Today's Bento Box: Mongolian Barbecue and Gamja Jorim

One of the things I enjoy is cooking, even if it means waking up early to arrange my husband's lunch box. Today's meal took less than fifteen minutes to fix, granted that everything else has been prepared at least the night before.

 I always loved that potato dish that comes with the sidings in Korean restaurants. Inspired by this, I decided to arrange something that blends delectable Asian flavors for the bento meal of the day:

MONGOLIAN BARBECUE

-sirloin steak, sliced thinly

-soy sauce (Kikkoman)

-mirin

-grated ginger

-minced garlic

-brown sugar

-pepper

-sesame oil

-sesame seeds

Again I apologize for the lacking portions. I mixed together all the ingredients until sugar has been dissolved. I do like a good gingery taste, but I'm careful not to make it too overpowering. Marinade the meat in the sauce overnight. When the meat is set, preheat the grill and cook until grill-marks form on the meat. Once it has lost its raw and red texture, then you know your meal is almost ready. When done, snip into strips using sharp kitchen shears.

GAMJA JORIM

-marble potatoes
-red onions
-garlic
-soy sauce (Kikkoman)
-brown sugar
-pepper
-sesame oil
-sesame seeds

-Wash potatoes (I don't usually bother peeling them). Slice onions into bite-size. Mince 4 large garlic cloves. In a pan, sautee garlic. Way before it even turns brown, add the potatoes and coat evenly. Then, throw in the onions and mix together. Pour around 2-3 tbsps soy sauce and blend well. Combine with 3 tbsps sugar and dissolve with water. Let simmer until potato softens. These are just estimates and the portion will depend on the amount of potatoes used. Note that the dish is meant to be sweet-salty and should produce a bit of a syrupy texture. A bit of sentido comon will help in adjusting to your preferred taste. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Turn off heat and incorporate 1 tsp of sesame oil and a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds. This can be prepared the night before and can be serve hot or cold the next day.

ASIAN SALAD

-romaine lettuce
-roasted tomatoes and onions, sliced

Dressing:
-sunflower oil
-sesame oil
-cane vinegar
-soy sauce
-mirin
-sugar
-minced garlic
-ground pepper
-plum sauce

I use 1 part vinegar to 2 parts sunflower oil, approximately. Put in lots of garlic. Add sesame oil enough to give it a strong taste. Adding 1 tsp at a time, blend in enough soy sauce only to give it body but not too much that it'll look like soy sauce dressing. Appearance should still be pale. Add sugar, mirin, ground pepper and plum sauce to give it that fragrance. Adjust portions to your preferred taste. Blend and mix well. Store in a separate container when preparing the bento box and drizzle only shortly before eating

Arrange everything in a container. Serve and enjoy :)