Kuromame no fukumeni / lightly sweet soy sauce flavored black soybeans

One of the auspicious dishes of New Year's. A pun on good-luck wishes to stay healthy -- "mame" means healthy.

Ainame no oroshi-ni, kabu to satoimo zoe / deep-fried ling cod in soy sauce broth with grated daikon radish, with Japanese turnip and baby taro root

Rich and deep, yet grated daikon radish gives this dish a light aftertaste.

Mizuna to usuage no karashiae / mizuna and thin deep-fried tofu in karashi mustard dressing

Mizuna's mild spiciness goes well with karashi mustard. Toasted usuage adds a bit of crunchiness.

Okara-iri tamagoyaki / omelet with soybean pulp and green onion

Okara soybean pulp fluffs up the omelet while making it more substantial.

Kani to horenso no kaneroni / cannelloni with crabmeat and spinach

A tasty combination of crab and spinach, wrapped in thin fresh pasta and topped with tomato sauce with a little bit of cream.

Simple tomato sauce

Among a number of variations, this simple tomato sauce works very well when used as a supporting ingredient in variety of dishes.

Kateeji chiizu / cottage cheese

Make only the amount you need. It's easy! And, no more expired leftovers buried deep inside the fridge.

Karei no sotee, gaarikku remon soosu / Dover sole saute with garlic lemon sauce

Dover sole with its plain flavor is the perfect choice for meuniere. Cook with canola oil for lighter results, and add extra flavor with garlic lemon olive oil sauce.

Onsen tamago / hot-spring eggs

The boiled eggs sold at hot-spring resorts have a semi-hard yolk and soft egg whites. For people who don’t really like runny yolks (me!), this is a good alternative.

Horenso to yaki-shiitake no remon-bitashi / lemon-flavored ohitashi with spinach and grilled shiitake

An ordinary ohitashi with a citrus twist.

Mugimeshi / steamed rice with pressed barley

Barley was a frugal substitute for rice, once upon a time. Mixing barley in regular rice adds a bright and sunny taste.

Gindara to daikon no pirikarani / black cod and daikon radish in spicy broth

Mild, sweet yet pungent daikon is the perfect companion to rich black cod. Spicy broth adds some punch to this rather commonplace combination.

Biitsu no kuriimu sarada / beet cream salad

Little purple-pink cubes in creamy dressing.

Kinoko no namuru / mushroom namul saute

Dried shiitake adds a deep flavor.

Okara kinchaku-ni / soybean pulp in thin deep-fried tofu packets

Filling and moist. Putting the crumbly okara into packets makes it easy to eat.

Kanpyo dried gourd strips

Among the numerous dried ingredients in Japanese cooking, kanpyo is probably the most overlooked, as it is a distant memory for many people. It is something the majority of Japanese have eaten at some point -- it is often found in futomakizushi (“fat” rolled sushi) -- but many people have never paid attention to it as an uncooked ingredient or never cooked it themselves. For me this is an ingredient always found in my grandmother’s kitchen, way back in my childhood. (My grandmother would be 110 years old if she were still alive.) My mom cooked kanpyo too, but only for special occasions, such as holidays and our school events.

Okara soybean pulp

An inexpensive byproduct from making tonyu soy milk or tofu. Okara is crumbly, with a moisture content of 70-80%. Commercially available okara has become drier (75% moisture) as the soy milk extraction process has become more efficient, and some say this is the reason for a decline in okara's popularity as culinary ingredient in Japan. Okara made in the conventional way or at home has more moisture and better flavor even though it is still crumbly.

Okara dishes cooked with vegetables and other ingredients are long-time favorite deli items in Japan. Okara is also often mixed in meat dishes and baked items, mainly to lower calories and cholesterol.

Karifurawaa to kimuchi no tonyu misoshiru / soy milk miso soup with cauliflower and kimchi

A cream-colored miso soup with fresh soy milk. The mild spiciness of kimchi gives a nice twist and warms up your body. A good winter soup.

Hakusai to shami no nikomi / napa cabbage stewed with dried shrimp

Heavenly soft hakusai cabbage.

Daikon to kani no remon-ae / daikon radish and crab with lemon

A namasu alternative with the clean, fresh taste of lemon.

Atsuage no guriru / grilled deep-fried tofu

Grilled and deep-fried...? Well, not exactly. An easy, satisfying tofu dish.

Kani meshi / crab rice

A simple version of kani kamameshi [crab rice cooked in clay pot]. Fluffy julienned egg crepe adds a soft texture while giving additional flavor to this dish.

Fresh cranberry relish

Cranberries paired with juicy apples and fruity orange preserves. Passed down from a neighbor; the original recipe came from a bed and breakfast in Vermont.

Moyashi bean sprouts

An inexpensive vegetable that is available throughout year. Moyashi literally means the sprouts of grains, beans and vegetables, but it usually refers to mung bean or black gram sprouts. Another common type is soy bean sprouts, usually called daizu moyashi or mame moyashi.

(Mung bean) moyashi

Daizu moyashi

Just like with other sprouts, moyashi is rich in nutrition. In addition to nutrients from seed beans, it has lots of Vitamin C. It also contains amylase and invertase -- digestive enzymes that help the stomach and intestines. Digestion of beans sometimes can be problematic, but bean sprouts have cleared the hurdle.

Nanbanzuke / deep-fried fish in sweetened spicy vinegar

One of my mom's standard dishes to serve a bunch of people -- friends, relatives and neighbors regularly showed up for food, drinks and a chat at my parents' house when I was growing up. This is relatively simple, inexpensive and also satisfying because of being deep-fried.

Piiman to age no itameni / green pepper and thin deep-fried tofu in soy sauce broth

The sweet flavor of juicy green pepper gets a boost from salty usuage.

Shiozake / salted salmon

Shiozake  (shiojake) in a few different levels of saltiness is readily available at stores in Japan. We make our own when we get fresh salmon and freeze it in smaller pieces. It is quite a versatile ingredient in many different dishes. You can control the salt content when you make your own.

Pita pan / pita bread

So easy to make and tastes much better than pre-packed pita.

Whole recipe:
1,270 calories; 39.6 g protein; 19.2 g fat; 231.4 g carbohydrate; 213.6 g net carbs; 282 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt; 849 mg with kosher salt); 0 mg cholesterol; 17.8 g fiber

1 pita (1/4 of recipe):
315 calories; 9.9 g protein; 4.8 g fat; 57.9 g carbohydrate; 53.4 g net carbs; 71 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt; 212 mg with kosher salt); 0 mg cholesterol; 4.5 g fiber

1 pita (1/5 of recipe):
254 calories; 7.9g protein; 3.8 g fat; 46.3 g carbohydrate; 42.7 g net carbs; 56 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt; 170 mg with kosher salt); 0mg cholesterol; 3.6 g fiber

Kyabetsu no ume-gomaae / cabbage in plum sesame dressing

The sourness of umeboshi compliments the sweet flavor of cabbage.

Karifurawaa to saishin no hana no misoshiru / miso soup with cauliflower and choy sum blossoms

Cheerful flowers with tender cauliflower.

Breakfast, November 21, 2011

Before we pick up our turkey and start preparing dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, we need to create more space in the fridge and freezer. Space-taking lettuce and mizuna, leftover cooked dried daikon radish, and fish marinated in miso will be gone with this breakfast.

Tahini sauce

The proper companion for falafel.

Faraferu / falafel

My first falafel at a Lebanese cafe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, over 15 years ago was the discovery of a whole new taste. This is mild-mannered falafel with enough fresh parsley and cilantro to perk it up.

Sake no misoni / salmon simmered in miso sauce

Slightly sweet miso sauce makes this salmon dish a perfect companion for steamed rice.

Kayaku gohan / steamed rice with assorted ingredients

Kayaku -- gunpowder? Nope. Kaykau here means additional goodies. It was a way to increase the amount of the main food, rice, when rice was expensive for ordinary people a long time ago. It is rather a special rice dish today.

Kyabetsu to age no misoshiru / miso soup with cabbage and thin deep-fried tofu

Cabbage makes the miso soup sweet.

Unohana / soybean pulp with vegetables

A common dish made of leftovers from making tofu.

Keeru to tofu no misoshiru / miso soup with kale and tofu

A filling miso soup for a cold day.

Paraku paniiru / palak paneer / spinach and cheese curry

This light palak paneer is reminiscent of my favorite dish in Agra. The original recipe was lost between relocations in following years, and this is a recreation attempt of the recipe I got from the chef.

1/4 recipe (curry only, naan not included): 
188 calories; 9.4 g protein; 14.3 g fat; 6.4 g carbohydrate; 3.7 g net carbs; 52 mg sodium; 34 mg cholesterol; 2.7 g fiber

Nan / naan flatbread

Naan for home oven. Increase sugar somewhat if sweeter taste is preferred.

Kiriboshi-daikon to age no nimono / dried daikon radish cooked with thin deep-fried tofu

A simple dish with the calming sunny flavor of dried daikon radish.

Ebi no kareeraisu / curry rice with prawns

Curry sauce infused with prawns, with basmati rice cooked with cloves.

Tara no shichimiyaki / cod saute with light teriyaki sauce and shichimi pepper

Light and mild nabe-teriyaki spiced up with shichimi pepper.

Kuri gohan / steamed rice with chestnuts

A fall rice dish with starchy, sweet chestnuts.

1/3 of above recipe:
225 calories; 3. 7g protein; 0.6 g fat; 48.1 g carbohydrate; 46.8 g net carbs; 191 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
338 calories; 5.6g protein; 0.9 g fat; 72.2 g carbohydrate; 70.3 g net carbs; 286 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber 

Dinner, November 4, 2011

Chestnut season -- the season for kuri gohan chestnut rice has arrived.

Hakusai no amazuzuke / la bai cai / napa cabbage in sweet and spicy vinegar

Hua jiao Sichuan pepper adds a refreshing, mildly pungent note.

Keeru no kurumiae / kale in walnut dressing

Walnut neutralizes the bitterness of kale.

Tom cooks 1: Kabocha no nimono (kabocha pumpkin in broth)

Tom asked, “What are those 'tbsp' and 'tsp' things?”

My brain froze for a moment as I tried to grasp what's behind his question.
My goodness, this person isn't even sure what they mean...

Gomadofu / sesame tofu

Mellow and creamy. A traditional zen temple dish made easy.