Meat and Seafood Egg Rolls. ( For your Easter delight)

Egg rolls are staple food in various countries around the globe. They are perfect for dinners and parties since they are delicious, kids like them, they are easy to prepare and the ingredients are easy to find and very affordable. If you want a delicious and easy to cook egg rolls, here is a simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of wonton wrappers

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

• 2 green onions

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 head cabbage, shredded

• 3-4 stalks chopped celery

• 1 pound bean sprouts

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 5 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon Ajinomoto

Cooking equipments, you will need:

• large skillet

• wok

Cooking directions:

1. Put oil in a wok and place on high heat.

2. When the oil is hot enough, stir fry shredded cabbage, celery, bean sprouts and green onions until the vegetables properly cooked.

3. Add in chopped shrimp and stir properly until cooked.

4. In a hot skillet, cook meat until brown.

5. Drain the excess oil or grease from the skillet.

6. Add the cooked meat to the mixed vegetables and shrimp.

7. Stir fry over high heat then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and Ajinomoto.

8. After mixing the ingredients and seasoning properly, remove the dish from heat and wait for the mixture to cool down before preparing the egg rolls.

Preparing the egg rolls:

1. Scoop an adequate amount of the meat, shrimp, and vegetable mixture using a spoon depending on your desired amount or the amount suitable to the size of your wonton wrappers.

2. Place the mixture at the center of the wonton skin.

3. Fold or roll the wonton wrapper over and seal the open edges using a little bit of water.

4. Then deep fry egg rolls in vegetable oil until golden brown.

5. Serve immediately after cooking.

Japanese Chicken Salad with Crispy Noodles

When it comes to salad, people can prepare and mix various ingredients depending on their choice and taste. There are salads composed of green leafy vegetables suitable for vegetarians, fruit salads, and vegetable salads mixed with meat, seafood, and egg. Salads are common dishes in various countries across the world. If you are into Japanese foods, here is a delicious Japanese version of vegetable salad with crispy noodles.

Ingredients:

• 2 broiler chicken

• 2 broth or bouillon cubes

• ¼ teaspoon ginger

• water for boiling

Salad Mix

• ¾ head lettuce

• 2 green onions

• ½ cup almonds, roasted

• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

• 3 cups crispy noodles

Salad Dressing

• ¼ cup sugar

• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar (or 1/4 lemon juice)

• ½ cup EVOO or extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon Ajinomoto (msg)

• A dash of Umami and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the broiler chicken in a stock pot, cover with enough water then add ginger and bouillon.

2. Put on high heat and boil until chicken become tender.

3. When done, turn off heat and wait for the heat to cool off.

4. Debone the chicken and shred the meat.

5. Set aside first the shredded chicken meat first then prepare the salad mix.

6. In a large salad bowl, mix lettuce, green onion, sesame seeds, almonds, and crispy noodles.

7. Add the shredded chicken meat.

8. In another bowl, prepare the salad dressing.

9. Combine sugar, rice wine vinegar, or lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, Ajinomoto, salt and pepper.

10. Mix well then pour the dressing to the salad mix.

11. Combine the ingredients well.

12. Serve dish immediately.

Total cooking and preparation time for this dish is 1 hour and 20 minutes, and can yield 6 up to 8 servings. You can share this delectable dish with friends and loved ones. With ajinomoto added, it will truly bring out the flavors of this dish.

Deep-fried Chicken Nuggets (Tori no kara-age)

Even though this might be as simple but it very important to learn how to make it in order to have the full delicious taste of it.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

For the marinade:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 30g (1 oz) root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• Umami seasoning and freshly ground black pepper

For the coating:

• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 2 slices lemon, to garnish

Directions

The mixture of garlic, ginger and soy sauce enhances the taste of the chicken, with the sliced lemon giving refreshing “bite” to these delicious nuggets.

	1. Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
	2. Mix the cornflour with the plain flour. Take each piece of chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until completely coated.
	3. Heat the oil to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) and deep-fry the chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes or until a burnished golden brown. Garnish with the sliced lemon and serve on a bed of salad leaves.

Smoked Salmon with Edame

This is a very light delicious meal enriched with healthy nutrients. For me it is best served at dinner time and  you can substitute a blood orange for the cherries, with marvelous effect.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
• 10 or so fresh shiso leaves, 1 reserved and sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8-10 large Bing cherries or other cherries, pitted and chopped, plus a few extra for garnish
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Ajinomoto Umami seasoning
• fresh coarsely ground black pepper
• smoked salmon, 2 ounces (60g)

Directions

Put the shiso, olive oil, cherries, vinegar, Umami, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the shelled edamame in a blender and blend. Add this to the remaining edamame and mix.

On a large plate, layer the salmon in a circle, and spoon the mixture over it, using the extra cherries and reserved shiso as garnish. Adjust the salt.

[If you’re using packaged, shelled edamame, microwave or boil them briefly, according to instructions. If you’re using uncooked edamame in their shells, boil them about 5 minutes over a medium flame, rinse with cold water, and shell.

Enjoy it!!!

Ochazuke with Salmon Flakes

Ochazuke is a popular Japanese dish in which hot tea is poured over cooked white rice. It is easy to make and could be enjoyed as a snack or light meal any time of the day. The flavor varies depending on the ingredients you use. Some examples of the popular Japanese ingredients include pickled plums (umeboshi), grilled salmon, sea laver (nori), soy-smmered fish, seaweed, broiled eel and tempura. We could also alternate the ingredients by using grilled chicken, grilled salmon, pickled cucumber, smoked salmon and oyster marinated in oil. Seasonings such as Ajinomoto umami, Japanese horseradish (wasabi) and grated ginger would add great flavors to it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 salmon steak
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 1/2 tsp sencha, bancha, or hojicha [green tea]
• 1 bowl warm cooked rice
• 2-3 trefoil (mitsuba), cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) lengths
• 1 tbsp croutons or any crunchy cereal
• Ajinomoto umami

Directions

1. Season the salmon with salt and leave for 10 minutes. Broil or grill 5-6 minutes, until slightly brown. Remove the skin and bones, if any, and break up the flesh into flakes.

2. Make the tea broth by adding hot water to the tea leaves.

3. Place the rice in a large bowl and sprinkle salmon flakes over the rice. Add the trefoil, croutons, and, if you wish, a dab of horseradish.

4. Pour as much hot tea as you want onto the rice and eat immediately.

Note: Ochazuke tastes even better when accompanied by good-quality Japanese salted pickled vegetables or any Western-style pickles. Cold ochazuke is recommended for summer. For this, use iced sencha, mizudashi-sencha, or any type of green tea that has been cooled down.

Enjoy it!!

Achara-zuke (pickles)

Achara-zuke pickles are summer pickles, mainly pickled during the O-Bon holidays. The name comes from the Portuguese word “achar” for pickles. You might use carrots or hanafu, a flower-shaped wheat gluten cake. In Japanese culture, odd numbers are considered lucky, so seven types of pickles are presented here.

ingredients:

• 150g lotus root
• 100g burdock roots
• 150g shirouri melon
• 100g zuiki/imogara (roots of dried taro)
• 20g kanpyo (dried gourd shavings)
• 20g dried kikurage (wood ear mushroom)
• 20g konbu kelp
• Ajinomoto umami.
• Achara-su vinegar:
  • 200cc vinegar
  • 120g sugar
  • 50cc dashi stock
  • 1 red chili pepper

Directions

1. Take off seeds from red chili, and slice finely.

2. Pour vinegar, sugar and dashi stock into a pan, and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add (1), and leave to cool.

3. Remove the skin of the lotus root, cut into 3mm half-moon slices, soak in water, and boil.

4. Scrape the black peel off the burdock roots, and cut into 4cm pieces. Split thick parts into four, and thin parts into two. Rinse and boil.

5. Cut shirouri into halves lengthwise, remove seeds, and slice thinly. Rub with salt, rinse, and squeeze out excess moisture.

6. Remove the skin of zuiki/imogara by hand, cut into thumb-sized pieces, and parboil. Soak in water, and squeeze out any excess moisture.

7. Rub kanpyo with salt, rinse, and boil until soft enough to leave nail marks when pinched. Soak in water, and squeeze out any excess moisture. Cut into 5cm slices, and make a knot.

8. Parboil kikurage to reconstitute, cut away any root clusters, and slice into bite-sized pieces.

9. Sandwich soft parts of dried konbu kelp between a wet cloth to reconstitute, cut into pieces 1cm wide, 6cm long with scissors, and make a knot.

10. When the vinegar has cooled, pickle (3)-(9) in the vinegar for around 1 hour, and then serve in dishes.

 Enjoy it!!!

Yuba Rolls (Deep-fried)

Yuba is the skin that forms on the surface of boiled soymilk. Sold dried into sheets, it is a high-protein ingredient with a variety of uses.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 slices dried yuba, each about 8 inches (20cm) square
• 2 ounces (60g) nagaimo yam, peeled and finely diced
• 8 fresh shiitake or button mushroom caps, finely diced
• 1/2 ounce (15g) carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash white pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• A dash of Ajinomoto umami.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wrap each slice of dried yuba in a wet cloth, and leave for about 30 minutes until soft

2. Place the yam, shiitake, and carrot in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cornstarch, and mix well.

3. Lay out the yuba slices, divide the vegetables into 8 equal portions and place each portion on top of a yuba slice. Fold the yuba over to make rectangular envelopes, and seal using the flour-and-water mixture. Preheat the oil to 340°F (170°C) and deep-fry the envelopes until golden brown.

4. Cut the yuba envelopes in half and arrange on a serving dish, garnished with salt.

 

Japanese Chicken Stew (Mizutaki)

Mizutaki is a popular Fukuoka cuisine which is north shore of Kyushu Japan. It was original  said to be Chinese-style cooked chicken or consomme soup which is western. If you plan to have a delicious Mizutaki, taste the soup before eating the chicken, and when the soup taste has become strong enough to your discretion, add vegetables to the soup and get yourself ready for a delicious soup.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1kg chicken with bones
2. Soup stock
3. 600g chicken bone
4. 2000cc water
5. Pinch of UMAMI
6. 50g chicken liver
7. 50g chicken gizzards
8. 1 block tofu
9. 1/2 bunch shungiku/kikuna (chrysanthemum) leaves
10. 4 shiitake mushrooms
11. 1/4 head of Chinese cabbage
12. 150g cauliflower
13. Ponzu soy sauce (sauce containing soy sauce and vinegar or citrus juice)
14. 20g sliced konegi leek
15. Momiji oroshi
16. 100g grated radish
17. 2 red peppers
18. 4 rice cakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse chicken bones in hot water. Add the cold water to the pot and boil over high heat, skim off any foam, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1/3. While simmering, take chicken bones out of the pot, grind with a pestle, and put back into the pot. When the soup turns milky, strain.

2. Chop chicken into pieces (about 50g), and place in a deep pot. Add hot water to twice the depth of the chicken and simmer over high heat while skimming off any foam for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for 30 minutes, so that the bone can be removed from the chicken easily.

3. Shave chicken liver and gizzards thinly with a knife, let bleed, boil, and then drain.

4. Chop vegetables and tofu into chunks, arrange on a plate, and serve with momiji oroshi and sliced konegi leek.

5. Put (2) into the earthen pot, and add stock (1) and the meat (3). While simmering, enjoy ingredients in ponzu soy sauce. Add tofu and vegetables to the pot, and enjoy the dish while it simmers over low heat in the middle of the dining table.

HERE IT IS AND HOPE YOU WILL LOVE IT.

 

Daikon Nimono!

Hello, All!

A little while back, I posted about Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha, nimono. Do you remember what nimono is? It is a Japanese method of cooking where you slow cook foods with traditional seasonings like dashi (stock), mirin, sake, and soy sauce, among other things.

Slow-Cooked Daikon

Daikon is not very common in countries other than Japan and the taste is often thought of to be very strong and tangy, like other typical radishes. However, if you cook it nimono-style, the Daikon is actually very soft and sweet! I love it and am excited to share the recipe with you!

Often times, instead of just cooking the Daikon alone, the Japanese will pair the daikon with a thick fish. However, I`ll just show you how to make the Daikon on its own and you can decide from there what you`d like to pair it with!

Daikon Nimono Recipe (Side dish):

-1 Large Daikon

-1tbsp sugar (I like healthy brown sugar)

–2tbsp Ajinomoto Dashi

-1/4 cup sake

-1thumb size knob of fresh ginger, grated

-2tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1) Cut the daikon into 2cm thick chunks, and then cut those in half so you have half moon shapes.

2) Put the daikon into a large pot with the sugar, dashi, ginger, and sake. Cover with a lid.  Bring the heat up until the sake starts to boil, then put the heat on low to slow cook (there shouldn`t be much liquid in the pot, if you are wondering) for 15 minutes.

3) After 15 minutes, add in the soy sauce and water and slow cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the daikon is very soft (it should almost break apart when you touch it with your chopsticks).

4) Take off heat and you can eat it hot or wait for the flavors to continue to set in and eat it room temperature.

Enjoy!

Kaori

Ikura Don Topped with Salmon

If you have been in Japan and moved up north to the place called Hokkaido, you would have noticed what I am going to share with you now. It is called IKURA DON a popular Hokkaido food. Why do I love this food, it is made of seafood and has low cholesterol meaning that is what every healthy person wants to eat.  However, I have taken it to another level by adding extra dimensions to it. Normally in Japan we serve it at every family dinner in addition with other foods. When you visit Tokyo you can find it in restaurants but if you really want to try it out and see the real taste take the jump and go to Hokkaido. You will enjoy eating it while having fun in this nature blessed region of Japan. I served this out today at a restaurant in Tokyo were I was creating a new Menu.

Ingredients:

• 2 servings Japanese premium short grain rice.
• 2 shiso leaves (perilla)
• 5 oz salmon sashimi
• 3-4 Tbsp. ikura (salmon roe)
• 3 Tbsp. kizami nori (shredded nori seaweed)
• Soy Sauce
• Wasabi
• A dash of ajinomoto umami

And you are ready to have a special lunch or dinner.