Free Cooking & Recipes

Kansai-Style Scattered Sushi (Chirashi-Zushi)

Ingrediens:

• 1/2 recipe Sushi Rice
• 1/2 recipe Seasoned Vegetables for Sushi Rice
• 1/2 recipe Seasoned Shiitake Mushrooms
• 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup frozen petit green peas, thawed
• 1/2 lb cooked seafood (shrimp, poached salmon, crabmeat or clams)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, cubed, and drizzled with lemon juice     Egg Crepes, cut into fine threads
• 1 sheet nori, finely shredded
• Japanese pickled vegetables of choice

Preparation:

Prepare Sushi Rice, Seasoned Vegetables for Sushi Rice and Seasoned Shiitake Mushrooms. Slice mushrooms into strips. Assemble all the ingredients. In a medium size bowl, lightly toss rice with sesame seeds and green onions. Scoop rice onto a large attractive platter. On top of the sushi rice, scatter the vegetables, mushroom strips, green peas and seafood. Top with avocado, crepe threads, nori and pickles. Spoon onto small plates for eating with chopsticks.

Spicy Braised Gobo (Kinpira Gobo)

Ingrediens:

• 2 (15-18-inch) pieces gobo (burdock root)
• 2-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dashi-no-moto powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• seven-spice powder, to taste     1 heaping tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Using a vegetable brush, scrub off earthy brown covering from each piece of gobo. Cut pieces in half; soak in a pan of cool water 10 minutes. Cut each piece into 2-inch lengths, then cut into matchstick strips. Return strips to pan of water.
2. In a large skillet, boil gobo in 4 cups water over high heat 5 minutes; drain well and set aside. Dry skillet. Combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and dashi powder in a small bowl. In small skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Add drained gobo; stir-fry 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour in soy sauce mixture. Cook and stir until sauce has almost all evaporated. Add Seven-Spice Powder. Place braised gobo into a serving bowl. Spirnkle with sesame seeds

Sushi Rice (Shari)

Ingrediens:

• 2 cups California short or medium-grain rice
• 1 (3-inch) piece dried kinbu (kelp), lightly wiped
• 2-1/3 cups bottled spring water or tap water

Preparation:

1. Place rice in a large bowl; fill with cool water. Swish your hand through the water; pour off and add fresh water. Repeat process until the water is fairly clear. Drain rice in a large strainer; tap gently to remove liquid. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine rice and konbu with the water; soak 15 minutes. Remove konbu.
2. Bring rice to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let rice stand, covered and undisturbed, 15 minutes.
3. Prepare Seasoned Rice Vinegar (see recipe). With a damp wooden rice paddle or spoon, remove rice to a damp cedar rice mixing tub or a pottery or glass bowl. Hold paddle over rice; sprinkle with vinegar, letting it drip on rice. Add small portions, mixing each portion into rice with a gentle cutting and tossing motion. A partner to fan is helpful while you toss rice. A small electric fan works well, too. Mix in only as much dressing as the rice will absorb without becoming too moist. Use at once, or cover with a damp cloth. Do not refrigerate; rice becomes hard. Use within 6 to 8 hours.

Strawberry Tofu Sherbet (Ichigo Dofu Sha-be-to)

Ingrediens:

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 (14 to 16-oz) pkg. silken tofu, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

Preparation:

Puree strawberries and tofu in a blender or food processor fitted with a stell blade. Add remaining ingredients; process until blended. Depending on size of blender, mixture may have to be processed in 2 batches. Refrigerate mixture until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions. When frozen, serve immediately or store in the freeze. To store, remove dasher from canister. Cover lid with foil. If necessary, scoop sherbet from canister and pack into airtight containers for freezing.

Okinawan Sweet Fritters (Sato Dango)

Ingrediens:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 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.

Egg Chrysanthemum (Tamago Kiku)

Ingrediens:

• 1 extra-large egg per flower
• pinch of salt
• 1 or 2 drops yellow food coloring
• vegetable oil
• thin slices of pink pickled ginger, cut in fine shreds

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, beat eggs, salt and food coloring. Heat a 10 or 11-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Wipe skillet with a paper towel that has been dipped in oil. Pour beaten egg into oiled skillet. Swirl skillet so covers bottom of skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cook 1 minute or until egg is set. Remove skillet from heat. Carefully turn egg sheet over; cook 30 seconds. Turn cooked egg out of skillet. Cool 5 minutes.
2. Fold 2 opposite sides of egg sheet so they meet in center. Fold egg sheet in half again, starting from a folded side. Using a small knife, make short slits, 1/2 inch apart, down the side with the double fold. Make slits no deeper than one-fourth to one-half the width of the folded piece. Beginning at 1 end, carefully roll up the egg sheet. Set flower on the base. Secure with wooden picks. Gently spread open flower petals. Place a small amount of ginger in center of flower.

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.