This lunch is close to what my lunchbox looked like growing up in Korea. Instead of fresh fruit and veggies, I had traditional Korean banchan (side dishes) in my lunches, but I almost always had warm rice and a small portion of meat similar to these meatballs. I always carried a similar lunch jar as this Zojirushi Ms. Bento Lunch Jar. Actually, I took two of these during my high school years for lunch and dinner. If you want to pack hot lunches, I recommend getting one of these lunch jars from Asian brands. My school meals used to stay hot for hours, even 30 years ago!
These meatballs have been in our meal rotation for many years, but I’m facing a new challenge with Munchkin these days. She still likes the flavor and eats the meatballs, but she’s protesting how she doesn’t like the look, claiming that they are ugly. I know from experience that if I stop serving them, it will only encourage pickiness, so I’m keeping them on the menu. Meanwhile, perhaps I can think of a way to prettify them.
Click here for the full recipe of these meatballs with Korean Flavors.
In The Lunchbox
Rice
When I cook rice, I freeze the leftovers in single-serving portions. This morning, I simply needed to microwave one container of rice for 3 minutes.
Meatballs with Korean flavors
These meatballs were also batch-cooked and frozen earlier this week. When warming them up, I use a med-high setting (power level 7) instead of the highest heat setting. This way, I can warm the middle part up without drying up the outside.
Cucumber
Kiwi
Strawberry
