Tilapia Bites Bento

My half price Laptop Lunch set arrived last week. I broke it in today. I have been experimenting with new no oven needed recipes for the upcoming newsletter. I made this yummy fish and decided it would work great on food picks in my new bento set. Isn't it cool? Of course, you don't need a special bento set to enjoy this treat. It is seriously yummy and embarrassingly easy!

I went ahead and tried out a low carb version of a Japanese bento staple--onigiri. It is traditionally made with rice--sticky, starchy rice that is, so low carbing this recipe is a challenge. I had never tried it, but found a great tutorial over here at Alecto's blog, Low Carb Foodie. The addition of a low carb staple--cream cheese--adds the stickiness needed for cauliflower to hold together into a ball, or in this case, a triangle. Alecto stuffs ongiri with bacon, but I left mine plain today. Cute idea, huh? I added a little garlic hot sauce in the little sauce container. Yum.

The other cups in my bento box hold a green onion and a mix of fresh strawberries and blueberries. So much color. Gotta love it. I can do without the seaweed faces; this is pretty enough!

Tilapia Bites

1 Tilapia fillet, partially frozen
Old Bay Seasoning
Coconut Oil

Cut a partially frozen fish fillet into bite sized chunks at the thickest part. The thinner sections can be cut into a long strip. Then roll the fish and secure with a toothpick. This way, all chunks will cook in the same amount of time. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with Old Bay seasoning. Allow spices to flavor the fish for 10-20 minutes. Heat a tablespoon or two of coconut oil in a skillet. Place fish into skillet and pan fry until done, turning only once. When done, drain on a paper towel. If desired, thread the fish chunks on a food pick, alternating with fresh veggies.

I let the Tilapia come to room temperature before loading it on the food picks. It held up very well although I expected it to fall apart. I think I like it best at room temperature when the texture has firmed a bit. Who needs a hot meal this time of year anyway? That makes this perfect for a lunch on the go. This was a nice treat, full of various flavors and textures. That is what I love about Bento. The variety I load into the compartments makes for a much better dining experience.