Ao-nori Pasta with Smoked Salmon

Very simple pasta with smoked salmon and ao-nori.  Ao-nori, also known as green laver, is dried and powdered green seaweed and it has distinctive flavor.  You should have seen it as a topping on Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki and other Japanese dishes.  This goes well with smokey salmon and mild Parmesan.

<Ao-nori Pasta with Smoked Salmon> serves 2

• 2 portion pasta
• 100 g smoked salmon
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs (1g)  Ao-nori
• 1 tbs margarin 
• 1tbs olive oil

Salmon Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonnaise

A cold entree idea.  It is very easy to make, yet gives a great impression at the table.  Mix wasabi to add a hint of authentic taste.  All you need is packaged smoked salmon, white onion, mayonnaise and wasabi tube!  (and snow pea sprout for garnish if needed)

Serves 4 as entree

• 100 g smoked salmon
• 1 white onion, small
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 5 ml lemon juice
• 2 tbs mayonnaise
• 1 cm wasabi from a tube
• snow pea sprouts to garnish

1. Slice white onion very thinly across the grain.  Immerse in a cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well.
2. Arrange smoked salmon on a bed of sliced onion.  Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice.  Chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix mayonnaise and wasabi.
4. Garnish the carpaccio with snow pea sprouts, and serve with the wasabi mayonnaise.

Light and Crispy Tempura

The keys to delicious, crispy and light tempura are:

• Don’t mix the batter too much ( as it will develop the gluten from the flour)
• Cold batter x hot oil 

If you do so, the tempura stays crispy even when it’s cold.

• 45 g plain flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 80 ml water
• 1/2 tbs sake (cooking wine)
• 2~3 ice cubes

Try…

• Thinly shredded onion and carrot, and chopped onion.  (equal amount) Mix into batter.  Using a spoon, scoop the mixture and carefully drop into hot oil.  Deep-fry both sides until cooked through. 

• Fresh herbs (eg: basil, parsley, coriander etc).  Coat with batter lightly and deep-fry for 30 seconds. (both sides)

Grilled Miso-mayo Salmon

If you get bored with teriyaki salmon, why not try this creamy miso flavored grilled salmon?  It’s as easy as toasting a slice of bread.  Simply spread the mixture on the salmon and grill it.  Enjoy with steamed rice and a cup of miso soup 

<Miso-mayo Salmon>

• salmon fillet, skin free
• miso paste
• Japanese mayonnais

1. Mix 2 tsp of Japanese mayonnaise and 1 tsp of miso paste.  You can use either red or white miso depending on your taste.

2.  Spread the miso paste on salmon (skin side).  Grill under Salamander or in the oven until cooked.

If the miso paste starts to get colored but the salmon is not quite cooked through, cover the top with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning.

Japanese people often use Japanese mayonnaise in cooking.  Some people really LOVES mayonnaise, and they eat it with anything… my mum is one of them.  She even eats pickles, nimono (simmered dish, mostly vegetables), grilled fish, meat, natto, noodle .. anything with mayonnaise.  I don’t usually eat mayonnaise except when eating okonomi-yaki or tako-yaki, so I always get surprised how quickly my family finish one bottle of mayonnaise at home :p

Some of the recipes using Japanese mayonnaise are little weird to me, and some of them are actually delicious.  I wouldn’t like stir-fried rice with mayonnaise (:p) or mayonnaise pan-cake (supposed to be eaten with maple syrup… eww) but I would eat mayonnaise omelet or mayonnaise hamburg.  …  who knows, maybe they’d all taste pretty good.  It’ll be high cholesterol for sure though.

Creamy Prawn Gratin

Creamy tasty prawn gratin ♪This is also one of popular yo-shoku dish in Japan.  You can find this “Prawn Gratin” in family restaurants, cafes, and even at convenience stores.

<Prawn Gratin>

• 15g butter
• 15g plain flour
• about 2 cups milk
• 1 cup prawn
• 2 tbs macaroni
• 1/4 onion
• 1 tbs white wine
• grated mozzarella cheese + bread crumble

1. Slice onion.  Cook macaroni till just before al dente.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan.  (Do not burn)  Add flour and stir.  Add milk little by little,  stir well at each addition of milk.  (using warmed milk is easier than cold milk)  Adjust the consistency with extra milk if needed.
3. In another pan, heat up olive oil and saute sliced onion.  Add prawn, then pour white wine and burn up the alcohol.
4. Pour bechamel sauce into 3.  Add macaroni, and stir through.  Season well.
5. Pour the mixture into a plate, and sprinkle grated cheese and bread crumble on the top.  Bake in the oven (200 ~ 220) until golden colored.  Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve immediately.