Gaijin Friendly Hijiki Salad & Anchovy Dressing

In each of my pregnancies I would more often than not turn up to be anemic & have fantastically dramatic kitchen/ofuro/jam-packed-train fainting spells so when it comes to hijiki it usually reminds me a little too much of being a substitute for iron supplements.  Along with spinach & liver of course.  I've only eaten it in the usual way simmered with thinly chopped abura-dofu, carrots, konyaku & soybeans.

I found this recipe in my "Harumi's Home Cooking" cookbook and finally tried it out.  I think it's the perfect introduction to hijiki for anyone whose never tasted it & therapeutic for anyone who has bad memories of gritty smooshy black goop.  It's so basic that when you think about it, all it really is comprised of is tossing a salad with hijiki.  And the dressing is one that I'd definitely make for any other salad, thankfully all my kids love anchovies too.  Here's the basic recipe:

10-20 grams of dried hijiki
a variety of vegitables, lettuce, celery, carrots, cucumbers & onions to taste

Anchovy Dressing:

10g anchovy fillets
2 tbsp sunflower/veg oil
1 tbsp wine vinegar
a little sugar (I put in a few pinches)
pepper
1 teaspoon soysauce

Soak the hijiki seaweed in warm water for about 10 min.  Drain well and dry.  Cut into short pieces if they are too long.  Cut the vegetables into thin strips, soak them in cold water for 5 min. drain & pat dry.
Mince anchovy and mix it with the other ingredients for the dressing.  Mix the hijiki and cut vegetables and put on a serving dish.  Pour over the anchovy dressing just before eating. 

That's all I got today....now, "ON TO THE THEATER!!!"

Winter Carrots: Carrot & Miso Soup

My kids are crazy about winter carrots. It really started out with DH buying a massive (and I do mean MASSIVE) bag full of carrots once in the winter. Surprisingly they were quickly devoured & so we bought another & another.....These aren't just ordinary carrots, they're winter carrots. And by that you have to understand that when the temperature goes down the carrot makes more sugar to keep from freezing, hence the sweeter carrots. The colder the weather the better the carrot.

It's totally uncontrolled "Rabbit syndrome" at my house when this happens. The kids walk around the house munching on small whole carrots and usually don't even bother peeling them anymore. The skins are thin & the carrots themselves are almost translucent, crisp, shining & juicy. Mr Trav. talks about winter carrots every time we eat carrot sticks all year round.

So I'm terribly happy my soon to be 3 year old lady decided on "Bill's Big Carrot Cake" (undeniably the best carrot cake ever) for her birthday.

And if you're feeling a little experimental here's a recipe from "Harumi's Home cooking" that I like to make in the winter:

Carrot & Miso Soup:

100g carrots (one large or two smallish carrots)

2 c water

1 chicken stock cube

1 rasher streaky bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped Celery

1/2 tsp awase miso (I like using red miso best, for this, but I think any miso will do)

Salt & Pepper

Chopped cilantro to garnish (I use negi, of course, seeing as cilantro is not very cheap)

1. Peel carrots & cut into 3 cm think round slices

put the water & chicken stock in a pan & bring to a boil. Add carrots & over with a drop lid. (Simple "drop lid" explanation)

2. Turn down the heat & simmer until cooked. Remove from the heat & mash the cooked carrots in the remaining liquid.

3. Cut the bacon into small pieces. In a frying pan, heat the oil & cook the chopped bacon till crisp. Turn off heat & mix in chopped celery. Add to the carrot soup.

4. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat & mix in the miso & season w/ s&p. (remember, boiling miso is UNCOOL & will change the texture & flavor) Pour into bowls, sprinkle w/ cilantro (or negi)

Happy Winter days!

Basil Rice & Soy/Balsamic Chicken

Here's a little some-some I tried out, the rice I had to "wing" & the chicken I used "Harumi's Home Cooking". Keys to success on a family-outing-bento-box: SHORT LIST OF INGREDIENTS!! I know you're shrieking at the thought of yet another desecration of rice, but think of it as "fried rice" & you can forgive me for darn near anything! This fed about 6.

Call me crazy but I (again), really liked the blasphamy of rice with basil, there was just something fun about it!

The Rice:
About 2 1/2 c of cooked rice
10-15 leaves of fresh basil washed & minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
two cubes of bullion crushed
1 tbsp shoyu

If you know how to make fried rice, you get the picture. I recommend you put the basil in last, as high heat can sort of mellow the flavor.

The Chicken: 2 chicken thighs
2 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, sliced
ground black pepper
a little oil for frying

Put the first 4 ingr. in a bowl & stir to combine. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces & marinate for at least 30 min. FRY!!!!

And it's Happy camping!!

Quick Fix #1 -- Tofu Moyashi Itame

Simple food is really the greatest. There’s nothing that irritates me more than a cookbook full of recipes with a list of ingrients and instructions as long as an obi. So I figure I ought to share some of my favorite quick recipes.

I dare not wax poetic or grab a soap-box but you don’t need a lot to make something wonderful. I think that’s why I find Japanese home cooking & Italian home cooking to be so wonderful. ---Simplicity!!

I just had to post this ultra-simple-cheap-healthy recipe, and really, for all of us in Japan, this couldn’t be a friendlier meal. This has become a staple lunch at my house.

They call moyashi, “poor man’s veggie”. But you couldn’t possibly get a more nutrition packed food. (I shall not rant!) Suffice it to say, if I had only 200Y to feed my family on a day, Moyashi would be the daily veggie offering. So here it goes. Credit goes to “Harumi’s Home Cooking” cook book. This recipe is easy enough to make on the fly after a few tries. Here’s how it goes:

3 tbsp of goma oil & 2 of cooking oil
5 packs of momen-dofu (cotton type, you know, the kind that no one seems to like)
2 packs of moyashi
2 heads of chingensai (optional but, worth it!!)
4 blocks of bullion crushed or 2 tbsp of consume (gosh, I hope ambie doesn’t read this)
Salt, pepper & shoyu (to taste)
3 Tbsp shiro goma
Now for the disclaimer about the moyashi. Generally Japanese “top & tail” the moyashi. I’ll admit that it’s mostly cosmetic, but then again the actual sprout of bean has very little nutritional value in it. (most of it is in the stem) So, that being said, if I have the time (sometimes when I’m doing school w/ the kids in the morning). I’ll admit it’s neurotic but I love it.

To prepare the chingensai. Separate the white, thick stem from the leafy green. And cut the stem into 3-4 strips.

Open the tofu & drain it in a sieve. (if you wrap it in kitchen paper it helps keep it together) this is an IMPORTANT STEP: Drain for at LEAST 30 min. to get rid of excess liquid.

Put the goma oil in the pan & put the heat on HIGH. Didja hear that? HIGH!! Then break up the tofu with your hands (aren’t we so rustic) & fry it till it’s sizzling & golden. This will take about 15 min or so. You only have to stir it every once in awhile to get it to “unstuck” to the pan. (if you are using Teflon)
Move the tofu to a bowl, & put 2 tbsp of oil in the pan (lower heat to medium) & put in the chingensai stems & moyashi. Fry for about 1 min. Now drain out any liquid in the tofu & throw the tofu back in. Here's my "handy-dandy-bullion-crushing-instrument-of-science".

Add bullion powder/salt/pepper/shoyu (be liberal, my friends) add leaves of chingensai & fry a minute or two more &, Voila! Top w/ crushed white goma….or not!

Friends, you can’t get much healthier than this. Approximately 1/2 of my children are crazy about this.

Minor important note: Be careful not to try this with silky tofu (kinugoshi-tofu) or you’ll end up w/ a big mess when you fry it. Unless you dig that “soupy-over-cooked-mushy-tofu” look. Ewww!!