Well, I have finally delivered the first draft of my bento cookbook. There is still a lot of work to be done before the book will be ready for publication, but I am so relieved to clear this first hurdle at least. I was practically unable to think about any other recipes other than the ones destined to go in there for a long while, but now I can start thinking about new things for the site! (And yes, the book will have all new recipes and bentos, except for some basics. What's the point of just copying recipes available online here, you know?)

Anyway, here is one of those barely-a-recipe ideas - yet another way to cook an egg. I make this when there is a spot to fill in a bento box, or as a late night snack. It literally comes together in 3 minutes, from breaking the egg to final result. It adds a bright spot of yellow with so little effort. Here I have mixed in some leftover chopped up green onion, but you can put in anything any number of things. I've tried furikake, some plain bonito flakes with a little soy sauce, bits of leftover meat or hamburger, canned tuna, mixed frozen vegetables straight from the freezer, and more. You can also leave it plain.

Recipe: 3-minute microwave omelette

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. water
• pinch of salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. softened butter
• any additions you want

Put all of the ingredients into a small microwave-safe bowl, and beat with a fork until blended. The butter should be in little flecks throughout the egg. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on the HIGH setting for 30 seconds. Take out, and beat up with a fork to break up the cooked parts and mix with the still uncooked parts. Cover and return to the microwave for another 15 seconds. Note: The cooking time may vary slightly depending on your microwave. If it's still undercooked, return to the microwave and cook a for 10-15 more seconds. Repeat if needed. The final texture should resemble moist scrambled egg.

Turn out onto the plastic wrap that was covering the bowl. (If you used cheap plastic wrap that disintegrates in the microwave, you may need to cut another piece.) Gather up the ends of the plastic wrap and squeeze the egg - it will be very hot, so protect your hands with a kitchen towel or something. Squeeze into a little teardrop/chestnut shape as shown here, or a ball, or anything you like. Open up the plastic wrap and leave to cool.

Use as a bento gap filler, or just eat as a protein-snack.