared two baking recipes that are very fast and easy yet delicious. Recipe as below :

Easy Salmon Quiche
by Mindfood; serve : 6

Ingredients :
4 eggs
2 spring onions, sliced
300ml cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
200g smoked salmon
1 sheet puff pastry
salt and pepper

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Grease a 22cm fluted pie tin.
3. Line dish with puff pastry, trimming excess. 
4. Line pastry with baking paper, half fill with rice or pastry weights. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes. 
6. Remove paper and bake for a further 10 minutes.

7. Combine salmon, spring onions and cheese in a bowl. Whisk eggs and cream in a separate jug, before pouring over the salmon mixture. Season well.  Pour over cooled pastry base and return to the oven until set (around 30 minutes).

notes : add sprigs of dill to enhance the flavour.


Apple Yogurt Cinnamon Muffins
(makes 15 Muffins)

Ingredients :
1 1/2 cups Self raising flour
1/2 cup Caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
180ml Vanilla yoghurt (1 child sized tub)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
2 Medium apples, cored, peeled and diced

Method :
1. Pre heat oven to 180c (160c fan forced) Line muffin tin.
2. Beat all wet ingredients in a bowl. 
3. Mix in dry ingredients. 
4. Fold in diced apple.
5. Spoon into muffin cases. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes.

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Easy salmon quiche
2. Fried wonton with sweet chili sauce
3. Apple yogurt cinnamon muffin
4. Dutch beef croquette (recipe here)
5. Segmented Navel orange for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Sandwich with butter, chocolate sprinkle and cheese slice filling.
2. Fried wonton
3. Dutch beef croquette
4. Carrot stacks
5. Kiwi fruit for recess

Arghh...Me Hearty

For an international talk like a pirate day, today I  made this "Arghh...Me Hearty" bento.  It's like greetings to a friend, in pirate's language :)

The pirate is made of bacon and  mushroom mini quiche (recipe here), with nori and crab stick for the details.
The letters and the cheese are cut out using these tools :

For me, these tools create letters for lunchbox at perfect size.

I also put corn on the cob, carrot sticks, fruit salad yogurt, and kiwi for recess.

International Dot Day

To celebrate International Dot Day this Monday, I made dot- themed bento for my kids. For the polkadot fish body and the fins, I shaped the rice using Glad wrap. I used soy sauce to color the fins. And for the dot, I used the red part of the crab fish. For the details, I used crab fish and nori.

For the bacon and ham mini quiche, here is the recipe. I put crab stick and nori for the dot.

For my eldest son, I prepared :

1. Polkadot fish

2. Broccoli with cheese on top

3. Corn on the cob

4. "Octopus" sausage (cheese, black sesame seed, nori)

5. "Rose" ham

6. Tamagoyaki

7. Gala apple

8. Rockmelon cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Bacon and ham mini quiche
2. Corn on the cob
3. "Flower" sausage (with corn)
4. Tamagoyaki with salt and pepper
5. Kiwi fruit for recess

Bento tools I used for this post :

 

Colourful Bento

"You eat with your eyes!". That's the reason I love creating bento for my kids. These colourful lunches look so appetizing, I'm sure they can't wait to dig in :)

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Bacon & mushroom mini quiche (recipe in this link)
2. Corn on the cob
3. Halves hard boiled egg
4. Asparagus & carrot sticks
5. Rockmelon cuts for recess

For my little one, I prepared :
1. Bacon & mushroom mini quiche (recipe in this link)
2. Corn on the cob
3. Halves hard boiled egg with salt & pepper
4. Carrot sticks
5. Kiwi fruits for recess

Party Animals Bento

I love cute food picks, they make ordinary lunches become more attractive. Today's lunches still use Bacon and mushroom mini quiches (recipe in here) that I made in batches and stocked in the freezer. It comes very handy on a busy day!

For my youngest son, the bento consists of :
1. Bacon and mushroom mini quiches with carrot "flower" and black sesame seed
2. Mini potatos with BBQ sauce
3. Green seedless grapes
4. Kiwi fruits for recess

For my eldest son, the bento consists of :
1. Bacon and mushroom mini quiches with carrot "flower" and black sesame seed
2. Mini potatos with tomato ketchup
3. Green seedless grapes
4. Apple "rabbits" for recess

You may find these cute food picks here :

Bacon & Mushroom Mini Quiche

These mini quiches are very suitable for lunch box filler and they taste so good! Recipe as below :


Bacon & Mushroom Mini Quiche
source : www.stayathomemum.com.au

Ingredients:
400 grams Sliced button mushrooms
75 grams butter
2 cloves of garlic
2 rashers of bacon, diced
4-5 eggs
½ cup cream or milk
Salt & pepper to taste
3 sheets frozen puff pastry
½ cup grated tasty cheese

Method:
1. Thaw pastry and pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Lightly grease with spray oil a 12 cup muffin tin (standard size). 
3. Use a jar or cutter to cut out 4 circles from each thawed pastry sheet, large enough to line muffin cups. Alternatively, just cut the pastry square into equal quarters which will give the quiches a more rustic appearance. Once all muffin cups are lined with pastry, make a small cross in the bottom of each pastry cup with a bread knife, for even cooking.
4. Fry mushrooms in butter and garlic until golden brown, set aside. 
5. Cook bacon and combine with mushrooms. 
6. Evenly divide mixture between all 12 cups. 
7. Combine eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a jug and whisk together.
8. Pour egg mixture evenly between all 12 cups and top with grated cheese.
9. Cook in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until pastry browned and cheese melted.

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Bacon & Mushroom Mini Quiche
2. Cracker with cheese and carrot "flower"
3. "Checker" apple
4. Corn on the cob
5. Celery sticks
6. Pear cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Bacon & Mushroom Mini Quiche
2. Cracker with cheese and carrot "flower"
3. "Checker" apples
4. Corn on the cob
5. Celery sticks
6. Green seedless grapes for recess

Bento tools I used for this post :

     

The Snake and Its Prey

This bento I made for my year 2 son. The white box contains :
1. Mini quiche
2. Broccoli and carrot sticks
3. "Snake" sausage
4. "the cracking egg" as its prey
5. Mini money bags

In the blue box I prepared honey dew cuts for his recess.

Yesterday he said one of his tooth start wobbling. Hope it won't make him lose his appetite...

Spotty Egg and Flower Carrot

The best thing about bento is that you can use the same food, and with a little of creativity, it creates completely different results. I used the beef puff, mini quiches, and mini money bags from last batch. I just reheat it whenever I need.

For my year 2 son, I prepared :
1. Beef puff with hatched chick on top (nori, cheese, carrot, hard boiled egg, and black sesame seed)
2. Mini money bags
3. "Tulip" sausage
4. Corn on the cob
5. Broccoli

For my kindy son, I prepared :
1. Mini quiche with flower carrot on top
2. Mini money bags
3. Sausages
4. Corn on the cob
5. Kiwi fruit

Here is the recipe for MINI QUICHES :

Ingredients:

2 pcs store bought puff pastry, and use a glass to ‘punch’ out circular shapes to line the tin.
 4 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup greek yogurt
4 rashers of bacon, rind removed
1 brown onion finely chopped
1 cup grated cheese

Method :
1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees
2. Put the puff pastry cuts into muffin cases.
3. In a jug combine the eggs, milk, cream or yogurt and whisk to combine.
4. Fry the bacon and onion until starting to brown – divide the mix evenly into the muffin cases.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the top and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and puffed.

Recipe Hints and Tips:

Mini Quiches freeze very well.  Allow to cool to room temperature and seal in a zip lock bag for up to two weeks.  Defrost in the fridge, then pop them back in a hot oven for 5 minutes to crisp.

Back to School

First day of term 3. My kids are so excited to start the day. They miss everything about school, especially their cute lunches :)
Yesterday, I  baked beef puffs, mini quiches and mini money bags that are perfect for their lunch box.

For my eldest one, I prepared :
1. Beef puff with cheese and carrot rings decoration on top
2. Broccoli and carved carrot
3. Corn on the cob
4. Mini money bags
5. "Little boy" hard boiled egg

For my little one, I prepared :
1. Mini quiche with teddy bear on top (cheese, carrot, and nori)
2. Corn on the cob
3. Carrot sticks
4. Mini money bags
5. Kiwi fruit

Similar tools I used for today post :