Bento box is a safe, fun and delicious recipe to get kids into the kitchen. Our signature bento box contains tuna sushi pieces, fruity dessert sushi and crunchy edamame beans. We love making this recipe in our colourful kids cooking incursions – book one for your ELC or school here.

? Serves: 4
? Prep: 40 mins     Cook: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 tablespoon sushi rice vinegar
• ½ bag frozen edamame
• 2 nori sheets
• 1 tin tuna in springwater
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (omit to make egg-free)
• 1 carrot
• 1 capsicum
• 1 cucumber
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari to make gluten-free)
• 1 avocado
• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon coconut
• 4 strawberries

Directions

Prepare rice

1. Rinse rice and cook using the absorption method
2. Transfer cooked rice into a bowl and stir in sushi rice vinegar
3. Allow rice to cool (you can speed the cooling process by covering a tray with foil and spreading rice over it to cool)

Prepare Edamame

1. Soak frozen edamame in hot water (or microwave for 1 minute)
2. Drain edamame
3. Pop beans out of the shell

Make Tuna and Veg Sushi

1. Cut each nori sheet in half
2. Place 1 nori piece, shiny-side down, on a bamboo mat or non-stick baking paper. Ensure longest side of the nori sheet is at the top of the mat or baking paper
3. Fill a small dish with water
4. Dip fingertips in water and thinly spread 3 tablespoons of rice onto nori sheet, over the bottom two-thirds of nori
5. Drain tuna and mix with mayonnaise
6. Spread 1 tablespoon of tuna mix along the bottom edge of nori (about 2cms in from the edge)
7. Cut vegetables into 1cm thick strips
8. Arrange vegetable sticks, lengthways, on top of tuna
9. Gently lift the end of the mat closest to you and roll over ingredients to secure
10. Slightly wet the top edge of the nori piece
11. Continue rolling to make a complete roll
12. Roll mat back and forth a few times to make a round, firm shape
13. Use a sharp knife to cut in half or into 2cm pieces
14. Serve with soy sauce

Make Dessert Sushi

1. Peel and cut banana into 8 round pieces
2. Take 1 tablespoon of coconut and roll the banana pieces in them
3. Slice strawberries
4. Top banana with one slice of strawberry each

Notes

Personalise this recipe to your taste. Feel free to change up the fillings or toppings in any of these recipes.

If you have leftover rice, mould rice into a ball shape with wet hands and top with fruits.