One of my favorite animals is pandas. They are so cute and cuddly…I even have a panda pillow, and I am not kidding! So, I got really inspired by Pinterest bento ideas, especially ones that have a panda.

There is not much work here, just a little patience. Since my scalpel broke, I had a really hard time making face features. I was cutting with a knife coz somebody hid scissors, so I had to darken those out so you guys can see better.

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Other than that little issue this is a really simple and delicious lunch box idea. My kids were in love with it. I made these for two of my kiddos for after school snack and they really enjoyed not only looking at it but eating too.

The only difference was that I made a bit more manly for my baby boy comparing to this very girly one!

Needless to say, this makes one great school lunch box, and even after school snack. It is full of fresh ingredients and it’s just enough to keep them full and happy before dinner time.

Yield: Serves 2

Panda Bento

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Cute idea for a school lunch box. Panda Bento

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Rice:
• 1 Cup of short grain rice
• 8 oz water
• Pinch or two of salt
• Other ingredient OPTIONS:
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• baked potato fries
• Cooked ham, or any meat such as chicken, beef strips, pork est...
• Rolled Egg omelet, plain or with seaweed
• Strawberries, apple, blueberry etc.
• Soy sauce for the rice or use any sauce that you desire, just packs in the little container.

Instructions

1. Combine the rice and water in a pot with a tight-fitting lid you might add pinch or two of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to a low/simmer and cook for 7 minutes under the lid. 
3. Turn off the heat, take off the burner and allow rice to steam in the pot for 10 minutes. 
4. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with the fork.

Notes

• Rinse the rice only once before cooking! You want it to be sticky and clumpy. For this reason. White short-grain rice is the best.
• It's important to work with the rice while it's still warm and sticky, but let it cool a little first so you won't be burned; about 5-7 minutes should be perfect. Turning the rice from the cooking container into another bowl and fluffing it with a fork will help it to cool down slightly.
• Dip your (Clean) hands in the bit of oil or even warm water then take out a small quantity of warm rice, like a handful. Depending on the size of your hands, you can make a bigger or smaller version but it's like making a snowball, you will compress the rice together. OR you can place 1/2 cup of rice into clear wrap foil and make a ball/shape it, take it out and then add eyes, mouth etc. 
• Make eyes out of the nori/dry seaweed and add one grain of the rice in the middle or Cheese, putting one small nori dot for pupils or black sesame seeds. Also, cut nori for the nose and mouth. 

·       Just be creative, it's not hard but you will need a few tools such as a scalpel, scissors, and tweezers. 

On the end just have fun. 

You can use any vegetable or fruit that your kid likes and talk to them and see what they would like in their lunch boxes- that way kids also feel important that they are asked and that you are value their suggestions and opinions.

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A tasty recipe for Thai Style Chicken and Asparagus is perfect for family dinner.

Thai food ain’t about simplicity. It’s about the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish. Like a complex musical chord it’s got to have a smooth surface but it doesn’t matter what’s happening underneath. Simplicity isn’t the dictum here, at all. Some westerners think it’s a jumble of flavors but to a Thai that’s important, it’s the complexity they delight in.

David Thompson, expert of Thai cuisine.

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I would not call Thai cuisine too complicated. It is really all about the love that you put in any dish, however, I do agree that the complexity of flavors is like music to the ear.

Thailand’s culinary traditions and mixed cuisines from close neighbors have influenced their dishes for many centuries.

If you cannot visit Thailand then you have to allow yourself to experience it through the food of their extraordinary cuisine.

I said it before, and I will acknowledge that fact again that I love Thai’s fresh and balanced combination of flavors that can pull one dish together, as Mr. Thompson said: “to create a harmonious finish.”

As a result, since many of you liked my Thai Chicken with Lettuce, I decided to prepare one more chicken recipe that inspired me by Thai cuisine.

CHECK OUT MORE RECIPES WITH CHICKEN

I would say that this could be easily made with beef or pork too. The recipe is very simple and flavors are well balanced- it’s not overly spicy and has just a hint of sweet and sour. I hope you will enjoy it! 

If you make my amazing recipe for Thai Chicken and Asparagus please tag me on Instagram @SandrasEasyCooking using the hashtag #sandraseasycooking or you can send me an email or DM.

Yield: Serves 4

Thai Chicken and Asparagus

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A tasty recipe for Thai Style Chicken and Asparagus

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. Coconut Oil (suggestions: Palm, Sunflower, Peanut Oil est.)
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• ¼ Red Hot Chili Pepper, minced, more if you like spicy
• 2 Scallions, chopped
• 1 pound (1 cup to 1 ½ cups) Chicken Breast, or any other lean meat, cut into strips
• 8-10 Asparagus, blanched and sliced
• Juice of 1/2 Lime or Lemon
• ½ Cup Cilantro or Thai Basil

Condiments for the sauce:

• 1 tsp. Soy sauce (lite) +2 Tbs. Water
• ½ tsp. Oyster Sauce
• ½ tsp. Fish sauce
• 1/3 Tbs. Sugar (brown sugar or palm sugar)

Instructions

1. Boil few cups of water and drop in asparagus for less than a minute. Put the Asparagus under cold water and Set aside.
2. In a meanwhile put the coconut oil in the wok or frying pan and let it get just a bit warm, not smoky hot, put in the wok crushed-minced garlic, chopped scallions and sliced or minced red hot chili peppers.
3. Stir for a minute or so and do not let it burn, turn down the heat on low.
4. Put in the chicken strips or cubes and turn them few times until it's cooked through; Chicken cooks fast, so you would need probably about 3-4 minutes on low temp on each side depending on how big your strips are. 
5. While chicken is cooking mix the sauce in separate bowl, because that is the seasoning that pulls the whole dish together; Soy sauce, Oyster sauce and Fish sauce-all three are very high in Sodium so taste and see how the whole mixture taste to you after you added sugar and water by adding 1/2 tsp over the dish, dip your spoon and taste. You can add more water that will evaporate if you think it's perhaps too strong for you. 
6. The last step is to cut blanched Asparagus and add it in the dish. 
7. At this point turn the heat on medium high, add sauce mixture- 1/2 tsp at the time and taste each time {It's like adding the salt to your meal, you always have to taste and see if you need little bit more} and add lemon or lime juice by squeezing it directly into the dish.
8. Add the fresh Cilantro or Thai Basil the last seconds of cooking.
9. Stir the whole dish together and serve over the rice OR you can stir cooked rice with the chicken mixture and serve it like that.
10. Garnish with bit of fresh chilies, scallions (green part) and lemon zest if desired!

Notes

• You can add raw peanuts.
• It works well with pork, beef or shrimps.
• In case of allergies omit the Oyster sauce and instead of the fish sauce, you can use soy sauce + splash of vinegar, to replicate both saltiness and acidity of the fish sauce OR you can add 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.
• For vegetarians, you can try using Tofu instead of the meat.

Did you make this recipe?

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