Japanese fusion recipe: broccoli and tuna salad

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+

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

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Japanese recipe: Maguro donburi (Sushi tuna bowl)

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+

1. Cut tuna in 1 bite sizes. Chop green onions.
2. Boil shrimp, peel shell, and chill.
3. Combine all the marinate sauce ingredients and marinate tuna for 30mins or more.
4. Pour sushi vinegar over the rice and mix.
5. 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.

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Japanese fusion recipe: Spicy Chinese cabbage stew with miso

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+

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

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

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+

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

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Japanese recipe: Braised pork with red wine

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+

1. Season pork with salt and pepper.
2. Add olive oil in a pan and sear the surface of pork with high heat.
3. Add red wine and cook until the wine get cooked and remained till 1/3 with medium heat.
4. 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.
5. Add butter and stir at the end.

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Japanese recipe: Japanese hamburg steak

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

1. Chop onions finely.
2. 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. 
3. Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and let it sit for about 5 mins.*This makes juicy hamburgs.
4. 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.
5. Shape the meat (step4) into patties and make a small dent in the center.
6. 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.
7. Reduce the heat to low, put the lid and cook for about 15mins.
8. 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.
9. Serve cooked meat patties on plates and pour sauce over the meat patties. Drizzle some whipping cream if you like.

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Japanese recipe:Curry potato gratin

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+

1. Cut potatoes into thin slices(less than1/4inch(3mm)),wash them,and immerse them into cool water for about 10mins.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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