Tag Archives: 簡単なレシピ

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/35)

BENTO-09-05-25a

Today’s bento was a bit of a straightforward affair making good use of what was left in the fridge!

BENTO-09-05-25b

Plenty of steamed later mixed with Japanese cucumber pickles.
Boiled Shrimps and smoked salmon dipped in lemon juice with scrambled eggs, Italian parsley, pickled mini melon and black olives.

BENTO-09-05-25c

Salad, very simple too: Green leaves, boiled broccoli, processed cheese, Ameera Gibbins sweet mini tomatoes and honeypreserved dates for dessert.

What is the Missus cooking tonight, especially after the little earthquake we had?

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/34)

BENTO-09-05-19a

After Yesterday’s traditional Japanese bento, the Missus prepared an “open sandwich bento” more reminiscent of European/American packed lunches!

BENTO-09-05-19b

As she is away on a vacation today she did not need to prepare food for both of us.
She toatsed some bread and proceeded to rummage through the refrigerator:

BENTO-09-05-19c

Smoked salmon with capers and black olives.
Japanese-style scrambled eggs with Italian parsley from our verandah for a finishing touch.
Avocado slices.
Sweet plum tomato.
Dip sauce for the vegetables.

BENTO-09-05-19d

Smoked pepper ham and cornichons.
Lettuce.
Cucumber and celery sticks for the dipping sauce (or is this the other way round?LOL)
Honey-pickled dates for dessert.

Very healthy!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/33)

BENTO-09-05-18a

Today’s bento was probably the most “traditional” the Missus prepared this year. It is very reminiscent of high school students can expect from their mothers.

BENTO-09-05-18b

The rice part is a double-decker. That is soy sauce will be brushed on a first layer of plain steamed rice and covered with dry seaweed. The operation is repeated to form the two-tier rice dish.

BENTO-09-05-18c

As for the garnish the Missus made small “sandwiches” with slices of zucchini intersped with a chicken paste she made with minced chicken, a lttle sake and what else before rolling them in cornstarch and frying them. Served with lettuce and fresh cress, it made for the vegetable part.

BENTO-09-05-18d

As for the “salad” part, she included mimosa-style boiled egg halves, “yama imo/taro roots” (raw) salad with two kinds of sesame seeds, pickled Japanese gourd and pickled Japanese cherry blossom, and a plum tomato for dessert.

Not as big as usual, but I have to lose weight!LOL

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Chicken Ham: Recipe

CHICKEN-HAM-SALAD

Following queries by Jenn and the unamed-yet friend at Food to Make you Miss your Plane about the Missus’ chicken Ham included in some of my bentoes, I decided to do some personal research (complemented by some comments from the Missus who is very cagey about her own recipes!).

CHICKEN-HAM-ROLL1

Now, the following recipe is for Chicken Ham in the shape of a “ham”.
Natyrally, you can, like the Missus keep the original shape of the chicken breast.

CHICKEN-HAM-SALAD-2

You can slice or shred the chicken as shown above in the combination chicken/avocado salad. Variations are almost endless!

Ingredients:
-One large chicken breast: 250g
-Sugar: 1 large tablespoon
-Coarse salt-black pepper mixture: 1 large tablespoon

Recipe:

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-1
Get rid of all skin and fat.
“Puncure” chicken shallowly on both sides.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-2
Sprinkle sugar on both sides and

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-3
throughly brush it in on both sides.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-4
repeat procedure with coarse salt-black pepper mixture.
Water will start oozing out.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-5
Tightly seal inside zip-lock type vinyl envelope and leave it 48 hours inside the fridge (Get as much air out as possible before sealing!).

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-6
After the first 24 hours inside the fridge, throw out the water that has accumulated, reseal and put back inside the fridge.

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That’s how it looks when you take it out of the fridge after 48 hours.

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Take chicken ou, clean lightly with running water, and then let it rest in clear water for 30 minutes to get rid of the excess salt.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-9
Take out of water and carefully get the chicken rid of water with kitchen paper.

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“Roll” the chicken breast into a “hm” shape and secure it with a wooden toothpick 8avoid any contact with naked metal!).

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Bind the chicken with cooking thread tightly until you have attained a ham shape. Take toothpick out and discard.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-12
Wrap tightly into cellophane paper.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-13
Wrap into foil paper twice.
Note: the Missus does not wrap it into anthing and just lowly directly boil the chicken into chicken bouillon.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-14
In a big enough pan bring water to boil.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-15
Put the foil paper-wrapped chicken inside water and switch off fire.

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Cover with lid and leave it as it it is for 7~8 hours.
Take chicken out with its foil paper and let it rest inside fridge for 24 hours.
Note: The Missus will put the chicken and the whole broth inside a Tupperware box before puttin it inside the fridge.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-17
Get Chicken ham out. Discard foil paper and thread.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-18
Cut it to your liking.

CHICKEN-HAM-RECIPE-20
Serve.
That is when the fun starts!
Great as salads, in sandwiches and of course bentoes!

Note: The Missus sometimes, as an extra last step, smokes the whole chicken in green tea leaves!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/32)

BENTO-09-05-11a

Today’s bento was a simple affair or quick fix: Open Muffin Sandwiches.

BENTO-09-05-11b

The Muffins were “English” made in Japan. They had been toatsed for consistency.
As for the filling: lettuce almost everywhere, potato and green peas salad, home-made chicken ham with British chutney, French pickles, black olives, mini tomatoes, and dark cherries (imported)

Was still a bit hungry after that!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/31)

bento-09-05-01a

Today’s bento was “Catch the Train Bento”!
I have to take the train to go and teach at University on Friday afternoons. Usually the Missus makes sandwiches for my trip. But she had forgotten to buy bread! Therefore I ended up with a classic trip bento!

bento-09-05-01b

She steamed the rice with large fresh green peas to make big musubi/rice balls.

bento-09-05-01c

As for the accompaniment, she improvised with was left inthe refrigerator:
Lettuce, mini tomatoes, French pickles, tamagoyaki containing finely chopped thin leeks, fried eringi mushrooms, boiled sweet peas intheir pods, and fried bacon and white asparagus rolls.

A quick fix, maybe, but a pretty satisfying bento!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/30)

bento-09-04-30a

Yesterday was a National Holiday in Japan, and we took the pportunity to share dinner at Lojol‘s place. We certainly ate (and drank) a lot as usual.
As the Missus was busy today, she prepared me a healthy lunch box to help my body ease up a bit!

bento-09-04-30b

The main dish was very Japanese in concept: “Chirashizushi/Decoration Sushi”:
The rice had been steamed with a piece of konbu/seaweed and later mixed with dickled Japanese cucumber and daikon as well as with “Tobikko/Flying Fish roe”.
She then placed lemon juice-seasoned smoked salmon, boiled shrimps, square cut tamagoyaki, sliced black olives, Italian parsely from the verandah and home-made wasabi pickles.

bento-09-04-30c

As for the salad: on a bed of shredded veg, cut mini tomatoes, boiled white asparaguses, sweet peas in their pods, lettuce, lemon and shredded cheese on which I poured dressing kept in the fridge at work!

Very healthy indeed, but quite a lot in fact!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/29)

bento-09-04-28-a1

I had a little argument with the Missus this morning when she refused to tell me what was included in one of the nigiri/rice balls.
-Secret! In any case, you should be able to find out when you eat it!
-Kudaranai!/Silly answer!, I replied.
-I’m silly! Fine, you can make your own bento next time!
-No problem!, I replied knowing fully well this was the best way to provoke her into making the next one. LOL

bento-09-04-28-b

The main part consisted of three nigiri: one containing seaweed, the second one umeboshi/pckled Japanese plum and pickled cherry blossom, the last one takuan/pickled daikon.

bento-09-04-28-d

The Missus had included a small pack of nori/dry seaweed.

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This way, the nori would be dry and crispy when eaten. The idea is either to wrap around the nigiri, or just hold it as a “sandwich”.

As for the garnish, the Missus prepared a small salad of lightly fried pimento and goya, mini chicken patties from last night dinner, tomato, lettuce and French pickles.

bento-09-04-28-c

As for the salad I got Japanese-style mimosa eggs on a bed of greens and Shizuoka “Beni Hoppe/red cheeks” strawberies for dessert.

Don’t to have another argument! LOL

My good friend Elin nicely asked me to include some pictures of flowers as it is Spring in Japan:

flower-tree3

That flowering tree is an “Ippei” originating from Brazil!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/28)

bento-09-04-27a

This morning The Missus said that I ate too much rice for my comfort, meaning it was fattening me!
Therefore she declared that I was going to have sandwich Bento today!
Actually, I’m pretty sure that bread contains more calories than rice!

bento-09-04-27b

The sandwich was double-decker with three slices of bread.

bento-09-04-27d

Fairly simple in concept (and probably healthier!), it was laid with a very thin omelette on the first deck, then cheese (toasted), ham (seasoned with mustard) and lettuce for the second deck.

bento-09-04-27c

The Salad dish was pretty voluminous:
Bed of cress.
Plum tomatoes.
French pickled cucumbers and onions,.
Lettuce.
Black olives
Potato salad.
Oranges and strawberries for dessert.

Quite big in the end! LOL

My good friend Elin nicely asked me to include some pictures of flowers as it is Spring in Japan:

flower-tree2

That flowering tree is a Dogwood Tree or Hanamizukira in Japanese!

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Japanese Fusion Cuisine at Tomii

tomii-fusion

I visited Tomii, my favourite Japanese restaurant in Shizuoka City last night to sample the “Sansai/Wild Mountain Vegetables” menu (coming posting for vegans and vegetarians!). Befi\ore the last dish, I was offered a great dish in its simpicity and taste that I couldn’t include in posting for vegans and vegetarians!

I call it “Japanese Fusion” because it is clever, if simple, association of Japanese and Italian tastes:

Two kind of (green and white) extremely frsh asparaguses were simply fried in olive oil. No need for boiling them.
They were then served with freshly grated Parmeggiano and sprinkled with a balsamico-base dressing.
Mr. Tomii added a “onsen tamago/Japanese-style poached egg” to break and eat together wth the asparaguses.
Some pimentoes added the final colour touch.

Simple and so “oishii/scrumptious”!
A great combination of crunchiness (asparaguse) and tenderness (egg)!

TOMII
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-274-0666
Business hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/27)

bento-09-04-25a

Saturday is definitely not a “bento day”, but with the storm announced for the whole day by the weather forecast, we decided it would be more practical for both of us instead of having to travel inside stuffy slow buses!

bento-09-04-25b

The Missus kept things simple:
She already had ready to fry thin pork slices in the fridge.
She placed them on a bed of teamed rice first overlaid with finely chopped greens. She had seasoned the pork with bbq sauce and sprinl\kled them with white sesame. She added “takuan”/yellow pickled daikon and home-made wasabi flowers and stem pickles.

bento-09-04-25c

The side dish was fairly simple, too:
Plenty of “kawaire daikon” for vitamin C, mini tomatoes, simmered black beans and tamagoyaki.

Plenty enough!

My good friend Elin nicely asked me to include some pictures of flowers as it is Spring in Japan:

flower-tree1

Last Cherry blossoms in Shizuoka City!

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Vegan and Vegetarian Sushi (renewed)

iroha-2.jpg
(from top to bottom and left to right: Konnyaku/Devil’s Tongue Tuber, Celery marinated in Amazu/sweet vinegar and pickled Japanese plums, Shiro negi/White leek, Na no Hana/Rape Blossoms, Gobo/Burdock roots, Satsuma Imo/Sweet yams, Daikon/Long Japanese radish)

Whenever I can convince there is Japanese food fit for Vegans and Vegetarians (I’m neither!), I make a point of posting articles that might help friends with different culinary priorities!
I have recently received more requests about recipes and examples.
Therefore I decided to re-post a former article with the addition of more discoveries!

There is vegan and vegetarian sushi in Japan and elsewhere!
As a proof have a good look at the picture and explanations above. The pic was taken at Iroha Sushi, a small but extremely renown sushi restaurant in Iwata City, an area celebrated for its vegetables!

vegan-sushi1
Kyoto is a renown place for Vegan & Vegetarian Sushi!
From right to left, top to bottom:, Yuuba (tofu sheets), Takenoko (Bamboo shoots), Myoga (myoga ginger), Zenmai (Spring vegetable variety), Ki no mi (Spring vegetables), Awafu (grilled tofu sheets), Kamo Nasu (kamo egg-plant), Hakusai Maki (Chinese cabbage).
Print a copy of this pic, show it to your local Sushi Restaurant and challenge him/her into preparing your favorite tidbits!

vegan-sushi2
From bottom to top: Takenoko (boiled bamboo shoots topped with a sprig of sansho/Japanese pepper plant)), Kabu Tsukemono (pickled turnip), Sugiku no Ha Maki (sugiku Chrysanthemum leaves)
And what about these? Not only tasty but fulfilling!

efbd8befbd81efbd8defbd90efbd99efbd8fefbd95efbd8daki
“Kanpyou maki”/dry gourd shavings: here is one that any sushi restaurant will serve you!

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That small one is my personal favourite: “menegi”/thin leeks sprouts!

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Vegan/vegetarian Te-maki: natto, shiso, ume/Japanese pickled plum.
(Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!)

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Another Vegan/vegetarian Kanpyo-maki/dry gourd shavings roll for second dessert!

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Menegi/leek sprouts, Soba no Shinme/buckwheat sprouts, Mitsuba, avocado, Takuan/pickled daiko and shiso nd cucumber gunkan, mizuna gunkan.
(Sushi Ko in Shizuoka City!)

sobasushimaki

And how about Soba Sushi maki?

I’ll still keep looking!

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Soba/Buckwheat Noodles: Easy Preparation

soba-saru

I’ve been asked for some time how to make your own soba/buckwheat noodles at home.
It is not that difficult, although you might need some particular tools.
Here is a simple recipe from which you can freely improvise.

INGREDIENTS:
Enough for 5 people
Buckwheat Flour/Soba-ko: 400g
Wheat flour (normal): 100g
Cold water: 250g
Some additional buckwheat flour for folding

TOOLS:
Large pan
Wooden rolling pin
Large Chinese/Japanese-style chopping knife
Wooden working surface/board
Board for guiding knife

RECIPE:

First step:
soba_1
Pour buckwheat flour and Wheat flour into a large basin/pan and mix well.
Pour in one third of the water slowly in a thin flow. Mix with tip of fingers.

Step 2:
soba_2
Break eventual hard lumps between fingers.

Step 3:
soba_3
Repeat step 1 twice again until you obtain a fine mixture.
Work as fast as possible.

Step 4:
soba_4
Once satisfied with the uniformity of the mixture, press hard with your knuckles.

Step 5:
soba_5
Once the flour has chamged into one lump, fold and press with palm of the hand.

Step 6:
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Repeat Step 5 until lump has become shiny. Fold into a ball.

Step 7:
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Shape the lump into a pyramid.

Step 8:
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Turn pyramid onto its tip and press hard as to form a saucer.

Step 9:
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Start spreading lump with wooden roll pin. first angle by angle as to form square.

Step 10:
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Once you have spread the lump until the square has diminished to a 2 mm thickness, first sprinkle some buckwheat flour all over the surface and fold in two.

Step 11:
soba_11
Sprinkle with buckwheat flour and fold again (4 layers).

Step 12:
soba_12
Cut soba lump with the heavy chopping knife, using the wooden guide board for even cutting by shifting the guide board slightly after each cut.

Step 13:
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Bring a large large pan of water to boil, drop noodles into water separating them between your fingers as they fall out. Boil for 2~3 minutes stirring with long chopsticks.

Step 14:
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Take noodles out of pan (the soba tsuyu/soba soup can be used hot later) with a sieve and coll down under running cold water. Drain.

Step 15:
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Serve onto plate with or without dry seaweed, wasabi, soba soup or whatever you feel like.
You could also make maki with the same soba.
Variations are many!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/26)/Spring Flowers

bento-09-04-22

Wednesday is usually not a “bento day”, but since I will be very busy this afternoon conducting a video interview of a local sake brewery, I simply will have no time to go back home for lunch.

The Missus this time came up with her own “classic”, pasta salad bento:
Boiled, drained and cooled spaghetti to which she added some dressing before laying them inside the box. She then sprinkled them with a little grated parmegiano cheese.
She added smoked salmon, pink pepper, Italian parsley from our verandah, boiled slice, Sliced plum tomato, boiled broccoli, Some cut cucumber, French flageolet green beans, French pickles, small herbes and lettuce. As for dessert, oranges from her family’s garden.

My good friend Elin nicely asked me to include some pictures of flowers as it is Spring in Japan:

cherry-blossoms

Cherry Blossoms in Shizuoka City.

atami-plum-garden

Plum Trees in Atami City.

fuji-miho

Shizuoka is also famous for its oranges!
This picture was taken from Miho, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoak City, a place which is considered as “one of the best three Mount Fuji Viewspots in Japan”!

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Mizuna and Sukimi Maguro Salad

mizuna-sukimi

Here is a very easy and typically Japanese salad you can serve as a snack, accompaniment or main dish depending upon your mood.

Mizuna (Japanese: 水菜, also called Xiu Cai, Kyona, Japanese Mustard, Potherb Mustard, Japanese Greens, California Peppergrass, Spider Mustard, etc.) is a popular variety of Japanese mustard greens with jagged or frilly dandelion-like leaves and a sweet, mild, earthy flavor.
It goes with almost anything.
We even eat it in nabe at home.

Last night, the Missus used a bunch of them cut to size bite to form a bed with some very thinly sliced spring onions (very sweet)

Sukimi Maguro is very finely chopped or grated tuna.
By grated, I mean that the usual method is to “scratch” the meat off the skin of the tuna with a spoon. Or if you have a good piece of relatively cheap tuna, chop it until you obtain a fine paste.
Season to your taste. The Missus mixed in ponzu and wasabi dressing (mild), place it on top of the greens with chopped thin leeks.

Served with an extra dash of ponzu it makes for a very tasty and healthy snack (with sake, of course!)

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