Winnie the Pooh Bento
A recipe for a homemade Winnie the Pooh Bento Box! This exciting lunch has a Winnie the Pooh-shaped egg crepe over rice with vegetables, cheese, and a Piglet ham.
Servings 1 Serving
Ingredients
Egg Crepe:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon sake or water
- Pinch salt
Bento:
- 1/2 cup (75 grams) freshly cooked Japanese short grain rice cooled to room temperature
- 1/4 sheet nori
- 4 grapes
- 3 pieces steamed broccoli seasoned with a little soy sauce if desired
- 1 slice cheddar or other cheese
- 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) end piece of cooked hot dog
- 1 slice ham
- 2 black sesame seeds
Instructions
To make the egg crepe:
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, cornstarch, sake, and salt with a fork (not a whisk to avoid adding excess air).
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Place a small, non-stick (I use my well-seasoned cast iron) pan over low heat and lightly grease with a thin layer of oil.
- Once heated, add the strained egg mixture and lightly swirl the pan to create an even, thin layer.
- Cook just until set, then flip and cook the other side for another minute. Transfer to a plate.
To assemble:
- Place a divider in the bento and fill half with the freshly steamed rice.
- Cut the egg crepe to fit over the rice in the bento in the shape of Winnie the Pooh's head with the ears on each side of the box.
- Either use a punch or scissors to cut the eyes, nose, and eyebrows from the nori and arrange over the egg crepe, dotting the crepe lightly with a little water to help them stick if needed.
- Arrange the grapes and broccoli in the other half of the bento.
- Punch out flowers or favorite shapes from the slice of cheese and arrange over the grapes (or other fruit) and broccoli.
- If desired, cut out a wavy edge to from the cheese and wrap around the end piece of a hot dog to form a "hunny pot." Top with a flower pick.
- Cut or punch out two teardrop-shaped pieces from the ham to make Piglet's ears, followed by a larger oval shape for the head. Cut out two smaller half-circles for the hands.
- Arrange the oval head, teardrop ears and half circle hands over the grapes and broccoli to make the Piglet. Punch out a small oval from the nori for the nose and use two black sesame seeds for the eyes.
- Cut out any additional ham into flowers or desired shape to arrange around the rest of the box.
- Pack the Winnie the Pooh Bento, with an ice pack if needed, and serve within a couple of hours.