Caramelised Soy Sardine Bowl

April 28th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Caramelised Soy Sardine Bowl_1

This is a super quick and easy rice bowl dish.

The combination of caramelised sweet soy sauce and sardine is simply delicious.

Caramelised Soy Sardine Bowl_2

——————————

— Caramelised Soy Sardine Bowl (serves 1)—

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tin sardine in oil, drained

1 serving cooked rice

Spring onion (for garnish), finely chopped

Ginger (for garnish), finely julienned

——————————

Mix the soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a small bowl.

Heat a frying-pan, add the sardines and cook for 1 minutes on both sides over a medium heat.

Pour the sauce in the frying-pan, turning the sardines several times to coat well with the sauce, cook until the sauce became thick.

Place rice in a bowl, top with the sardines, chopped spring onion and ginger.

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Sweet Miso Glazed Baby Potatoes

April 9th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Spicy Sweet Miso Glaze Baby Potatoes_1

This simple potato dish has a delicious depth of flavour – sweet, savoury and a little kick of heat.

It’s a unique and addictive side dish.

Spicy Sweet Miso Glaze Baby Potatoes_2

——————————

— Spicy Sweet Miso Glazed Baby Potatoes —

700g baby potatoes

2 tablespoons miso paste (medium-coloured)

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Some flat-leaf parsley, chopped

——————————

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender, drain and leave to cool slightly.

Combine the miso paste, mirin, sugar and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a large frying-pan, add the potatoes and fry them over a medium heat until golden brown.

Add the miso sauce, gently stir-fly the potatoes to coat well with the sauce for about 2 minutes until the sauce becomes caramelised.

Serve hot and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

 

 

 

Deep-Fried Lotus Root Pork Sandwiches

April 3rd, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Deep-Fried Lotus Root Pork Sandwiches_1

Lotus is not just a beautiful floating flower, the root has been used for centuries as a staple vegetable in East Asian cooking. It has a crunchy texture like water chestnut and a delicate flavour, also it’s rich in important vitamins and minerals.

Deep-fried lotus root sandwich is a typical Japanese home-style dish, my mum often made it when I was a kid and I loved it.

Deep-Fried Lotus Root Pork Sandwiches_2

——————————

— Deep-Fried Lotus Root Pork Sandwiches (serves 2-3) —

400g lotus roots

A dash of vinegar

200g minced pork

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon sake (rice wine)

1 tablespoon cornflour

1/2 teaspoon salt

A pinch of black pepper

Some cornflour for dusting

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Soy sauce for dipping

——————————

Peel and slice the lotus root into 1/4 inch slices and soak them in a large bowl of water with a dash of vinegar for 5 minutes.

Drain the lotus root and pat dry with kitchen paper, lightly dust with cornflour on both sides

Place the pork mince, spring onion, grated ginger, sake, 1 tablespoon of cornflour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well with hands until the mixture becomes sticky.

Place about a tablespoon of the pork mixture on a slice of the routs root and put another slice on top. Press down to make a sandwich.

Heat the oil to 340F/170C. Deep fry them until slightly coloured and cooked through. Place on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.

Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

 

 

 

 

Tenderstem Broccoli and Egg Rice

March 27th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Tenderstem Broccoli and Egg Rice_01

This is a spring dish.

It looks like the yellow flowers of tenderstem broccoli are blooming in a bowl.

I hope spring is coming soon.

Tenderstem Broccoli and Egg Rice_02

——————————

— Tenderstem Broccoli and Egg Rice (serves 2-3) —

300g rice (Japanese short grain white rice, or sushi rice)

400ml water

2 tablespoons sake (rice wine)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

10cm square kombu

100g tenderstem broccoli

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 eggs

A pinch of salt

——————————

Rinse the rice in a clod water, changing the water several times until the water runs almost clear.

Drain the washed rice in a sieve and place in a saucepan.

Add the water, sake and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the pan, place the kombu on top of the rice and cover with tight-fitting lid.

Bring to the boil over high heat and let cook for 2 minute. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer (always cover the pan with a lid) for 15 minute. Remove from the heat, still covered, and leave the pan for another 10 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Cook the tenderstem broccoli until soft but still crunchy (about 30 seconds – 1 minute), rinse in cold water, drain and squeeze excess water. Cut the tenderstem broccoli into 0.8 inch, toss with the light soy sauce.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Heat a frying-pan, pour the eggs and stir continuously until they form finer scrambled eggs.

Add the tenderstem broccoli and scrambled eggs in to the cooked rice, mix everything together gently.

 

 

 

 

 

Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Soy Sauce

March 19th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Soy Sauce_1

Italian food, especially pasta is hugely popular in Japan, and we create large numbers of ‘Wafu-Pasta’ (‘wafu’ means ‘Japanese-style’).

‘Wafu-Pasta’ is Italian pasta prepared with Japanese ingredients and flavours. And this is one of my favourite Wafu-pasta.

Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Soy Sauce_2

——————————

— Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Soy Sauce (serves 2) —

200g mixed exotic mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, oyster mushrooms)

180g spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

120g lardons

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)

1 tablespoon soy source

1 tablespoon butter

Some chives, chopped

Black pepper

——————————

Trim off the bottom of the mushroom stems. Make the mushrooms into bite sized pieces (slice the shiitake mushrooms, separate the shimeji mushrooms and tear the oyster mushrooms).

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, fry the lardons until golden. Add the garlic, fry for a further 1 minutes.

Add the mushrooms, sauté for 2 minutes, or until softened and pour the sake and cook for a further 1 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of lightly salted boiling water until al dente (follow the package directions).

Add the cooked spaghetti to the frying pan, add the soy sauce and butter, toss everything together.

Garnish with chopped chives and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

 

 

 

 

Vegetable Kakiage Soba Noodle Soup

March 8th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Vegetable Kakiage Soba Noodle Soup_1

Kakiage is a type of tempura fritter made with mixed vegetable strips, and it’s one of the most popular topping for Japanese soba noodle soup.

I used kombu dashi (dried kelp stock) for this noodle soup, so it’s a good vegan recipe :)

Vegetable Kakiage Soba Noodle Soup_2

——————————

— Vegetable Kakiage Soba Noodle Soup (serves 4) —

400g soba noodles

Some spring onion, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Nanami chilli pepper (optional)

*****

— for noodle soup (kombu dashi) —

25g kombu (dried kelp)

1200ml water

80ml soy sauce

80ml mirin  (Japanese sweetened rice wine)

*****

— for vegetable kakiage —

90g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

150ml water

2 ice cubes

1 carrot (medium size), julienned

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

80g green beans, chopped

——————————

Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of boiling water until cooked (follow the package directions) and drain.

Place the cooked soba noodles in a deep bowl, pour in the hot noodle soup, arrange the vegetable kakiage on top, garnish with chopped spring onion and sprinkle with nanami chilli pepper (optional).

*****

— to make noodle soup —

Lightly wipe the kombu with a clean damp cloth, Put the kombu in a large saucepan, cover with 1200ml of water and soak for 30 minutes.

Set the saucepan over a medium heat. Just before the water comes to a boil, remove the kombu.

Place the kombu stock, soya sauce and mirin in a pan and bring to the boil, turn down the heat to low and  simmer the noodle soup about 2 minutes.

*****

— to make vegetable kakiage —

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170C/340F.

Combine the flout and baking powder in a bowl.

Place 150ml water and 2 ice cubes in another bowl, add the flour mixture and mix together very lightly.

Add the carrot, onion and green beans in the batter and mix together.

Take a scoop of the mixture with a large spoon and slip into the oil. Shape the piece, deep-fry until crisp and golden.

Drain excess oil on kitchen paper.

 

 

 

 

Matcha Green Tea Latte

February 26th, 2014 § 2 comments § permalink

Matcha Green Tea Latte_1

Matcha is a finely milled green tea leaf powder. It’s been drinking in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony for about 500 years.

Matcha’s elegant bitterness goes perfectly well with milk and cream and ‘Matcha Latte’ is very popular in Japan, it’s even on the menu at Starbucks (in the USA and some other countries too).

Served hot or cold it’s delicious either way.

Matcha Green Tea Latte_2

——————————

— Matcha Green Tea Latte (serves 2) —

1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder

80ml hot water

400ml milk

2 tablespoons sugar (or adjust to your taste)

——————————

Sift the matcha green tea powder in a small bowl, add the hot water (not boiling) and whisk until powder is all dissolved.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat (do not boil), add the sugar whisk with a wire whisk until the milk has a velvety milk form.

Fill glasses up to 2/3 with milk form.

Pour hot matcha green tea very slowly into the form.

Dust the green tea powder on the top.

 

 

 

Deep Fried Tofu (Atsu-age)

February 19th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Deep Fried Tofu Atsuage_1

This simple deep fried tofu is called “Atsu-age”.

Freshly-made atsu-age has a lovely texture ― crispy on the outside and soft, fluffy on the inside. Yum.

Deep Fried Tofu Atsuage_2

——————————

— Deep Fried Tofu (Atsu-age) —

Tofu

Daikon (mooli) radish, grated

Ginger, grated

Spring onion, finely chopped

Soy sauce

Vegetable oil for deep frying

——————————

Wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel or some layer of kitchen papers, and place a heavy thing (such as a pan) on top of it to force out excess water, then leave it for 30 minutes.

Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Heat the oil to 350F/180C and deep fry the tofu until light golden. Place them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Top with grated daikon radish and ginger. Garnish with chopped spring onion and sprinkle with a dash of soy sauce.

 

 

 

Chicken Teriyaki

February 14th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Chicken Teriyaki_1

“Teriyaki” is probably the most popular and well-known Japanese sauce.

This delicious sweet and savoury sauce goes especially well with chicken, salmon and tofu.

Chicken Teriyaki_2

——————————

— Chicken Teriyaki (serves 2) —

3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweetened rice wine)

3 tablespoons sake (rice wine)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 large chicken thighs (or 4 small chicken thighs), skin-on, boneless

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

——————————

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a frying-pan, lay the chicken, skin side down, and fry over a medium heat until skin is browned. Turn the chicken and cover the frying-pan and steam cook the chicken over a low heat until cooked through.

Pour the sauce in the frying-pan, turning the chicken several times to coat well with the sauce, cook until the sauce became thick.

Cut the chicken crosswise into 3/4 inch slices. Serve hot.

 

 

 

Pickled Radish and Carrot Salad

February 4th, 2014 § 0 comments § permalink

Pickled Radish and Carrot Salad_1

This is a traditional Japanese dish and it’s called “Kōhaku Namasu”. “Kōhaku” means “red and white”,  this combination of colour is a symbol for auspicious or happy occasions in Japan, and Kōhaku Namasu is one of the festive food for the New Year.

White daikon radish and red (actually it’s orange…) carrot are lightly pickled in sweetened vinegar. It’s a light and refreshing side dish.

Pickled Radish and Carrot Salad_2

——————————

— Rickled Radish and Carrot Salad (serves 4) —

400g daikon (mooli) radish

80g carrot

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoon rice vinegar

4 tablespoon caster sugar

A small piece of yuzu citrus or lemon peel, very finely julienned

——————————

Peel the radish and carrot and cut into about 2 inch long thin strips.

Place in a bowl, sprinkle with the salt, mix and leave for about 15 minutes. Squeeze well to remove excess water.

Combine the rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the radish and carrot and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge for few hours.

Just before serving, garnish each portion with julienned yuzu or loon peel.

 

 

 

« Older Entries