Tag Archives: Simple Recipes

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/62)

September 22, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

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I could with different names for today’s bento:
“Holiday Bento”-Today is a National Holiday, but I’ve found myself working!
“Leftover Bento”-This particular bento has been made up mostly with yesterday’s food cooked by the Missus!

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Yesterday the Missus had made “kakuni/stewed pork”. She had added beans and chili pepper during the second cookin.
I inherited the leftovers with boiled brocoli (also prpepared yesterday and a little pasta, the whole in the middle of freshly steamed plain rice.

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The salad included yesterday’s curry potato salad to which she added crumbled boiled egg, mini tomatoes and mixed samll leaves.

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Simple dessert with cut plum and Asian pear/nashi.

Must admit I felt full and contented!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/61)

September 7, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

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The Missus was a “bit grumpy” today.
“Don’t take a photo of that!” she said…
It was a typical, if simple, Summer bento, more aimed at stamina than anything else.

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The broiled unagi/eel bento in short!

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The unagi had been bought ready-made at the local supermarket.
The Missus coorected the fishy taste by havin the broiled unagi rest in matcha tea for a while.

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As for the broiled eel and steamed rice, they were laid in a two-tier style, very popular in Japan.

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Plain tamagoyaki and home-made cucmber pickles for garnish.

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(Shizuoka grown) cress, mini-tomatoes and walnuts for the salad, plums and grapes (grown in Yamamshi Prefecture, our neighbours) for dessert.

Simple but hearty!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow
Bread + Butter
5 Star Foodie
Think Twice

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/60)

September 5, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Two days ago, the Missus decreed that from now no I will take a bento to work on Saturdays as we are both too busy to bother with coming home for lunch.
I’m notone to complain as Saturday will see totally different bentoes form mondays and Tuesdays.

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Like I said, Saturday bentoes will be different becaus this is the day of the week when the Missus makes a point to cook stews or curries.
Today’s curry was pork minced meat served with chopped okra from her family’s garden and a whole soft boiled egg on saffron rice.

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As for the salad I was offered a selection of raw vegetables sticks with drssing as vegetables sticks. These are particularly welcome in this still hot season!

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And ripe plums for dessert!

Next Saturday I will be flying to New caledonia for a few days. Therefore the next Saturday bento will have to wait till the 19th. LOL

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Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 7

September 4, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Just came back from University where I had to rush to “help” a stident re-take and pass his Summer Finals. As I had no time to stay long enough at home for the Missus to prepare a packed lunch, I just sped off (on my bicycle) to Shizuoka Station where I purchas an Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Box.
Knowing the Missus, I suspect she gorged herself with pasta for lunch at home!

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I chose that particular Ekiben because it was seasonal. You never know after all, as this could prove to be a unique occasion.
Its name was very poetic: 秋千扇/Aki Chi Sen=The One Thousands fans of Autumn!

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As I mentioned before hygiene laws for bento in Japan are very strict and contents are cleraly indicated (in Jpanaese) on the box with the packaging date and time and price. This particular one cost 1,000 yen/about 11 US $ at the current rate.

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As usual the food inside is protected by an sheet of hard cellophen paper.

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The “gohan/rice” part was rice steamed with shiitake mushrooms slices and pieces of chestnuts, a very popular way to make “mazegohan/mixed rice” inthe Fall/Autumn. The juices of the shiitake are incoprated in the rice, making even more tasty.

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The garnish consisted of boiled or simered vegetables including burdock root, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, sato-imo/tuber variety (very soft), string bean and devil’s tongue tuber/Konnyaku.

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For a closer view.
Dessert consisted of goma dango, a ball of mochi containing anko and coated with white sesame, and a slice of kiwi fruit. Above the dessert a slice of fried salmon made up for the meat part.

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The other half of the garnish consisted of seaweed/wakame and cucumber salad seasoned with amazu/sweet vinegar, deep-fried and sweetened sakura ebi/cherry shrimps (found only in Shizuoka).
Above them Deep-fried chicken in sweet and sour sauce with beans an a small “cup” od wasabi zuke/wasabi pickled in sake lees to season the rice with, not forgetting the small tube of soy sauce for the veg!

Not bad, not bad!LOL

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/59)

September 1, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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Today’s bento called be called “The Morning After” Bento!
Last night the Missus and I had a long celebration and we had som ediggiculty to wake uo this morning…
At first the Missus told me she would not mind if I bought and ekiben/Railway Station Bento, but she changed her mind after having a look at the fridge.

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In the end, it turned out to be an easy classical bento:

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The rice balls/musubi were made of rice freshly steamed together with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum and then mixed with white sesame seeds and topped by small shiso/perilla leaves we grow on our balcony.

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Simple unadorned tamgoyaki/Japanese omelette and a salad made of beans, hijiki/sweet seaweed and cucumbers/mini tomatoes.

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Not “savoury” was chicken ratatouille she had prepared the morning before (not bad at all, actually!).
For dessert I had some cheese that I keep in the fridge at work.
Healthy and plenty actually!

FATHER-COOKING

here is another pic of my “roots”:
My 85-year old Dad cooking his favourite turkey steaks!

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Japanese Cakes-Wagashi 15: Daifuku

August 25, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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Daifukumochi (大福餅), or Daifuku (大福) (literally “great luck”), is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans.

The traditional daifuku, like all Wagashi are vegan in concept.

But Daifuku comes in many varieties.
The most common is white, pale green or pale pink colored mochi filled with anko.
These come in two sizes, one approximately the diameter of a half-dollar coin, the other palm-sized.
Some versions contain whole pieces of fruit, mixtures of fruit and anko or crushed melon paste.
Nearly all daifuku are covered in a fine layer of corn or taro starch to keep them from sticking to each other, or to the fingers. Some are covered with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa.

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HISTORY:
Daifuku were originally called Harabuto mochi (腹太餅) (belly thick rice cake) because of its filling nature. Later the name was changed to Daifuku mochi (大腹餅) (big belly rice cake). Since the pronunciation of Fuku (腹) (belly) and Fuku (福) (luck) is the same in Japanese, the name was further changed to Daifuku mochi (大福餅) (great luck rice cake), a bringer of good luck. By the end of the 18th century, Daifuku were gaining popularity and people began eating them toasted. They were also used for gifts in ceremonial occasions

VATIETIES:

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Yomogi daifuku (蓬大福)
A version made with kusa mochi (草餅), which is mochi flavored with mugwort.

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Ichigo daifuku (イチゴ大福)
A variation containing strawberry and sweet filling, most commonly anko, inside a small round mochi. Creams are sometimes used for sweet filling. Because it contains strawberry, it is usually eaten during the spring time. It was invented in the 1980s. Many patisseries claim to have invented the confection, so its exact origin is vague.

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Mame daifuku (豆大福)
Another variation made of mochi mixed with red peas or soy beans.

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/58)

August 25, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

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When I came back home last night the Missus’ first question (she alway starts conversations with questions, LOL):
-Wha did you have for lunch?
-Ekiben Bento!”
-You went all the way to the station to buy one?
-Yup!
-Which one did you buy?
-Shizuoka Monogatari!
-Hummm….
She didn’t ask me if I enjoyed it, but she was certainly busy in the kitchen in the mirning, grumbling all the time. Well, if she grumbles, so much the better! (she more she grumbles, the better the food, didn’t I say before?)

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She was still grumbling at her own “mistakes” when the bento finally came up. Taking pity of her, I assured her that her mistakes were delicious, that she should not worry…

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The steamed rice was “maze gohan” style/mixed rice, including beans and sweet seaweed/hijiri carrots and thinly sliced aburaage/fried tofu sheets.

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Now, the fried chicken stuffed goya and chicken balls with black sesame seeds were really good. She also made sure I had my favourite tamagoyaki to which she added okra, red pimento, brocoli and lettuce.

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The salad/dessert included cress, mini-tomatoes, cheese cubes and grapes.

I’ll have to find another reason to make her grumble!

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Japanese Cake: Taiyaki/”Baked Seabream”

August 24, 2009 dragonlife 10 Comments

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There are may Japanese traditional cakes making their way abroad these days.
But have ever heard of “Taiyaki”?

Frst of all, do not confuse it “Takoyaki”!

Taiyaki (たい焼き, , literally “baked seabream”) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans.
Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, or cheese. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside.

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Taiyaki is made using regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden brown.

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Taiyaki was first baked by a sweet shop Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo in 1909, and now can be found all over Japan, especially at food courts of supermarkets and Japanese festivals (祭, matsuri) and other Asian countries (for example Korea, but they call it buunga baang).

They are similar to imagawayaki (今川焼き?, which are thick round cakes also filled with sweet azuki bean paste or custard.

They come in different shapes according to the occasion or/and area:

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In Fukushima Prefecture where the Aquamarine Fukushima is located they sell taiyaki made from a mold reminscent of the famed coelacanth!

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In some areas they make a taiyaki in the shape of a carp floater to commemorate Boys Day on May 5th!

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As for Shizuoka Prefecture, people in Ieyama along the Oigawa Railway make a taiyaki with matcha tea!

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Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 6

August 24, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

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Today both the Missus were in a bit of a hurry and working early, so she did not have the time to prepare a lunch box/bento as every Monday.
The Shizuoka JR Station not being far from my work place, I visited it at 9:45 a.m. when “freshly prepared” ekiben/Railway Station Bento” arrive at the booth inside this major station.

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There must be more than 12 regular bento any time of the day, although they will be all on sale only from 9:45 a.m. After that the popular ones will rapidly disappear. The displays you see on the picture above are all palstic models (BIG business in Japan!)

As Frank told me some time ago, there is no comparison with what is on offer in Amtrak Stations in the US. I am certain there is a new business opprtunity there!

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These bento purchased at railway stations are completely safe as Japanese rules and regulations are extremely stringent. All the contents are clearly written and a sticker will tell the exact time when usold lunches/dinners will be collected and discarded!

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The box will always be accompanied by a pair of disposable chopsticks, so don’t worry about carrying any!
This partiular lunch box is called “Shizuoka Monogatari/Shizuoka Story” and contains mainly products from Shizuoka Prefecture.

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Upon opening the box, you will discover a hard cellophane paper protecting the food inside.

CONTENTS:

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1) Rice steamed in green tea with edible steamed tea leaves (Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all Japanese green tea!)

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2) Spaghetti (for Italian tourists?). The Japanese are simply crazy about them!

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3) Normal steamed rice topped with preserved sakura ebi/cherry shrimps (only found in Shizuoka Prefecture!)

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4) Shuumai, soy sauce mini bottle, and apricots (for dessert).

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5) Grilled saba/mackerel and sweet beans.

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6) Steamed vegetables: Carrot, renkon/lotus roots, takenoko/bamboo shoots and string bean.

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7) Daikon pickled in amazu/sweet vinegar and tamagoyaki/ Japanese omelette.

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8) Two products from Shizuoka: kuro hanpen/sardine paste and sweet maguro dices.

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9? Another product from Shizuoka: Unagi/broiled eel with some lettuce and pickled ginger.

The price: 9 US $! Very good value for a healthy and complete meal!

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Japanese Cuisine: Ankake Tofu Kani Chawanmushi-Tofu & Crab Chawanmushi with Sweet & Sour Sauce

August 22, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

TOFU-CHAWANMUSHI

Another easy recipe for the Tofu Tribe, (Terecita, Elin, Jenn and Jennifer !
This time is a tofu accomodated as Chawanmushi, a very popular dish in Japan!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

1)
Tofu: 450 g (fine texture/kinu dofu)
Eggs: 2
Crab: 1 small can/shredded

2) For the chawanmushi
Dashi: 2 cups (konbu dashi or fish dashi)
Salt: 1 quarter of a teaspoon
Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon

3) For the sweet & sour sauce
Dashi: half a cup
Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespoon
Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
Cornstarch dissolved in water: according to preferences
Trefoil (or other leaves) for decoration: according to preferences

RECIPE:

-Chill the dashi. Beat eggs into fine omelette. Add dashi, salt and Japanese sake. Mix well.

-Use a steamer for the chawanmushi. Chawan means tea bowl/cup and mushi means steaming!

-Fill four cups with one fourth of the tofu, pouring it into the cups little by little with a spoon. Pour one fourth of the egss dashi mixture on top.
Cover each cup with a piece of cellophane paper. Steam for 2 minutes on strong fire, then 20 minutes on a low fire.

-While the chawanmushi is steaming, prepare the sweet and sour sauce.
In a small pan, pour the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sake and bring to boil.
Shred the crab and add to sauce.
Add cornstarch and mix well until sauce is smooth. Take off fire.
Bear in mind that the sauce must be ready at the moment the chawanmushi is completely steamed, not before!

-Pour an equal amount of sauce on each chawanmushi. Decorate with trefoil and serve!

NOTE:
The chawanmushi taste is a bit weak, while the taste of the sweet and sour taste is trong, thus attaining the right balance!

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Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 5

August 21, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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As I mentioned before, “Ekiben” is the abreviation for “Eki”/Railway Station and “Ben”/Bento-Lunch box.
These packed lunches are extremely popular in Japan (I counted more than 90 in Shizuoka Prefecture alone!).

This particular one is served in Shimada City Railway Stations of Shimada and Kanaya.
Itis named:
Shimada Hatsu Shizuoka Aji Monogatari/Shimada Departure, Shizuoka Taste Story
Shimada City is famous for its green tea, Japanese sake, Festival and new airport!

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The rice/gohan part is made up seaweed maki/roll (top).
A little lettuce and more rice in the middle with a tea leaf tempura.
Bottom half left cosists of boiled/simmered bamboo shoot, kamaboko/steamed fish paste and kuro hanpen/sardine paste.
Note the small capsule of wasabi-zuke/wasabi pickles to be eaten with the rice.
Bottom middle consists of “tonkatsu/deep-fried pork fillets with their small tube of soy sauce.
For dessert lychee and small mandarine orange!

The Missus was pretty satisfied (I helped her a little with eating it! LOL)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/57)

August 18, 2009 dragonlife 6 Comments

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If I had to give a name to today’s lunch box, it would be”General Election Bento”.
The campaign for the Japanese Lower Chamber general elections has just kicked off, and that means that no less than five candidates (in our constituency) criss-crossing in front of my office blaring their inane messages over their campaign car loudspeakers all day long for the next two weeks.
Was this the reason why the Missus felt grumpy this morning? LOL

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Today’s bento was (only) slightly bigger than yesterday’s. Tuesday is the day off for my (?) half and she tends to cook more than usual as she prepares her own lunch at the same time.

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The musubi were made of fresh steamed rice mixed with home-made ginger pickles (sliced thin beforehand), chopped shiso/perilla leaves and white sesame seeds.

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For the meat part I got large shrimps wrapped into bacon and deep-fried with lettuce to wrap them in. Mini-tomatoes and beans and hijiki/sweet seaweed salad made up for the rest of the first box.

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As for the salad and dessert: baby leaves for the greesn with boiled brocoli and gree asparaguses. Blueberries and fresh figs for dessert!

I suppose I’ll be able to ignore those silly politicians!

I take the opportunity of this bento to continue with “my roots pictures” started last week.
This particular picture was taken inside the Hospice de Beaune, a French National Monument in Beaune, Bourgogne. The big boy in the middle is our favourite nephew, Maxime (21), and you probably have guessed that the lady on the right is Mitsuko a.k.a. The Missus!

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Ekiben/Railway Station Lunch Boxes-Bento 4

August 17, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

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“Ekiben” is the abreviation for “Eki”/Railway Station and “Ben”/Bento-Lunch box.
These packed lunches are extremely popular in Japan (I counted more than 90 in Shizuoka Prefecture alone!), as not only they make for a very satisfying lunch during a long trip, but they are usually made up with local ingredients, thus offering a good idea of what is eaten in the particular region you are visiting or going through!

I bought this one (the Missus’ in the next posting!) at Shin Nakaya Station, the station where the Oigawa Railraod Steam Locomotive starts from to Sensu Hot Springs. There are very few steam locomotives left in Japan. Therefore this private railway line and station lunch boxes are pretty out of the ordinary.
Also note the can of Shizuoka Tea (Shizuoka produces 50% of all green tea in Japan!

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The contents were typical of that area in Shizuoka Prefecture:
The steamed rice was mixed with pickled wasabi leaves.
Bottom right are simmered burdock (gobo) roots, wakame seaweed, boiled sato imo/tuber, green pepper, boiled bamboo shoot and some decorative tidbit.
Deep-fried meat featured shrimp, kuro hanpen/”black” sardine paste and minced chicken balls with sesame seeds, shuumai/dim sung and lettuce. Note the small train-shaped soy sauce tube!
Pickled daikon and cucumber in the middle.
Top left are pieces of konnyaku/devil7s tongue tuber jelly, tamagoyaki, kamamaboko/fish paste, sweet pickled sakura shrimp and a small cup of wasabizuke/pickled wasabi in sake lees to eat with rice.

Plenty to eat for our trip!

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Vegan Japanese Dessert: Tofu Puddings

August 17, 2009 dragonlife 16 Comments

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It’s been some time since I have featured a recipe for the Tofu Tribe, (Terecita, Elin, Jenn and Jennifer !
I thought it was about time I introduced them to a very easy way to make a dessert with tofu!

TOFU PUDDING!

INGREDIENTS: for 5 ramequins

-Water: 100 ml
-Agar agar powder: 3 g
-Tofu: 400 ml
-Sugar: 30 g
-Lemon juice: 1 lemon

RECIPE:

-Heat the mashed tofu without bringing it to a boil. Add sugar and let it dissolve into the tofu. Mix if necesary.

-In a deep pan pour the water and add the agar agar. Mix well as you heat on a medium fire. Once cissolved continue mixing until the water has become transparent.

-Take off fire. Add tofu to agar agar water little by little and mix well. Add lemon juice and mix. Wait for a little while. Pour in ramequins or recipients of your choice.
Chill well before serving!

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Same recipe as above but replace water with English tea!
Vegan should make the tea with soy milk or water only!

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Same with orang juice!
In this case use 100 ml of water and 200 ml of organice orange juice!

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For this one replace orange juice with pineapple juice!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/56)

August 17, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

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Well, today we did not have to worry about typhoons or earthquakes, although the heat is becoming really severe.
The 20 minutes bicycle ride to work leaves in a pool of sweat.

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The Missus fortunately reduced the volume of today’s bento, as I feel quite bloated with all those drinks I guzzled down during my 10-hour cricket umpiring stint yesterday!

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The Missus prepared my regular tamagoyaki “fix” with vegetables including pimento and edamame.

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I got my other favourite: Karaage chicken/Japanese style deep-fried chicken, seasoned with black sesame seeds before deep-frying. Some lemon for more seasoning.

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