Another bento box filler (lunch)

[Guest guest]

I do this a little differently than the traditional omurice (Japanese omelet

rice) but so far the bento police haven't knocked my door down. I figured they

would the first time I did a Tex-Mex lunch.  Here's the link to the traditional

way to make the omurice, followed by my way of making it. We like it at room

temperature (bento box temperature??) even better than piping hot.

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/rice/r/omurice.htm

 

I do a vegetarian version of the fried rice and usually try to save some from

dinner the night before. In addition to what is on the About dot com site (and

minus the meat), we like some drained bean sprouts and sometimes some cooked

fresh or frozen green peas. Rather than the layered thicker omelet, I do a very

thin one with two eggs in my largest  no stick skillet. I cook it over a lower

temperature with a lid on until the egg has set, then I sprinkle the rice all

over the omelet. Don't cook it to death or so high that you brown the eggs. If

you have a bamboo sushi mat and are comfortable using it to roll things, it will

help you roll a nice tight omurice (my version - Jeanneurice???)

 

Roll the omelet up snugly or fold it over. If I have it, I like doing a thin

strip of nori to tie the omurice in a couple of places and cut in half. Carl

likes his with ketchup. I like mine with soy sauce.

 

If you have the time and feel like doing another version, cut a long strip of

carrot and pick out a couple of perfect, long green beans (fresh for both) and

steam them up till crisp-tender. Season with a little salt or soy sauce. Place

the green beans and carrot strip at one side of the omurice before rolling. The

yellow of the egg, orange of the carrot, green bean and the vegetables in the

rice compliment each other. It is edible, too, which is a plus.

 

For Carl's lunch I'll do two of these with other bits and pieces and he can do

ketchup to his heart's content once I don't have to look at it. You can do the

rice and vegetables the night before and do the cooking in the morning before

packing lunch. (or eat for brekkies) Asparagus would be pretty in the middle but

I'm not a huge fan of the combo.

 

Hope this makes sense and it sits gently in your tummies. Jeanne in GA