Kid's Favourite Bento

I love to put variety food in my kids' lunch boxes. This time, these are their favourites : sausage rolls, siomay and chicken ragout rissoles. Perfect snacks for little fingers.

Here I share the Chicken Ragout Rissoles recipe :

Chicken Ragout Rissoles
adapted from Indochine Kitchen

Ingredients:
For filling
1 onion, chopped
125 g chicken, cubed
150 g carrots, boiled and cubed
150 g potatoes, boiled and cubed ( I used sweet corn kernel instead)
50 g peas
30 g celery, boiled and cubed
125 ml milk
75 g flour
200 ml chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil

For skin wrapper
1 egg
50 ml milk
1/2 tsp salt
70 g flour
150 g water
1 tbsp butter, melted

For crumbing
4 egg whites
400 g bread crumbs
Oil for deep-frying

directions:
For filling
Heat oil over medium heat. Stir-fry onion until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add chicken pieces, cook for about 3 more minutes.
Combine carrot, corn kernel, celery and peas into the wok. Continue cooking until all ingredients are well distributed, about 2 minutes.
Season with nutmeg, pepper and salt.
Add flour and stir continuously for 5 minutes.
Pour milk and chicken stock into the wok. Let simmer for 5 minutes, till the mixture thickens, stirring a couple of times to ensure even cooking.
Turn off heat and let cool.

For wrapper
Combine flour, salt, water milk, butter and egg yolk in a bowl.
Whisk mixture to a thin batter.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter into a lightly oiled and preheated non-stick pan (20cm).
Cook until the sides start to curl up, about 1-2 minutes over medium heat.
Loosen the sides with fork and flip the pan quickly on a plate to get the wrapper off.
Continue with the rest of the batter.

For assembling
Place a tablespoon of filling into the middle of a wrapper.
Roll the side of wrapper away from you, form a 5cm log.
Fold both sides to the middle, ensuring no gaps.
Roll the risoles up and brush the tip with egg white for sealing.

For crumbing
Prepare two plates, egg white and crumbs each.
Dip risoles into egg white. Coat it with crumbs.
Dip the crumbed risoles back into egg white and coat it again with more crumbs.

For frying
Heat cooking oil in a saucepan.
Lower the rolls into hot oil, two or three at a time.

Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Ready to serve.


Details as below :

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Sausage roll (recipe here) and BBQ sauce
2. Siomay (recipe here)
3. Chicken ragout risoles
4. Apple cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Sausage roll (recipe here) 
2. Siomay (recipe here)
3. Chicken ragout risoles (recipe here)
4. Roast beetroot sticks
5. Segmented orange for recess

A Little Bit of Everything Bento

My boys love their wraps. But even mini wraps already make them full. Because I want them to have variety of foods everyday, I prepare half of wraps and the rissoles, so they can have "a little bit of everything" during the day.

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Half of chicken wraps (roast chicken, ham, cheese, BBQ sauce, cucumber, and shredded lettuce)
2. Half of chicken ragout rissoles
3. Pork siomay (recipe here)
4. Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Kiwi fruit cuts for recess

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Half of chicken wraps (roast chicken, ham, cheese, BBQ sauce, cucumber, and shredded lettuce)
2. Half of chicken ragout rissoles
3. Pork siomay (recipe here)
4. Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Rockmelon cuts for recess

Colorful Bento Lunches

I'm so excited with these lunches. They look so colorful and pretty. The boys just can't wait to get to the lunch time and gobble up their lunches!

Details are below :

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Pork siomay (recipe here)
2. Chicken ragout rissoles
3. Milk jelly with nata de coco
4. Corn on the cob
5. Rockmelon cuts for recess

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Pork siomay (recipe here)
2. Chicken ragout rissoles
3. Milk jelly with nata de coco
4. Corn on the cob
5. Kiwi fruit cuts for recess

Back to School Term 2

First day of term 2 in 2016. The boys already missed their bento and so did I. So I've been cooking up a storm this weekend, and making bacon and cheese scrolls, siomay, and milk jelly in batch. It will last for a week, I supposed.

Here are the details :

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Pork siomay
2. Bacon and cheese scroll
3. Corn on the cob
4. Doraemon shaped Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Orange wedges for recess

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Pork siomay
2. Bacon and cheese scroll
3. Corn on the cob
4. Car shaped Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Orange wedges for recess


Bento tools I used for this post :

     

Cute Egg Mold for Jelly

Recently my friend gave me this cute Doraemon egg mold from her trip to Japan. Instead of molding egg, I used it for molding jelly. And I really love how it turns out. 

You may find similar egg-mold bento tool here :

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Ham and cheese croissant
2. Pork wonton
3. Pork siomay
4. Milk jelly with nata de coco
5. Carrot sticks
6. Banana for recess

His little brother had the same menu, but he prefers kiwi fruit for recess instead.

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.

Kid's Favourite Bento

These are my kid's favourite meals for school lunch or snack after school. They are ham & cheese mini croissants, steamed buns with ham & cheese filling, and siomay with fish roe on top. My little one loves the addition of fish roe, he said they popped in his mouth :)

So, for my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Ham & cheese croissant
2. Ham & cheese steamed bun (recipe for steamed bun here)
3. Siomay with fish roe on top (recipe here)
4. Corn on the cob
5. Carrot sticks
6. Apple cuts for recess

And my eldest son had the same lunches except he had mandarin for recess.

Chicken, Bacon, and Leek Pies

Chicken, Bacon, and Leek Pies are really comforting food. This is my first time to make it and I really want to share the recipe with you because it tastes absolutely delicious!

Chicken, Bacon, and Leek Pies 

Ingredients :

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg yolk with 1 tbs milk, lightly whisked

sesame seeds as needed

Pie filling:
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
6 rashers bacon, chopped
600g skinless chicken thigh fillet, diced
2 sprigs thyme
½ cup plain flour
375ml chicken stock
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. For the pie filling :
- Place butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add leek and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add bacon and continue cooking for a further 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and thyme and continue cooking until chicken is just cooked through, about another 5 minutes.
- Add flour to pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
- Add chicken stock and 375ml water and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously until sauce has thickened.
- Stir through lemon juice and zest and season. Set aside to cool.
3. For the pastry :
- Cut 3 circles of pastry to fit muffin tray (I used egg ring). 
- Prick the base with forks to release any trapped air, which is what causes the centre to rise up.
- Spoon filling into cases.
- Cut another 3 circles of pastry that slightly bigger than the egg ring to cover the pastry with the filling. 
- Pressing firmly around the edges. 
- Make a few small holes with a fork in the top.
- Brush the top of the pies with egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Place in the oven to bake until the pastry is golden and crisp and filling is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

tips : I used the leftover cuts of the pastry to make mummy dogs. Just wrap the pastry around the hotdog. Brush it with egg mixture and bake in the oven until the pastry turns golden and crisp.

Details as below :

For my eldest son, the lunch consists of :
1. Chicken, bacon, and leek pie
2. Corn on the cob
3. Siomay with fish roe on top (recipe here)
4. Checker & rabbit apple cuts for recess

For my youngest son, the lunch consists of :
1. Mummy dogs
2. Corn on the cob
3. Siomay with fish roe on top (recipe here)
4. Kiwi fruit for recess

Flowery Chicken Wraps Bento

Another variation of chicken wrap. I just marinated the chicken with soy sauce and lemon, mixed with corn flour and fried until turned into brown. Put together with lettuce, shredded carrot and cucumber, BBQ sauce and cheese for filling.

Details as below :

For my youngest son, I prepared :
1. Chicken wraps with ham & carrot "flower" on top
2. Corn on the cob
3. Ham "flower"
4. Siomay with tomato ketchup (recipe in here) - this time I add celery in it.
5. Lettuce
6. Kiwi fruit for recess

And for my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Chicken wraps with ham & carrot "flower" on top
2. Corn on the cob
3. Ham "flower"
4. Siomay with tomato ketchup (recipe in here) - this time I add celery in it.
5. Lettuce
6. Apple "rabbits" for recess


Bento tools I used for this post :

  

This post is link to Fun Food Friday by Eat Amazing. You may click this button below :

Another Pita Pocket Lunch

The kids love pita pocket, and they want it again for their lunch boxes. I made siomay as well. Here is the recipe :

SIOMAY/SIUMAI

Ingredients:

500 gr ground pork/chicken
2 garlic
3 green onions, sliced
5 button mushrooms
100 gr tapioca flour
1 tbs crushed shrimp
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. fish oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Wonton wrappers

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well with hands until the mixture becomes sticky.
2. Form one of your hand as if you are holding a tube. Put a sheet of wonton wrapper on top. Scoop 1 tsp of the mixture on top of the wonton and push it in. Fix the shape with hands and push in a green pea on top.
3. Place the ones you finish on top of parchment paper (baking sheet) inside the steamer.
4. When it’s almost done wrapping, boil water in the wok. Make sure the water will not touch the bamboo steamer.
5. When you are done wrapping and water is boiling, put the steamer in the wok. Cook for 8 minutes.
6. Ready to serve

For my little one, I prepared :
1. Pita Pocket (chicken, grated carrot, BBQ sauce, sour cream, cheese, and ham filling)
2. Corn on the cob
3. Rice cracker
4. Yakult
5. Carrot sticks and unseeded green grapes
6. Kiwi fruit for recess

For my eldest son, I prepared :
1. Pita Pocket (chicken, grated carrot, BBQ sauce, sour cream, cheese, and ham filling)
2. Corn on the cob
3. Siomay with tomato sauce
5. Carrot sticks and unseeded green grapes
6. Rockmelon cuts for recess