Japanese Popcorn

Looking for a healthy alternative to chips we have been making a lot of popcorn at home lately. We have tried a variety of toppings, including mattcha jio (mattcha flavored salt) - which did not work out. One of my favorites is sprinkling on some aosa or aonori, flecks of nori and salt on popcorn. The nori adds a minerality and earthiness to the popcorn. A great hit!

Popcorn

Aonori

Sesame Vegetables

I am often asked for tips to help kids eat vegetables. One of my favorite quick and easy recipes is this sesame dressing. Crush some toasted sesame seeds (white or black) in a mortar and pestle. Add a bit of sugar and soy sauce to taste. That's it. This can be used to top any steamed vegetable. Most often I use it for greens like spinach, broccoli, and green beans but it also works for carrots.

When making Shinji's bento I try and incorporate five colors. Red, white, yellow, green, and black. Black can be hard to incorporate if you don't make hijiki. This sesame dressing with black sesame seeds is a good way to include black.

Sesame Dressing

Simmered Kabocha 南瓜の煮物

Kabocha is one of my favorite Japanese vegetables. Much like a pumpkin, but with a denser, sweeter flavor. This dish is a bit labor intensive in prep, but definitely worth the few extra steps. I remember at culinary school, at the French Culinary Institute, chef Jacques Pepin talking about taking the extra steps to make a good dish. I don't remember if he said we do this because we are chefs, or this is what makes chefs different from home cooks, or if we just should not take shortcuts if we know that there is a better dish to be made. Regardless, the dish will be better if you can do full prep.

Cut the kabocha into bite size pieces. Cut the inside of the kabocha, to rid of the soft spot where the seeds were. Then cut the four edges of the skin. This is the key step not to skip. It will soften the edges which may be off-putting when eating later after it is simmered. Finally, score the skin to rid of any rough spots and to create areas to help the kabocha simmer.

1/2 kabocha
3 1/2 cups dashi
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sugar

In a pot combine all of the ingredients. Cook until the kabocha is tender. Will keep for several days.

This dish is often served at room temperature.

Kabocha

Hiyashi Chuka Noodles

In the summertime we love to make cold ramen noodles topped with vegetables. Our favorite dressing is based on nerigoma, a paste made from toasted sesame seeds. It is very different from tahini which has a raw taste to it, the nerigoma is actually more similar to peanut butter.

Many different vegetables and toppings will suit this dish. Here we have wakame, nagaimo, cucumbers, tomatoes, ham, and thin sheets of omelet.

Banbanji Sauce

2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)

The sauce will keep for a few days. We use this dressing also for salad or to dress cooked vegetables for Shinji's bento.

Fava Beans and Rice 空豆ご飯

A nice contrast to always having white rice is to steam some vegetables in the rice pot when cooking rice. Fava beans are placed on top of uncooked rice and the rice is cooked as usual. This same dish is also nice with green peas.

Takikomigohan

Fava Beans

Quick and Easy Saikyo Miso Marinated Fish 西京漬け魚

This recipe, made famous by Nobu and his Miso Marinated Cod, could not be any easier. We start with good quality sweet white (rice based) miso (kome miso) and good sake. Usually it is just one part miso and one part sake. Mix until combined. I like to put the fish (anything oily like cod or salmon) layered in cheesecloth in the marinade. It is easier to remove from the miso and grill. If the fish has too much miso on it it will burn quickly in the grill.

We usually marinate for 24 to 36 hours, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Grill until cooked through. If you don't have a fish grill at home, then cook over medium high heat in a nonstick fry pan.

The marinade can be used a few times (in a short period).

Miso Marinade

Black Cod With Miso

Tofu and Chirimen ちりめん豆腐

Tofu in Japan is a revelation. Not at all like what is found in the U.S.A. but a wide variety of textures, tastes, sizes, and shapes. We always have tofu in our fridge. It can be added to miso soup, top a salad, or served as it is with a simple topping.

This is one of my favorite toppings. Chirimen (tiny anchovies that are blanched in salt water) are quickly sauteed in sesame oil until crunchy. These are then placed over tofu and topped with soy sauce.

Other popular toppings include:
grated ginger and soy sauce
wasabi and soy sauce
kimchi
chopped tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil
extra virgin olive oil and salt

Recipe - Sake Steamed Clams 酒蒸し貝類

Sake Steamed Clams

Rinse clams in salt water rid of any grit.
In a pot steam the clams with a bit of sake and salt.

That is it. So easy and great with some sake or shochu.

In Japan we are spoiled with lots of shellfish. At our home for breakfast we like to put the shellfish into miso soup. For dinner, we often steam it in sake with just a bit of salt. We also will take the steamed clams and toss it into pasta.

Some of the shellfish are amazing for sashimi including the following:
awabi - abalone
mirugai - surf clam
taiagai - pen shell
akagai - ark shell
hokkigai - surf clam
sazae - turban wreath shell
hotate - scallops
horagai - trumpet shell
bakagai - surf clam
tsubugai - whelk


And, of course raw kaki (oysters).

For miso soup we love:
shijimi - corbicula clams
asari -

For steaming (also some good for grilling):
mategai - razor clam
hamaguri - cherry stone clam
bateira - bateira
nishi - spiral shellfish
torigai - egg cockle
danbeikisago - danbeikisago
saragai - saragai

Recipe - Ikameshi (Squid Stuffed with Sticky Rice)

While Shinji and I love ika (squid) as sashimi for its silky texture, it is also lovely when cooked. One popular dish is ikameshi, literally, "squid rice". The texture of the squid becomes tender and the rice inside is perfumed with the aroma of the squid. The tip to making this dish well is not to overstuff the squid as the rice will expand as it cooks.

4 squid
1 cup mochi rice (sticky rice)
1 cup sake
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. mirin
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups water

Clean the squid, saving the legs to stuff with the rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Cut up the squid legs and add to rice in a bowl. Stuff the squid and close the ends with a toothpick.

In a pot, place the squid in and then top with sake, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the rice is cooked, about 40 minutes (but check to make sure it is cooked).

Recipe - Simmered Hijiki ひじきの煮物

Cooking with sea vegetables is a wonderful way to add minerals and nutrients to any diet. Low in calories and rich in fiber, I always feel better after eating some sea vegetables. In our kitchen we use kombu, wakame, nori, aosa, aonori, kanten, and hijiki.

This simmered hijiki dish is relatively easy to prepare and will keep for several days in the fridge. It has a prominent place in Shinji's bento box, adding both black and orange to a colorful bento.

Simmered Hijiki
1/4 cup hijiki (dried)
2 pieces deep-fried tofu (abura-age)
1 small carrot
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup dashi
2 Tablespoons mirin
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Rehydrate the hijiki in water until tender (follow instructions on package). Boil some water and pour over the deep-fried tofu to rid of excess oil. Julienne carrot. Cut deep-fried tofu into small pieces. After the hijiki is rehydrated, drain of excess water.

In a saute pan saute the carrots until color changes or until the texture changes. Add to the pan the hijki and deep-fried tofu and saute for about 2 minutes.

Add dashi, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce.

Simmer until most of the liquid dissipates. As it is simmering taste the broth and adjust flavors as you like.

Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge. Can be eaten at room temperature.


Note on bento contents:
Salmon rice in top half.
Bottom half from left to right: simmered hijiki, tamagoyaki, kinpira gobo, pickled cucumbers, carrots, and turnips, and some grilled fish (not sure which one).

Hijiki

Aburage

Hijiki Nimono