How to cook "with visual instructions" "using familiar ingredients from your local grocery stores" healthy, traditional and delicious Japanese dishes!!
Today I introduce you to “Homemade Ginger Chicken.” This is an incredibly flavorful dish marinated mainly with ginger and soy sauce.
As you know, ginger is extremely healthy. When you cook ginger, Gingerol, which is a flavor ingredient, changes chemically to Shogaol. This warms up our body and increases our metabolism. I often use ginger in my meals to make dishes flavorful and healthier!!
In this recipe I use chicken, but you can use pork instead of chicken if you prefer. If you use pork just make sure it is sliced thinly.
The recipe is very easy.
Marinate cut chicken in a zipper plastic bag. Cook it with sliced onion in a pan.
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Ginger Chicken Thigh
Ingredients (Servings 2) *Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*
Today I introduce you to “Microwaved Japanese-Style Fried Egg ”. Usually we use a special rectangular pan. Here is a quick instruction: Cook thin fried egg and fold up twice. Under the egg, make another thin fried egg and wrap the first fried egg. Continue this 3 or 4 times. Once you get used to cooking this, it is easy, but we need practice so here I will show you how to cook in the microwave. It doesn’t have the exact same shape as pan-fried egg but it is similar and of course it tastes delicious!
In Japan, this kind of fried egg is a very popular dish, even more than scrambled egg or sunny side up. We frequently add to our meals as a side dish and also add to lunch boxes.
Interestingly, there is a difference in the fried egg seasoning between west and east Japan. In western Japan, it tastes savory, seasoned with soy sauce and Dashi stock. In eastern Japan, it has a slightly sweet taste because sugar is added.
In this recipe I made sweet fried egg so that kids will like it too. The seasonings are sugar and milk (any kind is okay). If you want to try authentic fried egg, you can add 1 tsp. of cooking sake and soy sauce to the beaten egg. This makes the egg more flavorful!!
Here is a tip to cook egg in the microwave. Because of the egg’s elements, eggs sometimes change to purple-ish blue color in the microwave. This is natural and doesn’t harm you. However, in Japanese cuisine, the final presentation is very important so we add a splash of vinegar to the beaten egg. This keeps the egg from changing color when we cook in the microwave.
The recipe is very easy.
Whisk eggs and seasonings. Microwave. Make the shape with plastic wrap and microwave again.
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Microwave Fried Egg
Ingredients (servings 2)
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Milk (any kind)
1 tsp. Vinegar
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Microwave Fried Egg
Today I introduce you to a great high protein dish“Tofu and Edamame with Flavorful Thick Sauce”. This is an incredibly easy, healthy and delicious dish so it is great for weeknight dinners.
The seasonings are soy sauce and cooking sake. Also I use corn starch slurry to make the sauce thicker. The thick sauce coats tofu and edamame and you can enjoy all the flavors together.
I used frozen edamame in the recipe but you can use fresh too. Edamame is a very useful, versatile and nutritious ingredient. You can add it to many dishes, like omelet, soup, salad, rice, pasta and so on. Or you can just snack on boiled edamame! In Japan we traditionally eat edamame as an appetizer when we drink beer at dinner. The reason being that edamame may help the function of the liver which helps breakdown alcohol. At some common Japanese restaurants, Izakaya, they serve edamame right after we are seated before weorder, like bread sticks in an Italian restaurant (mostly the cost is included in the price as a service fee).
The recipe is very easy and quick.
Place tofu, edamame and seasonings into a pan and cook. Add slurry and serve!
It is a vegan and gluten free dish when you use kelp dashi stock or your favorite vegetable broth, and gluten free soy sauce.
Ingredients (servings 2) *Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*
Today I introduce you to “Sautéed Salmon and Asparagus”.
If you are tired of baked or grilled salmon, you should try this! It is very delicious, flavorful and has a very soft texture because I steam it with cooking Sake in a pan. This is the key to cooking the asparagus and salmon all the way through in such a short time. If you are not comfortable with using alcohol for cooking, you can substitute some broth.
The recipe is very easy.
Cook salmon and asparagus in a pan. Season and steam with cooking sake.
Today I introduce you to “Japanese-Style Corn Side Dish in Buttery Soy Sauce”. This is a super quick and easy recipe which takes only 15 minutes or so. It is a great side dish for your family and friends during this holiday season! In this recipe I use soy sauce and butter (or margarine) for seasoning so it has a very different taste from a corn dish seasoned with just salt and pepper, but it is incredibly flavorful and delicious!! As an aside, have you ever tried to season a sautee dish with soy sauce and butter/margarine? If not, please try it sometimes!! You can season sautéed meat, seafood, vegetables…almost anything! I love sautéed mushrooms seasoned with soy sauce and margarine, which is totally divine!!
The reason I used frozen corn kernel is I always keep them in the freezer. I buy many fresh ears of corn, steam them for a short time, cut the kernels off and freeze in a plastic bag. This is why I cook over medium-high heat to evaporate the water from the frozen corn. You can use fresh corn kernels for this recipe and cook over medium-low heat.
Ingredients (Servings 2) *Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*
3 cups (20~24 oz.) Frozen Corn Kernels
1 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. (to taste) Margarine or Butter If you follow vegan/vegetarian diet, please use your favorite vegan/vegetarian margarine
Today I introduce you to “Tofu and Tomato Salad”. This dish is super easy but so delicious and a very nutritious salad!!
In this recipe I roasted sliced tomato and tofu in the oven, but roasting is totally optional. You can make this salad without roasting! You might want to drain the tofu with paper towels and weights. See how to drain tofu here. Sesame Tofu Recipe
The reason I cook the tomato is because the nutrition from the tomato increases when it is cooked, and more importantly I like soft and sweet tomato! If you don’t like tofu aroma very much, I highly recommend cooking the tofu and eating with lemon juice, which I use for the dressing in this recipe.
Here is a little tip to store tomatoes. For good keeping, wrap a tomato individually with plastic wrap and store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. It willkeep longer then when it is stored in the refrigerator on its own.
The recipe is
Slice a tomato and tofu. Roast 10 minutes 400 °F. Drizzle with dressing which is a mixture of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Tofu and Tomato Salad
Ingredients (1 serving)
¼ pack Firm Tofu
1 Medium Tomato
½ Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice from ½ Small Lemon
Salt and Pepper
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Tofu and Tomato Salad
Today I introduce you to Simple Creamy Potato Salad. The ingredients are potato, turkey ham and cucumber. The seasonings are mayo, salt and pepper. It is an easy and quick recipe. It takes only 20~25 minutes total. Of course you can use any kind of meat and vegetables you want, and also you can add more seasonings, such as onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and so on.
Some people avoid potato because it is a carbohydrate, and also mayo because it can be high in calories. If you ask me, you can eat anything to be healthier. But portion size is key. For example, don’t eat a big amount of one dish at one meal, don’t eat just big amount of pasta for your lunch, or don’t eat just a bowl of salad for your dinner. Just eat small portions of various kinds of dishes to get many nutritious things in your body. (see also the post You can Eat Anything You Want! But… )
The recipe is
Boil potato and mash. (If you like smooth potato salad, mash very well. If you like chunky potato salad, leave some chunks of potato.)
Combine all ingredients and seasonings and mix well.
Today I introduce you to Ham and Cabbage Spaghetti. This is very popular dish in spring in Japan. I always cook this for my quick lunch but it is great for dinner too! The seasonings are just pepper and garlic powder so the dish is non-fatty and very delicious!!
Cabbage is a very nutritious vegetable. It has high in vitamin C, calcium, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin U. Vitamin U restores the mucosa in our digestive organs. Some stomach medicines contain vitamin U. Vitamin U tends to break down when the cabbage is cooked so eating raw cabbage works well for your stomach.
When you boil pasta, do you use salt? I suggest to use right amount of salt for boiling pasta. We should boil a decent amount of water in a stockpot to keep pasta from sticking together and I usually add 4 Tbsp. of salt per 2 litter (1/2 gallon) water. The reasons for adding salt to the water for cooking pasta is to make the water boil at a higher temperature, to cook pasta to al dente easily and to add a subtle touch to pasta. Pasta is cooked more evenly at a high boiling temperature and has great slightly salty taste. The surface of the pasta soaks up the salt water and becomes softer than the core of the pasta. This makes pasta al dente. If you add less salt, you can’t expect these results. In this recipe the pasta is already savory so I don’t use salt when I toss it with the other ingredients.
Lately I read an interesting article about pasta. When we cook pasta too much, the pasta becomes indigestible food. This is because of the interrelationship between gluten and starch in pasta. When you cook pasta al dente, the pasta is good for digestion. When pasta is cooked too long, the starch drains away and the interrelationship is broken down. The pasta has only gluten which is hard for us to digest. If you prefer to eat soft boiled pasta because it looks easy to digest, you might want to reconsider that approach.
The recipe is
Cook pasta and add cabbage at the last minute when you are finishing cooking the pasta. In a pan, cook ham (I used turkey ham), the pasta and cabbage and season with pepper, garlic powder and cooking pasta water. Sprinkle some chili powder to taste.
Today I introduce you to “Simple Japanese Egg Salad”. It is a quick and easy recipe but very scrumptious!! (*When you use gluten-free mayonnaise, this becomes a gluten free dish. Japanese mayonnaises mostly contain small amount of gluten as an ingredient “Brewed Vinegar”)
In Japan, we usually use this for sandwiches. But if you want to add one more dish in your meal, this is best because it is a fuss-free recipe.
I use fresh eggs and boil them myself. If you have boiled eggs in your refrigerator, you might want to use them. It saves more time.
The recipe is very easy.
Boil eggs for 12 minutes. Peel in cold water. Crumble the peeled eggs and season with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Japanese Egg Salad
Ingredients (servings 2)
3 Eggs
4 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
Minced Parsley (to taste)
Boiled Water for boiling eggs
Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Japanese Egg Salad
Today I will introduce you to “Miso Marinated Grilled Salmon”.
It is very easy to make and incredibly delicious! I use only 4 ingredients. The preparation time is quick (but you need to marinate for at least an hour) and the cooking time is only 10 minutes!! In addition, I cook the salmon in a pan lined with parchment paper so there is no messy cleanup!
Marinated food with miso is very common and has a long history in Japan because it can be stored for a long time. We marinate various vegetables, meats and fish. The miso marinated vegetables are basically eaten without cooking and the miso marinated meats and fish are cooked and served. All ingredients have a lot of miso flavor and are slightly salty so very delicious!!! Lately in Japan, TOFU and EGG YOLK are becoming popular ingredients to marinate with miso.
This miso marinated grilled salmon is great for dinner by itself and also is great with your salad! The marinated salmon can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator. So you can marinate some salmon fillets at once and cook lunch or dinner for your busiest days! Cooking takes only 10 minutes!
The recipe is
Mix the marinated sauce and marinate salmon for an hour in the refrigerator.
