Stuffed Bell Pepper Bento
A recipe for a Stuffed Bell Pepper Bento from the cookbook, Ultimate Bento! Mini bell peppers are filled with a savory ground beef mixture and paired with sautéed spinach and mushrooms.
Servings 2 Bentos
Ingredients
Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups (60 grams) spinach roughly chopped
- 4 button mushrooms sliced
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers:
- 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 3 ounces (85 grams) ground beef
- 1/2 small onion about 2 1/2 ounces (75 grams), finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 4-5 mini bell peppers halved, seeds and stems removed
- Vegetable oil for pan-frying
To pack the bento:
- Steamed Japanese short-grain rice
- Salad leaves
Instructions
To make the Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms:
- Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan.
- Add the spinach and mushrooms and sauté until tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers:
- Combine the panko and the milk in a bowl and allow to soak for a few minutes.
- Add the beef, onion, 1 tablespoon of flour, and the soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and kenad well to combine.
- Dust the insides of the pepper with additional flour.
- Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and pan-fry the stuffed mini peppers until they are browned on both sides.
- Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan with a lid. Let the peppers steam until the meat is cooked through.
How to pack the bento:
- Spread a portion of rice evenly across the bottom of the entire bento box.
- Place a salad leaf so that it spreads from the center third to the right third of the bento box.
- Arrange some Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers in the larger space to the left. Place a portion of Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms behind the leaf.