Dishwasher’s drainpipe was chewed by mice and leaking for a long time unnoticed. That’s why I have been cooking in the bathroom using a portable induction hob. The kitchen floor is not yet repaired and I miss my oven so much. If I’ve had an access to my oven, I wouldn’t have cooked this dish, …
In Japan, when we make cucumber salad, we often gently bash the cucumber before cutting it or breaking it into small pieces, so that the centre gets slightly squashed and softened, and the cucumber pieces get seasoned better. Presenting well, too. ‘Bashed Cucumber Salad’ can be seasoned with any dressings or sauces of your choice. …
‘Azuki’ are small red beans and most commonly used to make sweets in Japan. However, they can be used for savoury dishes as well. I often cook them with Rice. Because Azuki are small and cook fairly quickly, they don’t need to be soaked over night, and it’s easy to use for many dishes. Makes …
Daikon (White Radish) was on special at a local green grocer. I couldn’t resist to purchase some. This dish is one of the dishes I often cook. Today I cooked Daikon with Fried Tofu. Many Australians don’t cook radishes and they don’t know that radishes are delicious when softly simmered, stewed or even stir-fried. Makes …
Soba Salad is becoming popular in Australia and there are many creative Soba Salad recipes out there. But, as a Japanese, I strongly believe that Soba tastes the best with ‘Mentsuyu’, and it is easy to make. Makes 2 Servings Ingredients 2 servings Soba Noodles150 to 200g Pork *thinly slicedSalt & PepperPotato Starch Flour *optionalA …
I often serve steamed vegetables with roasted or grilled meat. I usually use a steamer, but this ‘Pan-Steaming’ method is also good, especially for Cabbage. Slightly caramelised bottom adds extra flavour. Enjoy it with your favourite sauce. Today I served with Cheesy White Sauce. Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1/2 Cabbage *cut into 4 wedges keeping …
Sometimes I receive a compliment for the dish I cooked with no effort at all. This ‘Pan Fried Zucchini’ was not particularly special. But my husband said, after one bite, ‘Oh, this is good!’ So, I decided to write down how I cooked it. Makes 2 to 3 Servings Ingredients 1 Zucchini *sliced 1cm thick1 …
If you are lucky to have Shiso (Perilla), try this simple salad. You may wish to add extra ingredients such as Garlic and Chilli. But I believe a simple dressing such as ‘Ponzu’ is the best to enjoy the flavour and fragrance of Shiso. If you make this salad using Basil, add some Garlic. Makes …
Everyone would love this simple dish. It’s a ‘Kimpira’ dish, a stir-fried vegetables seasoned with Soy Sauce and Mirin (Sugar). When you need just one more side dish for dinner or something to fill a space in your Bento Box, this dish is perfect. You only need Potato and Carrot. Not many people stir-fry thinly …
No need to pre-cook or blanch Broccoli before stir-frying it. This method is so easy and works with any Oil. Today I used Sesame Oil because I wanted to mix the cooked Broccoli with Korean fried & seasoned seaweed called ‘Gim-gui’. Of course you can use Sushi Nori instead. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 1 head …
Since my crust-less ‘Easy Quiche’ was perfectly cooked in my rice cooker, I have been cooking a variety of foods in the rice cooker. If ‘Quiche’ works, the ‘Frittata’ should work. Pre-cooking can be done in the microwave, so I can cook this Frittata even on a scorching hot day. I cook it in the …
Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki is one of the most famous and popular Japanese foods among the tourists who visit Japan. It’s a crepe-based layered savoury pancake, and I have never cooked it at home until recently. Because I believed that it was too hard to cook without a large hotplate. Since I watched a BBC video about …