From a bento mail I received today

[Guest guest]

The e-mail came in at 12:19 PM and I made it for lunch today.  I'm making it

for dinner, too. Probably breakfast, too. It was in a mailing I get called

" Bento in a Box. " Hope the formatting doesn't go nuts, I don't quite feel like

re-typing it. I used pecans since I always have them on hand but suspect

pistachios would be awesome. Hugs, Jeanne in GA

 

 

4 Tbs. miso

4 Tbs. tahini or other sesame seed paste (in Japan use nerigoma, ç·´ã‚Šã”ã¾ï¼‰

4 to 5 Tbs. of finely chopped walnuts (I find it’s about 4 whole kernels per

tablespoon. You could also use pecans or almonds.)

2 Tbs. of the white part of a leek, finely chopped

1 Tbs. of finely chopped fresh ginger

You can do the chopping part the easiest in a food processor, especially if you

have a small bowl or ‘baby food’ attachment. Otherwise, do the chopping by

hand.

Combine all the ingredients well. Store well covered in the refrigerator for up

to a week, or divide into small portions (about a tablespoon) and freeze.

Baked carrot slices with miso, tahini and walnut paste

 

1 to 2 tablespoons of the miso-nut paste

About 10-12 1 cm / 1/2 inch thick carrot slices from the wide part of the carrot

(you can save the tapered end parts for another dish)

A drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C / 430 °F.

Put the carrot slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and

season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes until the carrots are

tender.

Spread the miso paste over the carrots. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or so

until the tops are browned.

This can be made in advance, and keeps pretty well in the refrigerator for a few

days. You can make it in quantity if you like and freeze it too. The best way to

defrost them is to nuke them for a few minutes then pop them in a toaster oven

for a couple of minutes. Alternatively, you can use precooked or frozen

vegetables, put the paste on top, and broil in the toaster oven - though baking

the vegetables really brings out their sweetness the best.

You can use winter squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and other root

vegetables instead of the carrots. Potatoes might be ok too but I prefer to use

a vegetable with a little sweetness.

For a spicy variation you can use kochujang or spicy Korean bean paste, which is

described in detail here.

Use as an onigiri filling

To use as an onigiri filling, toast 1/2 tablespoon of the paste in a dry

nonstick frying pan for a few minutes until it starts to smell really nice. Cool

and use to fill your onigiri.