Potato-Millet Cakes and Crab Salad Bento

I'd often seen bacon wrapped veggies in bentos. This is my first time incorporating them! What a hit!

Top tier of bento: Potato-millet cakes with red-pepper tapenade for dippn', beet salad with sweet mustard, and bacon wrapped asparagus. Garnish: cheese and salami flower, carrot flower, lettuce, parsley.

Bottom tier of bento: Leftover cabbage and crab salad, organic savory baked tofu slices (thanks Trader Joe's, I do make my own but not this time) and salt and pepper peas. Garnish: lemon slices, carrot flower, cheese and salami flower, parsley, easy pickled radish.

 My Bento Recipes:

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Salt and Pepper Peas

Ingredients:

5 stalks asparagus, tough bottom 1/3 removed, remaining stalks cut in 1/2
2 slices nitrate-free all natural smoked bacon (I went to the deli and bought just 2)
1/4 cup frozen peas
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

* Steam the asparagus for 3 minutes. 
* Stack 5 pieces of asparagus onto the middle of one slice of bacon, roll up, and pin closed with a toothpick. 
* Repeat with remaining asparagus pieces. 
* Over medium heat cook the bacon, turning as it browns (about 6-7 minutes total). * Remove from the pan. 
* Add the peas to the bacon fat still in the pan and cook until defrosted. 
* Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beet Salad with Sweet Mustard

Ingredients:

1 small beet, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
a pinch brown mustard seeds to garnish

Directions:

* Mix all the ingredients.
* Garnish with a few brown mustard seeds.

Potato-Millet Cakes (makes 6, or enough for a bento after 3 get snacked on!)
I was inspired to make this next recipe after looking over a Millet and Potato Pancake recipe in the book "The Just Bento Cookbook" by Makiko Itoh. If I'd had all the ingredients I likely would have tried her recipe. Check out her amazing bento blog at www.justbento.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cooked millet
1/2 cup leftover, cold mashed potatoes
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced (I use a zester)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon butter

Directions:

* Mix all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl. 
* Shape the mixture into 6 patties and cook them over medium low heat 6-7 minutes per side in the butter. They should be golden brown and cooked through. 
* These are fluffy little cakes so be gentle or add some GF flour if you wish for a doughier texture.