Sequestration Meal #210

 

I'm finding that making these bentos in casserole dishes helps to fill a void for me sometimes. And this one did not disappoint despite the somewhat sad appearance of my faded broccoli. Here I had steamed rice with nori furikake, teriyaki king oyster mushrooms, the aforementioned sad broccoli, some Korean spicy ketchup tofu, some steamed carrots, and a few halved grape tomatoes with salt and pepper.

One thing you can't do with a packed bento is salt your tomatoes; they won't hold up well if you do. So you'll have to season them when you're ready to eat them or skip the seasoning.

The mushrooms are from this recipe from (ironically) Omnivore's Cookbook. I loved them. I think my mushrooms may have been a bit small, but they made up for that by being mighty in flavor. I would definitely make these again, but I need to either double the recipe or find bigger king oyster mushrooms! Unlike the Omnivore's Cookbook's recommendation, though, I knew I would want more protein to give my lunch staying power, so I cooked some tofu, too.

The tofu is this recipe from My Korean Kitchen. It was spicy, but not as spicy as the gochujang tofu I've made in the past, and I loved the sweetness the ketchup brought to the dish. I love ketchup; I think it should make more appearances in meals that don't involve dipping nuggets or tater tots in them but I'm not always that creative. Another great recipe to keep in the arsenal!

Food should be beautiful when it can be, even when the world outside is not.