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Kung Hei Fat Choi! A Chinese New Year Bento
Good fortune, good health and a happy Chinese New Year to all! Here’s a Chinese-themed bento to usher in the Year of the COW Ox.
My dumpling haired girl has literal dumplings for her hair buns. Shrimp and veggie stuffed Hakao. I find it appropriate since I always thought hair buns like Chun Li’s were made from siopao (meat buns). The rest of her is made of rice, nori hair and accents and sakura denbu on her cheeks for blush. The strawberry-shaped container beside her contains a soy-calamansi (Philippine Lemon) dipping sauce.
Of course, I can’t live on rice alone, no matter how cute it is, so I have some fish fillet (sans the lemon butter) and Ashinaga broccoli stir-fried in olive oil and garlic.
Ashinaga Broccoli is a local “long-legged” broccoli variety that’s grown in Benguet. After being successfully marketed by Dole as Ashinaga Broccoli in Japan, it’s now been made locally available at groceries. Initially, I thought it was a Japanese variety, but some googling revealed otherwise. Silly I know, but it sort of made me proud, hehehe.
Garlicky Ashinaga Broccoli in Olive Oil v. 26 January 2009
A couple of stalks Ashinaga Broccoli
Water
Olive oil
Finely minced garlic1. Boil broccoli in water for a couple of minutes, until bright green in color. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a shallow frying pan.
3. Add garlic. Saute until fragrant but not yet browned.
4. Add broccoli. Saute until nicely coated.Note: I tried this same recipe for asparagus spears and it turned out lovely as well.
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Cute as ever! Happy Year of the Ox!
Still the best bento maker I ever met (alright, online).
Happy Year of the Ox.
Any advice on how to make those cute nori faces or hair?
i adore them so much~
thanks!
oh this is sooo cute! you’re really creative!
Though late, Happy Chinese New Year of the Ox!
And cute bento, by the way. Where do you buy hakao?
@Mimi
Thanks! Happy Year of the Ox to you too!
@Tara
Awww. You flatter me too much! *blushes* Happy Year of the Ox too!
@Gaye
You can use a pair of clean, disinfected scissors or craft punchers. I used special punchers for these but you shouldn’t let not having punchers stop you. I used to use scissors and it worked fine, although it does take more effort. Oh, and I usually fold the nori before cutting, so I can have symmetrical parts.
@entrepgirl
Thanks so much!
@Suzanne
The hakao here, I bought frozen from S & R. It’s not the world’s best hakao but for something frozen, it’s pretty satisfying. Sure hits the spot when you’re craving in the middle of the night.
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