快速做晚餐 --- 簡易的茄子綜合蛋包飯

Omuraisu 黃金蛋包飯
那天晚上飢腸轆轆地回到家 隨意做了日式蛋包飯
半熟的蛋配上茄子洋蔥和蔬菜以及番茄醬汁 表現出來的感覺也挺賞心悅目的
蛋皮相當地滑嫩可口 而且可以吃出蛋的香味及一點點牛奶味


可能是一整天下來也正好餓了吧 所以隨便煮煮都是好吃的!

好吃文字燒 Okonomiyaki

海鮮綜合好吃燒

從英國回來的這幾天 不知道是懶惰 忙碌 還是沒有心思好好地煮飯 在英國的那些日子裡 我特別享受在廚房忙東忙西的樂趣 開心的是有可以分享的人

那天從英國回來 第一樣煮的菜居然是麻婆豆腐 不是因為特別喜歡這道菜的緣故 而是因為想做衣道有"家"的味道的料理...翻著食譜才決定作的

今天晚上有一種想吃大阪燒的衝動 加上我愛吃的海鮮 就變成了超級無敵美味的好吃燒了
先將海鮮燙熟備用.. 麵糊、蛋及高麗菜攪拌成雜菜糊煎3到5分鐘 煎好的海鮮放在餅狀的麵糊上 翻面後再煎3分鐘 最後刷上用蔬菜、水果熬製的燒醬料 撒上海苔及柴魚粉 擠上日式美乃滋 就做好了! 熱熱的好吃燒 配上一碗味增湯 就是今天的晚餐啦!

Japanese Cabbage - 1/2 of a head, approx. 300g

Nagaimo (Chinese yam) or Yamaimo Powder - 1 package
Okonomiyaki-ko (Okonomiyaki Flower) -3/4 cup
Water or Milk - 160 cc
Eggs x 2
Seafood (whatever you like)
Okonomiyaki sauce - Moderate Amount
Mayone-zu (Japanese Mayonnaise) - Moderate Amount
Katsuobushi (Dried bonito) - Moderate Amount
Ao-Nori (Green Seaweed Flakes) - Moderate Amount
Vegetable Oil

1. Chop the cabbage to 1/4 of the head, cut off the core and shred.

2. Peel a nagaimo (chinese yam) and grate. Wrap it with paper towel to prevent it from slipping. At Japanese Specialty store also sells a great product called Yamaimo powder which works as a substitute for this.

3. Pour Okonomiyaki powder and water or milk into a bowl and mix until the lumps disappear and it is smooth. (If necessary, use a whisk to avoid creating lumps while mixing.)

4. Put eggs, nagaimo, sakuraebi (Sakura Shrimp), cabbage and the Okonomiyaki powder mixture together and mix it gently from the bottom to soak it with air.

5. Spread vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) on the heated hot plate or frying pan. Pour in half of the mixture gently to make a round shape. Cook it at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes. Then, put three pieces of pork on the top, make sure to stretch them thin.

6. Flip over and close the lid to steam for about 3 minutes. Mix Mayonaise and Okonomi Sauce and spread it on top. Sprinkle katsuobushi (dried bonito) and aonori (Green Seaweed lettuce).

Multi-grain Sushi Roll/ Kimbap: 紫米五穀壽司捲

這幾天在家唸書 突然好想吃壽司 我想應該是綜合日本御飯糰 韓式綜合捲和台灣飯糰等想法 最後把他截長補短變呈現出這個玩意: 我的紫米壽司
除了鋪了一層五穀紫米之外 裡面包著營養的各式配料 不油不膩 清爽沒負擔

I was experiencing another craving for sushi rolls the other day, but I was not planning on going to a sushi restaurant anytime soon. So I took the ideas of Japanese make sushi rolls, the Korean kimbaps, and the Taiwanese rice balls, and "fused" them to make my multi-grain rolls stuffed with healthy and yummy fillings like celery, carrot, egg rolls, lettuce, cucumber, and imitatoin crab meat. Sprinkled with sesame seeds, it has a savory taste and the smell. Then again in my opinion, anything can go into a sushi roll ：). Experiment, and it might turn out to be a pleasant surprise!

For a recipe of Kimbap, check out the post on My Korean Kitchen

Baby Sardine Pasta 青蔥蒜味吻仔魚義大利麵

Very simple seasoning: garlic, finely chopped onions, olive oil, red pepper and salt , but surprisingly tasty. When it is ready, generously sprinkle with chopped green onions.

這一盤麵就真的蠻有水準的 麵條(煮熟後快速用冰水沖洗)非常Q 而且橄欖油浸潤了麵條 口齒留香 爆香的蒜頭和已經煮到金黃色的洋蔥 也有提味的效果 真的好好吃啊~~~~~~~

What's for dinner?

• 薑汁蒸南瓜 Ginger-spiced steamed Kabocha (Japanese squash)

• 三杯中卷 Three-spice Ika

• 和風涼拌海帶豆腐 Tofu and Wakame Seaweed Salad

Tamagoyaki/Dashi Maki Tamago (Japanese Egg Roll) 厚蛋燒

晚餐上菜!

• Dashi maki tamago 日式柴魚厚蛋燒
• Shoyu Ramen 綜合蔬菜豆腐拉麵

Tamagoyaki is without a doubt one of the most popular and classic Japanese dishes; it can be found in essentially every Japanese restaurant and sushi joint. I have always wondered how it is made, so when I saw this tutorial from Lunch in a Box I instantly knew I had to try it.

There is a slight difference between tamagoyaki and dashi maki tamago; personally I prefer the dashi maki tamago because of the flavour dashi soup stock brings to the dish. Dashi soup stock is also used in tamagoyaki, but in smaller portions. As a result dashi maki tamago is more "liquid-y" thus more delicate, which means it can be a bit more tricky to prepare than tamagoyaki. Now although tamagoyaki pan is called for in the recipe, it is not necessary. Before I got my tamagoyaki pan I used a small ordinary pan, which also worked fairly well (maybe just a bit more difficult to cook).

Note: I cut down the ingredients by half (sine I'm cooking for one), decreased the amount of sugar, and did not cook the first layer of eggs as "scrambled eggs"; I rolled them up because I think the end result is slightly prettier. There is a really good video tutorial that gives a step-by-step method.

Dashi maki tamago is really flexible: you can add different stuffing like spinach, tomato, zucchini, enoki mushrooms, and so on, to make your own variations. It can be served as a side dish as I did with shoyu ramen, or packed into lunch boxes. And it is so simple and delicious!

Nikujaga and Korean Hot Cucumber Salad

Nothing is better than a bowl of steamy stew of some sort on a cold day. Seeing that I still have a few organic potatoes sitting on the counter top, I decided to make a dish my Japanese friend described as "the taste of mother": Nikujaga. Then it reminded me of numerous Chinese dishes, such as stewed beef noodles, wonton soup, and so on, that invoke sentiments of nostalgia.

I came across this video tutorial on YouTube, and adopted the recipe from Just Hungry with a few modifications.Usually the liquid part is reduced slowly to almost nothing, contrary to western style stews where the liquid or soupy part is abundant. You can increase the amount of beef in this dish if you want it to be more filling, or serve it as a one-pot meal. And since I tend to fall for the lighter flavours, I reduce the amount of soy sauce and sugar in the stewing liquid.

Nikujaga, Japanese stewed meat and potatoes

900 g / 2 lbs of potatoes. Use boiling potatoes for a firmer texture, and baking potatoes if you want it rather crumbly and mushy. (Either way it's good, though the former makes for a prettier dish.)

Note: I used boiling potatoes: bring a pot of water to a boil, put in the potatoes (chunks) and boil for about 10 minutes. You still want the potatoes to maintain their shapes as they will be stewed later, so it is ok if they are not cooked through)
200g / 6 oz thinly slice beef or pork. "Minute steak" is fine, or just cut up a thin cutlet.
1 medium onion
A small piece of fresh ginger
about 4-5 cups of dashi soup stock I used 3 1/2 cups
6 Tbs sugar I used 2 Tbs
3 Tbs sake, or sweet sherry
3 Tbs soy sauce I used 2 Tbs
1 Tbs mirin (or just add another Tbs. of sake and a bit more sugar)
1 tsp dark sesame oil

4 Mushrooms

1/2 package Konnyaku

1/2 carrot
Some chopped green onions for garnish

Peel and cut up the potatoes. Roughly chop up the meat. Slice the onion. Chop the ginger finely.
Sauté the onion and ginger in some oil. Add the meat and sauté till browned.
Add the potatoes and sauté briefly. Add enough dashi stock to cover. Add the sugar, sake, mirin and soy sauce. Add the sesame oil. Bring to a boil, then put a pot lid that's smaller than the pot you're using directly on top of the potatoes, Simmer over medium-low heat, until the liquid is much reduced and the potatoes are tender, and infused with a sort of golden color, about 20-30 min.
Sprinkle with the green onions and toss around in the pan. Serve immediately.

The final product was amazing, a truly savory dish that would bring you to tears if you miss the home-cooked meals, or that particular dish mom always made when we were little. That was the feeling I got from this dish: a sweet, slowly-cooked stew that brought me back in time.

Korean Hot Cucumber Salad

1 cucumber (I cut them into bite-size pieces for the texture)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup red onions (sliced)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 teaspoon gochugaru (or other chili powder)

1 teaspoon gochuchang

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Mix the cucumbers and salt and let sit for 10-20 minutes. Mix the water and vinegar and let the onion sit in the mixture for 10-20 minutes. Rinse the cucumber and dry. Drain the onions.
Mix the remaining ingredients and toss with the cucumber and onions. Top with some more toasted sesame seeds. Serve cold (I like to refrigerate it for a bit)
The dressing has a really nice combination of spiciness, sweetness and sourness that is a perfect complement to the juicy and crunchy cucumbers. The thinly sliced onions, which are almost translucent in appearance, are great additions in terms of presentation and taste (the best part is that it is not overpowering.)

Simple Japanese dinner: chicken teriyaki, plum-pickled yellow zucchini, mushroom gohan

I've been craving takikomi gohan (Japanese-style pilaf) for a while now, and have collected a couple of recipes. For me cooking rice other than plain rice is sometimes tricky because each recipe is so different, and depending on the pot/rice cooker and also the ingredients and seasoning it often requires a few "experiments" or trials before I master a type of rice. So I decided to make takikomi gohan with enoki mushrooms and dried scallops ( to replace fresh mushrooms). I cooked the rice in not only water, but also dashi stock with some sake, mirin, and soy sauce for colour, and I had to say that the finished product was very satisfying. The rice retained its moisture yet was not too mushy, and the addition of scallops gave the dish a nice aroma. Next time I am going to try kabocha gohan and maybe edamame gohan. (yum)

I served it with chicken teriyaki , wakame seaweed soup, as well as a side dish of plummed-flavoured yellow zucchini.
晚餐上菜!

• 日式照燒雞腿排佐萵苣
  
  


• 梅子醬義大利黃瓜


• 柴魚海帶湯
• 干貝香菇炊飯

The following is a recipe for chicken teriyaki from Just Hungry. You can adapt this method to other meats, and fish such as salmon, cod, sea bream, swordfish, etc
4 small or 2 large chicken thighs, boned
4 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. mirin
1 Tbs. sugar
Cut the chicken into about 2" / 5cm pieces if necessary. (you can leave small thighs whole.) You can leave on the skin or take it off.
Heat up a frying pan with oil. Salt the chicken pieces very lightly and sear them on both sides in the oil.
As soon as the surface is golden brown, add the soy sauce and ginger, mirin and sugar. Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook the chicken, turning several times, until the sauce is reduced and syrupy.

Miso Shiru (1):Yellow Zucchini, Tofu and Mushroom

I already confessed the love for Japanese food; however, I rarely made any Japanese dishes due to the fact that it is quite convenient to grab take-out sushi, handmade ramen ( my favourite place is Kintaro on Denman), and even great side dishes at izakaya's in Vancouver. That has changed since my trip to Konbiniya, a Japanese grocery store located on Robson St. at the heart of downtown Vancouver.

Since they were having a huge anniversary sale, I took the opportunity to stock up on Japanese ingredients, including bottles of mirin, rice vinegar, dashi powder, concentrated soup stock, nori sheets, organic white and blended miso, some seasoning, konnyaku/shirataki noodles, and last but no least, a few containers of natto (left). Of course the aisles filled with Japanese junk food, ranging from cantaloupe-flavoured Kitkats, Pocky Sticks of assorted flavours, Meiji chocolate bars, to Matcha cookies and hard candies, only accentuated my craving ( but I resisted the temptation).

Ever since then I have been trying a few Japanese recipes, starting from the basics: miso shiru. Miso is probably one of the most popular and well-loved ingredients when it comes to Japanese cuisine. A bowl of miso shiru, with its rich flavour and brothy texture, is without a doubt one of the best complements to a meal. Generally the miso shiru served at most Japanese restaurants consist of the "standard" ingredients: tofu, wakame seaweed sprinkled with green onions. But really there is a lot more room for creativity, which is why I decided to make yellow zucchini and mushroom miso shiru.

The soup base is simply dashi stock made from konbu and bonito flakes. After the base is brought to a boil, I added sliced yellow zucchini and simmered for approximately 5 minutes before putting in chopped mushrooms and tofu. At the same time, I scooped out some white miso and mixed it with the hot soup base (in a separate bowl) until the miso dissolved and became a thick mixture. The tip here is that when cooking miso shiru, the miso is always added last (right before serving) since miso is quite heat-sensitive, and boiling it will make the flavour quite starchy (therefore not as good). Ta-da!

For the main dish I decided to try the recipe from Blue Lotus. I made some modifications, which are written in red.

Tori no Isobe-ni (Chicken Rolls) Serves 2 to 4
1/4 of a small carrot (about 20 grams or 3/4 oz)
2 fresh shiitake mushrooms
200g (7 1/2 oz) ground chicken (ground beef, lean)
1 egg
1 Tbsp sake
2 Tbsp katakuriko (1.5 tbsp cornstarch)
2 sheets nori seaweed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (omitted)
100 ml (3 1/2 oz) sake
2 Tbsp soy sauce (1.5 tbsp)
2 Tbsp mirin (1tbsp)
1 package of kaiware-na (daikon sprouts) or shredded cabbage, optional

Peel carrot and chop finely. Remove stems from shiitake and finely chop the caps. Add carrot and shiitake to a large bowl with the chicken, egg, 1 Tbsp sake and cornstarch, and mix until smooth and spreadable. If mixture is too thin, add a little more katakuriko until it is spreadable.
Lay the nori on a cutting board and spread each sheet with an even layer of the chicken mixture, leaving about 1 cm of nori uncovered on three sides and spreading up to the edge on one side. Starting with the edge spread with the chicken mixture, roll the nori up gently.
Heat the oil in a pan over hight heat and gently add the chicken rolls, with the edge side down to seal. Saute for a few minutes, turning to cook all sides. Add sake, mirin and soy sauce, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer, turning over the rolls occasionally, until liquid is reduced.
Remove rolls to cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle. Wash the kaiware-na and cut off roots, then arrange on serving plates. When chicken rolls have cooled slightly, slice into bite-sized rounds. Arrange chicken rolls on the kaiware-na and drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over top.

I thoroughly enjoyed the beef rolls; the combination of ground beef and nori were amazing! The somewhat sweet sauce and the softness of the beef are in conrast with the texture of the nori sheets. The shredded greens provide another layer of textures to the dish. I served it with multigrain rice as well as the miso group, making a healthy and filling dinner, which was very satisfying at the end of a busy day.

Japanese-inspired: Daikon Konbu soup

I have an all-time undying love for Japanese food: from sashimi to sushi, from gomae to bento boxes and donburi, or even from miso soup to okinomiyaki, my face would light up at the sight of my so-called comfort food: Japanese cuisine. There is something about it that captures me-- maybe it is the simplicity and subtlety of the cuisine that accentuates the natural flavours of the ingredients, or maybe it is the elaborate preparation and meticulous presentation that hides behind each dish. Either way Japanese cuisine is something I turn to constantly for comfort and warmth. (yummy!)

I am utterly fortunate to be living in a multicultural city like Vancouver; with its huge Asian population I can easily get an abundance of Asian products and food: from inexpensive sushi to sauces, noodles, and all the other goodies that can be found in Asian specialty supermarkets.

I was craving for a bowl of broth-based soup that night as it had been a rather depressing, rainy day. So what could make me feel happier than a bowl of steaming daikon kombu soup? I adore the natural sweetness that kombu and daikon add to the soup, and topped with some wakame it is the perfect and versatile brothy soup that can be turned into the soup base for shabushabu (Japanese hotpot), oden noodles, miso soup, steamed vegetables, even Chinese stir fry.

First, the ingredients:

Dashi* for Soup Base
This is basically the Japanese version of chicken bouillon. I made it from konbu and bonito flakes. Simply boil a pot of water, turn of the heat, and put a slice of 4 inch konbu and a handful of bonito flakes into the boiling water. Cover the pot and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then remove the flakes and kombu. Voila, the soup base is done!

If you do not have the above ingredients, don't worry! You can:

1) Use instant Dashi powder sold at Asian specialty stores

2)Dilute the chicken stock- about 70% water, 30% stock to make sure that the soup doesn't end up tasking like chicken soup.

3) Use vegetable broth.

Wakame (Dried seaweed)

1 tablespoon is enough for a pot of soup that serves 4. Soak it in water prior to cooking and let it expand.

Or I use seaweed (fresh) and add as much as I like

Daikon and Carrots

Preparation

Put the daikon and carrot into a pressure cooker. Add enough soup base so that it covers the daikon and carrots (cut into big chunks)

I just use the pressure cooker to make the soup. If you don't have a pressure cooker, add the dashi soup base, daikon and carrots, and turn down heat. Stir frequently.

After the soup is done ( when the daikon and carrots have become soft and tender), add the drained seaweed (and tofu if you like). Let cook for a minute on low/medium heat. Turn off heat. It is ready!

Other extra something-something to add to the soup: sliced shiitake mushrooms, seafood, fish cake, shirataki noodles, konnyaku, and just about anything you like really.

I served it with Shirataki Noodles and miso dressing

1 cup shirataki noodles (or noodles of your choice)

Wash the shirataki noodles to get rid of the smell. Cook for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Remove from pot, and immediately put into a bowl of ice-cold water ( so the noodles retain the chewy-ness and texture)

Miso Dressing

This is a great recipe that I got from a really cute old Japanese couple when I visited their shop located on Alma St. When they heard that I was really into Japanese food they gave me a couple of recipes that I am eager to try out. This is truly authentic, and so easy to make. The best thing is that it tastes exactly like the dressing at any great Japanese restaurant. You can use it in green salads, cold noodles, even marinade for seafood, poultry, and so on!.

2 tablespoons dark organic miso
3 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
a few drops of sesame oil ( just for the aroma)
brown sugar or honey ( this is optional: if you prefer it sweeter)
roasted sesame seeds ( white or black)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
black pepper to taste
a drop of mirin

Mix all ingredients except mirin and sesame oil in a food processor until smooth. Then add the mirin and sesame oil. Keep in fridge.

OOOOOOOOYISHI! Enjoy!!

Oh-so-easy Japanese Cold Noodles

我最愛的食物非日式料理莫屬了 那天剛好買了些蕎麥麵 冰箱裡也恰好有從台灣千里迢迢帶回的日式醬汁 就決定做久違的日式冷麵 再簡單不過了

在台灣的時候 從來沒有特別想念這道麵 可是在Vancouver 家裡就覺得別有一番說不上來的味道 最近常常"突然" 想吃ㄧ些以前在台灣隨手可得的東西 自己做好了 就又覺得特別幸福

Japanese Cold Noodles

sauce

3 tablespoons usukuchi shoyu (Japanese light soy sauce)* light or regular

if you are using the condensed version, add water accordingly

1tsp rice vinegar

a bit of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) *optional, or can use lime juice

Green onion, chopped

wasabi! and a bit of chili powder if you like

2　bundles of somen ( or any other kind of Japanese noodles you prefer)

Bring water to a boil over moderately high heat. Add noodles and 1 cup more water. When water returns to a boil, add 1 cup cold water and bring back to a boil. Simmer noodles until just tender and slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. If noodles are not tender, add 1 cup more water and return water to a boil.

Drain noodles and rinse well under cold water. so it's more chewy!

Mix all ingredients for sauce

To serve:

Divide noodles among bowls/ plate

Divide sauce among small bowls

Dip each mouthful of noodles in sauce and ENJOY!! In Japan, people make loud noises (meaning it's delicious) when eating cold noodles, in order to suck up the flavour of dipping sauce accompanying the noodles!