Japanese Meal

This meal comes from Japan. It is a simple meal that is suitable for a Bento box. The flavors in this meal are very different from what we are normally used to. I did not know much about Japanese cuisine and needed help with all the basics of this cuisine. I was happy to find Just one cook book, a blog with a lot of information about Japanese cuisine. I was fascinated with how dishes are selected for bento boxes. I found additional information at Just Bento and I decided I wanted to cook a meal fit for a bento box.

My Japanese bento box menu has a big bowl of Japanese sticky rice topped with Furrikake that is a kelp topping made with kelp leftover from preparing dashi. The rice was served with several side dishes. Negimiso yaki tofu or grilled tofu, flavored with a strong miso paste, provides intense flavor in every bite. Nori tomagoyaki or seaweed rolled into omelette rolls is a unique omelette preparation where multiple layers of thin egg crepes rolled together. Together the tofu and eggs meet the protein requirement of a bento box meal. Spinach gomaae or spinach with sesame seeds is a surprisingly crunchy dish with the roasted sesame seeds. The blanched spinach adds a mild flavor. For dessert I made Matcha white chocolate chip cookies or green tea cookies. Matcha has a strong green tea flavor and an equally strong aroma that reminded me of henna.

The new ingredients I used were kombu (kelp), nori (seaweed) and macha powder (special green tea powder). When I cooked this meal I was in a mood to experiment. All the meals I had cooked from the different countries up until this time were full of dishes known to us. So I went out on a limb and picked dishes whose flavors would be very new. I went shopping for groceries at the local Japanese store, a delightful mom and pop store with a lot more than just groceries. My husband was travelling so it was just me and my daughter. Nori or seaweed is not completely new to me. I remember my father had brought home some nori from Japan when I was about 10 years old. I had bravely attempted to eat it in a rice roll as my Dad showed me. But I had not been able to eat it. Finally I cut little pieces of the nori and placed a couple in a ball of rice and was able to eat it. Let us just say that neither my taste buds nor my enthusiasm to try new foods has changed much over the years. My daughter didn't do much better than me. We did enjoy the rest of the meal.

As they say in Japan, Itadakimasu!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Vegetarian Dashi (Kombu stock) 
• Gohan with Furrikake (Japanese sticky rice with kelp topping) 
• Negimiso Yaki Tofu (Grilled tofu) 
• Spinach Gomaae (Spinach with sesame seeds) 
• Nori Tomagoyaki (Seaweed Omelette) 

And for dessert

• Matcha Cookies (Green Tea Cookies)

Dashi (Kombu Stock)

This is a basic stock recipe that I got from here. Usually dashi is not a vegetarian stock. But this recipe uses kelp just kelp, a sea vegetable, to make the stock. Dashi is used in varying quantities in a lot of the Japanese dishes.

Heat a Kombu (kelp) leaf in 4 cups water. As the color of the water changes and well before the water boils remove the leaf.

Let the water heat some more then take it off the heat. This is the dashi or kombu stock that is used in a lot of Japanese recipes.

Matcha Cookies (Green Tea Cookies)

Japanese green tea cookies are made with a special green tea powder called Matcha. It is a very strong green tea. It is bright green in color as it is made from leaves that are grown in the shade and are not fermented. Did I mention this tea is pretty strong?

If brewed as tea this powder would make the tea quite bitter but as a flavoring in cookies it gives the cookie a beautiful color as well as flavor.

I went to the local Japanese store to buy this powder. The owner excitedly showed me an array of matcha flavored products that had just arrived from Japan. One of them were these matcha cookies and the most surprising was matcha flavored Kitkat. After trying these cookies I can understand why the flavor is so popular. Unfortunately, it was way too strong for me. I should have waited for my dad's visit before making them. He likes green tea, he would have liked them. I nibbled on half a cookie at a time and finished them. They had an addictive taste and I would have loved them had they not been as strong.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
75 gm unsalted butter
65 gm sugar
pinch of salt
1 large egg yolk
120 gm all purpose flour
7 gm matcha powder
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Beat softened unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and beat until creamy. Add the salt and the egg yolk and beat well. Sift in the flour and matcha powder and form a soft dough. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll into a cylinder, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking with parchment paper. Remove the cylinder from the refrigerator. Using a sharp knife cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack.

Store in an air tight container when they are completely cooled.

Gohan with Furrikake (Sticky Rice with Kelp topping)

Sticky rice is a staple in Japanese meals. I bought Japanese sushi rice from Whole Foods. Since it is sold in bulk I was able to buy a small quantity of 1 cup. The furrikake is made with kelp leaves with which dashi or stock has been prepared. This used kelp does not have a bitter or overpowering taste but it does smell of the sea.

This recipe serves two people.

Recipe adapted from here
For the Gohan
1 cup Japanese short grain rice (sushi rice)

Recipe adapted from here
For the Furrikake
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 sheet kombu (Kelp) that was used to make dashi
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar

Washing and cooking rice the right way is a big deal when rice is the staple. To wash rice the Japanese way watch this video. I followed it to a T. In fact I now wash every grain and bean the same way.

Put the washed rice in a pan with a little over a cup of water.

Keep aside for an hour. The rice turns an opaque color.

Cover the pan and put it on high heat to bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and let the rice cook for about 5 minutes. When the water is all gone turn off heat. Using a rice paddle or a wooden spoon turn the rice over in the pan. Cover and steam for another 5 minutes without heat.

The rice is ready. Mix all the ingredients for furrikake in a separate bowl and sprinkle it over the bowl of rice. Serve with Japanese side dishes.

Spinach Gomaae

Blanched spinach served with a sesame seed sauce garnished with roasted sesame seeds. I made this dish in a very very small quantity because I did not know if we would be able to eat it. Ability to eat spinach in this form is an acquired taste.

Since this small quantity was made as part of a Japanese meal we were able to mix it in the rice and finish it.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
a handful of spinach
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, roasted and ground
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. sesame seeds, roasted for garnish

Boil water in a pan. Add the spinach and let it cook for a minute. Remove the blanched spinach and drain. Meanwhile, mix the sesame powder with the soy sauce and sugar.
Cut the drained spinach into pieces, squeeze the water out completely and combine with the sesame seed mixture. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and serve.

Negimiso Yaki Tofu (Grilled Tofu)

Tofu side dishes are added to Japanese meals to increase the protein content of the meal. This is a simple dish where tofu is sliced and grilled. Miso paste is applied to one side of the tofu to provide a strong flavor. This dish is typically served with Japanese rice.

I do not use tofu much in my kitchen. It is usually used as part of my trials with dishes from new cuisines. I also use it when I try to convert east Asian recipes to vegetarian ones. This is one of the free stand alone dishes I made with tofu. I picked up a tub of miso paste from the local Japanese store. The amount of choices were astounding. It took me 10 minutes to decided which tub would be best suited to our taste.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
3.5 oz. firm Japanese tofu
4-5 tbsp. negimiso paste
2 tbsp. olive oil

For the negimiso paste
2 tbsp. green onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup smooth miso paste
1/4 cup dashi
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. soy sauce

Place the tofu under some weight to extract all the liquid from it. 

Meanwhile prepare the negimiso. Chop the green onion (not the green leafy part). Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion. Saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Combine all the other ingredients and add them to the onions.

Keep cooking until the paste is the desired consistency.

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch slices. Heat oil in a pan and place the tofu slices.

Brown both sides. Apply a little of the miso paste to one side of the slices. Flip them over to brown the paste.

Take off heat.

Negimiso yaki tofu is ready.

Nori Tomagoyaki (Seaweed Omlette)

Tomagoyaki is an omelette that is made in multiple layers. Each layer is a thin egg crepe cooked and then rolled up. A sheet of nori is rolled in the middle to add additional flavor.

I made this dish as part of a Japanese meal and I picked this dish because I wanted to try my hand at rolling the egg. It was fairly easy to do until the addition of the nori. The omlette from that point on had a mind of its own. Lack of a square flat pan may also have contributed to the rolling woes. The taste is definitely an acquired one.

Recipe adapted from here and here
You will need
2 eggs
1 tbsp. dashi (kombu stock)
1 tsp. sugar
1 sheet nori or seaweed
1 tsp. olive oil

You need a special pan to make this omelette. I used a stove top safe Corelle casserole dish.
Beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Add the sugar and dashi and keep aside. Cut a sheet of nori to fit about 3/4 of the inside of you casserole dish.

Heat olive oil in the dish and add a thin layer of beaten eggs to it. Let the egg crepe cook on low medium heat. Using a spatula roll the crepe to one side of the dish. Pour another thin layer of beaten eggs in the dish. Lift the dish to ensure the egg mixture covers the entire bottom of the dish including under the egg roll. Once the crepe is cooked roll the already prepared egg roll over the newly formed crepe.

Repeat with another layer of beaten eggs but this time add the sheet of nori on the top.

Roll it up as before. Put the last layer of beaten egg and roll it up.

Nori Tomagoyaki is ready.

Italian Meal

My sister-in-law was to visit us for a day. When it comes to food she is not picky about the cuisine. So I cooked this Italian meal for lunch when she visited. I chose this Italian menu with dishes from different regions of Italy. Italian cuisine is very popular around the globe and our house is no exception. We all enjoyed this delicious meal.

I have made pizza at home for years but I really started loving the pizza I made only after I started making it with wild yeast leaven. The ingredients in the dough are flour, water, salt and wild yeast. The sauce is made up of fresh tomatoes. It was only natural to use this pizza as the foundation of my Italian meal. The remaining dishes come from different regions of Italy. There is the fresh handmade Gnocchi in tomato sauce, one of the easiest dumpling to make at home. Fagiolli All'uccelleto is an ancient Italian dish made up of beans in tomato sauce. Caprese salad was added to the menu because we all love it and there is fresh basil growing in my garden. For dessert I wanted something light and so I went with Gelo di Melone or watermelon jello. This jello is thickened with corn starch and is delicious.

I did not use any new ingredient in this meal but making fresh pasta was new to me. I enjoyed it so much that I am now trying my hand at different types of gnocchi and ravioli. Something I found very interesting was that all the dishes in this menu use tomato as the base and yet every sauce is different and tastes different.

As they say in Italy, Buon Appetito!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Sourdough Pizza 
• Pizza Sauce 
• Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce 
• Fagiolli All'uccelletto 
• Caprese Salad 

And for dessert

• Gello di Melone (Watermelon Jello)

Fagiolli All'uccelletto

Fagiolli All'uccelletto is an ancient Italian dish from the Tuscany region. As with most old world dishes it is a simple and delicious dish made with beans in tomato gravy.

This dish can be quite filling on its own. I served it with a large Italian meal but I could see myself serving this dish with bread or flat bread for a meal on its own.

Recipe adapted from here.

You will need
2 cans cannelloni beans or 1 1/2 cup dry white beans
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 medium tomatoes
1 spring fresh sage or 1 tbsp. dry sage
salt and black pepper to taste

If using dry beans rinse and soak the beans overnight. Pressure cook the next day for 10 minutes and keep aside. If using canned rinse and drain the beans and keep aside,

Crush the garlic, peel and mince. Separately, dice the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. A minute or two later add the tomatoes and sage. Let it cook down for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes sauce thickens. Add the beans and it to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Gelo di Melone (Vegetarian Mellon Jello)

This is a light dessert ideal for the hot months when watermelon is available. I really like the use of cornstarch to thicken the liquid instead of gelatin. Jiggly jelly without gelatin and a delicious watermelon flavor!

Do not overcook the liquid or the end result will not be jiggly.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need for 2 servings
250 ml watermelon juice
20 gm corn starch
82 gm sugar
1 inch cinnamon (the one used for desserts)
1-2 drops vanilla extract

Cut the watermelon into pieces small enough to fit into the blender. Puree the watermelon and strain it through a fine sieve. You will need 250 ml of this juice.

To 50 ml of the juice add the corn starch and whisk until it dissolves. To a thick bottomed pan add the remaining watermelon juice, the corn starch mixtures, sugar, cardamon and vanilla. Bring it to a boil stirring frequently. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until it thickens. Whisk almost continuously to prevent burning. Turn off heat.

Rinse the molds. Pour the jello into the wet molds. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Invert mold on a plate and garnish with pistachios.

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

A simple salad made with slices salad tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It is supposed to have been created to represent the colors of the Italian flag.

There is really no recipe here. Just use the freshest ingredients that you can find. Use mozzarella cheese that is sold in brine. Do not use the dry packaged stuff. I used basil leaves from my garden. Just sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Then drizzle some olive oil over the top.

Buckwheat Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

Gnocchi is one of the easiest dumplings you can make. Gnocchi can be made with different flour, vegetables like pumpkin, beetroot and potato. This gnocchi is made up of all purpose and buckwheat flour. It is dense and filling so a little goes a long way.

The original recipe called for canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. I have cut out canned tomatoes so I used vine ripened fresh tomatoes and made my own tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce is flavored with basil. I used fresh basil from my garden. If you cannot find fresh basil you can used dried but it will affect the taste and the aroma.

You will need to serve as a side for 4
For the gnocchi
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
water as needed

For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic
1/4 cup white grape juice (the original recipe called for dry white wine)
5 large vine ripened tomatoes
4 leaves basil
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

To make the tomato sauce start with the thick sauce base. Chop 2 tomatoes and cook them for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat until they are mushy. At this time a lot of the liquid will have evaporated. Puree to make a thick sauce. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Peel and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil. Saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the white grape juice and cook it until the juice is all gone. Now add the tomatoes and the cooked thick sauce.

Make a basil chiffonade (place all the leaves on top of one another, roll tightly and cut into fine strips) and add it to the pan. Add the paprika and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Keep aside.

While the sauce is simmering make the gnocchi. Mix the flours together.

Using water a little at a time make a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 portions. Take one portion of dough and roll it into a long rope. Cut the rope into barely one inch pieces. Using a fork shape the gnocchi. Hold the fork right side down in your left hand. Place one piece of dough on it. Press down from the side closest to you to the side furthest away from you. The dough will roll up with the fork pattern on one side. Repeat for all the pieces and the two remaining portions of dough. Let the prepared gnocchi rest for 10 -15 minutes.

Boil water in a pan and add a teaspoon of salt to it. Add handfuls of gnocchi to it. After 2-3 minutes the gnocchi will rise to the surface.

Let it cook for a minute more as buckwheat takes longer to cook. With a slotted spoon remove the gnocchi and add it to the prepared sauce. Repeat for the rest of the gnocchi.

Gnocchi in tomato sauce is ready.

Hungarian Meal

Hungary is one of the countries about which I know very little. Then I found the Hungarian ring bread. A beautifully made bread with intertwined rings. That was reason enough to want to cook a meal from Hungary. I wanted to try to bake that bread.

As with all the meals I cooked, I made the dessert and the most challenging recipe first. That way I ensured I would be able to finish everything to my satisfaction. If I was not satisfied with the dessert or the main dish I could always postpone it all to another day. For this meal I tried the bread first. Unfortunately, I messed up the proportions and it turned into a monster so big that I could not imagine cooking anything else that day. When I planned the meal again I left out the bread.

Mushroom Paprikas served on a bed of egg noodles was a perfect main dish to built the meal around. My daughter loves potato salad so when I found the potato dill salad I had to add it to the menu. I seem to be collecting the different types of cucumber salads out there, this is another tasty one. Lesco was a great side made with tomatoes, onions and Hungarian pepper. The coconut cookie roll has got to be the most delicious cold cookie I ever made.

My daughter who is very good at restraint when it comes to food went crazy about it. I had to keep her hands off.

As they say in Hungary, Jó étvágyat!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Mushroom Paprikas on Noodles
• Potato Dill Salad 
• Lesco (Tomato Salad)
• Cucumber Salad 

And for dessert

• Coconut Cookie Roll