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Sautéed Lotus Root with Miso Sauce

Today I will introduce you to “Sautéed Lotus Root with Miso Sauce”.

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Have you ever tried Lotus root? Lotus root is high in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and polyphenol. It doesn’t have a particularly strong taste or aroma but the crunchy texture is amazing! Even if you simmer it 20 ~ 30 minutes, it should still have great texture. Since it has no strong taste as I said, it can be used for many types of dishes.

This miso sauce is versatile. You can use it for any sautéed dish. Very flavorful, not too sweet and not greasy. This may not be a typical sautéed dish that you have had before.

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You can use any kind of dashi stock or broth for this recipe. I would like to introduce you to my favorite natural Dashi stock powder. It is called Kayanoya. I want you to try at some point because it is very delicious and healthy!!

https://usa.kayanoya.com/products

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The ingredients (Servings 2)
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7 oz. Lotus Root

7 oz. Thin Sliced Meat (any kind)

2 small Green Bell Peppers

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp. Organic Miso Paste

½ Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

2 Tbsp. Dashi Stock (any kind)

The ingredients have many substitutions.

If you don’t want to use alcohol in your dishes, you can use your favorite broth. The authentic dish uses pork as a meat but you can use beef, chicken, lamb, duck, or even fish. Even if you don’t use any meat, it is still very delicious!

The recipe is easy.

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Stir-fry meat and vegetables. Steam for 10 minutes. Add the mixed miso sauce, sauté for 5 minutes.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Lotus Root with Miso Sauce

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Sautéed Salmon and Asparagus (Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Sautéed Salmon and Asparagus”. 

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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.

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Cook salmon and asparagus in a pan. Season and steam with cooking sake.

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Salmon and Asparagus

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[Ingredients (Servings 2)]
*Click the blue text to the product on Amazon*

1 Fillet Salmon

7 Asparagus

½ Tbsp. Garlic Powder

¼ cup Cooking Sake

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Salmon and Asparagus

Here is the cooking video in YouTube:


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3 Ingredients! Super Easy “Corn Side Dish in Buttery Soy Sauce”

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!! 

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The recipe is very easy.

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Cook frozen corn kernels with butter/margarine over medium-high heat and season with soy sauce.

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Corn Side Dish in Buttery Soy Sauce

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.

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Ingredients (Servings 2)
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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

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

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Corn Side Dish in Buttery Soy Sauce


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Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Almond Sauce (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Almond Sauce”. 

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Lately, I love using almond butter for making sauces because it reminds me of Asian flavor!! In this recipe, I use lemon juice, onion powder and garlic powder for the sauce to make the recipe simpler. However, when I combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, almond butter and a hint of sesame oil, it becomes a totally Asian dish!! 

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In addition to the sauce, I use a little bit of warm water to adjust the consistency. You can use some olive oil but since almond butter is high in healthy fat, I don’t need to add unnecessary fat. 

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This dish is wonderful because you can translate the dish into a taste that fits your preference. You can use any kind of vegetables for topping. And if you are not following a vegan diet, it is good to add some cooked chicken!! Plus, you can use any kind of spice in the sauce. I like using some curry powder too!!

The recipe is so simple:
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Cook quinoa. Mix the sauce ingredients. Cut vegetables (Cook them if you need. I cooked the tofu and broccoli). Place everything in a serving plate.

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Almond Sauce

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Ingredients (1 serving)
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¼ cup Quinoa

½ cup Vegetable Broth

(for topping)

¼ pack (about 3 oz.) Firm Tofu

½ cup Broccoli floret

¼ cup Cooked Corn Kernel

½ Red Bell Pepper

½ cup Baby Arugula 

(for sauce)

1 Tbsp. Classic Almond Butter by Justin’s

Juice of ½ Lemon

2~3 Tbsp. Warm Water

Some Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Almond Sauce


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Sautéed Beef and Green Beans with Ginger (Gluten-Free)

Today I introduce you to “Sautéed Beef and Green Beans with Ginger”. This dish is very healthy, easy to make, and amazingly delicious!

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It looks like a Chinese dish, but I use ginger, soy sauce and cooking sake (You can use some broth instead if you don’t want to use alcohol in your dish.) as seasoning so it has a very light flavorful taste, is not greasy and is not too sweet.

In Japan, most beef dishes are made with thin sliced beef. For example Sukiyaki! If you can get thin sliced beef, you might want to use it to cook this dish because it is easy to cook and it also has a soft texture that combines well with other ingredients in your mouth! In the recipe I cut the beef into strips. This is another yummy way to make the dish!!

Beef is a great source of protein as you know, but it also is high in essential amino-acid and is higher in iron than chicken. I don’t eat red meat so often, but when I feel lack of energy I try to eat beef. And it is effective! In addition eating beef with vegetables makes us absorb beef nutrition more easily. 

I always recommend eating small portions of a variety of  dishes. The recipe is a handful size of food as a main dish. When you make this dish you can serve it with some rice, soup and salad, which is very filling and nutritious!!

The recipe is easy!

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Cut all ingredients. Cook and season. (Cook green beans well because we can’t eat raw green beans.)

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Beef and Green Beans with Ginger

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Ingredients (servings 2)
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0.3 lb. Beef Sirloin

15 ~20 Green Beans

½ Red Bell Pepper

1 tsp. Grated Ginger

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

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Sauteed Beef and Green Beans with Ginger


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Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Today I introduce you to Homemade Vegetarian Spring Rolls. The ingredients are tofu, carrot, mushroom and some seasoning.

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Sometimes we feel frying is too much work but these spring rolls are out of this world! It is worth the little bit of extra effort. The spring rolls have a nice crunchy wrap and smooth and flavorful filling. They are irresistible! Plus, I use a plastic bag to mix the filling so that makes cleanup easier. 

On the PDF recipe, I explain how to wrap the filling step by step. It is not difficult. You should already be used to it when you roll a second spring roll. If you have children, it may be fun to roll the spring rolls up with them. I used to do that when I was little.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Vegetarian Spring Rolls

The recipe is

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Process drained tofu in a food processor. Put all ingredients in a plastic zipper bag and mix well. On a wrapper, squeeze the filling out directly from the plastic bag and roll up. (To store, before frying put them in a plastic zipper bag carefully and keep in the freezer.) Fry until it is nice golden brown.

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Ingredients (20 spring rolls)
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20 Spring Roll Wraps

1 pack Tofu

4 Mushrooms

3 Cabbage Leaves

1 Carrot

1 tsp. Grated Ginger

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 Egg

1 Tbsp. Flour plus 1 Tbsp. Water for slurry

Vegetable Oil for frying

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Vegetarian Spring Rolls


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Easy Chicken Meatballs Soup (Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to Easy Chicken Meatball Soup. It takes only about 15 minutes to cook so is great to add as one more dish for weekday dinners. You can use any kind of ground meat that you have in your refrigerator.

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I sometimes add tofu to my meatballs recipes but in this recipe I use only ground chicken so it is very juicy and flavorful!! 

It is low calorie and low fat dish. This dish makes you warm, gives your metabolism a boost, and helps improve your immunity so it is great to help you recover from sickness and get back a good appetite.

The recipe is very easy.

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Mix ground chicken and seasoning well, and cook in the soup.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Easy Chicken Meatballs Soup

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Ingredients (servings 2)

½ lb. Ground Chicken Meat

1 tsp. Grated Ginger

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

¼ tsp. plus 1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Soy Sauce

2 cups Chicken Stock

Some Chopped Green Onion (to taste)

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Easy Chicken Meatballs Soup