British food and drink: Jamie Oliver. A clementine is so much more than just a stocking filler. Easy peeling small citrus fruits are in their prime right now and make a refreshing antioxidant-rich snack during the feasting of Christmas as they tend to contain even more vitamin C than oranges, tangerines and satsumas. Try segments in a winter salad with either goat’s cheese or grilled chicken, with rocket, shallots and walnuts. Shaun Hill, chef at the Walnut Tree, near Abergavenny, in Wales makes a steamed Clementine pudding using baking powder rather than suet to keep the dish lighter. Jamie Oliver adds clementine zest along with cranberries and sweet chestnuts to his mince pie mix and Allegra McEvedy creates a pithy Byzantine salad out of thinly sliced clementine segments, pistachio halva and pomegranate seeds with a splash of orange blossom water and runny honey – delicious served with Greek yoghurt.
Pan-fried lemon chicken nuggets. Although I use chicken quite a lot in my bentos, I realized that I have very few bento-appropriate chicken recipes up here on Just Bento, or even over on Just Hungry. I am going to rectify this situation over the next few days, so if you are a chicken fan, stay tuned! The first chicken recipe is one I have made for years and years - tender, lemony white meat nuggets that are infused with lemon. They very quick to make, good hot or cold, and versatile. They are pan fried, not deep-fried, so they are not crispy on the outside, but are delicious nevertheless. You can use them in a rice based bento, with noodles, or as a sandwich filling. They can be eaten as-is with a cocktail stick or the fingers too. Recipe: Panfried lemon chicken nuggets This makes about 15-16 nuggets, enough for 2 large bentos or 3-4 smaller ones. 300g / about 10.5 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breastSaltPepperCornstarch1 lemonSoy sauce1-2 Tbs. olive oil In the meantime, heat up a large frying pan with the olive oil.
Zucchini Basil Muffins revisited: Low-carb and gluten-free version. In November, Just Bento’s big sister site Just Hungry will be 7 years old. That’s 49 in dog years and probably about 80 in food-blog years - so many food blogs that were around when Just Hungry was born are no longer with us. Anyway, one of the early recipes I posted there that is still popular now is for zucchini basil muffins. It’s also the most popular savory muffin around our house to this day.
Since I’m trying to come up with more low-carb recipes these days, and buoyed by the success of the green onion and thyme muffins, I set about trying to make a low-carb version of the zucchini basil muffins. My first attempt was a disaster! I tried simply switching the flour for a mix of ground almond and hazelnut, but the ‘muffins’ that results were soggy and really greasy. I finally figured out how to make non-greasy, low-carb, no wheat flour (and thus gluten free) zucchini muffins, by taking a look at a traditional Provençal recipe called pain de courgettes. Very Easy Marinated Chicken Skewers. The chicken recipes here on Just Bento are always very popular. And why not? Chicken is relatively inexpensive, cooks fast, and is fairly low-fat if you trim it judiciously. This very simple Asian-fusionesque flavored marinated chicken breast recipe can be made without the skewers, but it’s just that much more fun, and somehow seems to taste better, if you put it on a stick.
Recipe: Very Easy Marinated Chicken Skewers Makes 4 skewers, enough for 2 bentos. 1 raw skinned chicken breast, about 120g / 4 oz The marinade: 2 Tbs. soy sauce1/2 Tbs. lime juice1/2 Tbs. xiaoxing wine (available at Chinese or general Asian grocery stores; substitute sake or sherry if you don’t have it) About 1 tsp. grated fresh gingerRed chili pepper flakes, to taste A pinch of sugar (about 1/4 tsp.)A few drops of fish sauce (optional; available at Thai or general Asian grocery stores) oil for cooking, about 1 Tbs. Cut the chicken breast into 4 strips lengthwise. Combine the marinade ingredients. Bento filler: Zucchini flower blossom-end fritters. Zucchini or courgette flowers are beautiful things to behold at the market. The most commonly seen recipes using them seem to call for stuffing them with meat or cheese, but they are great just simply fried too. When trying to come up with a fritter that would fit neatly into a bento box, I found that the floppy flower petals got a bit too messy looking.
So I cut them off, ending up with just the round blossom ends. They look rather like giant buttercups. These little fritters are good hot or cold. Recipe: Zucchini or courgette flower blossom-end fritters Each fritter is about 30-40 calories each, depending on how large they are and how well you drain the oil. The batter (more than enough for a dozen flowers): 1 small egg2 Tbs. flour2 Tbs. water1/4 tsp. salt Plus: 1 dozen zucchini flowers Oil for fryingAdditional salt or soy sauce Trim the stem or small fruit off the end of the flowers (reserve the small fruit for another dish).
For the batter: Beat the egg and water together. Sweet pepper and carrot confetti. I am calling this colorful dish confetti, because it’s not quite assertively flavored enough to call it furikake. It is sort of a no-sugar (low-carb) and much lower calorie variation of Cooked to Death Hot and Sweet Peppers, though I have made the hot peppers optional.
Even with no added sugar or sweetener, I think the natural sweetness of the vegetables comes through nicely. It’s a really useful vegetable side dish, to just pack on the side or sprinkle on top of rice or other things. You could also fold in a spoonful into tamagoyaki to make it really colorful. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, or frozen. Recipe: Sweet pepper and carrot confetti Make about 2 cups 2 large red sweet bell peppers 1 medium carrot1/2 small onion (or use the white part of a green onion) 1 hot red chili pepper (optional) 1 1/2 cups (360ml) vegetable stock or dashi stock - or water with 1/2 tsp. dashi stock granules 2 tsp. soy sauce or to taste Sansho pepper or black pepper. Bento Filler: The Easiest Ever Carrot-Sesame Salad. This is yet another recipe that is so easy that I didn’t even think of posting it, though I make it all the time.
But since a lot of you guys liked the soy sauce eggs, and carrot kinpira is one of the most popular recipes on Just Bento (not to mention the most, ahem, copied elsewhere)…I thought, why not? It is a very simple carrot salad flavored with sesame oil. You can add toasted sesame seeds if you want, or chopped up parsley as I did here, or both. Or leave both out and keep it simple. Recipe: Carrot sesame salad 2 medium carrots3/4 Tbs. lemon juice, OR 1 Tbs. ponzu 1/2 tsp. sugarPinch of dashi granules or konbu powder (you can leave this out)Pinch of salt (omit if you are using dashi granules) A dash of soy sauce1/2 Tbs. dark sesame oilOptional: Some roughly chopped parsley Peel the carrots, and shred them with a coarse grater (see below about the slicer tool I use).
Put in a bowl with the chopped parsley. And..that’s it! Variations and Notes. Pan-fried lemon chicken nuggets. Balsamic Sesame Chicken. Continuing the chicken theme, here is another very simple recipe using boneless chicken thighs. This time I have used skinless meat. The thighs are cut into pieces, marinated in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, and coated with sesame seeds. The balsamic vinegar adds tang and a little sweetness. They are then simply pan=fried in a non-stick frying pan that is barely coated with oil. Recipe: Balsamic Sesame Chicken 4 small or 2 medium-large chicken thighs, skinned, any excess fat removed, and cut into small pieces1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar1 Tbs. soy sauce 3 to 4 Tbs. sesame seedsA little cooking oil Combine the chicken pieces, vinegar and soy sauce, and stir around to help the flavors permeate the meat.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, and add just a litte oil (or use a cooking spray) to coat the bottom. Drain off the chicken, and coat with the sesame seeds. Cool before putting into your bento box. Different cuts for different countries. I {HEART} egg in a basket! Potato Bites. I love potatoes . . .red skin, mashed, sweet, and of course, fried! When deciding on an appetizer for the Breakstone’s Recipe Contest , I wanted to stay simple, but put a modern and elegant twist on a familiar ingredient; thus the idea of Mini Potato Bites was formed. Potato Bites are a mini version of twice-baked potatoes. These Potato Bites are bursting with the familiar flavors of bacon, cheese and Breakstone’s Sour Cream and are the perfect start to a meal full of comfort foods. This appetizer is simple to prepare and can be served without utensils because they are small enough to be eaten in one bite. Stay tuned for more Breakstone’s Sour Cream deliciousness and get ready to vote, because each vote you cast {starting on November 15th} will enter you for a chance to win up to $1,000 from Breakstone’s!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may like... Tagged as: Appetizers, Easy, Holiday Recipes, Mini, Potatoes, Recipe Contest, Sour Cream, Thanksgiving. How to cook - food tips and advice: Good Food Channel. 50 of the world's best food blogs. Vegetable Seasons - The Foody. Bow Cupcake Tutorial. Since posting my valentines cupcakes I've received several requests for a tutorial on how to make little fondant bow toppers for your cupcake creations.
So, without further ado, I am pleased to present my tutorial: How To Make Fondant Bows. First of all take a small ball of your favorite coloured fondant and roll it out to around 3mm thick. I find it easier to roll my fondant out between two sheets of clingfilm. Keeps your surfaces tidy and it means less cleaning up later ;) Take a sharp knife and cut out two rectangles. Put the thin strip of fondant to one side while you work on your bow. With your thumb and index finger pinch the middle of the folded fondant so it resembles a bow shape. Wrap the small strip of fondant around the middle of your bow and pinch to secure the join. Now retrieve your thin section of fondant and cut it in half. Taking a sharp knife, carefully cut out two tiny v shapes from one end of each of your ribbons and discard the triangles of fondant. Essential classics recipes.
Chewy Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.