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

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

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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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Simple Tofu and Tomato Salad (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Tofu and Tomato Salad”. This dish is super easy but so delicious and a very nutritious salad!!

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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. 

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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 will  keep longer then when it is stored in the refrigerator on its own.

The recipe is

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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

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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

Here is the recipe video:


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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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Great Protein! Ginger Chicken Crumble (Gluten-free)

Today I will introduce you to Ginger Chicken Crumble. This is a common recipe in Japan. We usually eat this chicken crumble with rice and sometimes put it in a rice ball. It is also great with salad, pasta and so on. The picture shows my original chicken crumble rice bowl which has sautéed spinach, pickled belle pepper, carrot with sesame dressing and poached egg. It is divine!!

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In addition you can store it in the refrigerator for about 4 days so this dish works well for you to add protein to your meal easily. 

In this recipe I use traditional seasonings which give the dish a savory-sweet taste. But because of the simple recipe, you can change the seasonings as you want. You can make it spicy, salty or curry flavor! 

The recipe is very easy.

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Cook ground chicken and season. That’s it!!

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Ginger Chicken Crumble

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

½ lb. Ground Chicken

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

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 Tbsp. Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

½ Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Grated Ginger

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Ginger Chicken Crumble