Basic miso soup

I'm too lazy to put all the recipes on the picture, but just the miso soup recipe!

Ingredients

4 inch piece    kombu (optional)
4 cups             water
1 cup               dried bonito flakes 
3 tbsp              miso paste
1/2 pound        tofu, cut into small cubes
4                      scallions, chopped 

1) add kombu into the water and bring it to boil, add bonito flakes and turn off the heat.
2) after all the bonito flakes settled to the bottom of the pot, strain through a cloth and toss the used kombu and bonito flakes.

 3) start reheating the broth and add miso.  when miso is completely dissolved into the broth add rest of the ingredients into the soup, and it's done!



*After you add miso, do not bring the water to boil.  Boiling miso causes the soup to taste bitter. 

Gochisousama! Saeko

No-Knead Bread

one word, YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

 

























Ingredients

1 1/2 cup       warm water
3/4 tbsp         salt
1/2 tsp           instant yeast
3 cups           bread flour

1)  mix all the ingredients, and let the dough sit on the counter top for 20 hours.
2)  after 20 hours, the dough should be sticky, wet and bubbly.  put the dough on a surface that's covered in flour.  with wet hands, fold the ends of the dough a few times.
3)  cover a cotton cloth with flour and put the dough inside and fold the cloth.  let it sit for 2 more hours.
4)  preheat oven to 450 degrees and put heat the pot in the oven for 30 minutes.  after 2 hours of sitting, dump the dough in the hot pot.  bake for 30 minutes covered, bake another 15 to 20 minutes uncovered.  yummy yum!

Gochisousama! Saeko

Chick pea curry & soba noodle salad with sesame crusted tofu croutons (vegan)

Chick Pea Curry

Ingredients

1 can         chick peas, drained
6                small potatos, cut in to 4 pieces each
1                carrot, diced
1                medium onion, minced
3 tbsp        olive oil
1 can         coconut milk

(#1)
3 clove      garlic, minced
2  tbsp       minced ginger
3                bay leaf
1  tbsp       cumin
2  tbsp       coriander
1 tbsp        cinnamon
1 tbsp        red chili powder (cayenne) -add more if you like spicy curry!
3 tbsp        turmeric ground
2 tbsp        basil

1) heat olive oil in a pot and add all the ingredients from (#1)
2) add onion, carrot, potato, and chick pea.  cook for a while.
3) add coconut cream and cook until potato is nice and soft!

Soba Salad with Sesame Crusted Tofu

Ingredients

1/2 pack      soba noodles
1                  carrot diced
1/2               celery
4                  asparagus, cooked and cut into 1/3
a handful     baby spinach

-dressing- 
3 tbsp          minced ginger
1/2 cup        brown rice vinegar
5 tbsp          brown sugar
4 tbsp          mirin
4 tbsp          soy sauce
1/2              whole leek

-sesame crusted tofu
1/3  block            tofu, diced
1/4   cup              sesame seed
1/4   cup              corn starch

1)  put all the ingredients for the dressing in a pan and bring it to boil, cook till it's thickened.  Put it into the fridge until  it cools down.
2)  cock soba noodles and wash in the water, drain, and chill in the fridge.
3)  in a bowl, put tofu, sesame seed, and corn starch.  Shake until the tofu is covered with sesame seeds.
4)  heat sesame oil in a pan and pan fry the tofu until it's golden brown.
5) put all the ingredients together, and serve! 

Gochisousama! Saeko

Quinoa with Mushroom Sauce and Miso Veggie Stir Fry (vegan)

Easy, quick and vegan!
The shiitake mushroom sauce goes well with ANYTHING.

Yield: 2 servings + some extra quinoa

Ingredients

*quinoa with mushroom sauce
1 cup                       quinoa
1 tbsp                      olive oil
1 clove                     minced garlic
6 large                     shiitake mushrooms, super finely minced
1/4 block                 extra firm tofu, super finely minced
1-1/2 tbsp               pesto
1 tbsp                      soy sauce
1 tsp or more            salt
2                             green onion, sliced
pepper                     to taste

*miso veggie stir fry
any veggie you have in your friedge (This time, I used a crown of broccoli, a handful of sugar snap peas, 1 medium carrot, 5 halved brussels sprouts)
1 tbsp                       sesame oil
1 clove                      minced garlic
1-1/2 tbsp                 minced ginger
1 tbsp                       white miso paste
1/3                          water
braggs liquid aminos     to taste
crushed red pepper     to taste

1) cook quinoa with 1-1/2 of water, just like you do with rice.
2) heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic.  then add minced tofu and mushroom.  then add salt and saute for about 7 minutes... don't let it burn!
3) add soy sauce and pesto and saute for a few minutes more (I put them in it last because these ingredients get stuck to pans easily).
4) when quinoa is done cooking, add the mushroom sauce and green onion in it and mix well together.  put the lid back on, and let it sit till stir fry is done. 

5) heat sesame oil in a pan, add garlic.  start adding veggies that take more time to cook.
6) dissolve miso paste into 1/3 cup of water.  when the veggies are close to be done, add the miso mixture, liquid aminos, crushed red pepper and ginger.  cook till it's done, and serve it with quinoa!

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Scallops with Sweet Ginger Soy Sauce with Soba Noodles on the Side

inspired by David's restaurant

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

-scallops with sweet ginger soy sauce

15                  scallops
1/2                sliced avocado
2 tbsp            sesame oil
1                   leeks (white part), cut into lengthwise strips

*for the sauce
1 tbsp             pureed ginger
1/4 cup           soy sauce
1 tbsp             ponzu
1 tbsp             brown sugar
1 tbsp             wasabi powder


-soba noodles

1/2 package     soba noodles

*for the sauce
2-1/2 tbsp       japanese wheat free hoisin sauce
1 tbsp             soy sauce
1/2 tbsp          brown sugar
2 tbsp             pureed ginger
1 tbsp             sesame oil

1) mix all the ingredients for the sweet ginger sauce and add scallops in it and marinade.
2) heat sesame oil in a pan and fry leeks until golden colored then set aside.  save the sesame oil in the pan for scallops.
3) start cooking the noodles.  when the noodles are done drain and rinse with cold water.
4) add the noodles in the soba noodles sauce, and mix together.  chill in the fridge.
5) reheat the sesame oil in a pan, and saute the scallops.  when the scallops are almost done, add rest of the sauce into the pan.
6) serve the scallops with fried leeks on the top and avocado and soba noodles on the side!

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Grilled Salmon With Wasabi Aioli And Seaweed Rice

This recipe is inspired by Cockeyed Gull, a restaurant on Peaks Island.

Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings

-Wasabi Aioli

3 clove         garlic
1                 egg york
1/2              lemon, juiced
1 cup           olive oil
3 tbsp          wasabi paste
salt and pepper to taste

-Grilled Salmon

2 fillet          salmon
1 tbsp          soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

-Seaweed rice

1 tbsp          dried seaweed, minced
salt to taste
1-1/2 cups   cooked Japanese short grain rice
1/2 cup        steamed spinach

1)  salt and pepper salmon fillet and start broiling in the oven.
2) make wasabi aioli.  Add garlic in a blender and pulse for 2 seconds.  Add egg york and lemon juice and pulse on and off until blended.  Turn on and begin adding olive oil in a thin stream.  add salt and pepper to taste.  Add wasabi paste into aioli and mix well together.
3)  when the cooked rice is still hot, add seaweed and salt and mix together.  put it on a plate and top it with steamed spinach.
4)  when the salmon is almost done add soy sauce, broil for 5 more minutes.  Put the salmon on top on the spinach (I also pour the drippings onto the salmon) and finish with wasabi aioli on the top.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Paella

Paella for lunch!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2            minced medium onion
2 cloves      minced garlic
1               sliced red pepper
1               boneless skinless chicken breast
8               shrimp
2 tbsp        olive oil
a pinch       saffron
1-1/2         hot water
1-1/2cup    long grain rice
1/2 cup      white wine
1/2 cup      calamari
1 tbsp        chicken bouillon
1 tsp          crushed chili pepper
1/2 cup      tomato sauce (see broiled haddock with tomato sauce recipe)
2 tbsp        minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1) heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic, onion, chili pepper, saffron.  cut up chicken into small pieces and add into the pan.
2) add rice into the pan and saute until the rice is clear colored.  add bouillon into hot water and mix well.  add the water, white wine, salt and pepper into the pan.
3) add shrimp and calamari on the top and decorate.
4) cook for 5 minutes over high heat.  and then cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes over medium low heat.
5) turn off the heat, and steam for about 20 minutes.
6) put parsley on the top the top and serve hot.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Spicy Kimchi Salad (vegan)

I made this asian salad for side dish yesterday!  1 serving is about 150 calories.  You can use any kind of kimchi but Dave thinks Sunja's medium spicy kimchi is the best.  I like putting some shrimp when I saute kimchi but I just made it as a vegan dish this time.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
1 tbsp               sesame oil
1/2 tbsp            soy sauce
1/2 tbsp            liquid aminos
1 clove              minced garlic
1/2 to 1 tbsp     minced ginger
1/2 cup             kimchi
8                      shrimp (optional)
1/2                   medium avocado
a handful            arugula
a handful            baby spinach
a few dashes       rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1)  heat up sesami oil in a pan.  add garlic, ginger, kimchi in it.  saute for a while then add shrimp if you choose to use them.  add soy sauce and liquid aminos and saute for a few minutes.
2)  cut up avocado into a small pieces and mix up with arugula and baby spinach in a bowl.
3)  add sauteed kimchi into the bowl and then add a few dashes of rice vinegar as you like.
4)  mix very very well.  (it takes a few minutes)

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Sushi -Inside out roll

When I was at whole foods shopping, this Japanese lady at the sushi counter gave me a whole eel.  We see each other often and she knew that I was Japanese but it was really random and funny.  "Hey, have this eel.  It's good for you."
Anyway I decided to make some rolls with it but since it is kind of hard to get sushi grade fish you can substitute with any toppings you like.  EX) shrimp and avocado, crab meat and avocado etc...

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings (makes 4 rolls)

1-1/2  cup          sushi rice (short grain white rice)
1/6     cup          rice vinegar
1/2     tsp          salt
1-1/2  tbsp        sugar
2                      nori (sea weed)
toppings of your choice

1) cook the rice using 2 cups of water.
2) put vinegar salt sugar into a bowl and mix together.
3) pour the vinegar mixture into cooked rice and mix well.  make sure not to squish the rice so much.

4)  cut nori into half, and place the sushi rice on it

 








5)  on the other side of nori, put little bit of rice and toppings of your choice.

6) with plastic wrap or sushi mat (I used both of them), roll the sushi very tightly and press.

7) cut the sushi roll into bite size pieces using very sharp knife.  make sure to wet the knife with water every time you cut so it doesn't stick together.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Mu Shu Chicken and Marinated tofu on the side

This one's great for lunch.  Making tortillas from scratch sounds hard but it is actually very simple and easy.

*Chinese Tacos

Ingredients
Yield: 2 tacos
1           chicken thigh
2 tsp      soy sauce
1 tsp      sugar
1 tsp      mirin
handful   spinach
hot sauce to taste

for Chinese tortillas
25g        flour
25g        whole wheat bread flour
40ml      hot water
1 tsp      canola oil

1) preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) in a large bowl, mix together flour, whole wheat bread flour, hot water, and canola oil.  Use hands to make the dough.  Make it into a big ball and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
3) in a bowl, mix together say sauce, sugar, mirin.  marinate chicken in the sauce for about 15 minutes, and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes or until it is cooked.
4) separate the tortilla dough into half and flatten the dough with a rolling pin.
5) over medium heat, in a skillet, fry the tortillas (1 minute on each side)
6) put chicken, spinach, and hot sauce into tortillas and serve it with marinated tofu.


*Marinated Tofu

Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings

for the marinade
2 tbs       sesame oil
2.5 tbs     rice vinegar
0.5 tbs     sugar
1.5 tbs     soy sauce
2 cloves   garlic
pinch of salt
crushed red pepper to taste

1/2 block  tofu, diced
1/2          carrot, minced
optional:  finely shredded cabbage, 1 small minced bell pepper

1) make the marinade.
2) put all the ingredients into the marinade and let it sit about 2 hours.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Dolma -Turkish stuffed pepper

Dolma is a Turkish traditional dish.  I used red peppers this time but you can use any kind of vegetables for this dish.  It is also a low calorie dish about 250 per serving.

Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings

2                 red pepper
50g              ground beef
50g              white rice
50g              onion, minced
handful         fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp            tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

for the soup
1 tbsp          chicken bouillon
2 tsp            tomato paste
1/2              medium onion
1                 medium carrot

1) scoop the insides from peppers.
2) in a bowl, mix rice, beef, onion, parsely, tomato paste, salt and pepper together.
3) fill the each peppers about 2/3 full with mixture.
4) put peppers into a pot and fill it about half full with water.  And add rest of the ingredients for the soup.

5) bring the soup to boil over medium heat, and then add 1 tbsp of the soup into the each peppers.
6) cover the top and cook for about an hour over low heat.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Stuffed Eggplant -Under 300 calories! (can be vegan)

This can be vegan if you use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken bouillon. I usually use cheese with this recipe, but I used minced tofu instead.  I would have also put minced mushroom in it but I forgot.  ops.

Ingregients
Yield: 2 servings

1                medium eggplants
1 tbsp         olive oil
1/2             medium onion, minced
2 tbsp         soy sauce (or more, to taste)
1 tsp           basil
2 cloves       garlic
3/4 cup       cooked brown rice
1/5 block     firm tofu
1/4 cup       parsley, freshly minced
2 tbsp         chicken or vegetable bouillon
sesame seeds
paprika
chili pepper and black pepper to taste

1) preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1) cut the eggplant into half, and scoop out the insides.
2) mince eggplant's insides and tofu into small pieces
3) heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add garlic, onion, parsley, basil, bouillon, soy sauce, chili and black pepper.  stir for about 5 minutes, then add rice, the minced eggplant and tofu.  Stir about 15 minutes until everything is cooked.
5) fill the eggplant shells with the mixture, and top with sesame seeds and paprika.  bake for 30 minutes or until the shells are soft.

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Low Calorie Alfredo -Under 200!

Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings (about 170 calories per serving)

1 pack    shirataki tofu noodles (fettucini)
handful   eringi mushroom (trumpet)
4 oz       shrimp and scallop or boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2        medium onion, sliced
1           green onion, chopped
1 tbsp    butter
1 clove   garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

for the sauce
1 tbsp    flour
1 tbsp    half and half
5 tbsp    water

1) rinse the shirataki noodles in hot water.
2) on medium heat, melt butter, start cooking garlic, and then add meat in skillet.
3) when the meat is cooked half way, add rest of the ingredients.
4) to make the sauce, put flour, half and half, and water in a cup and mix well together.
5) when meat is cooked pour the sauce into the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste.
6) stir until onion is soft and it's done!

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Easy teriyaki tofu patties (vegan)

I apparently have too much tofu and spinach in my fridge...

I usually use 1/2 pound of ground turkey and 1/2 block of tofu with this recipe but just tofu works fine.

Ingredients
Yield: 3 servings (makes 9 mini patties)

1 block     firm tofu
1 cup       steamed spinach, cut into small pieces
1/2         medium onion, minced
4            shitake mushroom, sliced
1            umeboshi plum, minced
1 t          ginger, minced
1 clove    garlic, minced
1/3 cup   plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

*teriyaki sauce
4 t         soy sauce
2 t         mirin
2 t         sugar
1 tsp      katakuriko

1) place tofu on a plate and put a weight and press for about an hour so the extra water in the tofu is out.
2) mash the tofu with fork or potato masher.
3) mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and make 9 mini patties with it.
4) fry in a pan with oil over medium heat.
5) place all the ingredients of teriyaki sauce in a cup and mix them well together.
6) when patties are cooked, pour the teriyaki mix and flip the patties in the sauce.
7) when teriyaki sauce become thick, it's done!  sprinkle some sesame seeds!

Gochisousama!

Saeko

Tofu and spinach sandwich (vegan)

I made this vegan dish that Dave really likes for dinner today.  It was very yummy!  If you want the easy way, you can use eggs instead of white beans.  I served it with shirataki noodles which is only 20 calories per serving..  You should really try this recipe! 

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

1 block     firm tofu
1 cup       steamed spinach (cut into small pieces)
1/2 tsp    dill weed
2 cups     plain bread crumbs
1/2 can   white beans (drained)
1 t          soy sauce
1 cup      flour
oil

*ginger miso sauce
2 tsp       rice vinegar
1/2 cup   honey
1 tsp       mustard powder
2 tbs       miso
2 tbs       soy sauce
1 tbs       brown sugar
1 tsp       grated ginger root
3            sliced green onions

1) Puree the white beans and mix water into it until it feels like beaten eggs.  Pour it into a small bowl
2) Mix dill weed and flour together.  place it in a small bowl.
3) Mix soy sauce into steamed spinach.
4) Cut tofu into 4 squares, and then slice them into half.

5) Make 4 sandwiches with the tofu and spinach.











6) Cover the sandwiches in flour and dill weed mixture.  Then dip them into white bean paste.
7) Cover the sandwiches in bread crumbs.  Then fry them in a pan with canola oil.  I used olive oil this time.











8) Make the ginger sauce (mix all the ingredients of ginger sauce in a blender)
9) When the sandwiches are golden colored, it's done!

Gochisousama!

Saeko