Adorable Octopus Character Bento Box
Adorable Octopus Character Bento Box
Crafting a Cute Octopus Character Bento Box for Picky Eaters
Introducing a special bento box recipe transformed into a cute octopus character, designed to engage children who are fussy eaters or dislike vegetables. This bento promises both fun in making and joy in eating, making mealtime an exciting adventure for your little ones!
Main Ingredients- 12 Vienna sausages (for octopus shapes)
- 2 bowls of warm cooked rice
- 1 packet of pre-packaged Inari sushi mix
- 1 slice of cheddar cheese (for octopus eyes and nose decoration)
- 2 straws (1 regular drinking straw, 1 small yogurt straw for children)
- 2 cherry tomatoes (for garnish, optional)
Side Ingredients & Seasonings- A little roasted seaweed (for octopus legs or eye details)
- A few black sesame seeds (for octopus eyes)
- 1 wooden skewer (for shaping or securing rice)
- A little roasted seaweed (for octopus legs or eye details)
- A few black sesame seeds (for octopus eyes)
- 1 wooden skewer (for shaping or securing rice)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
1. First, prepare the Vienna sausages that will be transformed into cute octopus characters. You’ll need a total of 12 sausages for the octopuses.
Step 2
2. Out of the prepared sausages, cut 4 in half to create octopuses with 4 legs. For the remaining 8 sausages, make 8 evenly spaced cuts along the bottom two-thirds of each sausage, ensuring not to cut the top part. This will create the characteristic 8 legs. For the sausages cut in half, also make 4 cuts along the bottom.
Step 3
3. Place the cut sausages in boiling water and blanch for about 2 minutes. The heat will cause the sausage cuts to spread out, resembling octopus tentacles. After blanching, gently press a small tool where the eyes should be and insert black sesame seeds to create the adorable octopus faces.
Step 4
4. To add cute facial features to your octopuses, get ready with a slice of cheese and two straws. Use one regular-sized drinking straw and one thinner straw, like those for children’s yogurt drinks.
Step 5
5. Use the wider straw to cut out circles from the cheese slice for the octopus eyes. Then, use the thinner straw to gently press the center of each cheese circle, creating a nose-like shape. Attach these cheese features to the octopus heads.
Step 6
6. (Optional Tip for Encouraging Vegetable Consumption!) Finely dice vegetables that your child enjoys, such as carrots, onions, and imitation crab sticks. Lightly oil a pan and sauté the diced vegetables and imitation crab sticks with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce or a similar seasoning sauce. Mixing these sautéed vegetables into the Inari sushi will add both nutrients and flavor.
Step 7
7. Combine the seasoned Inari sushi mix from the kit and the sautéed vegetables with 1.5 bowls of warm rice. Adding 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise will enhance the creamy, savory taste that children often love. Follow the instructions on the Inari sushi kit for proper mixing.
Step 8
8. Shape the mixed rice into round balls, like small onigiri. Then, place one of the octopus characters you prepared earlier on top of each rice ball. This creates a delightful bento presentation with an octopus sitting on a round bed of rice.
Step 9
9. Now, let’s make another style of octopus bento using the sausages cut into 4 segments. For this version, you’ll need roasted seaweed. Cut the seaweed into thin strips, about 0.5 cm wide. These will be used to create the octopus legs or details for the eyes.
Step 10
10. This time, fill the Inari sushi pouches with the rice mixture and shape them into round forms. Place the octopus made from the 4-segmented sausages on top. Finally, use the thinly cut seaweed strips to form the octopus legs or attach them as eyes. This completes a simple yet charming octopus Inari sushi bento. For an extra touch, finely chop cherry tomatoes for garnish, making the bento even more appealing.
