We are participating in the Panasonic promotion.
This time around, we made a vegetable stew recipe you can make very easily in the Bistro.
It's a set it and forget it, easy press of a button, perfect for making time-consuming character bento lunches.
The vegetables give you a nice balanced meal.
You can use the microwave to make the inari. It's quick and easy, and makes sure none of your vegetable stock goes to waste. Make this for a kid's party or their bento lunch.
Recipe
Easy root vegetable nikomi stew
1. Make the vinegar water.
2. Peel and slice a lotus root. Soak the roots in the vinegar water, and skim any foam.
3. Peel and slice a carrot.
4. Remove the lotus roots from the water and dry them.
5. Combine the carrots and lotus root and weigh them. (Ours weighed 155g)
6. Use the Bistro's “COOK BOOK” as a guide and fill a heat-resistant bowl with the vegetables and 45ml stock (we used tsuyu sauce).
7. Give it a stir.
8. Gently cover with plastic wrap.
9. Place the bowl in the center of the Bistro. Close the door and follow these menu settings:
Recipe→Easy Nimono→Root Vegetable Nimono→OK→Start
10. Give it a stir when it has cooked.
Inari Animal Hat (makes ten)
Remove the oil from the abura-age.
11. Cut five pieces of abura-age in half.
12. Roll chopsticks over the abura-age to make it easier to open.
13. Lay damp paper towels over a grilling pan and arrange the abura-age, then cover the abura-age with another layer of damp paper towels.
14. Place the grilling pan on the top rack of the Bistro and follow these menu settings: Manual→Steam→5 minutes→Start.
15. Press down on the abura-age over the paper towels. (Be careful, they're hot)
16. Mix together 3 tablespoons water, and two tablespoons each of mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar in a heat-resistant bowl to create the nikomi stock.
17. Sandwich the abura-age in fresh paper towels and remove any excess oil.
18. Soak the abura-age in the nikomi stock, making sure to flip the abura-age so it is thoroughly coated.
19. Gently wrap in plastic.
20. Place the abura-age on the middle rack of the Bistro and cook for 2 minutes on 600w.
21. Pack the plastic wrap down so it is tightly packed around the abura-age.
22. Make vinegar rice out of two go of rice made to be rather firm.
23. Divide the rice into 10 equal balls. (about 70g each)
24. Fold the abura-age inside itself and insert the rice in the opening.
25. Prepare the decorations from an egg white omelet, regular omelet, and nori seaweed.
26. Use your decorations you have prepared to decorate the abura-age and rice. If you're having difficulty getting the decorations to stick, use mayonnaise as a kind of glue.
27. Shape the carrots from step 10 and use a straw to bore holes.
28. Arrange the vegetables and rice balls on a plate.
29. Serve.