Onion Salad with Katsuobushi

Tonight we made some salads to go with a yakiniku menu. Here is a salad of thinly sliced onions with sesame oil, soy sauce, and katsuobushi. It was a big hit in our home. But, there is a special tip in prepping the onions...

This sliced cabbage is dressed with a carrot-ginger vinaigrette. If you've eaten at any teppanyaki restaurants in America you've probably had a salad dressing like this. Everyone loves it but no one can figure out how to make it at home. Which is why you need to get this book. And, to also figure out how to soften the flavor of the onions for the salad.

The Japanese Grill is a great book by chef Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat. As it is summer time and barbecues are out and in heavy use, it's a good time to pull this book off the shelf or pick up a copy for yourself. I first reviewed it for Metropolis magazine. The review also includes a recipe for Whole Grilled Japanese Eggplant with Lemon and Soy Sauce. It's a great book that you'll use for years. Filled with beautiful photos and mouth-watering recipes.

Here is the review:

Japanese cuisine is rich with foods cooked over fire: yakitori, robatayaki, kushiyaki, and other things that end with “yaki.” Now, this new offering from Chef Tadashi Ono and co-author Harris Salat is promising to be somewhat of a handbook for those keen on grilling at home.

The book opens with basic Japanese ingredients and grilling essentials. Mastering the heat can make the difference between bland and brilliant food, and the principles are spelled out with photos. There are also helpful tips on skewering, which is much harder than you might imagine.

What makes this book is the simplicity of the recipes. There is a handful of master recipes for marinades, dipping sauces, and dressings that can be kept in the fridge for a long time. The yuzu kosho marinade is a unique one that we love both for saba (mackerel) and hotate (scallops). The wafu salad dressing and citrusy ponzu are now staples in our fridge.

Classic recipes will have you curing seafood in miso, salt, or sakekasu (sake lees, or sediment). The himono “half-dry” fish technique is surprisingly easy to master. Grilling himono at home, paired with sake, is so good that your neighborhood izakaya’s business will start to suffer.

Some of our favorite recipes so far are the squid with ginger-soy sauce, crispy chicken wings with seven-spice powder, sansho-rubbed butterflied chicken legs, and asparagus with miso-mayonnaise dipping sauce. Japanese burgers with wasabi-ketchup are a nice change-up on the typical burger, made softer with breadcrumbs and milk.

The chapter “Perfect Side Dishes” includes several vegetable dishes so appealing that we have been cooking them repeatedly. In particular, we like the lip-smacking green cabbage salad with carrot-ginger vinaigrette and the crunchy arugula-jako salad with soy-sauce vinaigrette. Cooking vegetables in foil is a great technique and made better when a ponzu butter is added.

We tested many of the recipes at home on our indoor fish grill without a hitch. Some dishes are also made in a sauté pan or in the oven, so it can be a year-round cookbook.

Ono and Salat had great success with their first book, Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals. Their next book, Japan Soul, is “a cookbook and travelogue that will introduce authentic Japanese comfort food and the dining culture of the old-school ‘downtown’ neighborhoods of Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other cities” says Salat.

The Japanese Grill: From Classic Yakitori to Steak, Seafood, and Vegetables (Ten Speed Press, 2011, pp.184), ¥2,108 from major bookstores and Amazon.jp.

Tomato Somen

To beat the summer heat we often have cold noodles. Often soba or sōmen noodles with some iced tsuyu sauce. Tsuyu is made from soy sauce, mirin, and saké cooked with katsuobushi. It's a sweet and smokey soy sauce. It's a great dipping sauce for the noodles, but we are always looking for some variety and lately have made a cold tomato sauce for sōmen.

This first one above Shinji made by sautéing in a pan onions, red and yellow bell peppers, and eggplant in some olive oil and then adding tomatoes to the mixture. Then cooling the chunky tomato sauce in the fridge before serving. It's put over cold sōmen noodles and then topped with a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Very Italian in flavor and I'm sure this would also go well with cold angel hair pasta.

This second tomato sōmen dish is more Japanese. We saw it on NHK one night. Simply add tomatoes to tsuyu with some finely chopped shiso and ground, toasted sesame seeds. Very refreshing with the shiso and we loved the addition of the nutty sesame seeds. I think next time I'll add some chopped myōga.

Corn Rice

Growing up in Minnesota my summers were filled with corn. One summer I even had a part-time job detasseling corn. Most of the times we bought our corn directly from the farmers. Big paper bags of corn picked just hours before for only a few bucks. In Tokyo I am paying anywhere from one to two dollars for one ear of corn. It kills me and I don't have the luxury of eating ear after ear after ear of hot, buttered corn. 

Recently, at Den in Jimbocho, chef Zaiyu Hasegawa served corn and scallops cooked with rice. It was so delicious I knew I had to try and recreate it at home. I didn't have scallops at home so tried making it just with corn and loved it.

Simply slice the corn off the cob. Prepare the rice as you normally would at home. Then put into the rice cooker and add the corn. I also like to add a little bit of salt. And cook as usual. No need to add any extra water because of the corn. The corn cooks as the rice is steamed. After the rice and corn is cooked, stir it up with a rice paddle to incorporate the corn into the rice.

Myoga, Okra, and Cucumber Miso Soup

The markets are overflowing with crunchy vegetables like crisp cucumbers, myōga, and okra. The combination in miso soup is a nice break from our routine of wakamé and tōfu. The myōga, like a gentle ginger, is aromatic and is crispy. A great contrast to the okra that becomes a bit slippery when warmed up. Thin sliced cucumber added at the last minute adds a unique flavor to miso soup.

Summer Tomato Somen

Tokyo is finally heating up and it's that time of year for cold sōmen noodles. With a bottle of tsuyu, the seasoned broth for noodles, in the pantry, this dish is on the table in less than 10 minutes. The only thing that really takes time here is boiling the water.

While the water is coming to a boil, chop up a ripe tomato, julienne some green leeks, and grind some toasted sesame seeds. Add tsuyu to taste.

Boil the sōmen, usually only about one or two minutes. Rinse thoroughly in cold water.

The dish can also be made with cold udon noodles.

Yamagata Makomotake 山形県庄内産 まこもたけ

Makomotake with Yuzu Kosho Mayonnaise

We came across makomotake まこもたけ at our local vegetable shop recently. This is from Shonai in Yamagata 山形県庄内産 which is where my mother's family is from. On first appearance it looks like long, skinny corn as it is covered in long green leaves. After peeling the harder outer green leaves inside is a tender stalk. 

The packet advertises it as "shaki shaki shokkan" シャキシャキ食感 - with a crunchy texture. This grabbed my attention and so I picked it up.

Here's what it looked like out of the package. Reminded me of my junior high school days walking the corn fields in Minnesota. These looked like baby corn on the top of the tall stalks.

I peeled off the outer hard layers. The inside was a dense stalk.

Different recipes online show that it can be cooked in a variety of methods. Pickled, stir-fried, deep-fried, steamed, or blanched in hot water and dressed in a sauce. I cut it into thin strips, blanched it, then dressed it with a simple yuzu kosho mayonnaise. The taste and texture reminded me of baby bamboo shoots. Next time I'd love to try this as tempura or pickled. Unfortunately it's hard to find at the market so here's hoping there's a next time. 

Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup - NOBU フルーツトマト赤だし

Nobu's Tomato and Miso Soup

My newest cookbook is Nobu's Sushi Cookbook (in Japanese). The photos are gorgeous and  so detailed when it comes to making nigiri and roll sushi. The English version should be coming out this spring, so be sure to look out for it.

The first recipe we tried was perhaps the easiest, Tomato and Miso Soup. The tomato is from Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu. The miso is an aka dashi, made from soybeans that is slightly heady and intense. The sweetness and acidity from the tomato was perfectly balanced by the dark, red miso. It is simply garnished with hana hojiso, the flowers from the shiso plant, that adds a hint of shiso.

We were in a rush and didn't have time to make dashi from scratch so we used Marukome liquid miso (マルコメ液みそ　赤だし).  The liquid miso includes dashi so we cooked the tomato and then added the liquid miso diluted with some hot water. To the table in minutes.

And herein lies the brilliance of Nobu Matsuhisa. Simple ingredients combined for a winning dish. We had this for breakfast and it was so addictive that we made it for lunch. Had there been any more tomatoes in the refrigerator.

Also from his cookbook: Clear Soup with Chysanthemum Petals

NOBU no Sushi, in Japanese is available in bookstores throughout Japan. Look for the English version this spring around the world.

Daigaku Imo - Candied Sweet Potatoes 大学芋

 Bite-size Daigaku Imo

This very easy recipe was on the morning t.v. program, "Hanamaru Cafe". These have become Shinji's favorite "oyatsu" or snack. And while it is sweet, it is still a healthful snack as the sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients and it is topped with sesame seeds. Best of all, it takes less than 10 minutes to make.

The top photo is of bite-size cubes, a bit more hard work, but easy for children to eat. The purple sweet potatoes came from our rooftop garden in Tokyo (if you can imagine that). The bottom photo is much easier for cutting up and more like the traditional daigaku imo.

250-300 grams sweet potato (cut into bite size pieces, rinsed of excess starch, and dried)

4 Tablespoons sugar (wasanbon if you have it, if not, regular sugar or try brown sugar)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon vinegar 

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons salad oil

a bit of water (just a tiny splash)

toasted black sesame seeds

Put the sweet potatoes, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, salad oil and water in a fry pan and put over medium high heat. Place a lid over it and after two minutes stir the mixture. After another two minutes stir again, and start to watch (and smell) that the sugar does not burn. After six minutes, check to see if the sweet potatoes are cooked, and then move to a plate to serve. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and allow for the sugar to cool a bit before serving.

The vinegar helps the sugar from hardening when it cools down.

Variations:

Cut into small cubes which is easier for kids to eat.

Use different colored sweet potatoes.

You too may become addicted to these "daigaku imo" candied sweet potatoes.

Dadacha-mame Edamame だだちゃ豆

A recent article in the New York Times by Mark Bittman on edamame reminded me on what a great and simple snack this is. Mark's article talks about the frozen variety that is readily available at many supermarkets throughout the USA.

My favorite variety of edamame are called dadacha-mame だだちゃ豆. Dadacha-mame are fresh green soybeans that are harvested in my mother's hometown of Tsuruoka 鶴岡 in the Shonai 庄内 area of Yamagata 山形 prefecture. Dadacha-mame are often recognizable as the pods often have a hint of brown as well as the brown fuzzy hair on the pods. The Japan Agricultural Co-operatives of Tsuruoka registered a trademark (number 2104023) for dadacha-mame in 1997. Dadacha-mame is recognized for the large size of the soybeans and for its earthy flavor.

The perfect accompaniment to beer, sake, or shochu, dadacha-mame is in season from July to September, peaking around mid-August. This coincides with the obon national holidays when families return to their homes to pay respect to the deceased. Dadacha in the local dialect means "father". Dadacha-mame have been harvested in Tsuruoka since the Edo period (1603-1868). The name comes from long ago when a feudal lord asked, "kono oishii edamame ha doko no dadacha no mono ka?"

On this pack the name of the farmer is on the pack written on a white circle. To cook edamame:

Cook the soybeans as soon as you can after purchasing. In a large pot, bring to boil three times the amount of water to the beans. Add a generous amount of salt to the pot. While the water is coming to a boil wash the soybeans (still in their pods) in a small amount of water. Scrub the beans hard with your hands and then put in a strainer to get rid of the excess water. Add the washed beans to the boiling pot and put on the lid. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to boil too long, the soybeans should be al dente. The pods should just start to be opening up. Strain of excess water, shock in ice water, season with salt, and fan to cool down.

If the edamame will be put into the refrigerator: 

Boil the beans leaving them a little on the hard side, shock in ice water, strain of excess water, and store in the refrigerator. Consume as soon as possible.

While most people associate edamame as a savory dish, Japanese are familiar with soybeans in sweet dishes. Perhaps most famous is zunda sweets such as zunda mochi boiled and crushed soybeans with sugar over sticky rice balls. Other dadacha desserts can be seen here include pudding, mont blanc, or sandwiched between two small pancakes (dorayaki).

Dadacha-mame finds it way into lots of food, including ramen. A friend of mine worked at a ramen shop in Sendai, Miyagi, called Tsuruoka-ya. The owner is from Tsuruoka and he puts dadacha-mame into his ramen noodles. It's hard to see in this photo, but I hear the ramen is unique and good. 

The Shonai area of Yamagata is famous for lots of food products from rice, cherries, melons peaches, pears, and much more. Tsuruoka in particular is a lovely place as it is on the Sea of Japan to the West and there are mountains to the East, including the famous Dewasansan mountain, which has a historic shrine and great local jizake (sake). For me, going home is always filled with great local products.

Yamagata Dashi 山形だし

One of my addictions this time of year is Yamagata dashi. Simply finely chopped seasonal vegetables, mainly cucumbers, eggplants, and okra. It is best on a bowl of rice, but also on many other dishes like on boiled octopus (photo above) or over tofu (photo below).

Yamagata dashi is refreshing, especially on hot summer days when it is in season. It is a local dish from Yamagata where my mother is from.

If you are not keen on making it at home, it can be purchased at most supermarkets in August and into early September. The photos above are from the package above. It's a bit salty for my taste and is very easy to make at home.

Yamagata Dashi
1 eggplant
1 cucumber
4 okra
1 myoga
3 green shiso leaves
1 Tablespoon natto kombu
soy sauce, as needed

Mix the natto kombu with a bit of soy sauce and set aside. Finely mince the eggplant, cucumber, myoga, and shiso. Mix the natto kombu with a spoon until it's a bit sticky and then add the minced vegetables. This is the basic Yamagata Dashi and for me this is exactly as I like it. Simple is best. Optional additions include minced ginger, mirin, sake, dashi, ichimi togarashi (dried red chili pepper), katsuobushi, or toasted white sesame seeds.

Best over a bowl of steaming rice as in this photo. I suggest making it in small batches as the aroma of the myoga and shiso are best as soon as it's cut. The fresh vegetables also showcase their texture when it's freshly made.

Other serving suggestions include serving it with somen or soba, mixed with a light vinaigrette and used as a salad dressing.

Kiriboshi Daikon Sunomono

The sweet vinegar dressing on this dish reminds me of coleslaw for some reason. Perfect for a hot summer day. 

kiriboshi daikon

carrots, julienned

ham, julienned

1 Tablespoon vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 generous teaspoon soy sauce

Reconstitute the kiriboshi daikon in water for about 10-15 minutes. Not too long or the kiriboshi daikon will be too soft. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the kiriboshi daikon, carrots, and ham. Marinate for at least 20 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Kiriboshi Daikon Furikake

Kiriboshi daikon 切り干し大根  is something I always have in our pantry. Dried strips of daikon can be quickly reconstituted in water and is a simple way to add another vegetable dish to the table. 

However, I get into the routine of always making the same dish time after time. Kiriboshi daikon simmered with some carrots and abura-age (deep-fried tofu) in a sweet soy broth. Sometimes I'll switch out the abura-age for some Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cakes). Good, but not an exciting change from our old ways.

Today I had just a little bit of kiriboshi daikon left in a packet. I quickly rehydrated it in water, squeezed it of excess water, and cut it into small pieces. In a pan I sauteed it with some sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and salt. It was a nice change-up from the typical nimono (simmered dish) we have. I had it as furikake over rice, but will try it next time over a salad.

Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms

Who doesn't love bacon? While it may not be a traditional Japanese ingredient, bacon is used from time to time in the Japanese kitchen. This enoki bacon maki is a popular okazu or side dish. Best of all, it is good whether hot or at room temperature. These usually get eaten up quickly, so if I want to use some for a bento it's best to save a few.

I can't be bothered with toothpicks to secure them shut. So instead I use longer slices of bacon and wrap up the bunches of enoki. Just saute until the bacon is cooked and you have a nice addition to any dinner. 

Five Questions for Debra Samuels

Debra Samuels is the author of My Japanese Table, published by Tuttle. The cookbook is filled with treasured recipes that are genersouly shared from Japanese friends of Debra's over many years in Japan. My copy has many dog-eared pages. Some of the recipes have already become staples in our home kitchen including an addictive salad dressing of garlic, soy, sesame oil, sugar, and rice wine vinegar. Shinji calls it the yakiniku-ya dressing as it is similar to the salad dressing found at many barbecue restaurants in Japan. Another favorite recipe is simple kinpira made from celery. The ingredients are always in the house and the dish can be whipped up in minutes. If you like Japanese home-style dishes or want tips on making bento, be sure to pick up her book.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Debra for Metropolis magazine where she shares her favorite shops and restaurants in Tokyo. She has piqued my curiosity to visit Sugamo. I had more questions for Debra that space didn't permit to print in Metropolis so have continued the conversation with her here. Also, she shares a recipe at the end.

1. Your book is filled with great bento tips. What are your favorite tips? 

I am really bonkers for bento. I love the boxes and the whole concept.

When introducing this to an American audience I had to be very aware of what would or could be embraced. My main point for people starting out is to think of using 5 colors which automatically increases the variety of food. Greater variety and smaller portions make for a balanced and satisfying meal.

The tip I think makes sense in being able to pull off a nutritious bento on a busy morning is preparing ahead of time. I particularly like making the chicken meatballs and storing them in the delicious stock in the fridge. Then it is just one step to simmering them in teriyaki sauce before placing them in the box. 

2. We love the desserts chapter. Any tips for someone wanting to make something Japanese and sweet at home?

Making Japanese sweets at home can use both familiar and unfamiliar ingredients.  For example a fusion dessert like matcha marble cake uses green tea powder with regular flour – so that is familiar and your results will be like a western cake.

But if you choose to make something with sweet rice flour, like  shiratama (mochi dumplings) or strawberry mochi dumplings, the process for handling the dough, the texture of the product is not familiar.  You should be prepared to experiment a bit.  

3.  Any tips for someone wanting to host a Japanese party at home?

Don’t get overly ambitious!  By which I meant don’t try to pull off 5 or 6 new dishes at once.  Mix them with other dishes that would work well with them, like a plain baked fish. 

The best and most fun way to throw a Japanese party is have a hand roll sushi party – temaki zushi.  The prep is all done ahead of time. You prepare a gorgeous display of vegetables: cucumber, avocado, sprouts, simmered shiitake and fish:  raw tuna, cooked crabmeat, smoked salmon and salmon roe  arranged on large platters.  Prepare the sushi rice, provide crispy nori  - roasted seaweed and everyone rolls their own creations into a cone.  And you enjoy the party.

I like to serve one salad with this to fill out the meal – a spinach, tofu and beansprout salad with sesame dressing. You will have  a big hit! (See recipe below.)

4. You spend part of your time in Boston. Any suggestions for sourcing Japanese ingredients in America?

I live in an area with many Asian supermarkets so it is easy for me to get anything I want, both fresh and dried.  Many well stocked American markets now carry Japanese ingredients because of the increasing popularity of Japanese food. So you can get short grain rice, nori, decent soy sauce, even mirin and wakame.  But if you aren’t near a market there is always the internet. What a difference that makes.  There are some great pan Asian markets who sell on line as well as Japanese markets like Mitsuwa that have online stores. 

The only thing one should never compromise or buy without knowing the source and preservation methods is raw fish.  And I mean NEVER.  All fish is not suitable for sushi. It must be sushi grade and that often means super frozen. 

5. Tell us about your other great book, The Korean Table.

I had the great fortune of co-authoring a Korean cookbook with my friend Taekyung Chung. I met her in Japan about 17 years ago.  Our common language is Japanese!  Korean food is now hugely popular in the United States in part due to large Korean American populations and the restaurants that grew up around them. The robust flavors and dishes are now familiar to Americans, like kimchi, bibimbap and of course Korean bbq.  

There weren’t many Korean cookbooks in English, so we thought it would be interesting. Both Taekyung and I are cooking teachers so we knew how to explain about ingredients and cooking techniques. I chose recipes I thought would be authentic and popular with Americans without frustrating them.  My favorite chapter in the book is the Basics chapter because it teaches you how to make so many different sauces that are so important in Korean cuisine.  The book is now in its 3^rdprinting so I think it achieved our goals of being accessible.

 Spinach, tofu and beansprout salad with sesame dressing

Serves 4

One 12-14 ounce cake of soft or medium tofu, drained

16 ounces fresh spinach or 10 ounce package of frozen spinach (defrosted)

2 cups water

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds     

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1-2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 scallion, minced

Sesame oil for drizzling

Salt

1. If using fresh spinach, fill a large bowl with cold water and set the spinach into the bowl.  Lift out the spinach and place in a large sauce pan with a lid. 

2. On medium heat, steam the spinach, with only the water clinging to the leaves, for about 2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted.

3. Pour the spinach into a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain and squeeze out the water (if using frozen spinach squeeze the excess water from the spinach).  Place the spinach on a cutting board and cut into 2-inch pieces and place in a serving bowl.

4. In the same pan add 1 cup of water and the bean sprouts and a pinch of salt. Cover the sauce pan and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.  Drain the bean sprouts and set aside.  

4.  Crumble the drained tofu on top of the spinach and mix together, until thoroughly incorporated.

5. Set the beans sprouts in a mound on the top of the spinach mixture.

6. In a small frying pan, on medium heat add the sesame seeds and toast for 3 minutes, stirring periodically with a wooden spoon to keep from burning, Fry until the sesame seeds begin to pop, darken and the aroma is released. Reserve 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds for garnishing and pour the remaining sesame seeds onto a cutting board. Chop finely. If you have a mini food processor pulse several times.   

7. In a small bowl combine the crushed sesame seeds, sugar and soy sauce. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour over the spinach. Sprinkle with reserved sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil.

Garnish with sesame seeds.  Toss together just before serving.   

Gomoku Gohan 五目ご飯

Changing up our routine of white rice I like to make takikomigohan. Rice steamed with toppings that are mixed into the rice after it has cooked. Some of my favorite takikomigohan are made with grilled fish like salmon or tai (sea bream). The salmon takikomigohan is especially nice when topped with ikura. Most important is to grill the fish before adding it to the rice pot to rid it of its fishiness.

Julienne the fillings. Here I have used (clockwise from top left) gobo (burdock root), abura-age (deep-fried tofu), konnyaku, carrots, and rehydrated hoshi shiitake (dried shiitake).

Here is the master recipe I use for rice, from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari. Most important here is his technique for rinsing and measuring the rice to determine the amount of liquid needed.

3 cups of rice
100 ml soy sauce
50 ml mirin
1 tsp. salt
water (as needed by using Chef Nonaga's recipe)

After rinsing the rice add to your rice pot. Top with julienned fillings. Add liquid and salt. Cook rice as usual. Stir up the rice pot after cooking to incorporate the fillings.

Key point here is that the amount of liquid remains the same as if you are making white rice. Just substitute some soy sauce and mirin. I also sometimes like to add a splash of sake. Another option is to add some sugar. Just be careful as the rice pot may scorch so monitor the heat carefully.

Takikomigohan is a free for all. Many different ingredients can be used including chicken, hijiki, kiriboshi daikon (dried daikon strips), mushrooms like maitake or shimeji, kombu, and much more.

Japanese Sweet Potato Salad 薩摩いもサラダ

We had some Satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potatoes) in our house and made it into Japanese-style potato salad. Will definitely make this dish again. Here is the recipe for Japanese-style potato salad. Just substitute the sweet potatoes for regular potatoes.

I always make a big batch of potato salad, thinking it will last for a few days. However, for some reason, once it's in the fridge, we pick at it all day long and it seems to only last a day. There is something addictive about the mashed potatoes, crunchy cucumbers, ham, carrots, and Japanese mayonnaise that makes this dish addictive.

I usually serve it as a side dish to a meal. It's great with sandwiches. And, on the rare occasion that there is leftovers, I'll put it over toast for breakfast the next day.

Harumi Kurihara Inspired Carrot Salad 栗原はるみ人参サラダ

NHK recently had a nice program on cookbook author Harumi Kurihara. She talked a dish that was one of her family favorites, this very simple carrot salad. Crunchy julienned carrots with slivers of onions, canned tuna, and a simple vinaigrette. It's quick to assemble and was a hit at our dinner table. I am sure that we will be making this again in the future, especially as the ingredients are always on hand. I didn't include the garlic and liked it that way. She also suggests microwaving the carrots and onions and garlic for a minute but I was looking for a dish more like a cole slaw so skipped that step. This recipe is translated from a recipe I found online.

1 carrot julienned
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 can of tuna
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

1 Tbsp. salad oil
1 Tbsp. grain mustard
2 Tbsp. wine vinegar
soy sauce, salt, pepper to taste

Make the dressing of salad oil, mustard, vinegar and season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine the carrots, onions, and tuna. Dress with salad dressing, toss, and serve.

Vegetable Chips 野菜チップス

Who can resist fried chips? I certainly can not. Instead of munching away on mass produced potato chips I try, when I can find the time, to fry up some vegetables. These renkon (lotus root) chips have an almost nutty quality to them.

And these arrowroot chips were almost like potato chips, they just felt healthier.

Peel your vegetable and cut into thin slices, ideally with a mandoline if you have one. Set the vegetables slices on newspaper or paper towels to air-dry for about 30 minutes. This will make frying them much easier. Deep-fry in olive oil and sprinkle with salt as soon as you remove from the oil.

Canned Tuna Hamayaki from Bon Appetit

Canned tuna is something we always have in the house, for that last minute meal or dish. I found this recipe on Bon Appetit's website. It comes from a Japanese chef in Maine, chef Masa Miyake of restaurant Pai Men Miyake in Portland. In the introduction to the recipe he says is a dish Japanese fishermen make. It's quite simple with potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, sake, chicken stock, canned tuna, mayonnaise and shichimi togarashi.

It's a quick and easy dish to pull together at the last minute, and chances are you have all the ingredients at home already. It is a nice change-up from the usual suspects of tuna salad or salad Nicoise. Here is the link to Bon Appetit's tuna hamayaki.

Simmered Hijiki Nimono ひじきの煮物

Hijiki is a dried sea vegetable that is always in our pantry. Simmered with some vegetables in a sweet soy broth it is a staple dish in our house, both on the table, and in obento. In this photo I used what we had in the house at the time, celery and carrots. But, other vegetables that are great in this dish include gobo, renkon, simmered soy beans, and pea pods.

30 grams hijiki
2 slices abura-age (thin, deep-fried tofu)

roughtly 100 grams each of julienned or thinly sliced vegetables:
carrots
celery
gobo
renkon
pea pods

or simmered soybeans

broth:
2 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
salt to taste

Rehydrate the hijiki in water for 5 minutes. Then quickly blanch in boiling water and strain. The abura-age also needs to be blanched in boiling water to rid it of excess oil then sliced into julienne strips. Best to cut it in half once lengthwise before julienning.

In a saute pan simmer the hijiki and any vegetables (except for the pea pods) and cook until the vegetables start to soften. Then add the sake, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and salt to taste to the pan. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about ten minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Be careful to watch the pan so that the sauce does not evaporate completely. Add the pea pods and cook for one to two minutes.

Serve at room temperature. Will keep in the fridge for about five days.