Bento #144

Udon noodles with pork, leek & veggie dumplings, mango jelly, fig bar and grapes.

As soon as Maisie got in the car after school she told me to check her bento and I know, if she wants me to check her bento it means that she ate every drop and she had, woohoo!!

I've had some new questions:

Yana asked: "I'm just wondering whether the rice tastes okay when it's cold?"

Maisie likes food at room temperature or just warm. When I pack rice, meatballs, noodles, dumplings, anything like that, I heat it up in the morning and so when Maisie eats it they're not cold and everything tastes great...if you like food at room temp.

Karen asked: "Can you post a recipe for the cilantro cream sauce? I just found your blog and everything is so adorable, not to mention delicious-looking! Thanks!"

In Bento #52 Maisie had Five-Spice Chicken with Cilantro Cream Sauce which was served with wilted spinach & wide egg noodles. Here's the recipe:

Chicken tenders ~ 1/2 lb
EVOO ~ 2 TBS
soy sauce 1 TBS
salt ~ pinch
ground pepper ~ 1/2 tsp
5-spice powder ~ 2 TBS
cayenne pepper ~ 1 tsp

Mix all of the above together and allow chicken to marinate. Brown the chicken in a little oil until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.

Sauce:
whipping cream 1/2c.
plain yogurt 1/2c.
cilantro 1/4c. coarsely chopped
lemon juice 1 to 2 tsp.

Mix sauce ingredients together and then add to the pan in which you cooked the chicken. Cook until sauce is thickened.

Enjoy.