Although most people think of bento (also called obento) as being lunches, bentos are actually any kind of meal packed in a box. Bentos originate in Japan but can be made up of any food you enjoy that will fit into your food box. You don't need to spend a lot of time making cute characters (charaben) out of hot dogs and seaweed in order to make a Japanese-style bento, and they can be good ways to exercise portion control and counting calories.
Instructions
1. Cook your rice ahead of time. You don't want to pack piping-hot rice into your bento with all the other foods, as it will lead to condensation inside the box. Let the rice cool.
2. Wash your cherry tomatoes and let them dry.
3. Cut the carrot into thin sticks you can fit into a compartment of your bento box.
4. Cut three or four thin rectangular strips out of your nori sheet.
5. Make tofu steaks. Cut your extra-firm tofu into rectangular "steaks." Layer paper towels over a small cookie sheet. Place your tofu slices in a single layer on top of the paper towels. Place another layer of paper towels on top of the tofu. Put a plate or similarly-sized cookie sheet on top. If the plate and cookie sheet is very light, evenly add a little weight on top. The idea is to gently press out as much water from the tofu as possible. Leave for an hour.
6. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a skillet.
7. Add tofu slices to the oil and cook until golden brown. Add dash of soy sauce for flavor. Remove the tofu slices from the oil and let cool.
8. Pack a portion of cooled rice into your bento box. You can fill one small compartment of your box with rice, or, if you don't have compartments, arrange the rice along one side neatly.
9. Arrange your nori strips in a neat design across the top of your rice.
10. Place your cut carrot sticks into another small compartment or fit neatly next to your rice.
11. Pack your tofu pieces into another compartment or near your rice.
12. Sprinkle seasonings onto your tofu or rice. If you don't want any additional seasonings, skip this step.
13. Place cherry tomatoes decoratively around the sections or put them into their own compartment.
14. Stack your bento compartments, seal the lid tightly, and your bento is ready for travel.
Tags: your bento, your rice, cookie sheet, into your, paper towels, tofu slices
