Free Cooking & Recipes

Archive for July, 2009

Sweet Peanut Mochi (Rakkase No Mochi)

Ingrediens:

• 1 cup sweet glutinous-rice flour (mochiko)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts
• 1/2 cup water     potato starch or cornstarch
• orange blossom honey, rice syrup or molasses
• 1/2 cup roasted soybean powder (kinako) (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine rice flour, salt and brown sugar. In a blender or food processor fitted with a stell blade, grind peanuts until they form a paste. Add the water; process until blended, scraping sides of container once or twice. Pour peanut mixture into rice-flour mixture. Stir to form a stiff dough. Lightly knead dough about 30 seconds.
2. Steam and shape dough as directed int the recipe for sweet chewy rice cakes. Drizzle shaped rice cakes with honey. Roll in soybean powder. Serve each guest 1 piece mochi on a small plate with a cup of hot green tea.

Takuan (Pickled Daikon)

Ingrediens:

• 5-6 medium daikon, peeled, sliced, and placed in clean canning jars
• PICKLING BRINE: 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup pickling salt (no iodine)
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring
• 1 dried red chile pepper, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare the daikon. Boil all the brine ingredients together to dissolve the sugar. Cool the liquid. Pour over the sliced daikon and place the sealed jars in the refrigerator. Shake the jars occasionally. The pickle will be ready to eat in 2 days.

Sesame Sauce (Goma Su)

Ingrediens:

• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove (optional), minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Toast sesame seeds in a hot skillet, shaking constantly to prevent burning. In a grinding bowl or blender, grind toasted seeds to a paste. Blend in remaining ingredients until sauce is smooth. Pour into small individual bowls. Sauce can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.

Skewered Chicken (Yakitori)

• 2 lb boneless chicken
• 1/2 cup sake
• 3/4 cup dark soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup green onions, cut into 3/4 inch lengths diagonally

Preparation:

1. Soak 25 wooden skewers for about 20 minutes in water; drain and set aside.
2. the chicken fillets into bite-sixed pieces. Combine the sake, soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a small pan. Bring to the boil, then set aside.
3. Thread the chicken pieces onto wooden skewers alternately with the green onions. Place skewers on a foil-lined pan; cook under a preheated broiler, turning and brushing frequently with the sauce, 7-8 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Cucumber Namasu

Ingrediens:

• 2-3 cucumbers
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Preparation:

Place the cucumbers by slicing them in half. Remove the seeds if they are large. Slice in thin diagonals. Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon of salt and place in a bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse, drain, and remove excess water by putting the cucumbers in a kitchen towel and squeezing out the water. Combine the sugar, vinegar, remaining salt, and ginger. Pour over the cucumbers and chill.

Beef Misoyaki

Ingrediens:

• 2-1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup light miso
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)
• 1/4 cup sake
• 1 pound beef, ribe eye roast, very thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

Preparation:

Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan. Cook only until a few pop and the rest turn golden brown. Grind with a mortar and pestle or tun through a food blender. Do not gind too fine.
Add the miso to the sesame seeds and mix well. Add the soy sauce, sugar, optional MSG, and sake. Spread 1/2 of the mixture on a platter and place the beef slices in the marinade. Brush the remaining marinade on top.
Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the beef from the marinade, scrape off the excess marinade, and reserve.
Broil, or pan-fry with a little oil. Heat the leftover marinade and serve with the beef.

Okinawan Sweet Fritters (Sato Dango)

Ingrediens:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chunky or smooth Japanese bean paste     6 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the egg and milk to the flour mixture; stir until blended. Stir in bean paste. In a wok or shallow pan, heat oil to 350 F (175 C). Drop batter into the hot oil by the tablespoonsful. Fry fritters 3 to 5 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Cut open one fritter to be sure the batter is cooked inside, Roll hot fritters in sugar or serve plain.

Takuan (Pickled Daikon)

Ingrediens:

• 5-6 medium daikon, peeled, sliced, and placed in clean canning jars
• PICKLING BRINE: 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup pickling salt (no iodine)
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon yellow food coloring
• 1 dried red chile pepper, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Prepare the daikon. Boil all the brine ingredients together to dissolve the sugar. Cool the liquid. Pour over the sliced daikon and place the sealed jars in the refrigerator. Shake the jars occasionally. The pickle will be ready to eat in 2 days.

Tonkatsu Sauce

Ingrediens:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Peparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Cover and let stand 30 minutes for flavors to develop.

Wasabi

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon wasabi powder
• 3 teaspoons water or sake
• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Preparation;

1. Place wasabi powder in a small dish. Add remaining ingredients; blend until a thick paste forms. Cover and turn bowl upside down. Leave for 10 minutes for flavors to develop. Wasabi should be thick enough to be molded in a small cone shape. Use sparingly.
2. Wasabi Leaves: Prepare wasabi. Press into a sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. Using a tiny leaf-shaped cutter, cut out leaf shapes. Lift onto serving plates with a small narrow spatula. Or cut and score with a small knife.