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

Tag Archives: easy recipes


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Scrumptious Mochi stuffed Fried Tofu Abura-Age (Vegan/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Mochi stuffed Fried Tofu Abura-Age in Dashi Soup”. The abura-age is juicy from soaking in delicious dashi soup and the mochi has a nice and soft texture.

Abura-age is a common food in Japan, deep-fried thin sliced tofu. You can find it in many Asian grocery stores.

Mochi is a traditional Japanese food. It is a soft rice cake made from steamed sticky rice. There are some products called MOCHI ice cream which is ice cream wrapped with a thin pieces of mochi. This sometimes makes people think all mochi is ice cream related. Therefore, please be aware that in Japan when you order mochi you will get a soft and sticky rice cake rather than ice cream.

Mochi staffed fried tofu is a very popular ingredient for hot pot dishes in Japan.

Ingredients (serving 2)

The recipe is easy.

Drizzle abura-age with boiling water to remove excess oil from their surface. Cut in half, put a piece of mochi in, and seam with a toothpick.

In a sauce pan, combine water, dashi stock powder, carrot, daikon radish, shiitake mushroom, cooking sake, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the mochi staffed abura-age and cook for 5 minutes. Flip them halfway through.


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Carrot and Daikon Radish Sweet Pickles (Gluten-free/Vegetarian)

Today I will introduce you to “Japanese traditional New Year’s food”. 

New year is very important event in Japan. Anciently Japan had a tradition that people wouldn’t shop or cook for the first three days of New Year. Therefore, people cook lots of colorful dishes that last long on 31st December and put them in beautiful boxes together for the three days, which is called Osechi. Each dish has auspicious meaning, such as health, longevity, and safety of the year.  Lately some shops and restaurants are open on New Year’s day, but many people make/buy Osechi and celebrate the New Year. 

This dish “carrot and daikon radish sweet pickles” is called “Namasu”. It has red and white color so it is considered as a happy dish.

The recipe is very easy and the dish last for about 5 days in the refrigerator so it is a versatile dish for any occasion.

Cut the daikon radish and carrot into about 3-inch-length thin strips. Combine the vegetables and salt in a zip-top bag or in a bowl and knead gently. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the vegetables become tender.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar and dash powder in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 40 seconds, mix well and set aside. Wring the vegetables dry by hand and add in the vinegar mixture.

• 6-inch-length daikon radish, peeled and cut in half

• 1 small carrot, peeled

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon Kombu Dashi Powder with No MSG (Vegetarian Soup Stock)


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Gunkanmaki Sushi

Today I will give you a quick advice about making sushi.

If you are struggling with making sushi rolls, please check

Sushi Cookbook for Beginners: 100 Step-By-Step Recipes to Make Sushi at Home

In this book I made the recipes easy and used ingredients that are simple to find and available in the United States. There are seafood, meat, vegetarian, and vegan sushi dishes. This book will teach you tons of easy-to-follow recipes that will help you turn your kitchen into a sushi workshop.

I recommend trying to make Gunkanmaki sometimes. It is much easier for beginners to make gunkanmaki than sushi rolls. The shape is also great for holding ingredients that would be easily dropped in any other form.


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Classic Japanese Biscuits “Egg Bolo” (Gluten-free/ Vegetarian)

Japanese egg bolo which is classic Japanese biscuits, has a very small ball shape and a light delicious taste.

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For Japanese, egg bolo may be the first sweet snack because there are many “egg bolo” products as a baby food.

However, lately, homemade egg bolo is very popular because it is easy to make using simple ingredients.

In this recipe, you need only 3 ingredients; cornstarch, egg yolk and sugar. In Japan, there are also other kind of bolo which uses flour or buckwheat flour.

My new cookbook Sushi Cookbook for Beginners: 100 Step-By-Step Recipes to Make Sushi at Home will be published on July 28th!! Now available for pre-oder on Amazon!

 

Ingredients (90 to 100 balls)

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup cornstarch

  1. Preheat the oven to 320 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar well. Add the cornstarch gradually while mixing by hand. Do not add the cornstarch all at once. If the mixture is still too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

3. Shape the mixture into a very small ball; the size of the little finger’s tip. (They are going to puff up after baking. The big bolo texture is not good very much).

4. Bake for 15 minutes.


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Chicken Burger Patties (gluten-free/ egg-free)

Today I will teach you how to make Japanese style Burger Patties, which is the most popular style in Japan. The ingredients are ground chicken, tofu, mushroom and onion.

It is common to add Tofu to some dishes in Japan, as an ingredient, such as meatball, pancakes, muffins and so on. It makes the dishes healthier and it requires fewer ingredients. The texture of the patties is amazingly soft because of the tofu’s texture. Tofu is high in quality protein, so this patty has great nutrition!

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Japanese usually have homemade burger patties with sides of vegetables and white rice, not with hamburger buns.

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[Ingredients (servings 4)]

1-pound ground chicken

7-ounce (1/2 package) firm tofu

3 shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 

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Drain the tofu and wrap it in paper towels, then microwave for two minutes. Let it sit at room temperature until cool down.

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In a bowl, combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Mix for at least 2 minutes until very well combined. Shape the mixture into 8 palm-size balls, and flatten them with your hands. In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and cook the burgers for 3 minutes. Flip them, cook the burgers over low heat with a cover for 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

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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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