Bento Meets Crock Pot

The rice cooker can also be used similar to a crock pot where all the ingredients go in and cook together.  Although it is not exactly slow; in fact it is not slow at all but very fast.  Wednesday featured a chicken & rice casserole from the rice cooker. 

Here are two photos of the prep.  On the left are julianned vegetables {celery, carrot, and turnip plus the diced chicken}.  The tuperware is a red pepper, mushroom, red onion, radish mix for the small compartment.  The rice and water are put in the rice cooker as normal, the chicken on top, and the vegetables on top of that.  And proceed as normal with the rice cooker; the chicken and vegetables cook and steam as the rice cooks.  Just be ready to take the lid off when the rice is finished so the whole thing does not overcook. 

This is the resulting bento.  Chicken, rice, and vegetables in the large compartment.  The small compartment is cauliflower, the pepper mix with oil and vinegar, and pineapple with banana.  Cooking the rice, chicken, and vegetables together definitely saves some work and the flavors meld.

Thursday was the last day of the work week.  This is the 21st century; four long days is enough work for anybody.

The large compartment is rice balls with scrambled egg mixed and black sesame seeds; plus a mix of shredded pork and cabbage; and a couple of olives.  The small compartment is a vegetable mix of potato, carrot, and celery sauteed with a cherry tomato added after, and a fruit mix of whatever was on hand.

A good week of bento; a lovely weekend of gardening and the beach; and back to work tomorrow.

Cheers, Gary