Osekihan (Red beans with sweet rice)

Osekihan (Red beans with sweet rice) is Japanese traditional food. Actually I cooked it for the first time today! It was much easier than I thought. The red color is from the red beans. The natural color is very beautiful! Of course That was so delicious :)

New Years Day Lunch

I cooked Ozoni.　This is Japanese traditional new years dish.
Every family has their own zoni recipe.

My family recipe is very simple.
Fish broth, soy sauce, salt, daikon radish, carrot and chicken.
garnish with seri or mitsuba. I couldn't get either so I used Italian parsley.
Ha! of course Mochi! The mochi is hiding in the bowl.

You have to be careful when eating mochi. I read in the Japanese news that already 4 people died by choking on mochi. (mostly old people...)

Kiriboshi Daikon (Dried Daikon radish)

Reconstitute the dried daikon radish in water for 10 min.
Squeeze out excess water. Stew with fish broth, soy sauce, sugar and Aburaage(deep fried tofu) until liquid is absorbed.

Miso Chicken with kabocha

Miso and chicken are great combination!!

Soumen (Japanese cold noodle)

This is summer time food. Super easy "Soumen".

Easy Curry Jumblya!!

If you have good rice cooker, you should try this recipe.

2 cup rice
2 piece Japanese curry (I used "Kokumaro" for this time)
half cup minced onion
half cup minced carrot
1 Italian sausage

Minced 2 peace of Japanese curry. Cut small size Italian sausage.
Put all inexpedience into rice cooker. You just set regular button!
That's all! so easy and so yummy!!

Green Beans with sesame sauce

about half pound of green beans

Cut the end of green beans. Boil about 90 seconds. Drain the water, put them into cold water.

Combine these ingredients below.
2tbs ground sesame
1tbs mirin
1tbs sake
2tbs soy sauce
1tbs sugar

Add the cold green beans mix very well.

Mankai (full bloom)

Here is Sakura from Japan.

Kinpira Gobo

kinpira, kinpira, kinpira.......

Kinpira gobo is a traditional Japanese side dish. This has intense flavor. We usually eat it with rice.

I love the crunchy and chewy texture of kinpira gobo.
Gobo has a lots of fiber so.... you have to be careful after eating this. hehe




Here is my kinpira gobo recipe.

gobo (about 2 feet long)
3 carrots (medium size)

2 tbs sesame oil
a pinch of red pepper
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs sake
1 tbs mirin
5 tbs soy sauce

Peel the gobo and carrots with a peeler. Shave the gobo then put them into the water. Soak them for about 5 minutes. Juline the carrots. Add sesame oil and a pinch of red pepper to a hot pan. Add the gobo and carrots and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ingredients in this order while continuing to stir fry: brown sugar, sake, mirin and soy sauce. Add sesame seeds and stir fry for another 3-4 minutes.