title . introduction . about ikuno . journal . photos . recipes . links . email sabine Japanese Cooking with Sabine basic ingredients . all recipes Okay - you are halfway there! You opened up this part of the website, so you must be interested in making some Japanese food! Bravo! It`s really not that tough, provided that you have some basic ingredients. I am including recipes that I like - some of them are considered pretty fancy - made for special occasions, while others you could find on the dinner tables of Japanese families on normal nights. Basic Japanese cooking is not as complicated as what you would get at a Japanese restaurant back home. Often, you will find things like fried rice or noodles, fried fish, some boiled vegetables (like spinach or seaweed) and tsukemono (Japanese pickles). You will almost always find a bowl of plain, white rice, and a bowl of soup sitting there beside your plate. At tleast this is what my research has turned up! So put on your aprons and ganbatte (good luck)! Okay! You should be good to go for the basics! Are you ready to try your hand at being the "Iron Chef?" Saturday, March 16, 2002   Udon Soup packages of Udon noodles (thick noodles found near tofu in Canada), you ned about one package per person dashi, 1 1/2 cups per serving 1tsp sugar per serving 1 Tbsp mirin per serving 1/2 cup soy sauce per serving 1 green onion per serving OPTIONAL: curry powder to taste, cooked root vegetables, grated radish, a raw egg to crack on top fried tofu sheets (called aburaage) - enough for 2 decent sized pieces per bowl Heat the dashi, add sugar, mirin and soy sauce. Turn off the heat before it boils. Put tofu into scalding water to remove some of the oil. Warm up or cook the udon noodles. Put the noodles in a bowl, the tofu on top, pour the broth over it, add the optional ingredients, and sprinkle green onion on top. 3/16/2002 09:24:00 AM   Miso Soup 10g wakame (a kind of seaweed), soaked in warm water and cut into small pieces 1brick of tofu, cut into small cubes 4 cups of dashi 4 Tbsp of miso - white (shiiro, mild) or red (aka, strong) Wrap the tofu in paper towels and set between two cutting boards to press and drain. heat the Dashi - but do not boil it. Add wakame and tofu. When tofu floats to the surface, add miso by smashing it through a strainer. Turn off the heat immediately. DO NOT boil it once the miso has gone into it - it will alter the flavour and nutritional value of the soup! You can also add things like finely sliced green onions, clams, udon noodles - just make sure that you add the miso at the end! 3/16/2002 09:17:00 AM   Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade I actually have never found teriyaki anything on a menu here. Probably that is because it is so easy to make, and it is the usual way of marinating many things! 1 part Mirin 1 part sake 2 parts soy sauce Toss all the ingredients together and use it however you like! If I am cooking chicken or other bland meat, I like to add some fresh ginger to the sauce. 3/16/2002 09:10:00 AM Friday, March 15, 2002   Yakitori Sauce Yakitori is very simple - just skewer some pieces of chicken, and fry or grill them, then toss in this sauce. Just make sure you soak the skewers so they don`t burn! 2 Tbsp sugar 4 Tbsp mirin 4 Tbsp sake 3 1/3 oz soy sauce Put all these ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken skewers. Easy peasy! 3/15/2002 06:15:00 PM   Wasabi Dressing 2 tsp of white vinegar 5 oz olive oil 2 Tbsp soya sauce 1 tsp grated wasabi (japanese horseradish, green in colour), or 1/2 tsp powdered wasabi salt and pepper to taste. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. This is good on salads, boiled vegetables, even over fish! 3/15/2002 06:15:00 PM   Udon Soup This is a hearty winter favourite. You can easily find udon noodles in grocery stores in Canada; they are thick, fresh noodles sold in small packages - usually near the tofu. One small package per serving is the norm here. I have included the recipies for two kinds of udon broth, as you can add whatever you want to the soup. Here, it is often served with pressed fishckakes, thinly sliced, cooked bok choy cabbage, bean sprouts, and cubed tofu. Often they will crack a raw egg on top of each bowl, and put a pat of butter into the broth. Basic Broth 6 cups of dashi 6 Tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp sugar 2 Tbsp mirin salt and pepper to taste Curry Broth 7 cups dashi 2 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt pinch of pepper 3 Tbsp soy sauce 4 Tbsp curry powder corn starch and water mixture 3/15/2002 06:14:00 PM   Traditional Tamago Have you eer wondered how to make that rolled up egg thing you see on top of sushi? Well, here it is! This recipe makes lots, but you couild easily halve or quarter it. 8 eggs 3 1/3 oz dashi 1 Tbsp mirin 1 Tbsp shoyu 1/2 tsp salt vegetable oil Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the mirin, soy sauce, nsalt and dashi. Mix well. Coat a square omlette pan (ok - who has one of those lying around, right? Just do it in a regular, but small frying pan) with oil and heat it up. Coat the frying pan with a thin layer of the egg mixture. When the egg mixture is cooked underneath but still a bit soft on top, roll it up - from the far edge of the pan to the handle. If you are using a big frying pan, your roll may be thick enough. Proceed to the final step. If you are using the proper square pan, then push the existing roll to the front of the frying pan and add another thin layer of egg mixture in the back half. Using the first roll as your "core" start rolling the new egg mixture around it - from the far edge of the pan t the handle. Shape the finished roll evenly with a sushi rolling mat - you want it to be like a long flat brick: squared off. cut into pieces which are about a centimetre in thickness. 3/15/2002 06:13:00 PM   Sweet Pickled Ginger This is the finely sliced ginger you get beside your sushi at restaurants. If you want it to turn that pretty shade of pink, then add a couple of drops of red food colouring. 1 3/4 oz of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced salt 4 Tbsp vinegar (rice vinegar is best, but it will work with the normal stuff) 4 Tbsp water 2 tsp sugar Blanch ginger in boiling water and drain well. Sprinkle it with salt (lightly). Mix together the vinegar, water and sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the ginger and let it soak for at least an hour. This will keep in the fridge for a while - provided that the ginger is completely covered by the sauce. 3/15/2002 06:13:00 PM   SUKIYAKI This is a traditional dinner that is cooked in front of you or your guests. They use deep electric frying pans which they put on the table. You could alternatively just cook it on the range and put it on a plate on the table, but it will lose heat this way. The Sauce 3 Tbsp sake (rice wine - dry cooking wine or sherry will also work) 3 1/3 oz water 6 2/3 oz soy sauce 6 2/3 oz mirin 6 Tbsp sugar The Main Parts I will adapt these for friends back home who can`t get some items used here (like maroni noodles) about 1 lb of thinly sliced meat (this is for 4 people) bok choy cabbage, shredded leeks or green onions, sliced in big pieces shiitake mushrooms, sliced thickly firm tofu, cubed (the lightly grilled type works the best) konnyaku (if you can get it - basically a grey specked gelatinous mass) bean sprouts other vegetables you want to experiment with - the most important thing is that they have similar cooking times - celery would be good, but carrots would not Also: udon noodles one very fresh egg per person rice Directions Wash and cook the rice. while the rice is cooking, chop up the vegetables. place the egg in a little bowl - do not crack it open until you are ready to eat it! When the rice is ready, keep it warm by putting a damp cloth over the bowl. Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside In the frying pan, brown the beef, then add all the sauce and the vegetables. Put the lid on the frying pan and cook until all the vegetables are done Serve the rice in little bowls. Crack the raw egg into another little bowl and mix it up. To eat it Basically, once all the ingredients in the frying pan are cooked, you are ready to eat it. With your chopsticks, you grab something out of the communal frying pan, run it through the beaten egg. Then, place the tasty morsel on top of your rice to let some of the juices drain and to let it cool off a bit, and eat it! MMMMM! This meal goes well with copious amounts of beer and/or sake. 3/15/2002 06:12:00 PM   Simmered Tofu 2 cakes of tofu 3 cups dashi (to simmer the tofu in) Dipping sauce 1 cup dashi 3 1/3 oz soya sauce 2 Tbsp mirin Condiments Use one or all: finely chopped green onions, grated ginger, bonito flakes (dried fish flakes - pink), shredded nori (shredded, dried toasted seaweed). Directions Place tofu cakes between two heavy cutting boards. Put something under one end - to let the excess water run off. Mix together dipping sauce ingredients - bring to a boil and transfer to another serving dish to cool. Cut tofu into cubes and simmer in the three cups of dashi. Prepare the condiments. 3/15/2002 06:11:00 PM   Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Lemon Sauce About 20 fresh shiitake mushrooms (dried are OK, but fresh are better) 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp soya sauce Bonito threads (flaked dried fish - pink in colour) - OPTIONAL Wash and remove the stems of the mushrooms and grill them (or lightly fry them). Cut/tear them into peices and arrange them on individual serving plates. Mix together the lemon juice and soya sauce and pour over the mushrooms. Sprinkle some bonito threads on top. 3/15/2002 06:10:00 PM   Sake Steamed Clams 20 live littleneck clams 2 inches of leek 7 oz of sake 1 tsp soy sauce Let clams sit in salted water for a hile to allow them to expel sand. Wash them well. Slit leek lengthwise, remove the core, and slice in julienne strips. Place clams in a skillet or wok, add sake, and steam on high When clams are opened, sprinkle soy sauce over them. Discard any clams which remain closed. Serve them in their juices and garnish with the leek. 3/15/2002 06:09:00 PM   Om Rice When I first saw these, I thought that they were calzones. Honestly, that is exactly what they look like. I bought one, and you can just imagine my shock when I found out that the "crust" was a crepe-thin omlette, and the filling was fried rice in a tomato sauce! Now, this is one of my favourite foods - you can buy them in packages (not unlike pizza pops) and you just stick them in the microwave and throw ketchup on top. They freeze really well too!!!! This recipe makes one or two of these things, depending on the size. 200g rice (white or brown), cooked 50g finely diced chicken frozen vegetables (like green peas and carrots) 3 Tbsp diced onion 2 eggs, well beaten, with a little water or milk added ketchup salt and pepper Fry the chicken and onion until done. Add the rest of the vegetables and stir fry the rice Add just enough ketchup to make it like a pilaf - to keep it all together. Set the rice mixture aside In another frying pan, pour the egg mixture in the frying pan - just enough to lightly cover the bottom (you want it to be crepe thin). When the egg is done, spoon the rice mixture into the middle and fill the whole length (so you have a square-ish blob of rice dissecing the circle of the omlette). Fold the edges around the rice and serve with the bottom (no edge) side up. Smother (if you are like me) the thing in ketchup or gravy. If you are like most people, just put a blob of the sauce on top. ***** Experiment with this!! I have had many awesome different types and have seen some real creativity with this!! Ideas add curry powder to the rice and cover with Dhal (lentil curry) dump a can of cream of anything soup on top and bake cover in spaghetti sauce and bake try different meats, or beans or vegetables in the rice mixture (like bean sprouts, broccoli, finely chopped asperagus) add cilantro, lemon juice, and finely chopped pepper to the rice and sprinkle the finished product with feta cheese try using cous cous instead of rice. The possibilities are endless!!!! 3/15/2002 06:09:00 PM   Mustard Miso Sauce This is great over french fries, hamburgers, boiled vegetables and salads. 5 Tbsp Shiro Miso (white miso) 1 egg yolk 3 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp yellow mustard (or dijon) 2 Tbsp dashi (see recipe) Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 3/15/2002 06:08:00 PM   Dengaku Dengaku is skewered and grilled (or fried) tofu with a miso-based sauce poured on top. One tub of tofu (cotton tofu, or lightly grilled tofu is best), sliced down the middle. If the tofu is really thick, then slice it in half again - you want them to be in little bricks about 2 inches wide X 4 inches long X 1.5 inches thick. Before you cut the tofu though, pess it between two heavy cutting boards and put a knife or something under one end to let the excess water drain While the tofu is draining, prepare the sauce: 3.5 oz of red miso (aka miso) or white miso (shiro miso) 3 1/3 oz sake 3 Tbsp sugar 1 egg yolk sesame seeds for sprinkling on top Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the grilled tofu. If you make the sauce using white miso, it tastes really good poured over boiled vegetables (and is so much more healthy than hollandaise)! 3/15/2002 06:07:00 PM   Dashi (Fish Broth) Dashi is one of the most common ingredients in Japanese cooking, and it is, essentially just a fish broth. It is really easy to make if you can find the ingredients (which shouldn`t be too difficult at a Japanese grocery). If you can`t find them, experiment with vegetable boullion: though beware when the recipe calls for soy sauce - it might make it too salty! You only really need two ingredients: dried Konbu (kelp), and dehydrated fish (here we use little silver ones sold in big bags - the fish are about 2-3 inches long). DO NOT use the little candied dried fish you can also get - these are meant to be a snack! Usually the candied ones are mixed with sesame seeds, so you should be able to tell the difference. 4 cups of water 4 dried fish 4 cubic inches of Konbu - wiped with a damp paper towel This is the easy part: toss it all into a pot and boil it for about 10 minutes. For vegetarian dashi, it is the same as above, but instead of the fish, use dried shiitake mushrooms. For many recipes, you will use the entire batch. Any leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge. 3/15/2002 06:07:00 PM   Chilled Soba Noodles This is one of my summertime favourites. I usually have this with a nice big bowl of spicy kimchee (korean spicy picked cabbage) 4 portions of fresh or dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles - greyish in colour). Boil them until they are al dente, drain them, and set them in the fridge. Dipping sauce 1 2/3 cups dashi 4 Tbsp mirin 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar Condiments 1/2 sheet nori (dried and roasted seaweed - the same stuff you use to roll sushi) torn into little pieces. If you can get the little julienned nori it saves time. 4 Tbsp green onions, chopped finely 2 tsp prepared wasabi Put the mirin into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add dashi, sugar and soya sauce. Boil again. Remove from heat, and put into little dishes. put the dishes into the fridge to cool (you can and should make this in advance - the colder the noodles and sauce, the better!) Rinse cooled noodles under cold water to loosen them up. arrange them on serving plates. Put flaked nori on top. Mix wasabi and onions into serving sauce to taste. Dip the noodles into the sauce and enjoy! 3/15/2002 06:06:00 PM   Chawanmushi Chawan mushi is served in little metal or porcelain cups - it is a steamed egg dish which is usually served as part of a meal which has many small and different dishes, like sushi or sashimi. This recipe serves 4 people. 4 shrimp one chicken breast, skin removed, cut into small pieces 4 shiitake mushrooms For the egg mixture: 3 eggs 2 cups dashi 1 tsp mirin 2 tsp soy sauce pinch of salt lemon rind, thinly sliced (optional) Cut shrimp, shiitake and chicken into pieces and parboil briefly. Distribute the pieces evenly into steamer-safe cups. Fill the cups with the egg mixture - to about 1 cm from the rim. Cover the cups with lids or plastic wrap. Put the cups into the steamer and cook n high for two to three minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes. They are done if, when poked with a toothpick, clear juice comes out. 3/15/2002 06:03:00 PM This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?