Japanese Pancake with Sweet Red Bean (Dorayaki)

A fluffy pancake sandwich with chunky azuki bean paste….

You may have seen Doraemon, a cat-shaped robot in Japanese cartoon, eating dorayaki.  Dorayaki is a Japanese sweet which consists of two small pancakes and a filling of anko (azuki bean paste).

I list 2 recipes below : ↓↓

• 2 Eggs (M~L)
• 4 tbs (60g) Sugar
• 2 tbs Honey
• 80g Plain flour
• 20g Baking flour
• 1/2 Baking soda
• about 4 tbs Milk (to adjust)

• 80g tsubu-an (chunky red bean paste) (recipe here and here)
• margarin to spread (optional)

aaa

1. Place egg, sugar, and honey in a bowl and whisk until fluffy.
2. Shift in the dry ingredients.  Mix using a spatular quickly. (don’t mix too much)
3. Add milk gradually.  Mix with spatular, but do not stir too much.  Move the spatular as if you are cutting the batter.
4. Heat an skillet or hot plat, and spray oil lightly.  Using a small ladle, pour a scoop of the batter into the skillet and make a small pancake.
5. Turn over when bubbles appear on the surface. Repeat this process with remaining batter to make 8 pancakes.  Cover the pancakes with plastic wraps to prevent from drying.
6. Spread margarine on one side of pancakes, and sandwich a scoop of azuki bean paste.

aaa

2)

I used this recipe when making dorayaki last night.  This recipe uses less ingredients, and still turned out to be delicious :))

1. Beat egg with sugar in a bowl.  Add honey, and mix until smooth.
2. Shift in flour & baking powder, and mix with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and has shiny surface.  Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat.  Take the pan off the stove and place the bottom of the pan on a wet towel to even the heat.  Place the pan back to the stove, over low heat, and spray oil lightly.  Pour the mixture (about 2 tablespoons) into the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.  Flip the pancake and cook another side.  Keep the cooked pancakes on a plate covered with plastic wrap to prevent from drying.  Repeat with remaining mixture.
4. Spread anko between 2 pancakes and press lightly to shape.

Edamame Stick

I used to eat this Edamame Stick at Izakaya in Japan.  Crunchy, and light snack that goes with any drinks inclduing beer 🙂

Edamame beans can be purchased at any Oriental Grocery shops, I think.  Refer here for the list of Oriental Grocery Shops around Perth that I usually shop.

This stick gets cooked very quickly, and go brown very quickly too.  So don’t just leave them in hot oil while cooking.

Enjoy while it’s hot and crispy!

<Edamame Age> serves 3~4

• 200g edamame in pod, or 1 cup shelled edamame – frozen
• 2 sheets spring roll paper (harumaki paper)
• plain flour + water

1. Shell edamame beans from pods.
2. Cut a harumaki sheet horizontally into 4 strips.  With 2 sheet, you should have 8 strips.
3. Line edamame beanss on the harumaki sheet.  Wet the edge of the sheet with flour+water mixture, and roll up.  Press the edge with finger so that it closes.  Repeat with the remaining edamame.
4. Heat oil to 170 ℃.  Place harumaki roll, one at a time, into the oil while holding it straight.  Deep-fry both side.  Repeat with the remaining rolls.
5. Serve immediately.  Sprinkle salt as you eat.

Hearty Tofu Dish (Tofu An-kake)

Tofu has been one of my favorite food since I was little.  I remember my 10th birthday, my grandma was asking me

“ume, what do you want to eat today?”

then I answered “tofu miso soup!  I want to pour it over steamed rice!”

Everyone was shocked and laughed, as they were expecting to hear some food that kids normally like, such as sushi or ebi-fry (prawn katsu).

“Tofu miso soup is so easy and cheap to make.  Don’t you want something special today?” My mum said.  But the tofu miso soup was what I wanted to eat that day 😀

I make tofu dish quite often here in Perth too.  The simple one is miso soup.  It’s easy to make and very hearty.  In summer I make tofu salad and hiya-yakko (chilled silken tofu eaten with some condiments and soy sauce/ponzu sauce) very often.  Low in calories, high in protein, and it contains some nutritious stuff such as isoflavone : which can act as estrogens in the body and have protective functions.  Good for women!

Yesterday I had a craving for the warm tofu dish that I ate at a sushi bar back in Japan.  This sushi bar is owned by my friend’s mother, and she knows me very well since I was a baby 🙂  At the sushi bar, they have different menus everyday.  All the menus are decided depending on what items they got from the fish market on each morning.  Other than sushi, they also serve some izakaya type of menu.

She served me this warm hearty tofu dish with ginger-sauce.  I loved it!  The crunchy texture of diced carrots and broccoli matched with silky tofu.  I think some people wouldn’t like this as its taste is little bold, but I don’t mind eating this everyday.  A nice supper dish.

< recipe > serves 4

• 600g silken tofu
• 100g broccoli florets (about 6 pieces)
• 1 carrot, small
• 100g chicken mince
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs sake
• 5 g ginger
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tsp corn flour + water

By the way, I read an article about tofu sold in Perth.  The person who wrote the article (Japanese) used to live in Perth with his wife, and the wife started to have a heavy allergy reaction each time she eats tofu here.  It never happened to her back in Japan, he wrote.  I don’t know what is the reason: maybe the tofu here is made in different way from what they do in Japan, or there is some additional ingredient in the tofu she ate…  but what they assumed is that there may be genetically modified soybeans used in the tofu.

Most of soybean products sold in Japan, including miso paste, abura-age, natto and soy milk, state “genetically modified soybeans are not used in this products” on their packages.  I’m not sure if it is all true (I hope so) as 85% of soybean products around the world seem to be actually using genetically modified soybeans.  Anyway, thinking that the tofu I eat here may contain genetically modified beans makes me feel not good, but I have no problem with the tofu in Perth so far and I will probably continue eating them as usual.

Petit Baguette

Baguettes?  … no, they are actually cookies !  Tiny baguette-looking cookies seem to be too cute to eat, but its size and the texture are perfect for munching.

It could be a great gift too.  Just wrap them up with brown paper and now they look exactly like real French baguettes.

<Baguette Cookies> makes about 30 

• 75g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 60g sugar
• 1/2 egg (L size) (at room temperature)
• 130g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder

Grilled Skewered Chicken with Spring Onion (Negima)

On your next bbq party, or whenever you feel like eating something on sticks, why not try this negima – Yakitori skewered with negi (spring onion).  It is a very popular way of preparing yakitori and provides a great nutrition balance. 😀  We normally use white part of spring onion for this.  White part of spring onion is sweeter than blue part and contains the flavorsome juice – umami.

You’d better soak bamboo skewers in water overnight to prevent them from burning.  And also, you can prepare the sauce the day before, as it will develop the flavor in the sauce.

<Serves 4>

• 500g chicken thigh, cut into cubes
• 2 spring onion, white part (root), cut into 2cm length

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sake (cooking wine)
• 6 tsp (30g) raw sugar

1. Place soy sauce, sake, sugar and 10cm spring onion in a small sauce pan.  Bring to the gentle simmer.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce slightly thicken.  Leave overnight to develop the flavor, if possible.  (leave the spring onion in the sauce)
2. Skewer chicken and onion alternately. Tuck the tip of the skewer with meat so it won’t burn.
3. Heat and lightly grease a BBQ grill or a large grilling pan.  Season the skewers with salt, then sear on the hot grill.  Cook for 1~2 minutes, turning several times.  Brush the meat with the sauce, then continue grilling, turning frequently.  Repeat the process (brush and grill) for about 5 minutes.
4. Serve while hot with steamed rice, or a glass of beer.

Japanese Style Hamburg Steak

Try this wafu hamburg steak!  It’s easy to make, low in calorie, and simply delicious ♪

<serves 4>

• 500g beef mince
• 1 onion, small
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 200g daikon radish
• 4 shiso leaves  (*)
• 4 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs water
• 1 tbs butter  

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

Tofu Quiche

Try this tofu quiche if you are thinking to bake something savory.    It contains okara, which is a white/yellowish pulp that remain in the filter sack during tofu making process.  As this is considered as a “waste”, most of tofu shops can give it you for free, if you ask.  Although this is considered as a “waste” , it has been part of the traditional cuisines of some Asian countries includes Japan, and since 20th century it has been used in the vegetarian cuisine of Western nations as well.  Also, okara is very healthy food as it is low in fat, high in fibre, and also contains protein, calcium, iron and riboflavin.   The texture of this dish vaguely resembles polenta.  

Serves 6 (22 cm pie mold)

• 6 eggs
• 1.5cup okara
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 3 rashes bacon, leaned
• 1/2 cup Mozzarela cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 shee ready-rolled frozen puffy pastry, thawed

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.

Small Wafu Plate

Sometimes I suddenly feel like eating these food.  They are some of the ordinal Japanese food that can be seen at normal Japanese houses.  We eat roots vegetables quite often.  They are high in fiber and very healthy.

Clockwise: Spinach ohitashi, kinpira-gobo, simmered egg in a pocket of abura-age (fried bean curd), and chikuzennni (simmered roots vegetables).

I personally like light-seasoned food with no much sauce nor oil. (Especially people from Kyoto side in Japan prefer light-seasoned food.)

Eating these food makes me feel that I am a Japanese. 😀

<Spinach Ohitashi> serves 2~3

• 1 spinach
• 3 tbs hot water
• 1/2 soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp dashi powder
• 1.5 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp mirin
• bonito flake (katsuo-bushi)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Branch spinach for about 1 minutes. Remove from the water and immerse in a bowl of iced water. Drain water and squeeze out any excess liquid.
2. Cut the spinach into 3~5cm. Pour 1/2 tbs of soy sauce, and squeeze out the liquid well. Discard the liquid.
3. Place dashi powder into water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and add soy sauce and mirin. Let it cool slightly.
4. Immerse spinach in the liquid and leave it for 20~30 minutes. You can refrigerate.
5. Arrange on a plate and garnish with bonito flake.

<Kinpira Gobo>

• 1.5 cup gobo (burdock root) – frozen
• 1 carrot – Julienne
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs sake (cooking wine)
• 2 tbs mirin
• 1 tbs soy sauce

<Egg in Bean Curd> serves 2

• 1 egg
• 1/2 abura-age – frozen

<Chikuzenni> serves 2~3

• 1/2 wafu yasai mix – frozen
• 1 tsp dashi powder
• 1.5 cup water
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs sake (cooking wine)
• 1 tbs mirin

** Those frozen vegetables can be found at Asian grocery shops.

Italian Udon

I am a person who eats anything.  … well, not ANYTHING, but I’m ok eating almost any food that is served in front of me.

My family is little different.  When they make Japanese curry rice, they always use the standard ingredients: meat, onion, carrot and potatoes.  One day, I was making curry with some reft over food in the fridge.  I put eggplant, spinach, tofu, konnyaku, boiled egg, cabbage etc.  I thought it was ok and sounded delish, as curry doesn’t always have to be made with just those 4 ingredients.  But, my family was like “you put what!?!”.  Since then, my family call my cooking “Ume’s food”.

I made this Udon Pasta just because I had some udon noodle and tomatoes at home.  It’s simply delicious and easy to make.  You can also use minced meat instead of chicken fillet to make “bolognese”.  🙂

Serves 2

• 1 chicken breast fillet, sliced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 tomato tin, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 stalk of Parsley, chop the leave part
• 2 portions udon noodle

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 Chicken with Creamy Semi-dried Tomato

One of my favorite dinner dish.  Full flavor of semi-dried tomato and cream cheese in a pocket of chicken breast fillet.  The key is to season the meat well before grilling.

• 1 chicken breast fillet
• 100 g cream cheese
• 4 semi-dried tomato
• 1 cup baby spinach

1. Chop semi-dried tomato, and combine with cream cheese.
2. Halve the chicken breast in sideway to make two thin fillets.  Cut the centre of each fillet to make a “pocket”.
3. Season the inside of the pocket with salt, and then spread the cream cheese mixture inside.  Arrange spinach on top and then close the hole by lightly pressing the top side of meat to the bottom.  You can use toothpick if needed.
4. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil, and grill top side first.  When colored, flip it around and cook the other side over low heat.
5. Once the meat is cooked through, remove from the pan and rest for a while before cutting.  Garnish with cracked black pepper.

Korean Marinated BBQ Beef (Bul Kogi)

BBQ beef marinated in Korean style sauce.  Cooking the beef lightly is the key for juicy and tender Bul Kogi 🙂

• 300g beef, thinly sliced
• 5 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs sake
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbs tobanjan
• 1 tbs roasted white sesame seeds

1. Combine all the ingredient in a bowl except for the sesame seeds.  Marinate the beef for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a frying pan without oil.  Remove the beef from the marinade, reserving the sauce, and cook the beef for 2~3 minutes or until just cooked through.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Place the remaining marinade in the same pan and bring to the boil, stirring well, and simmer for 1 minutes.
4. Arrange beef on a plate.  Spoon on the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.  Serve with steamed rice.

Classic Bruschetta

A classic bruschetta with simple salsa and fresh Parmesan cheese.  If you have old Italian bread, use it to make this delicious entree dish 🙂

• 4 slices crusty Italian bread
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/4 red onion, small
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbs chopped Parsley
• 4 tbs Parmesan, shaved

Spicy Fried Rice with Kimuchi (Kimuchi Cha-han)

Cha-han means “fried rice” in Japanese.  Add kimuchi to make a sour and spicy Korean flavored fried rice.

<kimuchi Cha-han> serves 2

• 1/2 cup kimuchi (Chinese Cabbage), roughly chopped
• 2 bowls steamed rice, cold
• 1 egg
• 100g beef, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• chopped spring onions for garnish

Spicy Fish Yakisoba

Yakisoba (stir-fried noodle) with chili and pepper fried fish.  Add more chili if you like it spicier 😉

<Spicy Fish Yakisoba>

• 1 white fish fillet 
• 1 tbs corn flour
• 2 potion yakisoba noodle ( or Singapore noodle)
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 large carrot
• 1/8 large onion
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sake (cooking wine)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcester sauce
• chili, salt, pepper, coriander leaves

1. Chop garlic and chili.  Slice carrot into Julienne.  Slice onion.  Combine all the sauce.  Place noodle in a colander and briefly loosen up under running water.  Drain and set aside.
2. Slice fish fillet.  Dust lightly with corn flour, and shallow-fry both side until crispy and golden.  Remove from the pan and drain oil.  Set aside.
3. In another pan, heat 1 tbs oil and saute garlic and chili until fragrant.  Add onion and carrot and stir-fry.
4. Add noodle and bean sprouts, stir-fry, then add the sauce mixture.  Season well.
5. Arrange on a serving plate, top with fish, extra cut chili and coriander leaves.  Crack black pepper on the fish and serve immediately.

Fresh Tofu and Chicken Salad

The taste of this salad really depends on the freshness of tofu you are using.  I normally buy Japanese silken tofu (or soft and smooth tofu) from Asian grocery shops such as Lion Oriental (Northbridge), Emma’s Seafood (Northbridge), Maruyu (Perth) or Yee Seng (Myaree) if eating fresh.  

I made this salad with sesame dressing (goma dare) that I used the other day at my friend’s house, with some steamed and shredded chicken breast.  I don’t know if I can call it “recipe”, but it is super easy to prepare and this fresh tofu salad is perfect for eating in summer days.

<Fresh Tofu and Chicken Salad> serves 4

• 300 g silken tofu
• 200 g chicken breast
• salad
• ssesame dressing (goma dare)

Cold Udon Salad with Poached Chicken

The other day I arranged dinner at friend’s house.  My friend (Japanese) is renting a room in my another friend (Chinese)’s house which she (Chinese) recently purchased with her fiance.  I’ve been to the house once before and I fell in love with the design and interior.  Stylish furniture, cute kitchenware, clean and tidy environment…  Living with the friends in the house sounds really fun, we can have girls’ night everyday  🙂

It was still 5 pm so we started with a glass of wine and some otsumami.  We were going to make dinner soon but ended up talking about stuff until 9 pm.  Friend’s fiance came home and we finally moved our body from sofa to the kitchen.

Because of the wine and otsumami I wasn’t actually hungry, but everyone else was.  I brought some vegetables, so we made udon salad dish with steamed chicken and Japanese sesame dressing.  I love sesame dressing (goma dressing).  It’s nutty, rich and creamy.  You can purchase from any Asian grocery shops.  I like Mizkan brand 🙂

<Chicken Udon with Sesame Dressing> for one

• 1 portion udon noodle
• 50g chicken breast
• some salad – lettuce, cucumber, tomato
• sesame dressing (also called “goma dressing”, “goma dare”)

Tofu and Chicken Meatballs

Adding tofu to a meatball gives soft, fluffy texture.  If you have leftover tofu in your fridge and want to use it up, try this recipe ♪

<Tofu & Chicken Meatballs>

• 400g chicken mince
• 300 tofu
• 1tbs miso paste
• 1tsp grated ginger
• 1tsp sake (cooking wine)
• 1tsp corn flour

Three Color Pavlova

When I was told that I was in charge of dessert for the Christmas dinner, I asked sister what I should be making.  If it was in Japan, I would be making simple strawberry cake with vanilla sponge and fresh cream, but I didn’t know if Australian (in-laws) would like it.  Sister said that Australian traditional Christmas dessert is either pavlova, or trifle.  As sister finished her sentence with “trifle may be bit heavy”, I decided to make pavlova.

It was actually my first time to make pavlova.  Umm, actually I may have made it before at TAFE, but I think it would have been a small, individual size.  

I made family size pavlova with three colors: white, pink and chocolate.  Looked like Napoleon ice cream :p  I decorated with whipped cream, some fresh fruits and roasted nuts.  It was pretty good. 

<Pavlova>

• 6 egg white
• 1+1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbs corn flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• tiny drop of red coloring
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 200ml whipping cream
• 1 tbs condensed milk
• cherry, kiwi, peach
• roasted nuts ( I used Almond praline)

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  Line baking paper on an oven tray, and dust 1tsp of corn flour.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly until thick and glossy. Add remaining 3 teaspoons cornflour with the last tablespoon of sugar. Fold through vanilla and vinegar.
3. Take 2~3 tbs of meringue into another bowl. Shift in cocoa powder and mix through.  Take another 2~3 tbs meringue into another bowl and add tiny drop of red coloring, mix through.
4. Spoon half of white meringue onto baking paper, shaping into about 24cm (diameter) circle.  Pour pink and brown meringue into the white meringue bowl.  Do not mix.
5. Spoon the three colors meringue on top of white meringue on oven tray.  Gently spread into circle shape, with a slightly higher edge and a low centre. Make three colors marbled.
6. Reduce oven to 100°C.   Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until dry and crisp. 
7. Turn off oven and open oven door. Cool completely in oven (pavlova may sink during cooling).

    

Please be careful when you are moving the pavlova into a serving plate.  Gently slide the pavlova onto a plate, or it will be like this … (T_T)  ↓↓↓

• Crush Almond, and roast in a pan (without oil).  Be careful not to burn.
• Place whipping cream and condensed milk in a bowl and whip until soft peak.  
• Spread cream on top of pavlova, and arrange cut fruits and sprinkle roasted nuts.

    

  

  

Quick Risotto

Risotto was a dish that my host family made for me on the first night I came to Perth.  It was a tomato risotto, and she cooked it in the oven.  I was amazed to find how easy it is to make risotto, just place risotto rice and chicken stock in an oven dish with other ingredients and bake in the oven.  It turned out delicious.  

The other day I felt like risotto, so I made chicken, mushroom and spinach risotto –  a very typical flavor.  

Personally I prefer not to use too much cream, (even though it tastes nice, I worry about its high calories) so I add cheese right after cooking and mix it through.  It gives richer flavor.

<Chicken, Mushroom and Spinach Risotto> for two

•  1/2 Chicken breast
• 4~5 mushroom
• 1/2 cup risotto rice (arborio or carnaroli)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• spinach leaves
• 1 garlic, chopped
• 1/8 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbs white wine
• 1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese 
• 50 ml cream (optional)
• olive oil

Quick tips:  You can pre-cook risotto rice!  Cook rice with chicken stock first.  Saute onion, garlic, chicken and mushroom and stir in white wine.  Add cooked rice and pour chicken stock (water).  Simmer, then season.  Stir in cheese and cream.

Chilled Udon with Bean Curd and Salad

Summer food!  This cold udon noodle chills you out…  Enjoy with lots of ice cubes 🙂

<Chilled Salad Udon>

• 1 pack udon noodle
• 5 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs mirin
• 1 tbs dashi powder (fish stock)
• 1~2 inari sushi skin
• salad (lettuce, tomatoes etc)
• Shredded nori (kizami nori)

Honey Oyster Pork Ribs

Although I have just few friends here in Perth, they’ve been a great motivation and support for me to stay here being away from my family. Most of my friends are older than me, (5 ~ 20 years older) but we’re close and are good friends. Because they have more life experience than I do, their words and advices are such valuable and I really appreciate that.

Some of them have their own business here, and some of them have bought their own home and settled themselves in this state. They all work so hard and I want to be same as them! And, I have a few friends who are mothers and they also give me a good advice on cooking too 🙂

I’ve got this recipe from one of my friends who has moved from Cairns to Perth 2 years ago and is a mother of 1 year old boy. I love this recipe and so does my family here 🙂

<Honey Oyster Pork Ribs>

• 500 g pork ribs – boned
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tbs soy sauce

I had it as dinner with chirashi-zushi (scattered sushi rice with pickled vegetables) and o-suimono (Japanese clear broth). It was delicious!

Skewered and Grilled Chicken Mince (Tsukune)

Tsukune is a Japanese chicken meat balls most often cooked yakitori style (skewered).  Sometimes tsukune can be fried, and served without skewers.  You can also add it to steam board as well.

This can be eaten with rice or noodle, or just to accompany beer.  Add chili powder if you like it spicy!

<Chicken Tsukune> 4 skewers

• 200 g chicken mince
• 1 cup chopped spring onion
• 1 tbs sesame oil

• 1 tbs sake
• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 1.5 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs mirin
• 1 tsp garlic -minced

Chicken & Tomato Curry

Is it only Japanese culture to eat hot food in summer?  In hot days we cook steaming udon noodle soup, hot and spicy curry, and grill yakitoki (skewered chicken dish) etc.  We, of course, eat cold food too such as cold soba noodle, so-men noodle, and cold pasta dishes, but you get to see tv ad of curry a lot during summer in Japan, and it’s one of the thing that tells you “hey, summer is just around the corner”.

Therefore I like eating curry in summer.  I add lots of summer vegetables and make it as “summer curry”.  In winter, I would add some winter vegetables such as lotus roots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. 

Try this refreshing tomato curry at home!  It’s not that heavy thanks to this red summer fruit.

<Chicken & Tomato Curry>

• 400g chicken mince
• 1 medium onion
• 400g tomato tin – chopped
• 100g Japanese curry roux
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• 1 bay leaf

1. Wash spinach well, and drain. Chop roughly. Slice onion thinly.
2. Season chicken mince with curry powder. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan and stir-fry mince.
3. Add sliced onion. Cook over medium heat until onion is transparent.
4. Pour chopped tomato into the pan. Fill up 1/2 the tin with water, and add to the pan. Add bay leaf. Turn up the heat to high to bring to boil.
5. Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat to low and add curry roux. Stir through until the roux melts.
6. Simmer for 5~10 minutes. Stir in spinach and turn off the heat.
7. Serve with steamed rice.

Grilled Beef with Japanese BBQ Sauce (Yakiniku)

• 200g thinly sliced beef
• steamed rice

• 1 clove garlic – minced
• 2.5 tbs soy sauce
• 1.5 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs sake (cooking wine)
• 1 tbs sesame oil

Crispy Bacon & Green Salad

Branched greens and crispy bacon salad.

• 2 rushes bacon
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 tbs corn
• fresh lemon juice or orange juice

1. Boil water in a large sauce pan.(you can add salt to the water when you put the pan on the stove) While waiting for the water to boil, cut broccoli and asparagus into 2~3cm long.
2. Branch broccoli in the boiling water, then scoop out and drop into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain. Repeat with asparagus. Never leave broccoli and asparagus in the cold water.
3. Slice bacon into 1cm wide. Place bacon on a frying pan (no oil) and turn on the heat. Cook over low to medium low until bacon is golden and crispy.
4. Turn off the heat. Wipe off any excess fat, and turn on the heat again, to high. Add broccoli, asparagus and corn, then stir through.
5. Turn off the heat. Squeeze lemon juice (or orange juice) over, and season well with salt and black pepper.
6. Serve immediately.

Thai Style Grilled Chicken

• 2 fillets chicken breast
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tbs lime juice
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• chopped coriander leaves

How to Cook Soba Noodle

I often cook cold soba noodle for dinner during summer.  It’s very easy, and refreshing to eat in a hot day.

Here is a proper way to cook soba noodle:

1. Boil sufficient amount of water in a pot.
2. Place soba noodle (dry) into the boiling water.  Stir often with chopsticks until the water start to boil again.  (Do not leave the pot at this point)
3. Once the water start to raise and reach the top of the pot, pour 1/2 cups of cold water into it.  Water will then go back to steady.
4. Keep stirling, and once the water start to reach the top of the pan again, turn off the heat.
5. Drain soba in a colander, and rinse under running cold water.  Drain well.
6. Serve with your favorite condiments.