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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: Healthy


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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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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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Bento for Beginners (Easy, tasty and healthy cookbook)

The book I wrote is for people who wants to cook bentos for many great reason, such as saving environment, saving money, saving time and, of course, your health!! Using easy ingredients and simple methods, you can make your own delicious bento within 10 minutes in the morning. In the book I also show how to store the dishes safely and deliciously.

Moreover, If you are intimidated by Japanese cooking methods, you should take this book. It is the easiest Japanese cooking book!!

Now it is available on Amazon!!

https://www.amazon.com/Bento-Beginners-Recipes-Easy-Lunches/dp/1646111354/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=bento+for+beginners&qid=1577144214&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSzIxM09CSUozQjZNJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDYzODY2M0lUN0s2ODBQVkhFJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2ODQyMTIyM1RTS0E0RDc3MVVJJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 


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Freeze-dried Tofu (Vegetarian, Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Simmered freeze-dried tofu with egg”. The dish has delicious dashi flavor and is very healthy.

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Freeze-dried tofu is very common preserved food in Japan. It is rich in nutrients and delicious. The tofu has been often used as an ingredient in Buddhist cuisine since 1600s. 

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The taste is very light and doesn’t have tofu aroma which is good for people who don’t like tofu very much. The texture is totally different from regular tofu. We can grill, simmer, bake and pan-fry them. Moreover, this is a great substitute for meat lately in Japan. 

The recipe is very easy.

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Bring the sauce to a boil and add the tofu. Simmer 15 minutes and drizzle with beaten egg.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Freeze Dried Tofu

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{Ingredients (serving 2)}
*Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*

1.2-ounce Freeze-dried Tofu

2 cups water

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

½ Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 tsp. Kombu Dashi Powder with No MSG (Vegetarian Soup Stock) any kind you choosing

2 eggs

 

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Freeze Dried Tofu


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Japanese-style Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomato (Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Japanese-style braised chicken thighs with tomato”. 

In the recipe, I use cooking sake, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper as seasonings and it is marvelous! The reason to add cooking sake is that it makes chicken soft and juicy and it rids the meat of its smell.

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In Japan, people sometimes season tomato sauce dishes with soy sauce too. This adds great Asian flavor to the dish. 

The dish is very hearty but the recipe is not complicated. You can cook with just one pan.

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Cook chicken in a pan and set aside. With the pan, make tomato sauce. Put chicken back in the sauce and simmer.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Braised Chicken with TomatoIMG_4454_Foodgawker2

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

2 chicken thighs

½ tablespoon vegetable oil

½ onion

1 small carrot

A pinch of salt and pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomato (no salt added)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Cooking Sake

1 dried bay leaf

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Braised Chicken with Tomato


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Japanese-style oven-fried chicken (Gluten-free)

Japanese-style fried chicken called Karaage in Japanese, is made in a very thin batter so it is very juicy, tender and has great ginger soy sauce and garlic flavor. I am sure once you have a bite, you will not be able to stop eating because it is so yum!

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In the traditional recipe, the chicken is deep-fried in oil but I cook them in the oven that makes the dish healthier, and of course it still tastes divine!! Also I use corn starch and gluten free soy sauce, so the dish is great for people who follow gluten-free diet.

In Japan, there are many kinds of Karaage, such as chicken, chicken gristle, shrimp, calamari, octopus, fish, fish bone and so on. You can use this recipe for those ingredients too.

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The recipe is very quick and easy. There is no need to wait for marinating!!

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Season the chicken and dredge in corn starch. Brush with some oil and bake on a prepared baking sheet in the oven.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Oven-fried chicken

Ingredients (Servings 2)

*Click BLUE TEXT to link to the product on Amazon*

3 chicken thigh
5 tablespoons corn starch
1tablespoon Cooking Sake
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1teaspoon grated garlic or garlic powder
Some vegetable oil for brushing

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Oven-fried chicken


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Pan-Fried Tofu with Delicious Sweet-Savory Dashi Sauce (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Pan-Fried Tofu with Delicious Sweet Savory Dashi Sauce”. This dish is typical Japanese homemade dish which is called “Agedashi Tofu” in Japanese.
*When you use my homemade kelp dashi stock, this dish is going to be vegan dish. And if you want it to be gluten free, please use gluten free soy sauce.

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*My Kelp Dashi recipe is here: Kelp Dashi stock

*You can buy vegetarian kelp dashi powder on Amazon:  Kombu Dashi Powder with No MSG (Vegetarian Soup Stock) 

In regular recipe for this dish, tofu is deep-fried but sometimes I feel deep-frying is a little bit too much work so in my recipe I cook tofu in a pan using only 2 Tbsp. of oil. It is easy, healthy and delicious, and also it still has great crunchy texture!

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The recipe outline:

  • Drain tofu in the microwave.
  • Coat the tofu with corn starch and cook in the pan.
  • Cook the sauce and drizzle the tofu with it.

 

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Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Pan-Fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce

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

½ pack (7 oz.) Firm Tofu

1 cups Dashi Stock (any kind)

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

3 Tbsp. Corn Starch

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Some chopped Green Onion to taste

Graded Ginger to taste

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Pan-Fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce


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Microwaved Japanese-Style Fried Egg (Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

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!

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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. 

««Easy and tasty cookbook Bento for Beginners now available on Amazon»»

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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.
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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

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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