Rice on Earth

Tofu Cream Sauce

2013-09-21T15:42:00.001-07:00

Salmon Tofu Cream Sauce Spaghetti

Easy but good...

Making cream sauce with Tofu is very easy. Put the tofu in the food processor and process until it gets creamy. Add vegetable soup and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

The sauce can be used for various food like spaghetti. 　

Eggplant and Tenderstem Broccoli

After making the sauce, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is convenient when you want to add some good protein in your meal.

Baked Salmon Potato Croquette

2013-08-18T14:45:00.003-07:00

Light and Creamy Salmon Croquette (Made in Oven!)

My Croquettes are not deep flied. They are baked in the oven.

Heat up the oven at 450F. Grill a piece of salmon. Saute well chopped onions and carrots. Smash boiled potato. Crumble the salmon and mix everything. Add soy milk, oregano, salt and pepper. Make a flat ball and pat with flour. Bathe the balls in soy milk and add panko. Spray olive oil over and bake them in the oven until the surface gets crisp and golden brown. I put Japanese tonkatsu saurce over them when I eat.

Ma-Po Tofu w/o Meat

2013-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ma-Po Tofu (Chinese Style Chili con Tofu?)

A creative way to satisfy craving for meat. I don't like to use dried protein soy textured products, so I make them. In fact, it is quite easy. Meat source, chili on carne, etc.. You can make them from a package of tofu.

Here is how to make Ma-Po tofu:
First, make minced meat texture with tofu. Divide a package of firm tofu into 2. Drain water from a half of the tofu by wrapping with paper towel or clothe. Squeeze water out and crumble them. Saute crumbled tofu with sesame oil until they become golden brown. (Now you got a meat textured tofu) Add crushed garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and thin sliced green papers (optional - this is just my style of Ma-po tofu.). Add the other half of chopped tofu and chopped scallions. Season with soy bean chili paste, soy, sake, and sweet rice wine. Add more sesame oil. Now you have a perfect meat-less Ma-po tofu. Enjoy!

Shirasu Don (Baby sardine over Rice)

2013-08-17T09:20:00.002-07:00

Lots of baby fish

Shirasu don. Nori (seaweed), negi (scallions), sesame seeds, soft boiled eggs, and a lots of shirasu over white rice (I normally eat brown rice, but not for this). Pour soy source over before you eat. A traditional comfort food in Japan.

Zucchini and Lentil Creamy Angel Hair Pasta

2013-08-17T09:06:00.002-07:00

Creamy? With Soy Milk.

A lots of sauteed onions with plenty of olive oil, fresh zucchini, and lentils. Seasoned with vegetable broth with soy milk and white wine. Mixed up with angel hair pasta. A nice summery flavor.

Super Muesli Bread

2013-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Cleans Your Body with Super Muesli Bread

We make our own muesli for our breakfast (though just mixing a bunch of nuts, fruits, and gains). I recently learned that in the old age, when our ancestors discovered fire, they crush nuts and made cookies to bring them for their hunting trips. Oh, them I got an idea.. I can make our super muesli portable by baking them! Though I am not an inventor of muesli bread, but I think I found the good potions for each ingredients. A result.. not just it is just tasty, according to my friends, the bread promotes good metabolism.. healthy stool outputs :)

MA-GO-WA-YA-SA-SHI-I (My grand kids are so kind to me!)

2013-07-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

How to Ensure Nutrition with MAGOWAYASASHII

"Magowayasashii" is a suggestion by Dr. Yoshimura on how to achieve a balanced meal. The idea is that by incorporating following items in your meal, you can take most critical nutrition that you need.

Ma - Mame (Beans)
Very important part of meal. High in proteins, vitamins, fibers. Try Tofu, Soy beans, Red beans, or Natto.

Go - Goma (Sesame seeds)
Sesame seeds are also considered as one of anti-aging foods. Full of calcium, fibers, proteins, and minerals. Best when they are ground.

Wa - Wakame (Seaweeds)
Wakame is probably the most consumed seaweeds in Japan. They contain minerals, proteins, vitamins, and fibers. They help keep your hair and nails shine too!

Ya - Yasai (Vegetables)
Yes, any veges. The key is to eat as many different types of veges as you can. Each type of vegetables has different nutritious factors.

Sa - Sakana (Fish)
Japanese people eat a lot of fish - sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, broiled fish, etc. They are prepared in many different ways. An important source of Amino acids and irons.

Shi - Shiitake mushrooms (Mushrooms)
Shiitake mushrooms are getting popular and now they are available at many of grocery stores. A lot of proteins, fibers, vitamin D, and vitamin B. Vitamin D content is nine times higher in dried Shiitake mushrooms.

I - Imo (Potato)
Important source of carbohydrates. Potato contains vitamins and minerals. Do not deep fly... do boil or bake them.

Eggplants with Garlic, Ginger, and Scallion Sesame Oil Source

2013-07-06T03:36:00.001-07:00

This is one of My Favorite Eggplant Dishes

This is one of my favorite eggplant dishes. Fry flour crusted eggplants with carrots. When they are cooked, pour the garlic, ginger and scallion source over the eggplants. Eggplants start soaking up the juice and give you fresh and wonderful garlicky flavor.. Yummy!

Somen Noodles with Mizuna, Japanese Eggplants and Pork

2013-07-05T10:30:00.003-07:00

Today is an Animal Protein Day.

Most of our diets are plant based. However, we like to mix meat in our diet sometimes. When dishes are prepared with meat, they are cooked healthiest possible.

Cooked Somen noodles in the bottom, covered up with Mizuna. Eggplants, minced pork, and mushrooms are cooked with sesame oil, seasoned with garlic, chili, soy source, sake, sweet rice wine, and a hint of kombu extract.
Sprinkle with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. Mixed them well when you eat!

Roasted Peppers Stuffed with Amaranth

2013-07-05T10:15:00.002-07:00

Roast peppers and fill them up with a grain power!

Colorful veges make me smile.

Roast peppers, and fill them up with amaranth mix (Amaranth cooked with vegetable broth and sauteed with onion and lentil). Sprinkle panko and roast again until just panko gets colored.

Beans with Broccoli & Brown Rice

2013-07-05T09:50:00.004-07:00

A Healthy Dinner.

Mixed beans cooked in vegetable broth with broccoli, carrots, onion, and garlic. Brown rice is cooked with quinoa, baileys, and wheat germs.

A Party in Acorn Squash

2013-04-20T18:30:00.002-07:00

Delicious, Nutritious.

A creative way to serve root vegetables, mushrooms, grains, and greens.

-Roasted acorn squash
-Amaranth, quinoa, and black lentil, tasted with vinegar, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper

- Garlic sauteed enoki mushroom with kale.

Mochi Part 1

2010-01-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

Mochi - Sticky Rice Cake

Mochi is a very popular food during winter in Japan. It was a tradition in my family that my father made Mochi from sticky rice for a new year celebration. The mochi making process is called Mochi Tsuki. Traditionally we use a big usu and kine. However, recently people use a machine for easy mochi making. A special mochi cake for new year is called Kagami-mochi and we decorate it for about 7 days. My father always made extra mochi so that we could put it in Zoni or Oshiruko.

There are many ways to prepare Mochi. My favorites are Isobeyaki, grilled with soy source, Mochi with red bean paste, and Mochi with Kinako. Sometimes my mother made delicious source with Daikon radish.

Fresh mochi (Tsuki-tate) is the best, however, you don't have a such luxury in the US. The alternative is to go to a Japanese food store and pick up dried Mochi like the above picture. Of course, if you are really into Mochi, you can buy a Mochi Tsuki Machine. Yes, it is available in the US. TIGER SMJA18U MOCHI MAKER 10CUP

Here is my favorite Isobeyaki recipe:

Isobeyaki (Grilled Mochi with soy and seaweed) - Serves 4

8 Kiri Mochi (dried Mochi)

3 Tbs Soy Source

1 Tbs Brown Sugar (Optional)

2 Sheets of Seaweed

Prepare soy source. It can be simply just soy or with sugar. I like to add a little bit sweetness to it by mixing with sugar. Prepare the source in a medium deep plate.

Heat the grill pan. Place the Mochi on the pan and grill them with medium heat. Constantly turn mochi so that each Mochi is grilled evenly.

When the Mochi gets softer and ready to explode, dip mochi in the soy source. Grill them again for a few seconds, front and back. You don't want to burn soy as it would give you a bitter burnt taste. Repeat dipping 1-2 more times.

Take the Mochi out from the grill pan and lap each mochi with seaweed. Serve while it is hot! When Mochi gets cold, it gets harder.