Japanese fusion recipes

Japanese fusion recipe: broccoli and tuna salad

2011-02-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

I made salad with broccoli and tuna yesterday.
If you have a steam case, you can make this salad very easy.
All you do is microwave broccoli in a steam case for couple of mins and combine rest of the ingredients.

Also, this balsamic vinegar and soy sauce dressing works very well with tuna. You can make a bottle of it and store it for other salad too.

Japanese fusion recipe: broccoli and tuna salad

*2 servings

+Ingredients+

1 Small head of broccoli
1 Tomato
1 can Tuna(drain water or oil)
1 slice of swiss cheese or other cheese

+Dressing+

1/2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/4 tablespoon Soy sauce
Salt and black pepper

+Directions+

Cut broccoli and Tomato into 1 bite sizes. Tear the cheese into small pieces.
Boil broccoli in hot water for couple of mins or microwave in a steam case for couple of mins. Chill broccoli.
Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Combine broccoli, tomato, cheese, and tuna in a bowl. Pour the dressing and mix well.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Maguro donburi (Sushi tuna bowl)

2011-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

My favorite sushi fish are salmon, octopus, and urchin.
Even though red tuna(maguro) is popular among many people, I usually don't pick one to eat.
For me, the red part of maguro has a bland taste.

However, I love maguro donburi(Seasoned sushi tuna bowl).
Since the tuna is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin for a while before eating, the tuna becomes more flavorful and it goes very well with rice.

When I make this donburi, I usually buy the end cut of maguro sashimi. The quality of fish is same,however, it's a lot cheaper. Since it's usually already cut in 1 bite-sizes, all you do is marinate and serve with a bowl of rice. Easy and cheap sushi dinner at home!

Japanese recipe: Maguro donburi (Sushi tuna bowl)

*2 servings

+Ingredients+

0.3lb tuna(sashimi)(150g)
6 boiled large shrimp
2 bowls of rice(about 2/3lb(300g) for 2)
2 teaspoons sushi vinegar
chopped green onions
Wasabi(Japanese horse radish)

+Marinate sauce+

2 tablespoons Soysauce
1 tablespoon Mirin(sweet rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon konbu dashi powder or dashinomoto
2 tablespoons water

+Directions+

Cut tuna in 1 bite sizes. Chop green onions.
Boil shrimp, peel shell, and chill.
Combine all the marinate sauce ingredients and marinate tuna for 30mins or more.
Pour sushi vinegar over the rice and mix.
In a bowl, add rice,place marinated tuna and boiled shrimp, and garnish with green onions and wasabi. Pour preferable amount of marinate sauce(step3)over it or normal soy sauce.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese fusion recipe: Spicy Chinese cabbage stew with miso

2011-02-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

Since I had half of a Chinese cabbage left, I cooked Asian style stew yesterday.
This dish is great especially on cold days. Lots of red pepper powder and ginger in this dish warm up your body.

Japanese fusion recipe:
Spicy Chinese cabbage stew with miso

*2servings

+Ingredients+

1and1/4lb Chinese cabbage(about half) (550g)
Lemon peel(Thinly sliced) (optional)

+Miso sauce+

1 tablespoon Awase miso
1 tablespoon Soysauce
1 tablespoon Mirin(sweet rice wine)
1 tablespoon Japanese sake
3 tablespoons Water
2 teaspoons Red pepper powder
1 teaspoon Minced garlic
1 teaspoon Minced ginger

+Directions+

Cut the Chinese cabbage into 1 bite-sizes. Mince ginger and garlic.Slice lemon peels thinly.
Combine all the Miso sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix.
In a pot, place the Chinese cabbage.(Place the end (white parts)to the bottoms and leaves on top.)
Pour the Miso sauce(step2) on top of the Chinese cabbage(step3) , put the lid, and cook for about 15mins with medium heat.
Garnish thinly sliced lemon on top.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Zero-calorie Miracle noodles (Mentaiko shirataki)

2011-02-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

I didn't know until recently that Shirataki is becoming popular in the United states as a diet food and people call it "Miracle noodles".

Since shirataki came from the same root of konjac plant, the taste, the texture, the smell, and nutritional values are same as konjac.
About konjac, please check my old post too.

Most people might see shirataki just as an alternative low-carb,however, Japanese enjoy eating shirataki in various ways.

For examples, Shirataki is a common ingredient in Oden and Nikujyaga. The shirataki soaked in oden or nikujyaga broth give such a great flavor to shirataki and I love the texture as well.

The dish I would like to introduce today is Mentaiko shirataki(Miracle noodles cooked with seasoned cod roe).
My mother used to make this dish for me. I remember this dish was sometimes in my lunch box too.

Make sure to boil shirataki and cook on a pan for couples of mins to remove water before seasoning. If you do so, the konjac smell goes away and it becomes easier to blend in with the sauce that you cook with.

Japanese recipe:
Mentaiko shirataki(Miracle noodles cooked with seasoned cod roe)

*1 serving

+Ingredients+

1 small pack(7oz) shirataki(200g)
1 inch length seasoned cod roe(2.5cm)
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Japanese sake or white wine
1/2 teaspoon Mirin(sweet rice wine)or sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dashinomoto
1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Chopped green onions.

+Directions+

Boil shirataki in a pot for about 5mins. Drain water.
In a pan, add oil and cook shirataki with medium heat until the water evaporates and shirataki becomes somewhat dry.
Take the skin off of seasoned cod roe and add to the pan. Mix well with shirataki.
Add rest of the ingredients and cook for another couples mins. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Braised pork with red wine

2011-02-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

This week, I bought two bottles of red wine from fresh and easy.
Both bottles I bought were on sale(very cheap) and the design was very cute. Since I don't have any knowledge about wines, I usually go by the price and the package design after I make sure that the wine is not too sweet.

However, my pick usually does not work well. I have found only two favorite wines so far. (Liberty creek white wine and Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée)
Anyway, my pick this time was a total failure again. Both red wines had a nasty bite afterward.
So now, I have to get rid of them by cooking something with these wines.

This is one dish I made last night: Braised pork with red wine.

I used about half bottle of wine(combined with two) and the pork became very tender. You could easily cut and pick with a fork.
Also, these wines brought such a great flavor to the pork!

One of the other ingredients I used is Tonkatsu sauce originated from Japan. This sauce tastes like thicker and sweeter version of Worcester sauce. It's named Tonkatsu sauce because it's great with Japanese pork cutlet(Tonkatsu). You can buy Tonkatsu sauce at amazon too.

Japanese recipe: Braised pork with red wine

*2servings

+Ingredients+

1 lb pork chop end cut(fattier than center cut) or pork country-style ribs
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Olive oil
10oz Red wine(300ml) *I mixed half bitter and a little bit sweet red wine.
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Tonkatsu sauce
1/2 cup Water
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon Butter

+Directions+

Season pork with salt and pepper.
Add olive oil in a pan and sear the surface of pork with high heat.
Add red wine and cook until the wine get cooked and remained till 1/3 with medium heat.
Transfer the pork(including wine)(step3) and add ketchup, Tonkatsu sauce, water, and bay leaves. Put the lid and simmer for about 90mins with low heat. Flip the meats for a few time during simmering.
Add butter and stir at the end.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Japanese hamburg steak

2011-02-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

This is a juicy Japanese hamburg steak recipe that I cook often.
If you cook right, lots of meat juice come out when you cut open inside.

Two important techniques required in this cooking is

1. Sear the surface of the meats with high heat.

2. Mix the meat with other ingredients very well.

Japanese recipe: Japanese hamburg steak
*4servings

+Ingredients+

1 lb Ground beef(453g) (80/20 is recommended)
1 Onion
1 Egg
4 tablespoons Bread crumbs(Panko is preferred)
4 tablespoons Milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

+Hamburg sauce+

1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Red wine
1/4 cup Tonkatsu sauce
1/4 cup Water
1 teaspoon Butter
1/2 Bouillon cube
Salt and pepper

+Directions

Chop onions finely.
In a pan, add oil and saute onions for about 5mins with medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cool it off till room temperature.
Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and let it sit for about 5 mins.*This makes juicy hamburgs.
In a bowl, combine ground beef, onions (step2), egg, bread crumbs and milk (step3) and season with Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix everything very well until the gruel comes up.
Shape the meat (step4) into patties and make a small dent in the center.
Heat the pan to high and place meat patties and cook for about 2mins each side(sear the surface).*If you are cooking with low fat meat, add some oil to the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, put the lid and cook for about 15mins.
Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients except butter and cook in a small pot with low to medium heat for about 15min. Add butter at the end to melt.
Serve cooked meat patties on plates and pour sauce over the meat patties. Drizzle some whipping cream if you like.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe:Curry potato gratin

2011-02-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Last time, I made curry bread using leftover curry and today's dish is another solution menu to recycle the leftover curry.

Japanese recipe: Curry potato gratin

If you have a silicon steamer, you can do all this cooking with this steamer. It can go in a microwave, an oven, and you can just serve as a plate too.

*2 servings

+Ingredients+

3 (1/2lb) medium potatoes(250g)
1/3lb curry(150g)
2oz Mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

+Directions+

Cut potatoes into thin slices(less than1/4inch(3mm)),wash them,and immerse them into cool water for about 10mins.
Place potatoes in a silicon steamer with some water(about 1 to 2 tablespoons) and microwave for about 5mins. Or boil potatoes for about 5mins and drain water.
Pour heated curry over potatoes, top with cheese and bread crumbs, and bake in an oven (400F or 180c or broil)for about 10mins until cheese melts and the bread crumbs get crispy.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Kinako mochi (Soybean flour rice cake)

2011-02-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

My favorite way to eat rice cakes is with kinako(soybean flour).
As I get older, I started craving traditional Japanese sweets like Kinako mochi a lot more than before.

Whenever I go back to Japan, I get excited to find new Kinako sweets too. It is amazing that Japanese people come up with tasty sweets using Kinako with non-traditional Japanese food such as cakes, chocolates, jam, breads, ice cream.....

By the way, If you have a chance to visit Japanese supermarkets, I recommend buying Kinako mochi chocolates from tirol. You will love it if you like soybean flour.

Japanese recipe: Kinako mochi

*1 serving

+Ingredients+

2 rice cakes
2 table spoons Soybean flour
2 tea spoons Sugar(add more if you would like)
1 pinch salt

+Directions+

Place the rice cakes on a pan, put the lid and cook with medium heat for about 5mins
Flip the rice cakes and continue to cook for about 5mins until the rice cakes rise and get soft inside.
Dip the rice cakes in hot water for about 30mins.
Combine soybean flour, sugar, and salt.
Coat the rice cakes(step 3) with soybean flour mix(step4) and serve.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Fluffy green onion pancakes(Negiyaki)

2011-02-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

With my leftover simmered konjac with sweet miso sauce, I cooked green onion pancakes.

The process of making green onion pancakes is somewhat similar to okonomiyaki. You will be amazed how sweet the cooked the green onions are and also be very satisfied the amount of vegetables(green onions) you eat with this recipe.

The sweet miso konjac gives a good accent to this pancakes too. Also, the vinegar base sauce is very refreshing with a hint of spiciness. Of cause, you can enjoy this pancakes with Okonomiyaki sauce, a little bit of mayo, and bonito flakes on top!

Japanese recipe: Green onion pancakes(Negiyaki)

*1-2 servings

+Ingredients+

1 heaped cup chopped green onions(85g)
4 table spoons flour
100ml water
1 large egg
1 tea spoon sesami oil
2 oz simmered konjac(←see recipe）(50g)
salt and pepper

+Sauce ingredients+

1 table spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon vinegar
1 tea spoon sesami oil
1/4 tea spoon sugar
1/4 tea spoon chili garlic sauce
sesami

+Directions+

Chop green onions. Cut konjac(already 1 bitesizes)into half.
In a bowl, combine flour,water, egg, salt and pepper then fold green onions.
Combine all the sauce ingredients.
Heat the pan to medium, add sesami oil and spread batter(step2). If green onions concentrate in the center, spread over the surface.
Cook each side with medium heat for about 2mins until brown.
Reduce the heat to low, put the lid and cook for about 5mins. Serve with the sauce(step3).

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe:Simmered konjac with sweet miso sauce

2011-02-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

I love everything about Konjac(konnyaku) .

First of all, the taste. Konjac can change the taste by how you cook. One of the common dishes that konjac is necessary is Oden. I love the taste of Konjac soaked in oden broth.

Secondary, the texture. The texture of konjac is like very firm Jelly. It's just fun to chew. Konjac jelly, for example, has a great texture and I always feel something is missing when I eat normal jelly.

Finally, the nutrition factor. Konjac contains lots of fiber and is extremely low in calorie. Since it's filling but yet healthy, Konjac is popular for diet food too.

I would like to introduce this Konjac dish today.

Simmered Konjac with sweet miso sauce

I cooked Konjac with miso and sweet rice wine.

The nutty miso sauce goes well with Konjac very well.

Japanese recipe:

Simmered konjac with sweet miso sauce

+Ingredients+

*2 servings

10oz Konjac
2 tables spoons Awase miso(dashi blend)
1 table spoon Soy sauce
2 table spoons Sweet rice wine
2 table spoons Japanese sake
2 tea spoons Red miso
1/2 tea spoon Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1 dry red pepper(whole)
1 tea spoon sesami oil
Chopped green onions

+Directions+

Boil konjac in a pot for couple of mins.
Tea konjac with hands into 1 bite sizes
In a pot, drizzle sesami oil and cook konjac for couple of mins with medium heat.
Add Awase miso, soy sauce, sweet rice wine, Japanese sake, dry red pepper(whole) and bring it to boil.
Once it boils, put the lid and cook for about 20 mins with low heat.
Open the lid and add red miso and sugar and cook until the sauce thickens for about 10 mins with medium heat.
Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese fusion recipe: Fried Shrimp with homemade bread crumbs

2011-02-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Homemade bread crumbs is another way to use up leftover stale bread.

To make bread crumbs, use a food processor to grind bread or just crush bread with your hands. If the bread is too moist, you can microwave or heat in a oven to dry.

This is fried shrimp I cooked on the other day with my own bread crumbs. Since I wanted a light breading for the shrimp this time, I ground the bread well and microwaved for couple of mins.

This fried shrimp is crispy but yet very light. You can enjoy the taste of shrimp well with this breading.

Japanese fusion recipe: Fried shrimp
*2 servings

+Ingredients+

8 Large shrimp
2oz Milk(60ml)
1/2 egg
Bread crumbs
Flour
Salt and pepper
2 table spoons Ketchup*
1 tea spoon Horseradish*

+Directions+

Remove shells and veins from the shrimp and season with salt.　
Make 5 small, evenly-spaced cuts on the top and bottom of the shrimp so that they will lay flat.
In a bowl, combine milk and egg.
Coat the shrimp with flour, milk and egg liquid(2.), and then bread crumbs.
Wrap the shrimp with plastic wrap and let them sit for about 15mins.
Deep fry the shrimp until golden brown for couple of mins.
Serve the shrimp with ketchup and horseradish.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe：Green pepper salad

2011-02-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I can call this a recipe, however, this green pepper salad is very refreshing and tasty.

All you do is cut the green pepper into thin strings and season with shio-konbu.

Shio-konbu is seasoned kelp that is shredded, and ready to eat.
It's great with rice, onigiri, salad, pickles, stir-fry dishes.... and there are many more uses.

If you have a chance to go to a Japanese supermarket, grab one and enjoy cooking using shio-konbu.←Look for this package. The green package is a low-sodium one and red and blue are normal regular ones(just different sizes).

Japanese recipe:
Green pepper salad

+Ingredients+

1 big green pepper or 3 Japanese green peppers (150g)
4 tablespoons shio-konbu(seasoned kelp)(20g)

+Directions+

Cut green pepper into thing strings and soak them into cold water for 5mins.
Drain water and remove excess water from green pepper.
Combine green pepper and shio-konbu and mix well. Let it sit for about 10mins.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Use up your leftover bread: Garlic rusk

2011-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

I always end up having lots of leftover bread in a freezer.
Since I don't want to waste them, I am constantly thinking how to use them up.

Yesterday, I made garlic rusk. It's great for appetizer with your favorite dip or just for snacks.
I used leftover ciabatta bread this time(It's dense and makes harder rusk), but you can use other bread too such as french bread, rolls, or sourdough bread.

Garlic rusk

+Ingredients+

7oz Ciabatta bread (200g)
1 table spoon Butter
Garlic salt

+Directions+

Heat the oven to 300 degree(160°C).
Cut the bread into thin slices(about 1/2 inch).
Bake sliced bread in an oven for 15mins.
Take the bread out and spread butter to each bread. Sprinkle garlic salt over the bread.
Put the bread back in an oven and cook for another 15mins.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Grilled Herb and soy sauce chicken

2011-02-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

Add a twist to your ordinary grilled chicken and enjoy a different taste!
It's very easy to make and you don't need any other special Asian sauces but soy sauce to cook this dish.

Japanese recipe:
Grilled herb and soy sauce chicken

*2 servings

+Ingredients+

1 lb(2thighs) boneless skinless chicken (450g)
2 table spoons Soy sauce
2 table spoons White wine
1/2 table spoon brown sugar
1/4 tea spoon herb mix
1 clove Garlic (sliced)
Salt and pepper
1 table spoon vegetable oil

+Directions+

Season the chicken with salt and pepper lightly and rub the herb mix.
Combine soy sauce, white wine, brown sugar, sliced garlic in a bowl and marinate the chicken from 1. for about 20mins.
Take the chicken out and pat the chicken with paper towels. *It's easy to burn the chicken without this process. Discard the marinated sauce.
Heat the pan, add oil, and grill the chicken with high heat for couple of mins each side.(untill brown)
Reduce the heat to low, put the lid and cook for another 15min or until it cooks through.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Easy Curry Bread

2011-02-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

You may have never thought, but the breads in Japan are amazingly good.
There are sooooo many kinds of breads in Japan such as Melon-pan, Cream pan(Custard Cream bread), An pan(Sweet bean bread), Kare pan(Currey bread), Yakisoba pan(Fried noodles bread), Korokke pan(croquette bread).......I can name it endlessly.

One of the Japanese favorite breads is Curry Bread(Kare-pan) which has Japanese curry paste inside and the dough is deep-fried to golden brown. It's crunchy and crispy outside but the dough inside is soft and chewy. The curry paste inside goes really well with the dough too.

Since I had leftover curry that I made on the other day, I wanted to make something different with it, but making bread dough is time consuming...

Thinking ....
Thinking.....

.......。

Oh! I have pita breads!

I was not sure how this would turn out, but I filled the curry paste into a pita bread, breaded, and deep-fried.

And, this is the fried pita curry bread.
It just looks like the Curry bread I buy in Japan!

It tasted great too! It's easy, tasty, and it makes an amazing change from an ordinary curry.
If you have leftover curry, give it a try!

Japanese recipe: Fried Pita Curry Bread

*2 curry breads

+Ingredients+

1 Pitabread (cut in half)
7oz Curry (paste)(200g) *adjust the amount depending on the size and the thickness of bread
1/2 Egg
1/4 cup Milk (60ml)
Panko(bread crumbs)
Vegetable oil (for frying)

*Use a thick curry paste. If you have lots of vegetables in curry, mash them to make curry thicker. You can also add boiled and mashed potatoes or thicken curry with corn starch.

+Directions+

Cut a pita bread in half and open the inside.
Fill the curry paste in pita breads(make some room for the ends to seal) and seal it by pressing the bread together with fingers(wet with water if necessary) *Don't worry to much about sealing the bread tight. If the curry paste is not runny, it will not come out easily when frying.
In a shallow bowl, add milk and egg and mix well.
Dip the pita bread in 3. and cover with bread crumbs.
Wrap 4. to let bread crumbs stick to the pita breads for about 10mins.
Fill 1/4 inch of vegetable oil to the pan and deep-fry the pita breads both sides for total of about 7mins or until pita breads becomes golden brown.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Onigiri

2011-02-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

I made Onigiri(rice bowls) for my hiking lunch yesterday.

The right one is Mentaiko(seasoned cod roe) onigiri: I wrapped it with Nori(dried laver seaweed). The left one has picked plum inside and I seasoned with shio-konbu.　

Since I am the only one who eats rice regularly in my house, I usually cook rice, wrap them into single serving packages, and freeze them so that I can eat rice whenever I want to instantly. I can enjoy steaming hot rice just by sticking a pack of rice in a microwave and heat it for about 1 min.

If you don't have much experiences shaping onigiri, I recommend using plastic wrap. Your hands does not become dirty and you don't have to worry about making onigiri soggy (Normally, you have to wet your hands when you shape onigiri so that onigiri won't stick to your hands).

Japanese recipe:
Onigiri

*2 small Onigiri

+Ingredients+

7oz cooked rice (200g)
salt
1 Ume (pickled plum)　
1 bite-size Mentaiko (seasoned cod roe(raw or grilled))
Nori(dried laver seaweed)
Shio-konbu(seasoned kelp)

+Directions+

*Mentaiko Onigiri*

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on a board, sprinkle a little bit of salt and spread rice on it.
Make a small dent in the center and add seasoned cod roe in the center. Cover the filling by bringing all 4 corner edges of wrap to the center and make a ball. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top.
Place the wrapped rice ball on your left hand. Make a V shape with your right hand and press onigiri. Rotate each corner of onigiri until you make the desirable triangle shape.
Take the wrap off and wrap it with Nori(dried laver seaweed).

*Ume Onigiri*

Follow the same process above except seasoning rice with salt (Shio-konbu seasons the rice ball). Use pickled plum as filling instead.
Sprinkle shio-konbu around rice ball and serve.

Salted grilled salmon, okaka, and tuna & mayo are good for Onigiri fillings too. However, there is no rule like what you can and can't use as Onigiri fillings so just add whatever food you like to eat with rice and enjoy!

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Asian recipe: Spicy chicken and green beans stir-fry

2011-02-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

I had a craving for spicy chicken and green beans stir-fry today.
I ate this stir-fry dish at a Chinese fast food restaurant a while ago and wanted to make something close to the taste by myself.

Since I remembered the dish had a common "salty and sweet " Asian taste plus spiciness, I mixed these two ingredients below.

Korean BBQ sauce
Chili garlic sauce

I wasn't sure how this would taste like, but it was a big success.
I just mixed them with 6(Korean BBQ sauce) : 1(Chili garlic sauce) ratio and poured the sauce into chicken and green beans. Of cause, you can adjust the amount of chili garlic sauce depending on how spicy you want.

Asian recipe:
Spicy chicken and green beans stir-fry

+Ingredients+

2 Chicken thighs (about 2/3 lb(300g) after removing skins and bones)
1.5 lb(about 70strings)Green beans(700g)
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Japanese sake or white wine
1 teaspoon Corn starch
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil or chicken skin
3 tablespoons Korean BBQ sauce
1/2 tablespoon Chili garlic sauce

+Directions+

Boil green beans in boiling water (add a little bit of salt in a pot)for couple of mins. Drain water and set aside.
Remove chicken skins and bones and cut them into 1 bite-sizes. In a bowl, add chicken pieces, soy sauce, Japanese sake and corn starch and mix well. *This seasoning process make the stir-fry taste better!
Turn the heat to high and add vegetable oil (or chicken skin) .*If you are using chicken skin, wait until oil comes out from the skin and remove the skin from the pan.
Add chicken to the pan. Spread all the chicken pieces on the pan and cook for about 1 to 2mins each side. (Try not to move the chicken very much at this process to make good grill marks on chikens.
Add green beans and stir-fry chicken and beans together for couple of mins.
Add Korean BBQ sauce and Chili garlic sauce and mix well for about 1 min and serve.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Bukkake Udon

2011-02-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

Many people may know "Udon" but not "Bukkake udon".
The most common style of Udon is served in a clear dashi soup, however, there are many kinds of Udon such as Curry Udon, Nabeyaki Udon, Yaki Udon, Kamaage Udon, and much more. And Bukkake Udon is one of them.

Actually I ate Bukkake Udon for lunch today. It's quick to make and delicious!

Unlike normal Udon, Bukkake Udon is not in soup: rather, you pour small amount of thicker soy sauce base dashi(or just soy sauce) to Udon.

The term "Bukkake-ru" is a verb means "dash" or "throw". I think the word "Bukkake Udon" came from throwing (pouring) dashi sauce and your favorite toppings to Udon.

Japanese recipe: Bukkake Udon

*1 serving

+Ingredients+

1 pack of frozen Udon
1 pack (one handful) Bonito flakes(3g)
1 table spoon Soy sauce
1 egg(whole or just yolk depending on how runny you want)

+Recipe+

In a large pot, boil water and cook Udon until noodles separate. Or if its's not frozen Udon, cook it as directed on a package.
Drain hot water and serve noodles in a bowl. *If you like cold noodles, wash noodles with cold water.
Add bonito flakes and soy sauce over the noodles and put an egg on top.

Since I like the soup to be runny, I usually put a whole egg in Bukkake Udon. However, many people prefer adding only an egg yolk instead. Chopped green onions, graded ginger, tempura and graded radish are good for toppings too. Find your favorite toppings and make your own Bukkake Udon.

F2H3RTMP22EG

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Simmered konjac and bamboo shoots

2011-02-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

These 4 items below are the main ingredients cooking Japanese food.

Soy sauce
Japanese sake
Mirin(sweet rice wine)
Dashi(Japanese broth)

If you have these ingredients, you can make anything tastes like Japanese food.
Name some Japanese dishes. You will find most Japanese food has at least 1 ingredient from above.

One of the most common Japanese dishes that include all these 4 ingredients is called Nimono(stewed dishes).
However, Nimono is not just one dish: about any kinds of food (vegetables, meats, and fish) can be Nimono if you cook with these ingredients. *Some Nimono dishes may use sugar instead of Mirin and omit dashi.

Today, I made Nimono with konjac, bamboo shoots, Japanese radish, and shitake mushroom.
Also, I added bonito flakes for dashi (Japanese broth) with vegetables and cooked. *Usually when you make fish broth by adding bonito flakes into a boiling water for couple of mins and remove the bonito flakes.

Japanese recipe:
Simmered konjac and bamboo shoots

*4 to 5 servings

+Ingredients+

10 oz Konjac (280g)
7 oz Bamboo shoots(boiled) (200g)
9 oz Japanese radish (250g)
4 big Shitake mushroom
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 Dried Chili pepper
1 cup Water
1/2 oz Bonito flakes (15g)*
1 teaspoon Konbu seaweed dashi powder*
2.5 tablespoon Soy sauce
2.5 tablespoon Japanese sake (you can substitute with white wine)
1.25 tablespoon Mirin(sweet ricewine) (you can substitute with Sugar)

*If you don't have bonito flakes or Konbu seaweed dashi powder, use 1 teaspoon of Instant dashi powder(dashi no moto).

+Directions+

Cut Konjac,bamboo shoots, radish, and shitake mushrooms into 1 bite-sizes. Slice chili pepper.
Boil Konjac in hot water for couple of mins and drain water.
In a pot, add oil and chili pepper and saute lightly with Medium heat.
Add Konjac, bamboo shoots, radish, and shitake mushrooms to the pot and cook for about 5 mins.
Add all the remaining ingredients, put a lid, and cook for about 30 mins. Stir frequently while cooking.

F2H3RTMP22EG

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Pork wrapped enoki mashroom

2011-02-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite food is mushroom especially enoki mushroom and eryngi mushroom(king oyster mushroom). Whenever I visit Asian supermarkets, I always buy either of these mushroom.

I think that was when I was in college. I often used to see this mushroom commercial on TV.
This commercial is done by Hokuto corporation to promote mushrooms.

After you hear the song for a few times, you remember it and the music won't stop playing in your head. Oh, It started again!

"Kinoko no ko noko genkinoko......♪"

Mushroom characters in commercials are cute too. Whoever thought this song and the characters is very smart. This commercial got me interested in trying new kinds of mushrooms and I started eating a lot more mushrooms.

Yesterday, I used enoki mushroom and wrapped them with thinly sliced pork.
My mother used to make this dish with bacon, which also tastes great.

Japanese recipe:
Pork wrapped enoki mushroom

*1 serving (makes about 5 mushroom sticks)

+Ingredients+

1/4 lb Pork loin(thinly sliced) (110g)
1/4 lb Enoki mushroom (1 small package) (110g)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Japanese sake (you can substitute with white wine)
1 pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
tooth picks (same amount of sliced pork)

+Ingredients+

Prepare thinly-sliced pork. *It is easier to cut after freezing for about 15 mins. Place sliced pork on kitchen board, put plastic wrap on top and flatten pork by using your fist or a tool. Season pork with salt and pepper.
Remove the end part of enoki mushroom(about 1/4 of the length) and divide them into the amount of sliced pork.
Wrap the enoki mushroom with pork and secure with toothpicks. Try to cover most part of enoki mushroom by wrapping from top to down diagonally.
In a pan, add oil and cook pork with high heat for couple of mins until the pork turn brown.
Turn the heat down to medium, add remaining ingredients(soy sauce, Japanese sake, and vinegar), and cook for about 5 mins until the juice evaporates and thickens.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Karaage(Japanese fried chicken)

2011-01-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people ask me what is my favorite dish my mother used to make.
I always say "Karaage"(Japanese fried chicken).

I remember I always requested Karaage to my mother on my birthday and other special days.
I love her simple soy source taste Karaage with a hint of Garlic and ginger. I always wanted to make Karaage like hers and used to ask her how to make.

How much soy sauce and sake do I have to add?
How big do I have to cut chicken?
How long do I have to deep-fry?

My mother always said...

"Some"

I never understood how it is possible to make something without exactly knowing how much to add stuff when I was a kid. Only way I could learn was watching her to make over and over until I understand her "Some".

Now I grew up and started cooking everyday. Her answer makes lots of sense.
I answer the same thing to my husband when he asks me something about cooking.

Recently though I started measuring ingredients more precisely since I thought it is a good idea to keep records of my own recipes.

I have made Karaage in several ways before. I would like to introduce the simplest karaage recipe that I often make, and I think this is very close to my mother's taste. You can use breast meats instead of thigh meats but, thigh meats turn out a lot juicer than breast meats.

Japanese recipe:
Karaage(Japanese fried chicken)

* 2 Servings

+Ingredients+

2 Chiken thigh meats
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Japanese sake (you can substitute with white wine)
1 teaspoon Garlic (paste)
1 teaspoon Ginger (paste)
Potato starch or Corn starch
Vegetable oil (for frying)

+Directions+

Remove Chicken skin (optional) and bone and cut into about 2 bite sizes. (yield about 4 out of 1 thigh meat) *Chicken skin in the US seems thicker compared to the ones in Japan so, I usually remove it.
In a Ziploc bag or container, Put chicken, soy sauce, Japanese sake, garlic, and ginger and marinate for about 1 hour. *You can marinate overnight too. It just gets a little bit saltier but it still tastes good!
Take chicken out from the bag and coat the chicken with starch. Remove any excess starch by gently tapping chicken with hands.
In a pan, add oil (the amount to cover chicken), turn the heat to medium or medium-high, and wait until it warms up. *It is ready to fry If it starts to make small bubbles when sticking a chopstick with a little bit of starch in a pan.
Add chicken in a pan and deep-fry them for 2 to 3 mins. Remove chicken from a pan and wait for couple of mins.
Heat the pan to high and return the chicken in a pan and deep-fry them another 2 mins or so. (until chicken gets cooked and have a golden brown color.) *If you deep-fry chicken with bone or other parts of chicken or bigger size chicken, you will need more time to cook.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓

Japanese recipe: Harusame noodle soup with pork and bamboo shoots

2011-01-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

When I was in college in Japan, I used to buy a cup of harusame noodle(Cellophane noodles) soup for lunch. From a variety kind of harusame noodle soup, Kimuchi jjgae and Seafood soups were my favorites. Harusame noodle soups are low is calories and very filling. Depending on the size, they are only about 70-200 calories.

After I moved to the US, I started making my own harusame noodle soup since imported food is very expensive. Also, fortunately harusame noodle soup is quite easy to make. Depending on what kind of taste I want, I change a soup stock, vegetables, and meats and just add harusame noodles in it at the end.

Today, I made harusame noodle soup with pork and bamboo shoots.

I usually put more harusame noodles, veggies, and meats so that I will be full just eating itself. Of course, you can make less and enjoy with onigiri or salads and etc...

You can get harusame noodles at asian markets. I like the one that already separated for 1 serving so that I don't have to hassle tearing apart.

Japanese recipe:
Harusame noodles soup with pork and bamboo shoots

*1 to 2 serving

+Ingredients+

1 to 1.5 oz Harusame noodles (30-40g)
2 oz Pork loin(thinly sliced) (50g)
2 oz Bamboo shoot(boiled) (50g)
1 clove Garlic(minced)
1 cup Water (240cc)
1 teaspoon Chicken Bouillon powder
2 teaspoons Sesami oil
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
Salt & pepper
Black pepper

+Direction+

Prepare thinly-sliced pork. It is easier to cut after freezing for about 15 mins. Cut the thinly sliced pork into 1 bite sizes and season lightly with salt & pepper.
Cut the bamboo shoot into thin strips and mince the garlic.
In a pot, drizzle 1 tea spoon of sesami oil and saute garlic lightly. After that, add pork and bamboo shoot and cook until the color of the pork turn into brown.
Add water, chicken bouillon power, and soy sauce in a pot. Bring soup to boil and skim any fat(grey forms) floating on a surface.
Add harusame noodles in the soup and cook for about 2 min.(until harusame noodles become soft)
Serve in a bowl with 1 tea spoon of sesami oil and blackpepper on top.

Tofu Recipe App for free↓