Your Home for Homemade Japanese Food

How to cook "with visual instructions" "using familiar ingredients from your local grocery stores" healthy, traditional and delicious Japanese dishes!!


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4 Ingredients Easy Custard Pudding (gluten-free, vegetarian)

There are many recipes for custard pudding. Today I introduce you to the easiest custard pudding. It is simple yet very delicious!!

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It has very smooth texture and great delicate taste!! There is no need to add butter or vanilla extract. This pudding already has rich taste!! If you prefer, you can mix in some shredded chocolate before refrigerating to make chocolate puddings.

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You need only eggs, sugar, cornstarch, whole or low fat milk and one soup pan.

You can use skim milk and nut milks for the recipe, but the pudding is going to be a bit watery  after refrigerating in my experience. When you use skim milk or nut milks, you might want to use less than normal amount of the milk in the recipe.

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Ingredients (servings 4)

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 1/4 cups whole milk or 2% milk

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  1. In a soup pan, whisk the yolks and sugar well.
  2. Add the cornstarch to the pan and mix gently.
  3. Pour the milk gradually into the pan while stirring.
  4. Cook it over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture  just barely comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low and keep stirring until it is getting custard consistency, for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Pour the pudding into a deep (about 5 ounce) grass cup and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

 

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Easy healthy savory snack! Tuna and Tofu Nuggets (pescatarian/ gluten-free/ egg-free)

This is a very easy and quick savory snack recipe; Tuna and Tofu Nuggets.

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The ingredients are only tuna, tofu, cornstarch and seasonings. You can mix all ingredients in your food processor and cook with one pan without using large quantities of hot oil. No, muss, no fuss.

I use salt and pepper as seasonings. You can add some onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili pepper…depending on your taste.

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Ingredients (10 to 12 nuggets)

  • 1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in water, drained
  • 1/4 (14-ounce) package firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Here is a tip how to store tofu after opening. Place tofu in a clean container and pour in just enough water to cover. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. Change water everyday and use within 3 days.

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  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix well.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan until it shimmers.
  3. Spoon the mixture in the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!


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Easy Japanese Tofu MOCHI Dessert (vegan/gluten-free)

Have you ever eaten Japanese traditional dessert dishes, which is called Wagashi in Japanese? There are so many recipes, such as mochi, dango, and sweet beans paste. Today I will introduce you to “Easy mochi dessert” using tofu.

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In my recipe, you don’t need special ingredients; you need only tofu, corn starch and sugar. You can enjoy this dish on its own, and also it is great when you eat it with a bit of sugar, chocolate spread, or caramel. Here I sprinkle the mochi with the mixture of ground sesame seeds and sugar. This makes the dish more traditional taste.

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Ingredients (20 -24 pieces small mochi)

1/2 (14-ounce) package of firm tofu

4 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

[for dusting] to taste

1 tablespoon ground roasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

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  1. Process the tofu in food processor until it gets smooth.
  2. In a pan, mix the tofu, sugar and corn starch. Stir for 3 minutes over medium heat, until you see some lumps. Turn the heat to low, stir for 8 to 10 minutes,  until it becomes sticky dough. (This is a bit tough but it is worth it.)
  3. Once the dough is cool enough to handle (Do not cool it completely. It is going to be hard to make a ball shape.), roll into small ball shapes by hand. Dust with the mixture of the sesame seeds and the sugar to taste.

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Spinach and Walnut Salad with Lemon Zest (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Are you looking for easy, healthy yet delicious recipes? Well, this dish is for you! “Spinach and walnut salad” which has very fresh taste from lemon zest.

The recipe is very easy and quick. It takes only 5 to 6 minutes. Moreover, you can store it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients (servings 4)

10 oz. fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup walnuts pieces

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

  1. Boil the spinach for 10 seconds in boiling water. Drain, rinse the spinach under cold running water and wring it dry by hand.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, walnuts, lemon zest, olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper and mix well.

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Sautéed Chicken and Pumpkin with Miso Sauce (Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Sautéed Chicken and Pumpkin with Miso Sauce”. It is a delicious, flavorful and hearty dish. 

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I use winter squash Kabocha in the recipe. Kabocha is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine. It is high in vitamins, potassium, fiber and beta-carotene. The taste is slightly sweet and the texture is very soft when it is cooked.

My book Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches

is available on Amazon now!

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The recipe is very easy.  You need just one skillet!

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Sauté chicken and pumpkin with butter in a skillet and simmer in the miso sauce.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Chicken with Pumpkin

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Ingredients (servings 2)
*Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs

¼ Kabocha winter squash 

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 ½ tablespoons Organic Miso Paste

1 tablespoon Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

2 tablespoons Cooking Sake 
*You can substitute your favorite broth for cooking sake*

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Chicken with Pumpkin

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Teriyaki Tofu (Gluten-free/Vegan)

Here is a quick video how to cook Teriyaki Tofu.

It is very easy, takes only 25 minutes total, and amazingly delicious!!

Enjoy the authentic teriyaki taste!!

My book Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches is now available!!

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{Teriyaki Tofu Ingredients (servings 2)}

7-ounce extra firm tofu

1/2 cup corn starch

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon cooking sake

1/2 tablespoon sugar


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Released TODAY!! Bento for Beginners ~60 recipes for easy bento box lunches~

I very much appreciate that some of you have already read this book and left wonderful reviews on Amazon, goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or other online book shopping sites!

I am so excited to announce that my vert first book

Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches 

is released today! Available on

BARNES & NOBLE, Amazon, INDIE BOUND, BAM!, and Indigo!! 

If you are interested in and haven’t read yet, I hope you try at some point!! The kindle version and paperback are available. And I would appreciate it if you could leave your review!!

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Eggless Tofu Muffins (Vegan/Vegetarian)

Have you ever thought “NO-EGG TOFU muffins” are good? Well, if you have’t, this muffins may blow you away! Tastes amazingly delicious and  1 muffin has only 164 kcal!!

I experimented so many times to get them the right texture and taste, and this is the best. You won’t taste or smell the tofu when you eat. But if you are really really sensitive to tofu aroma, you can add some squeezed lemon juice to the tofu paste to get rid of the smell completely.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Eggless Tofu Muffins

Here is a tip for storing: After baking, let it cool and wrap each with freezer-safe wrapper. Keep in the freezer and use within 3 weeks. Before you eat, leave the wrapped muffin out to thaw at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours.

My very first cookbook Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches is now available on Amazon!!

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In Japan, it is common to add “Tofu” to some dishes as an ingredient, such as hamburger steak, meatball, pancakes, and so on. It makes the dishes healthier and it requires fewer ingredients.

To make muffins healthier, I use almond milk, a combination of dark brown sugar and white sugar, a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, and coconut oil. You can use any kind of milk, sugar and vegetable oil as a substitute.

I hope many people can enjoy these muffins! They are also great for people with egg allergies because they contain no eggs or egg products. These muffins are a healthy and delicious treat!

{Ingredients (12 muffins)}

4 Tbsp. Margarine

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil (I used Coconuts Oil)

35 oz. (¼ pack) Tofu

1 cup Sugar (I used ½ cup White Sugar and ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar)

¾ cups All Purpose Flour

¾ cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Baking Powder

150 ml Soy Milk

Here is my recipe in PDF: Eggless Tofu Muffins


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Perfect and Easy Japanese Rice (gluten-free/ vegan)

Today I introduce you to “How to cook Japanese rice perfectly and easily”. If you have a rice cooker, you can just follow their directions. But if you don’t have one, this is the easiest recipe for perfect Japanese rice.

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Steamed rice is a staple food in Japanese cuisine. Japanese rice has soft texture and rice grains are shiny when it is cooked! We mostly eat rice two or three times a day. Even when we don’t cook, most super markets and convenience stores have many kinds of rice balls and rice products can be cooked in microwave.

Lately, some people add multi-grain rice to white rice when it is cooked to make the dish healthier but steamed white rice remains perennial favorites.

The cookbook Bento for Beginners is now available on Amazon.

 

Tips for cooking Japanese rice;

  • Find dried short-grain white rice, not “sweet sticky rice”.
  • Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes before cooking.
  • The heat level is the key. Once it boils, turn down the heat to very low not to get burned.
  • Do not open the lid when it is cooking even if it bubbles over. Wait patiently.
  • Steam the rice for 10 minutes after cooking.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Japanese rice

Tips for storing cooked rice;

Put one portion of cooked rice without cooling down in a glass container with a lid or freezer bag, or wrap with plastic wrap. Store in the freezer and use within 3 weeks. When you eat, put unwrapped frozen rice on a microwave-safe plate  and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes with a cover.

The key to store is to freeze the rice without cooling so it has fresh cooked rice taste even after storing for 3 weeks in the freezer.

Ingredients (4 servings, about 4 cups)

1 ½ cups short-grain white rice (I recommend Koshihikari Rice 4.4 Lb)

1 2/3 cups water

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Japanese rice