Tag Archives: Vegan Cuisine

美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe: Eggplants Pan-fried with Ground Black Sesame Seeds

July 19, 2012 dragonlife 8 Comments

Eggplants or Aubergines or Nasu/茄子 in Japanese are a very popular vegetable in Japan whose people have many recipes of their own that would satisfy many vegans and vegetarians worldwide.
These recipes are simple and the ingredients should be easy to obtain!
The present recipe makes use of black sesame seeds, that is roasted sesame seeds!
Apparently they are not so easy to find in Europe, which is a real pity!

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

Although we can buy ground black sesame seeds in Japanese markets, buy it whole and grind some just before cooking!
Great taste and flavor and so rich in nutrients!

Eggplants: 6 (long variety)
Ground black sesame seeds: 60 g
Japanese sake: 100 cc (1/2 cup). If unavailable use dry white wine!
Mirin/Japanese sweet sake: 50 cc (1/4 cup) If unavailable use very sweet white wine!
Soy sauce: 1 tab;espoon
Sugar: as appropriate
Water: 100 cc (1/2 cup)
Vegetable oil: as appropriate

RECIPE

Do not peel the eggplants.
Cut lengthwise in four, and then in halves across.
Remember that eggplants absorb oil so do not hesitate to use a lot of the latter!

Fry the eggplants.
When the eggplants have become soft and absorbed most of the oil, first add all the ingredients except the sugar and water. Fry for a while. Add the sugar and keep frying for a while.

Mix well and add the water. Turn the fire low and fry/cook until the juices have become very thick.
Switch off fire and let cool completely.

As this dish is very tasty cold, make a big batch and chill inside the refrigerator!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, Eggplants, 野菜, 茄子, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe: Eggplants Pan-fried with Basil and Amazu!

July 18, 2012 dragonlife 8 Comments

Eggplants or Aubergines or Nasu/茄子 in Japanese are a very popular vegetable in Japan whose people have many recipes of their own that would satisfy many vegans and vegetarians worldwide.
These recipes are simple and the ingredients should be easy to obtain!
The present recipe is a bit of a crossover between Asia and Europe!
Amazu/甘酢 means sweet Japanese rice vinegar! If you don’t have any use rice vinegar and some honey!

Eggplants Pan-fried with Basil and Amazu/Nasu to Bajiru no Amazu Itame/茄子とバジルの甘酢炒め！

INGREDIENTS: (for 4 people)

Eggplants/Aubergines: 4
Rice vinegar: 30 cc(1/6 of a cup)
Cane sugar: 1 tablespoon
(If you use amazu, count 40 cc~1/4 of a cup)
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Olive oil: 50cc (1/4 of a cup)
Basil leaves : 5~6 large leaves

RECIPE:

Cut all the eggplants in bite size pieces and fry in olive oil on a low~medium fire.

Fry eggplants until they have softened completely.
Add salt, rice vinegar and cane sugar (or amazu) and keep stirring and frying until juices have completely evaporated.

Once the eggplants have attained a stewed aspect, switch off fire, add finley chopped basil and mix.
Serve hot. Great atop freshly steamed rice!

You can also let it cool down and chill it inside refrigerator for a nice snack to accompany beer!

Once again, so simple!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe: Eggplants with Sesame and Soy Sauce!

July 17, 2012 dragonlife 10 Comments

Eggplants in sesame and soy sauce/Nasu No Goma Shouyuu Abura Ae/なすのごま油醤油あえ

INGREDIENTS (for 2 people)

Eggplants: 4 comparatively small
Cornstarch: 2 teaspoons

For the sauce/tare/タレ:
Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
Rice vinegar: 2 teaspoons
Soy sauce; 2 teaspoons
Leek (finely chopped): 1/4
Chili pepper powder: as appropriate

RECIPE

Peel the eggplants with a peeler

Coat the eggplants with cornstrach.
Steam the eggplants in a steamer or cover the dish with cellophane paper and cook in the microwave oven for 5 minutes.

Mix all the sauce/tare ingredients well in a bowl.

Puncture the eggplants with a thin fork or toothpick.
Leave the eggplants in the sauce bowl.
Turn the eggplants in the sauce well to let them absorb it as much as possible.
Serve lukewrm or at room temperature.

Easy, isn’t it?

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegan Life & Gastronomy in Japan (& Shizuoka)

March 15, 2012 dragonlife 5 Comments

Vegan Fried Avocado

I have always been intrigued by the priorities and needs of my vegan and vegetarian friends. I’m an incorrigible omnivore and will ever be, but I can appreciate other gastronomies, be they even based on vegetables only.
I also hold a deep interest in anything organic, although I don’t make it a tenet of my everyday life.
As a general rule I strive for balance.
Vegans and vegetarians have their reasons to be so, and that is their private concern. Full stop.
On the other hand, I cannot be forced into changing my ways. I did recently have to fend a concerted hate mail assault by a group of slightly misled vegans following an article of mine, but that is not going to stop me from trying to help my friends in this country.

Many vegans and vegetarians harbour doubts as to whether visit Japan, or Shizuoka for that matter.
They should not be wary of the life here. I dare say that it is almost the ideal country for them to live!
Shizuokaisalso a paradise for organic vegetables. I know of one extraordinary farmer who grows more than 190 varieties on 3 ha in Fujinomiya City!
Alright, vegans and vegetarians certainly need to be prepared!

Japanese Vegan Dashi

The very first query I have to field is:
-“But they use dashi everywhere!”
The Japanese certainly do, but there two basic kinds of dashi/Japanese soupstocks: one made with dry bonito shavings and the other made with konbu/seaweed. Check Vegan Dashi Recipe.

Now miso is also vegan, so you can imagine all the soup recipes you can concoct! Just Have a look at Vegan Recipes and you will discover what I’m suggesting!

-“Alright! Now, I have my soup to keep me hot in winter. But I also fancy a drink with my food. Now, what would you recommend?”
Well there is a atriaght easy answer: Japanese Sake!
To cut a long story short, do read what I wrote about the ultimate vegan drink!
Let just me say that true high quality (Shizuoka is the best! Lucky, aren’t I?) is made with pure water, rice, and yeast. That is all! Sometimes lactic acid is used, but it is of vegetal origin.
Incidentally, high quality shochu is also vegan!

Vegan sashimi at Yasaitei, Japan.

Now, that we have covered this important subject, shall we go to our main concern, namely vegetables?
You will be, I’m ready to bet about it, really flabbergasted by the variety of vegetables available in this country and especially Shizuoka, a famed area for organic vegetable cultivation.
The Japanese are even cultivating vegetables that have been forgotten elsewhere!
Check the following:
Vegetables Facts & Tips.
For Vegans and Vegetarians: Forgotten Vegetables.

tomii-veg31

Mountain vegetables at Tomii, Shzuoka City.

Have you heard of the Japanese mountain vegetables/Sansai/山菜?
It is just mind-boggling to discover them all!
Check: Japanese Mountain Vegetables!

Do not forget that tea and soba can be vegan! How about a combination of tea and soba for a quick lunch?

CHAZUKE-1

Chazuke

And how about Somen, Chazuke, and Tofu?

zarudofu

“Zarudofu”

Learn how to make your own Tofu!

tofu-kinds-5

“Tofu Doughnuts” at Shizutetsu Supermarket in Shizuoka City

Ever heard of Tofu Donuts?
Why don’t you try your hand after reading that easy Vegan Tofu Donut Recipe?

Vegan sushi plate at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka City.

-“I want to eat sushi, but how can I get vegan sushi in Japan?”
That should not be a problem.
First why don’t you have a look at the following:
–Vegan & Vegetarian Sushi.
–Vegan Sushi Recipe Suggestions.

Just walk around and try to find a friendly Sushi Restaurant along with some friends first and gently ask for vegetable sushi (without the bonito shavings or mayonnaise!). Keep going to the same place and soon or later the chef will enjoy the challenge and even propose you new creations.
Or check the Sushi Rice Basic Recipe and try making it at home!

And Wasabi is also vegan!

Mozuku seaweed served at Yasaitei, Shizuoka City.

Do not forget all the possibilities offered by seaweed, probably the most ubiquitous gastronomic ingredient in this country!
And ther are plenty of varieties: check Seaweed, the Vegetable of the Oceans!
Actually Shizuoka is not only a great producer of agar but also boasts the greatest number of edible seaweed varieties!

The all-organic vegetables lunch tray at Magokoro in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. They have a vegan version!

I’m not that keen on religion, but if your are a Buddhist, Japanese temples sometimes offer vegan/vegetarian meals! Kamakura is just but an example!

WAGASHI-1

Wagashi Tray.

-“And what for dessert?”
I knew you were going to ask that!
Have you heard of Wagashi?
Just reading about it will make you salivate!

Aright, if you need help, just drop me a line!LOL
At least I sincerely hope I have contributed to the image of Japan you wished to see!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India
Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London
Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

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Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine: “Mukashi Mushi Pan”/Old-Fashioned Steamed Bread

October 29, 2008 dragonlife 4 Comments

The Japan Blog List

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Although I’m neither a vegetarian or vegan, I make a point to introduce anything I discover here which might help friends out!

Fukasawa Foods in Shibakawa Cho at the foot of Mount Fuji produces all year round an incredible array of soba/buckwheat noodles, udon/wheat flour noodles, ice-creams, cakes and I don’t know what else.

Now, all their food is organic. No artificial fertilizers are used for whatever they grow or buy, and no additives or preservatives are used in any of their product, which means all have to be properly stored and eaten quickly.

Vegans will be happy to　know they use tofu instead of any dairy product.

This particular cake called “Mukashi Mushi Pan” or Old-Fashioned Steamed Bread was made with wheat flour, tofu, brown sugar, raisins, salt, vegetable oil.
That is all!

One cake could have easily been held inside your palm, but it was very fulfilling and delicious!
They have other varieties made with pumpkin and other vegetables.

Fukasawa Foods
Fuji Gun, Shibakawa Cho, Naibo, 3895-8
Tel.: 0544-65-0143
Closed on Tuesdays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine: Ginger as a Vegetable

October 29, 2008 dragonlife Leave a comment

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Ginger when eaten outside Japan generally comes under its semi-dry or dry root.
Actually here, and in Shizuoka especially, fresh ginger or “Ha Shoga”/Leaf Ginger comes into some great recipes to please any one who does not consume meat (of course ginger is used in many meat recipes!)

Extensively grown in our Prefecture, it can be bought fresh in season in any Supermarket:

There are many ways to prepare and eat it:

Fresh Ginger pickled in miso.
Very practical when you can buy loads in season. Choose your miso paste well so as avoid too much salt!

Everyone knows pickled sliced ginger (use fresh plants only!) served with sushi!

Ginger can be steamed with rice or served very finely cut on top of a bowl of steaming rice!

Ginger is great finely chopped and fried with egg-plant/aubergines, soy sauce and mirin!
(Plan to introduce recipe!)

Fresh thin ginger roots are simply beautiful fried/sauteed with othe vegetables!
(Plan to introduce recipe!)

Enjoy!

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Vegetarian & Vegan Cuisine: Myoga as a Vegetable

October 29, 2008 dragonlife 5 Comments

The Japan Blog List

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Myōga (茗荷) or myoga ginger (Zingiber mioga, Zingiberaceae) is an herbaceous, deciduous, perennial native to Japan that is grown for its edible flower buds and flavorful shoots.

As a woodland plant myoga has specific shade requirements for its growth. It is frost-tolerant to 0F, -18C possibly colder.
Some constituents of myoga have shown promise for potentially anti-carcinogenic properties

A traditional crop in Japan, myoga has been introduced to cultivation in Australia and New Zealand for export to the Japanese market. I’ve always wondered if it were available on American and European Markets.
It is a great plant for use in vegetarian and vegan dishes as it adds lots of soft flavors.
Flower buds are usually found finely shredded raw in Japanese cuisine as a garnish.
But there are many other possibilities:

Tenpura.
Actually some Japanese restaurants will prepare the flowers as well as tenpura.
Vegans should replace the egg white included in the batter with a little cornstarch.

Myoga in Miso Soup.
Cut the myoga into thin strips and just add them to the miso soup inside bowls before serving it.

Myoga Gohan/Myoga Rice.
Cut the myoga in very thin strips and put it on top of the rice before steaming it. When the rice is cokked, mix in the myoga with rice and serve.
Vegetarians and Vegans may use genmai/whole rice for higher nutritients.
Beautiful when freshly cooked!

Myoga Pickles
Wash myoga quickly under running water. Drain and take excess water with kitchen paper.
Best pickled with amazu/sweet rice vinegar. If not available use rice vinegar, sugar and soft umeboshi/Japanese pickled plums.

Enjoy!

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Local Agricultural Products: Agriroad Miwa

August 14, 2008 dragonlife 4 Comments

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11 years ago, farmers’ wives living in Miwa and in the vicinity of the Abe River in Shizuoka City founded Agriroad (Agricultural Road) Miwa with the help of JA.
A good friend of mine who lives nearby had told me many a time about it and had strongly recommended me to visit it, but it seemed I needed something special prod me into action.

Actually, the opportunity that finally triggered me into cycling all the way on a blistering hot Wednesday morning was a round orange zucchini I discovered last week at Bu-Ichi, a favourite izakaya of mine. When the Oyakata/Chef-owner mentioned it had been grown in Miwa, I had no recourse but to check for myself!
So, I arrived in JA Agriroad Miwa at exactly 9:30, its opening hour (I did not know…).
It is a small establishment by all accounts, but before I talked to anyone I had a look at the wares on sale.

All vegetables are not only grown in the vicinity, making them easily traceable, but all labels featured the name of its grower and the date of harvest!
The place was crowded with local people, but also a few obvious “strangers” (not mentioning the barging expat!) were seen coming in cars apparently knowing well what they intended to buy. I found out later that some of were clever owners of restaurants downtown (a good 10 km away, mind you!).

The quality would have been enough to warrant regular visits and the originality (Shizuoka goya, for example) of some vegetables should attract many a food critique.
But the prices! Absolutely ridiculously low! How do they make business?
Try to decipher the prices on the following pictures:

Most of them are 100 yen (less than 1$ in Japan!) or 150 yen (less than 1 Euro!)!
Even recipes to prepare and serve them are provided for all interested!

Naturally the green tea for which Shizuoka Prefecture (70% of the total national output!) is so famous is purely local!

Great fresh eggs with not only names but also pictures of the farmers!

Even the flowers are local!

That is when I noticed one of the employees (actually they work in shifts on a association basis) cooking “Kin Tsuba” cakes (their name comes from the shape of a samurai sword guard). They are made of a batter containing “yomogi”, a plant common all over Japan and “Anko”/Japanese azuki beans sweatmeats. The lady answered to the name of Natsuko Koyanagi (Small Willow). We quickly started chatting and the “interview” became a real pleasure with lthe dear ady needing no prodding into answering my questions. I actually obtained more than I bargained for!
The cakes were not on sale as they had all been ordered early in the morning. The poor lady had to refuse them to all local customers who seemed to have a developped a particular liking for them! I felt a bit embarrassed (and pleased) when she offered me one when no one was looking!
Hot and freshly cooked, it ate like a delicious pancake!
This was when I mentioned that round orange zucchini that Rowena would like so much to find about.
She knew the lady who grew them and so generously offered to drive me to her place as soon as she had fished cooking all those cakes!

I certainly had a great time visiting her friend’s plots after I had been invited to refeshments in her home!
Unfortunately, this was the end of the season for zucchini/courgettes and the treasures I had been looking for were all gone!
But when I mentioned all those flowers that seemed to go to waste, I asked the two ladies if they knew how to cook them. They did not! Taste Memory Girl will never believe me!
At last I could give something back! I told them at least three ways to cook them, and Mrs. Koyanagi started picking them up in earnest!

Unfortunately again, I could not stay too long with them as work was waiting for me, but you can expect more articles as I plan to cycle there regularly!
Problem is that they might ask me to contribute to their recipes. LOL.

〒421-2114 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Abeguchishinden, 537-1.
Tel.: 054-296-7878.
Fax: 054-296-7878
Business hours: 09:30~15:30 (from 08:30 on Saturday, Sunday and Holidays)

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Vegetables Sashimi at Yasaitei

June 11, 2008 dragonlife 2 Comments

The Japan Blog List

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As often happens on a long work day, I needed a quick fix around 7 p.m. keeping in mind that I would eat dinner at 9:30 back home.
I have taken the habit in such a dilemna to visit Yasaitei and eat vegetarian food there.
I have already introduced their specialty, “Vegetables Sashimi”. As it changes with the season I know I will eat something fresh and different every time!

Allison and maybe Rowena would jump on that, I’m sure!

From left to right:
Small red radish, freshly cut ginger root (still thin and just out of the garden with leaves and all), “myoga” leaves (another variety of ginger, thinly sliced daikon on shiso leaf, radish again and Japanese cucumbers (very crunchy and juicy at the same time!)

The seasoning plate contains miso, salt and sesame oil.
A repast for vegetarians and vegans alike! (I’m neither, sorry!)

Yasaitei
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended