Japanese Food: Tako no Sunomono (Octopus Salad)

“Tako” means octopus in Japanese. I know many of you can’t believe we eat octopus but it’s incredibly popular in Japan. It’s fairly similar in taste to squid, so if you like calamari, you are ready to try tako!

Yield: 

 =2 servings

Time:  

=12 minutes

Ingredients

=1/4 lb boiled tako (sliced)
=3 small cucumbers (or 1 large cucumber)
=1/3 cup dried wakame (seaweed)
=2 oz thinly cut ginger (optional)
=Spices
=2 tbsp vinegar
=1/2 tsp soy sauce
=1 1/2 tbsp sugar
=1/4 tsp salt
=1 tbsp salt (for cucumber)

Preparation

=Peel the cucumber, then sprinkle salt on top and massage

=Rinse cucumber, pat dry, and slice into thin wheels

=Soak dried wakame (seaweed) in hot water a minute or so until it is moist

=Mix spices (vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and salt) in a small bowl

=Toss tako, cucumber, and wakame in a different bowl, then splash with mixed spices

=Place in a serving dish, top with ginger (optional), then chill in fridge before serving (optional, but recommended)

Japanese Food: Hiyashi Chuka (Reimen)

Hiyashi Chuka is a cold noodle dish most often served in the summer months in Japan. We use Chinese-style noodles as a base and mix in vegetables, fried eggs, and chicken or ham. When the summer season kicks off, many restaurants hang signs in their windows proclaiming Now serving hiyashichuka!”

Yield:  

=2 servings

Time:

 =35 minutes

Ingredients

=2 packs of Chinese noodles
=2 chicken breast fillets
=2 small cucumbers (sliced julienne)
=1/2 tomato (sliced)
=1 cup bean sprouts
=5 dried shitake mushrooms
=2 eggs
=Some pickled red ginger (an optional topping)
=Spices for shitake
=1 tbsp sugar
=1 tbsp mirin

=1 tbsp sake
=1 tbsp soy sauce 
=Spices for sauce
=1/4 cup vinegar
=1/4 cup soy sauce
=2 tbsp sugar
=2 tbsp ground sesame
=1 tsp sesame oil
=2 tbsp sake (for chicken)

Preparation

=Soak dried mushrooms in water for 25 min then slice the mushrooms (hold on to the juice–you’ll need it in the next step)

=Mix spices for shitake (sugar, mirin, sake, soy sauce) and 1/3 cup of the shitake juice in a sauce pan, add shitake, then boil for 5 min on low heat and let cool

=Mix spices for sauce (sugar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame, sesame oil) and 1/4 cup water in a bowl and chill in the fridge

=Beat eggs in a small bowl and salt to taste. Heat oil in a frying pan then pour in the eggs and fry them like an omelet (see pic below). Turn and cook the other side

=When the eggs are finished cooking, remove and slice into tiny strips

=Boil bean sprouts for 1.5  min and strain

=Remove the stringy, white tendon from the chicken breasts then combine the chicken and sake in a small microwave-safe container and cover with plastic wrap, microwaving for 3 min. Remove and pull apart

=Boil Chinese noodles for 6 min (follow the package directions), douse with cold water to stop the cooking process, then strain

=Place noodles in a serving dish, add shitake, bean sprouts, chicken, cucumber, tomato, egg and top with red ginger

=Serve with the sauce from the fridge (on the side, or pour over)
Enjoy!

Japanese Food: Renkon no Kinpira

Kinpira is a Japanese cooking style in which sliced vegetables are stir-fried and seasoned with sugar and soy sauce. Renkon has a snappy texture and a distinct appearance that will surely afford you many compliments!

Yield:  

2 servings

Time:  

17 minutes

Ingredients

=3/4 lb Renkon (about 7″, thin sliced into wheels)
=1 small carrot (sliced crosswise and halved)
=Spices
=2 tbsp soy sauch
=2 tbsp sake
=1 tbsp mirin
=1 tbsp sugar
=1 tbsp sesame seed
=1 tsp sesame oil
=1 tsp vinegar

Preparation

=Mix 3 cups water and 1 tsp vinegar in a bowl, then marinate renkon for 4-5 min.
=Mix spices (soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar) in a small bowl.
=Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and stir-fry renkon and carrots for 4 minutes.
=Add mixed spices and stir for 2 min over low heat.
=Sprinkle sesame on top and serve.

Japanese Food: Mushroom Chicken

This is a quick recipe to make, and is great for cold weather, paired with a Sapporo or even some sake for a comfortable night at home.

Yield:

 2 servings

Time

: 25 minutes

 Needs:

=1/2 pound thigh chicken (chopped)
=7-8 shitake mushrooms (quartered)
=1 carrot (chopped)
=1 bunch of broccoli (chopped)

Spices:

=2 tbsp soy sauce
=1 tbsp mirin
=2 tbsp sugar
=2 tbsp sake
=dash salt

Preparation:

 =Mix spices (soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sake) and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl
=Heat oil in a saucepan
=Add chicken to the saucepan and sauté for 2 minutes
=Add carrot and sauté for 3 minutes
=Add shitake and broccoli and stir
=Add mixed spices and boil for 12-15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly evaporated.

Japanese Food: Gyudon (Beef Bowl)

A beef bowl is called “gyudon” in Japanese. “Gyu” means beef and don is short for “donburi” which is food served on top of rice in a bowl. There are many gyudon restaurants in Japan and it is very popular, especially for men. It’s kind of like fast food, but much healthier. Many gyudon restaurants are open for 24 hours, and men typically go there after a night of drinking.

Yield

: 2 servings

Time:

 25 minutes

Need:

=1/2 lb sliced beef (sukiyaki style if you can find it)
=1 medium onion (sliced)
=2 bowls of steamed rice

Spices:

=1 tsp hon- dashi (soup stock powder)
=3 tbsp soy sauce
=2 tbsp sake
=2 tbsp sugar
=1 tsp granted ginger

Preparation:

=Place hon-dashi, sliced onion, and 1 cup of hot water in a medium saucepan
=Boil, then simmer for 6 minutes over medium heat
=Add mixed spices (soy sauce, sake, sugar, ginger) and beef
=Boil, then simmer on medium heat (covered) for 12 minutes
=Serve gyudon atop a bowl of steamed rice, along with some liquid from the saucepan (adjust to your preference, but it shouldn’t be soupy)

Japanese Food: Nama Harumaki

  Today i see you, how to make a Japanese food as like Nama Harumaki

In Japan, we call Vietnamese spring rolls 'Nama Harumaki'. As in the U.S. and other countries, it is a common dish in Japanese restaurant. I did a very basic recipe here, but you can get creative and add cream cheese, avocado or smoked salmon to spice things up. Spring rolls are very healthy and a great appetizer for your family, and great to take to parties! Yield:   6 rolls Time:   35 minutes Need: =10 shrimp =3 cups bean sprouts =2 cups thinly sliced carrots =10 sheets of rice paper =2 cups vermicelli rice noodles =20-30 basil leaves =1 wedge of lemon Ingredients for peanut sauce =3 tbsp peanut butter =3 1 tbsp hoisin sauce =3-5 tbsp Coco Rico coconut soda =1 tsp doubanjiang =1 lime wedge Spices =1 tbsp katakuriko =Sweet and chili sauce Preparation =Mix peanut butter and hoisin sauce, then add the coconut soda little by little to thin it out. (If you can’t fide a coconut soda, you can use coconut milk or tap water.) =Squeeze lime into the peanut and hoisin mixture. =Devein shrimp with a wooden pick if necessary =Put shrimp in a bowl, add katakuriko, and rinse =Boil water, add the wedge of lemon and boil shrimp for three-four minutes =Cool shrimps down, remove shells and slice. =Boil water to a boil, and cook the rice noodles for 6-7 min (follow the instructions on the rice noodle package) then set it aside =Add warm water to a large bowl and soak rice paper for about 20 seconds . Once it is soft, place it on a dish. =Add bean sprouts, rice noodles, carrots, basil, shrimp on the rice paper and roll it up. Repeat. =Cut each roll into four pieces and serve with peanut sauce or sweet chili sauc.