Japanese Food .dat i lov

3 KINDS OF ONIGIRI Ingredients* Rice (for 2 sets of 3 onigiri, I used 4 cups uncooked rice) Nori (optional) - Beef - Ginger to taste, grated (or julienned finely) 1 tbsp. tamari 1 tsp. each of sugar, mirin, sake 1 tbsp. water 2 oz. beef, sliced thin, then julienned - Egg - 1 small egg, beaten 2 tsp. sugar salt cooking oil - Umeboshi - 1 umeboshi

Steps Cook the rice. Combine all the ingredients for the beef onigiri except the beef. Bring to a boil in a small pan. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes and set aside. Combine all the egg ingredients except the oil. Heat a small amount of oil to the pan, then add the egg mixture. Scramble the egg, stirring rapidly, until the egg has separated into small, round pieces. Remove the seed from the umeboshi and shred it into small pieces. Divide the rice into 3 portions. Combine each portion with a different flavored mixture. Be sure to not add so much of the beef cooking juice that your rice gets soggy or slippery. Form the rice into flattened balls. I use an onigiri mold as it is faster, but you can shape by hand as well. Make sure to wet your hands or the molds between rice balls to keep the rice from sticking. Add a strip of nori to each if you like.

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH CHILI-BBQ SAUCE Ingredients* 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into strips (or leave whole if you're doing dinner) 1 tsp toasted sesame oil - Marinade - 1/4 cup shallots, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp fish sauce juice from 1 lime 1-1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil - Sauce - 3 tbsp ketchup 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce 2 tsp honey 1 tsp minced ginger (or prepared ginger paste) 4 tsp rice vinegar

Steps Combine shallots, garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil. Place the chicken and marinade into a large ziploc bag. Squeeze the air out and seal; then knead the chicken and marinade together. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 4 hours). Heat 1 tsp of toasted sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Thread the chicken on wooden skewers and add to the pan. Cook, turning the skewers, until the chicken is browned on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the chicken is done (about 5-6 minutes, rotating the skewers occasionally). While the chicken is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.

SUNDRIED-TOMATO CHICKEN BUNS

Ingredients*
- Dough -
1 package of Chebe bread (original)
4 oz. shredded cheese (your choice, but not too sharp or salty for this recipe)
2 eggs
2 tbsp
1/3 cup water
- Filling -
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup diced onion
4 oz. sundried tomatoes, finely chopped, oil reserved
1/2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil from the sundried tomatoes in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. L:ightly season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet. Saute until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Add diced onions to the same pan and cook until onions have softened and are translucent. Remove from pan and place in a large bowl.
3. When cooled, shred the chicken thigh meat and add it to the bowl with the onions. Add in the sundried tomatoes and basil and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper (and more basil if desired).
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare Chebe bread dough using cheese, eggs, oil and water according to the instructions on the package.
5. Pull off a hunk of dough and roll it into a ball about 2" in diameter. Flatten the dough ball onto a work surface using the heel of your hand (or a rolling pin if you really want). The dough is a bit oily, so it will not stick to the work surface.
6. Place about 1 tbsp of chicken filling in the center of the flattened dough. Pull up the edges of the dough and fold it into the center, pinching the dough to seal the filling in. Flip the filled dough ball over and press it lightly into a rounded, slightly flattened bun shape. Place on non-greased cookie sheet or silpat and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on the top.

Buns can be frozen in a single layer, then placed in freezer bags for storage. Defrost overnight and reheat in the oven or in the microwave.
TAMAGOYAKI WITH SPINACH Ingredients
8 large eggs
2 tbsp. dashi or water
1 tsp. sake
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. reduced-sodium tamari
salt to taste
fresh baby spinach leaves
canola oil Steps

1. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until just mixed.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dashi/water, sake, sugar, tamari, and salt to taste until the sugar is dissolved. Add to the eggs and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup/container with a spout.
3. Heat a tamago pan** over medium heat. Add 1/2 tsp. oil and brush over the surface of the skillet with a pastry brush. Working in batches, pour a thin layer of egg*** into the skillet. Tilt the pan to coat the surface evenly with egg. Place some spinach leaves on top of the egg. When the egg begins to pucker, around the edges, push/roll the egg with chopsticks or spatula from one end of the pan to the other so that you have a long cylinder of egg. Leave it in the pan.
4. Brush the pan with more oil. Pour more egg in the pan and tilt it to spread the egg around. Lift the egg log and let the egg run underneath (it will help the rolling process). Spread more spinach leaves on top of the egg and, once the egg starts to pucker, use the egg log as your core and roll in the other direction.
5. Repeat the process, fattening the log as you go. Watch your heat and lower it towards the end to prevent the log (as it gets bigger) from browning too fast due to its weight.
6. Remove the log from the pan and cut into 8 equal pieces.

** A tamago pan is rectangular, allowing your egg log to come out evenly. You can use a circular pan - you egg log will just be a little fatter in the middle than on the ends.
*** If you make the full recipe, about 1/8 of the batter works well. I usually halve the recipe for 2 servings, so I use 1/4 of the batter per layer.

THAI-STYLE DUMPLINGS WITH MINTY CILANTRO-LIME DIPPING SAUCE Ingredients - Dumplings - 1 lb. ground pork 1/4 cup minced scallions 2 tbsp. minced cilantro 2 tsp. minced ginger 1 red bell pepper, minced 2/3 cup minced cabbage 2 small garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1/2 tsp. salt pepper to taste 1 large egg, beaten lightly 45-50 shumai wrappers (or round wonton wrappers), thawed if frozen - Sauce - 1 tbsp. fish sauce 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 tbsp. rice vinegar 1 tsp. sugar, or to taste 2 tsp. minced ginger 1 tbsp. shredded mint leaves 1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Steps In a bowl, add the scallions, pork, ginger, bell pepper, cabbage, garlic, oil, soysauce, coriander, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well with hands. Cook a bit in the microwave and adjust seasonings to taste. Cover and chill filling for 1 hour (or overnight). Put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper, then moisten the edge of the wrapper with water. Form into the dumpling shape of your choice (regular wonton triangles or half-moons, little gathered purses with the filling completely enclosed, etc.). To make ones like mine, pinch the wrapper closed around the filling, forming a mulit-pointed star-like shape with the filling exposed in the middle. Then push all of the points in one direction and squoosh the filling and the dumpling into the shape you want. With a wet fingertip, flatten out the top of the dumpling. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Continue making dumplings until you run out of wrappers or filling. At this point, the dumplings can be frozen on the cookie sheet or cooked right away. I froze mine overnight, then popped them into freezer bags the next day. To cook the dumplings, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Place the dumplings in and cook for 1 minute, or until the bottoms begin browning. Then place about 1/4"-1/2" of water in the pan, cover and steam until the water is absorbed. Continue adding water as it is absorbed until the dumplings are cooked all the way through (it usually takes at least 6-7 minutes if cooking straight from the freezer). To make the sauce, just combine all of the sauce ingredients and mix well. Adjust as you like. * NOTE: The sauce is pretty strong so do not liberally douse your dumplings before tasting first!

Top: Thai-style "sushi" sandwich rolls, grape tomatoes
Bottom: strawberries, raspberries, cherries, petite pudding

THAI-STYLE "SUSHI" SANDWICH ROLLS* Ingredients 2 tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh) 2 tsp Thai-style fish sauce (Vietnamese fish sauce is saltier, etc.) 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp minced ginger 1 tbsp minced garlic flour tortillas (mine had an 8"-diameter) romaine lettuce (from a bag is fine!) sliced roast beef from the deli (for 4 wraps, I used about 3/4lb. of beef) handful of shredded carrots handful of fresh mint leaves

Steps Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl. Stir well with a fork or whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Spread the sauce mixture on a tortilla using a pastry brush. Do not sop the poor tortilla with excess liquid. Lay 2 roast beef slices on the tortilla to cover most of it. You can add more if you like really beefy rolls. Lay some lettuce leaves down the middle of the tortilla, but to one side. Arrange some carrots and mint leaves on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle a teaspoon of sauce over the toppings. Roll the tortilla up tightly, beginning with the half with the toppings. Let the tortilla rest seam-side down while you make the remaining rolls. Slice and serve.

Top: tofu-egg scramble; cucumber tulips
Bottom: wok-fried brown rice with onion, scallions, red bell pepper, edamame, and broccoli; shrimp rubbed in olive oil, Old Bay, and other seasonings (courtesy of Wegmans)

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I have been scrambling around a lot lately – something that has become more the norm than not. 'Tis fitting then to feature a tofu-egg scramble in today's bento. I usually make this for breakfast or brunch. The silken tofu has a nice consistency that blends well with the eggs (you almost can't tell what is egg vs. tofu) and adds a big protein punch to carry you through the day. You can also use firm tofu for a more chewy consistency.

TOFU-EGG SCRAMBLE Ingredients 4 large eggs 1/2 block silken tofu 1/2 small onion, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced 1 tbsp canola oil 1/2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp tamari salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse the tofu and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside. Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork or whisk. Mix in the scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and toss until shiny with oil. Add the red bell pepper and toss with onion until well-mixed. Add the tofu block and toss with the vegetables, using a spatula to break up and crumble the block into smaller pieces. Cook the tofu for at least 5 minutes, using your spatula to flip the mixture and ensure that the tofu is cooked on all sides. The tofu may render some liquid while cooking. If this occurs, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated before moving on to the next step. Add the egg mixture to the pan and allow to set for 15 seconds. Add the tamari, curry powder, additional salt and pepper to taste, then fold the egg mixture into the tofu-veggie mixture. Continue tossing hte egg with the other ingredients, being careful not to break the egg up too much, until theegg is thoroughly cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Makes 2 large servings or 4-5 bento servings.

RED BEEF CURRY Ingredients* 3/4 lb. flank 1 red bell pepper 2 tbsp red curry paste 3 tbsp canola oil 1 can light coconut milk 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp fish sauce 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup roasted peanuts 1/4 cup fresh basil

Steps Thinly slice the beef across the grain into strips about 2" long. If the beef is too soft for thin slicing, throw it into the freezer for 15 minutes. Heat the curry paste and oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the curry paste, mashing it and mixing it with the oil until well mixed and bubbling. Add the beef slices and cook until the beef is lightly browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes. Add about 3/4 of the can of coconut milk and stir it in. Simmer for 10 minutes. While the beef is simmering, coarsely chop the peanuts and thinly slice the basil leaves. Thinly slice the red bell pepper lengthwise. After simmering for 10 minutes, add the fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, and chopped peanuts. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the red bell pepper strips. Simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with the fresh basil slivers.

CURRY LAKSA NOODLES

Ingredients
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp pine nuts, finely ground
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp water
1 lb rice vermicelli noodles
2 14-oz cans light coconut milk
1 14-oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 handful fresh mint leaves, slivered
1 handful bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced into thin 2-inch strips
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sriracha chili sauce

Steps

1. Cook rice noodles in boiling water until tender but firm, about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, and set aside.
2. Combine curry paste, pine nuts, turmeric, and water in a small bowl and mash with a fork.
3. In a large, deep skillet, bring 3/4 cup of coconut milk to gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often. Cook for about 3 minutes, until milk thickens a little and bubbles gently. Reduce the heat to low, add the curry paste mixture and cook, stirring and mashing often, until fragrant, softened and thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, sugar, and salt. Stir well, increase the heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. To serve, top rice noodles in each bowl with bean sprouts and shrimp curry almost to cover the noodles. Garnish with scallions, cucumber, mint, and lime. Serve with Sriracha chili sauce.

Top: rice wrapped in nori, steamed broccoli, grape tomatoes
Bottom: chicken curry with potatoes and carrots

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN CURRY Ingredients* 4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper 2 tbsp. sugar 2-1/2 tbsp. curry powder (Vietnamese "madras curry powder" if you can find it) 3 tbsp. tomato paste 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (you can use a whole chicken too) 4 tbsp. oil 6 garlic cloves, sliced 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch lengths, halved lengthwise, and smashed 2 cups water 2 cups milk, plus more to taste (I use 1%) 2 cups + 1 can of coconut milk (I use light) 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into large dice 1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into large dice 1 medium white sweet potato, peeled and cut into large dice 2-3 carrots, cut into large bite-size chunks

Steps In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the salt, red pepper, sugar, curry powder, and tomato paste. Coat the chicken and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a deep pot and stir-fry the garlic and lemongrass until fragrant. Add chicken and stir-fry about 5 minutes more. Pour water, 2 cups of milk, and 2 cups of coconut milk into the pot. Stir in the potatoes and carrots and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Once vegetables are tender, taste the curry to see if you like the spiciness level. I added an additional can of coconut milk and some more milk (about 2 cans) to adjust for the spiciness and soupiness level that I prefer. * I served the curry for dinner the first night over noodles, so I made it relatively soupy. It is also great to dip french bread into. If you like your curry thicker, you can either add a thickening agent, like cornstarch, or don't add the additional milk -- just remember to lessen the spices if you're not accustomed to spicy foods.

CURRY LAKSA NOODLES

Ingredients
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp pine nuts, finely ground
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp water
1 lb rice vermicelli noodles
2 14-oz cans light coconut milk
1 14-oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 handful fresh mint leaves, slivered
1 handful bean sprouts
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced into thin 2-inch strips
1 lime, cut into wedges
Sriracha chili sauce

Steps

1. Cook rice noodles in boiling water until tender but firm, about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, and set aside.
2. Combine curry paste, pine nuts, turmeric, and water in a small bowl and mash with a fork.
3. In a large, deep skillet, bring 3/4 cup of coconut milk to gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often. Cook for about 3 minutes, until milk thickens a little and bubbles gently. Reduce the heat to low, add the curry paste mixture and cook, stirring and mashing often, until fragrant, softened and thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, sugar, and salt. Stir well, increase the heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. To serve, top rice noodles in each bowl with bean sprouts and shrimp curry almost to cover the noodles. Garnish with scallions, cucumber, mint, and lime. Serve with Sriracha chili sauce.

Front: stir-fried rice noodles with beef & broccoli
Back: panda cake (non-GF), sliced kiwi and mango

STIR-FRIED RICE NOODLES WITH BEEF AND BROCCOLI Ingredients* 1 small head of broccoli (about 1 lb.), stems trimmed and cut into small florets 12 oz. rice vermicelli (you also can use thicker rice noodles) 1 tbsp. salt 4 tbsp. peanut oil 1/2 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain 4 medium garlic cloves, minced 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbsp. fish sauce 2 tbsp. tamari 1 tbsp. sugar

Steps Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the broccoli and cook until just tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl. Do not drain the water! Add the noodles and salt to the water and cook until the noodles are just tender but not mushy, about 2-4 minutes for vermicelli (and 4-5 minutes for pad thai-like noodles). Drain thoroughly and toss with 2 tbsp. of the peanut oil. Heat a large saute pan over high heat* and add the remainig 2 tbsp. of peanut oil. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer and swirl to coat the pan. Add the flank and cook, stirring constantly, until it loses its raw color, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs and let them set for 15 seconds. Then stir, breaking up the eggs with a spatula into clumps. Add the broccoli, fish sauce, tamari, and sugar and stir for 15 seconds to combine. Add the noodles and cook, pulling apart with tongs/chopsticks and tossing to coat with the sauce, until heated through

Left: Chinese egg noodles, blanched baby bok choy
Right: homemade wontons stuffed with pork and shrimp filling, slices of Chinese BBQ pork
Front: packet of instant wonton soup broth, 'wonton' of scallions for garnish, chile sauce

WONTONS WITH PORK AND SHRIMP FILLING Ingredients 1 lb. coarsely chopped boneless pork loin, or ground pork 1/2 lb. peeled shrimp, finely chopped 2 tsp. brown sugar 2 tbsp. Chinese rice wine (you can substitute pale, dry sherry) 2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion 2 tbsp. wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water, then finely chopped 1 oz. bean thread noodles ("glass noodles"), soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained, then finely chopped 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger 1 package square wonton wrappers 1 beaten egg

Steps In a large bowl, combine pork, shrimp, sugar, wine, soy sauce, green onion, mushrooms, noodles, and ginger. Knead with hands until mixed well. Let stand for about half an hour. Place about one teaspoon of the filling at the center of each wonton skin. Moisten two adjacent sides of the wonton skin with the egg, then fold the skin over and seal into a triangle. Press the edges firmly to seal. You can then crimp the edges, gather the skin and crimp towards the center to form a little 'purse', bring the opposite corners together an seal a la Chinese restaurant style, or leave it fairly flat. Continue until you run out of wrappers or filling. Either can be frozen for use later. Soup -- Before adding to soup, add to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Otherwise, your broth will become cloudy. A quick broth can be made by combining 3 cups chicken broth, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp. grated ginger (change proportions as needed). Garnish with fresh scallions. You can also add Chinese egg noodles (cooked and drained), blanched baby bok choy or Chinese broccoli, or fresh spinach, as well as slices of pork or cooked shrimp to round out your bowl of soup. Frying -- These little guys are terrific fried as well. Just heat enough oil to deep fry over medium heat until a piece of wonton skin sizzles when added. Deep fry the wontons in batches until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side, making sure they don't stick together, and making sure the oil doesn't get too hot (or the wontons will brown too fast). Drain in a paper towel-lined colander. Serve with duck sauce or plum sauce.

CHICKEN KATSU WITH TONKATSU SAUCE Ingredients - Chicken - 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 egg, beaten 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1 cup oil for frying, or as needed - Sauce - 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp. ketchup

Steps Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.

CHICKEN KATSU WITH TONKATSU SAUCE (REVAMPED) Ingredients - Chicken - 1 package chicken breast tenderloins (6-8) garlic salt, to taste 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 egg, beaten 1 cup panko bread crumbs canola oil for frying - Sauce - 1/3 cup ketchup 1/4 cup tamari 1/8 cup sugar 1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershiresauce cayenne pepper, to taste

Steps Place the egg, flour, and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Mix the garlic salt in with the flour to taste (I think I used about a heaping teaspoon). Rinse the chicken tenderloins and pat dry with a paper towel. Dredge a chicken piece in the flour mixture, then shake off excess. Dip it in the egg and let the excess drip off. Then roll the chicken in the panko, pressing the panko onto the chicken to help it adhere. When you remove it from the last bowl, shake the tenderloin a bit to get rid of the excess crumbs that otherwise will fall off into the oil and burn. Repeat with the remaining tenderloins. Heat about 1/4" of oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the hot oil, and cook for 2-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness). Pieces should be golden brown and cooked all the way through. Drain on paper towels. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well

Left: honey-ginger chicken, stir-fried broccolini, tofu nuggets (nuggets are non-GF)
Right: Chococat on a bed of rice (body cut from nori, accents in American cheese)

HONEY-GINGER CHICKEN Ingredients* 2 tbsp. canola oil 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 1 large onion, sliced into wedges 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1-inch chunk of ginger, peeled and julienned 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. low-sodium tamari 2 tbsp. fish sauce 1/2 tsp. five-spice powder

Steps Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry until onion begins to soften and turn translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the honey, soy sauce, fish sauce and five-spice powder. Combine well and simmer for another 5 minutes, until chicken is nicely glazed with the sauce

Top: wok-fried broccoli, kung pao chicken with red bell peppers
Bottom: hoisin-chicken bun (not GF), rice with furikake (yasai fumi furikake to be exact)

KUNG "POW" CHICKEN Ingredients* - Marinade - 2 tbsp reduced sodium tamari 2 tbsp sake 1 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces - Sauce - 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 tbsp sugar 2-1/2 tbsp reduced-sodium tamari 2 tbsp sake 1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos (or Worcestershire sauce if you're not gluten-sensitive) 1-1/4 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped finely 2 tbsp garlic, minced 1 tsp prepared chile paste with garlic - And - 2 tbsp cooking oil (I use a blend of canola and olive oil) 1 small can water chestnut pieces (~ 3/4 cup) 1 red bell pepper, quartered and sliced* 9 scallions, green tops plus 1-inch of white part, cut into 1/2-inch lengths 1/3 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Steps Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken, toss well to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. While chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce by combining the broth, sugar, tamari, sake, liquid aminos, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Stir well with a whisk or fork until the sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok (or large nonstick skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat remaining tbsp of oil in the same pan. Add the sliced green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile paste, and stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add the broth mixture and cook for another minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Throw in the cooked chicken, red bell pepper, water chestnuts, scallions, and peanuts. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 1-3 minutes. Voila! * Feel free to add other vegetables in place of, or in addition to, red bell pepper. This recipe would work well with bamboo shoots, baby corn, carrots, snow peas, broccoli...

Bento box: pork with garlic and pepper, stir-fried Chinese broccoli, rice with furikake, container of sauce from the garlic & pepper pork
Extras: steamed bun with pork and beef filling (not GF), spam musubi, orange wedges (not pictured)

PORK WITH GARLIC AND PEPPER Ingredients* 1 lb. pork tenderloin, thinly sliced canola oil - Marinade - 2 tbsp. reduced sodium tamari 3/4 tsp. ground white pepper 1 tsp. tapioca flour - Fried Garlic - (you can also use readymade fried garlic) 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup garlic, chopped - Sauce - 2 tbsp. oyster sauce 1 tbsp. reduced-sodium tamari 1/2 tsp. sugar 4 tbsp. chicken stock or water

Steps Put sliced pork into a bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Mix well, then let sit for 10 minutes. [If using prepared fried garlic, skip this step.] Heat oil in wok; add garlic and cook on high heat until garlic starts to turn brown. Turn down heat and keep stirring until garlic is crispy, 2-3 minutes. Remove garlic and drain on paper towels. Heat oil for deep frying in wok. Add the marinated pork and fry for 1 minute. Remove pork from oil. Heat empty wok. Add fried pork, oyster sauce, tamari, and sugar. Stir-fry quickly to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir-fry to combine for another 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Before serving, sprinkle crispy garlic on top.

Left: strawberries, kiwi, mango, and mandarin oranges
Right: SPAM fried rice with egg flowers (GF)
Snack bento (non-GF): steamed bun with spinach filling, panda cake (for Tai Shan!), mini-choux a la creme pastries

SPAM FRIED RICE Ingredients* 1 1/4" slice of Spam, diced into little cubes 1/4 red bell pepper, diced diced onion, about the same amount as the red bell pepper 1 scallion, thinly sliced 1 cup cooked rice (leftover rice works best) 1/2 tbsp. butter 1/4 tsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. sake 1 egg (or 2 eggs if you are going to be cutting shapes)

Steps Heat a small frying pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil and add 1 beaten egg. Swirl pan to coat. Once egg begins to set, flip it over. Slide egg out of the pan once it is done cooking. Repeat with another colored-egg mixture if desired. Spray the same pan with cooking spray and add the red bell pepper and onion. Stir-fry until onions begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan. Add the Spam cubes and a pinch of sugar and stir-fry until the edges begin to crisp (or more if you like). Remove from pan. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towel to remove any residue. Then add the butter. Once butter has melted, add the rice and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps as you go. Add the scallions and cook them with the rice. Once the rice is hot, add the veggies and Spam cubes, as well as the salt, sugar and sake, and continue to cook until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings as you prefer. Cut the omelets into shapes and garnish. Otherwise, take your one omelet and julienne into strips and mix it through the rice evenly

Three-color donburi -- rice topped with slightly sweet scrambled egg, seasoned beef, and steamed snowpeas.
Container is about 4.5" x 6.5" x 1.5" (but looks huge!).

THREE-COLOR DONBURI Ingredients* - Egg topping - 6 large eggs 2 tbsp. sugar pinch of salt 1 tbsp. canola oil - Beef topping - 1 lb. finely ground extra lean ground beef 2 tbsp. sake 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. reduced-sodium tamari pinch of salt 1 tbsp. canola oil - Green topping - Handful of snowpeas, trimmed

Steps Steam or quickly boil snowpeas until tender crisp. Refresh under cool water, then julienne lengthwise and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a small frying pan. Add the eggs and sugar to the pan, bring heat to medium, and scramble the eggs for 2 minutes. When the eggs start to harden, add the pinch of salt. Continue to scramble for 2 more minutes, or until the eggs are just cooked and in very small pieces. Remove the eggs and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a small frying pan. Add the ground beef, sake, sugar, tamari and salt to the pan and bring the heat to medium. Saute the beef, stirring constantly and breaking the beef into small pieces, for 6 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Layer each of the colored toppings over white rice and serve.

Main bento: three-mushroom and tofu rice, stir-fried snowpeas, chicken katsu with tonkatsu sauce (non-GF), and persimmon wedges.
Snack bento: more persimmon, Asian pear chunks, and a mini choux-ala-creme (non-GF).

THREE-MUSHROOM RICE Ingredients* 2 rice-cooker cups of uncooked rice 2 oz. cremini mushrooms 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms 1 aburage 2 tbsp. tamari 1 tbsp. sake 1/2 tbsp. mirin salt

Steps Rinse the rice and drain. Clean the mushrooms and chop. Thinly slice the shiitake. Rinse the aburage with boiling water, then julienne. Put the rice in a rice cooker and add the tamari, sake, mirin, and salt. Then add the water to the 2-cup level. Lay the mushrooms and tofu on top of the rice. Then close the lid and start the rice cooker. When the rice is done, gently fold the mushrooms and tofu into the rice. This is a great recipe for busy mornings, especially if you clean and precut the mushrooms and tofu the night before. I just poured everything in, turned on the rice maker and went about getting ready. It was done by the time (and probably before) I was ready for work. :)

Top left: vegetable fried rice
Bottom left: apple and horseradish-glazed salmon (recipe here), grape tomatoes, stir-fried broccoli
Dessert: blueberry-stuffed raspberries, strawberries
Snack: banana cookie Larabar
GF products used: San-J tamari, Beaverton Foods original cream style horseradish, Safeway apple jelly, Heinz ketchup, Larabar

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE Ingredients* 3 cups cold cooked rice (I used jasmine rice) 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1/3 cup chopped onion 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tbsp ketchup 2 tbsp tamari 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp sake 1 tbsp cooking oil (I use Smartblend, a mixture of canola, soy and olive oil)

Steps Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir-fry, breaking up any clumps as you go. Add the ketchup, tamari, sugar, and sake, and continue to stir-fry, mixing the seasonings in with the rice until it is evenly colored, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mixed vegetables and stir-fry until mixed into the rice and heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Push the rice to the sides of the pan and add the beaten egg into the center. Let the egg set for about 15 seconds, then mix it through the rice. Stir-fry the rice mixture until the egg is cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Left: chickenless nuggets (non-GF), edamame, and yakisoba with mixed veggies (non-GF)
Right: chao ga (Vietnamese porridge with chicken) with scallion and cilantro garnish

VIETNAMESE PORRIDGE WITH CHICKEN Ingredients* - Porridge - 1 cup rice (I use jasmine/long-grain for this recipe) 1 tbsp canola oil 1 onion, coarsely chopped 7 cups water + more 1-inch slice of ginger, peeled, sliced and bruised with the knife handle 4 chicken breasts (or use 1/2 a chicken) 5 cups chicken broth (low-sodium) salt, to taste fish sauce, to taste sugar, to taste - Garnish - 2 scallions, thinly sliced 5 sprigs cilantro, chopped black pepper, to taste

Steps Wash and drain the rice thoroughly. Heat oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the rice and onion until the rice turns white. Set aside. In a soup pot, combine the water, ginger, chicken and salt and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam until clear and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and add the rice and onion mixture. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding chicken broth as needed to thin the porridge to the desired consistency. Season to taste with the salt, fish sauce, and sugar (I start with 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and go from there). Skin, debone and coarsely shred the chicken and return it to the soup. Before serving, add scallions and cilantro and sprinkle withblack pepper.

	Make some sushi rice. For about 10 spam musubi, you need to start with 3-4 cups uncooked rice (depending on how thick you like your rice layer. Slice up a big can of SPAM crosswise (I get about 10 slices per can, but some people like it thinner).
	Either make a marinade (1/4 cup oyster sauce, 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce, 1/2 cup sugar mixed well) or use a store-bought teriyaki sauce. Place the SPAM slices into the marinade and let sit for 5 minutes. (not too appetizing at this point, eh?)
	Fry up the SPAM until it's almost crispy on the edges. Make sure to allow most of the marinade to drip off before adding the SPAM to the pan, and use a medium to medium-low heat to keep everything from burning. Some folks like to fry the SPAM before adding it to the marinade. Whatever rocks your boat.
	Get some toasted nori sheets and cut them to your desired width. Lay down a sheet of nori, shiny side down, and place the musubi mold on top (wet the mold to keep the rice from sticking too much). If you don't have a mold, you can shape the rice by hand or make yourself a mold from a mini-SPAM can – use a can opener that doesn't leave sharp edges to cut off the top and the bottom of the can.
	Add rice to the mold to the desired height. I like to have at least an inch of rice, sometimes more if the SPAM slice is a bit thick. Even the rice out. Then (optional) sprinkle on some furikake or sesame seeds for added zest. (My husband and I prefer spam musubi sans the furikake.)
	Using the flat piece of the mold (wetted), press down onto the rice. Continue pushing down as you pull the rectangular part of the mold upwards, leaving a little rice block on the nori.
	Top with a slice of SPAM. (You can also layer rice above and below the SPAM by adding rice, then the SPAM, then more rice, before pressing down to create the rice block for the musubi.)
	Fold one side of the nori over and stick it to the SPAM. Fold the other side of the nori up and over. You may need to wet the nori edge a little to get it to stick to itself. Voila! Yummy spam musubi is ready to be eaten.
	I wrap each spam musubi in plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for no more than a week. To eat, I heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds - just long enough to soften the rice which can get hard when refrigerated.

TAMAGO (for sushi) Ingredients* 4 eggs 4 tbsp. dashi (I used 4 tbsp. water mixed with a bit of instant dashi powder) 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. mirin 1/2 tsp. tamari generous pinch of salt

Steps Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Strain mixture through a sieve to remove most of the egg membrane. It is helpful to strain into a container that has a pour spout. Lightly coat a tamago pan (or frying pan) with cooking spray and heat over medium-low to medium heat. Add about 1/4 of the egg mixture to the pan and tilt to coat. Once the egg begins to set, roll the omelet from one end of the pan to the other, creating an 'egg log' of sorts. As you will be making sushi, it helps to keep the egg log a bit on the flat side, but this is not necessary as you can shape the log later. Spray some more oil and pour in another 1/4 of the egg mixture, lifting the egg log to allow the raw egg underneath. Once the egg sets, roll the existing egg log to the other side of the pan. Repeat 2 more times. Take egg log out of pan and wrap in a paper towel. Press into the desired shape before cutting (the paper towel will absorb any excess moisture or oil). Then slice for sushi!

HONEY-GINGER MARINADE/SAUCE
Ingredients*
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup tamari
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 green onion, chopped
Steps

1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. If you are using as a marinade, mix the ingredients in a big ziploc bag, throw in whatever you're marinating and turn the bag to coat. I like to marinate salmon for at least 30 minutes, although overnight is best.
3. If you are using just as a sauce to mix into onigiri filling, you don't need to cook it. Just use it as is. But if you've marinated meat or fish in it, and then you want to use it as a sauce, cook it for a few minutes first on the stove or in the microwave. Easy peasey!

MARINADE FOR BEEF

Ingredients
1/4 cup tamari
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. scallions, minced
1 tsp. brown sugar

Steps

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Pour marinade over 3/4 lb. to 1 lb. of thinly-sliced flank steak. Mix to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Remove meat from marinade. Beef may be grilled or sauteed in a frying pan over high heat.

CHICKEN KATSU WITH TONKATSU SAUCE Ingredients
- Chicken -
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed
- Sauce -
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
Steps

1. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place the flour, egg and panko crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Coat the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg, and then press into the panko crumbs until well coated on both sides.
3. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot oil, and cook 3 or 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
4. Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.

Top: pickled daikon, seaweed salad, homemade shrimp gyoza, and a piggie of The Best Dipping Sauce Ever
Bottom: rice with furikake, grape tomatoes

THE BEST DIPPING SAUCE EVER Ingredients* 1/2 cup tamari 1 tbsp. water 2 tsp. sugar 2 tbsp. rice vinegar 1 scallion, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (regular sesame oil ok) 1 tsp. sesame seeds

Steps Whisk all ingredients until well-mixed. That's it. =^.^= * You can also add hot pepper sauce or some other form of chiles to taste.

Front: mango sticky rice
Back: Singapore char mee hoon (leftovers!)

MANGO STICKY RICE Ingredients* - Sticky rice - 2 cups sticky rice 2 cups coconut milk 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 ripe mangoes, cut into thick slices - Topping - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp tapioca starch 1 tbsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt

Steps Cook the sticky rice as you normally would. I used my rice maker, which has a sweet rice function. I measured out 2 rice-maker cups (which are smaller than normal cups) of rice, rinsed it clean, then let it soak for about 6 hours. Then I drained it, placed it in the rice maker bowl and filled in the water up to the line for 2 cups (the water barely covered the rice). Then I closed the lid and hit cook. If you don't have a rice maker, you can steam the rice. While the sticky rice is cooking, mix together 1.5 cups of the coconut milk, the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Then set the sauce aside to cool. Immediately after the sticky rice is cooked, and still hot, put it into the coconut sauce and stir well. It will look a little soupy. Cover for 1 hour and let cool. The rice will absorb the coconut sauce. To make the topping, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the salt, sugar and tapioca starch. Bring to a boil, then set aside to cool. To serve, put the sticky rice on a dish and lay the sliced mangoes on top. Pour the topping sauce over the sticky rice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

3 KINDS OF ONIGIRI Ingredients* Rice (for 2 sets of 3 onigiri, I used 4 cups uncooked rice) Nori (optional) - Beef - Ginger to taste, grated (or julienned finely) 1 tbsp. tamari 1 tsp. each of sugar, mirin, sake 1 tbsp. water 2 oz. beef, sliced thin, then julienned - Egg - 1 small egg, beaten 2 tsp. sugar salt cooking oil - Umeboshi - 1 umeboshi

Steps Cook the rice. Combine all the ingredients for the beef onigiri except the beef. Bring to a boil in a small pan. Add the beef to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes and set aside. Combine all the egg ingredients except the oil. Heat a small amount of oil to the pan, then add the egg mixture. Scramble the egg, stirring rapidly, until the egg has separated into small, round pieces. Remove the seed from the umeboshi and shred it into small pieces. Divide the rice into 3 portions. Combine each portion with a different flavored mixture. Be sure to not add so much of the beef cooking juice that your rice gets soggy or slippery. Form the rice into flattened balls. I use an onigiri mold as it is faster, but you can shape by hand as well. Make sure to wet your hands or the molds between rice balls to keep the rice from sticking. Add a strip of nori to each if you like.

Bottom left: homemade triple-meat pasta sauce

TRIPLE-MEAT PASTA SAUCE* Ingredients 1 lb. lean ground beef 1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or spicy) 1/4 lb. pepperoni slices (if large slices, then half or quarter them) 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 onions, diced 3 carrots, diced (small) 3 stalks celery, diced (small) 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz. mushrooms, halved or quartered (depending on size) 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce 1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes 2 6-oz. cans tomato paste 3 bay leaves 1 tbsp. dried thyme 1-1/2 tbsp. dried oregano 1/2 tbsp. dried basil 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 cup beef broth (optional, use to thin sauce if needed)

Steps In a large pot, saute the beef, sausage, and pepperoni for 1 minute. Add the green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Pour into a large sieve to drain grease. In the same pot, addthe mushrooms, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and sugar. Stir well, then add the meat mixture back to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours to let the flavors meld. Add beef broth to thin the sauce if needed.

MANGO-SHRIMP SUMMER ROLLS Ingredients* - Summer rolls - 6 large shrimp, peeled 1/3 package of rice vermicelli (usually each 1lb package is divided in 3 and tied by twine) 3 tbsp sushi vinegar (rice vinegar also will work) 4-1/2" chunk of seedless cucumber, peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise about 1/8" thick one 'cheek' of a large, ripe mango, peeled and sliced lengthwise about 1/8" thick handful of fresh chives handful of mint leaves handful of cilantro leaves 4 sheets of rice paper (not too delicate if possible, at least 8" wide), more just in case some tear - Dipping sauce - 1-1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1-1/2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp water 1 tbsp brown sugar crushed thai bird chili or 1/2 tsp ground chili paste or chili oil (optional)

Steps Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until cooked. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp and run under cold water, then drain. Slice shrimp in half lengthwise (and devein if necessary). Bring shrimp water back to a boil and add the rice vermicelli. Cook about 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water, then drain again well. When noodles are fairly dry, add the sushi vinegar and toss to coat. Leave the noodles in the colander so that any excess liquid can drain. To make the rolls, wet a round of rice paper in hot water and place on work surface. Arrange a handful of rice noodles in a row along the bottom third of the rice paper. Arrange chives, and strips of mango and cucumber in the space above the noodles and sprinkle some cilantro leaves on top. Fold the bottom of the rice paper over the filling and roll towards the top, stopping after one revolution. Fold the sides of the rice paper in, then arrange some mint leaves in the crease and continue rolling a little further. Stop when there is about 2 inches of rice paper remaining. Place 3 shrimp halves along the crease and finish rolling. Repeat with the other 3 rolls. To make the sauce, stir together all ingredients in a small bowl until well-mixed. You can also make these 4-6 hrs ahead of time -- just place on a platter, cover with damp paper towels and then saran wrap the platter. If you are placing it in a bento, the rolls should be ok for 4-5 hours provided your bento box has a good seal. If you want to be sure, just wrap the rolls in some saran wrap before packing.

SHRIMP BURGERS WITH CHILI MAYONNAISE Ingredients - Burgers - 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped 1/8 cup light mayonnaise 1/2 medium red onion, minced 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce pinch of cayenne pepper kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs Canola or safflower oil for frying - Accompaniments - 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1/8 cup chili sauce (I use Sriracha) hamburger buns and/or mini pita breads tomato slices (or cherry/grape tomato slices) mixed baby greens

Steps Put the shrimp, mayonnaise, onion, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into patties and place on a baking sheet. (I find that 1 lb. of shrimp is enough to make 2 regular-sized patties for dinner plus 3 baby patties for bento. You can also double the recipe and make 6 regular-sized patties.) Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight. (These also freeze well at this point.) Put the bread crumbs on a plate and carefully dredge the patties. They will fall apart easily -- be gentle! Pour oil in a skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat over medium heat until hot, but not smoking (use a small frying pan and much less oil if you're doing the bento-sized patties). Fry the patties until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes per side for regular patties and 3 minutes for bento patties. Check and adjust the heat to make sure they don't burn. Drain on paper towels. Combine the chili and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix well. Spread the underside of each hamburger bun (or the insides of the pita breads) with the chili mayo, place a burger on the bun, then top with tomato slices, onion rings, and lettuce. Ta da!

TURKEY BURGERS WITH SPECIAL SAUCE Ingredients* - Burgers - 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced or chopped 2 tbsp orange juice 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari 1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1lb. ground turkey breast Cooking spray 4 hamburger buns (or however many mini-buns you need if you're doing bento burgers) 4 curly leaf lettuce leaves (or a lettuce mix) - Special Sauce - 3/4 cup reduced-fat mayo 1 1/2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp dijon mustard 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp orange juice 1 tsp low-sodium tamari 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped (or use the kind in a tube)

Instructions Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, if making normal burgers. The recipe is enough for 2 normal burgers and 4-6 mini burgers depending on the size of the mini-bun you are trying to fit. Whether normal burger or mini, they should be about 3/4" thick. Place normal patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Or, if making mini burgers, pan frying is fine, about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Spread Special Sauce over top and bottom halves of each bun. Place lettuce leaves on the top halves of buns; top bottom buns with a burger patty, then top with the top bun and lettuce. If you're doing normal bugers, cut them in half before serving.