Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

Here's a very refreshing, yet protein-rich side dish for the upcoming warm season. I'm listing the basic soy sauce + sesame oil flavor, but you can be creative by adding mayonnaise, mustard, miso, minced umeboshi, or hot chili sesame oil (ラー油).

Poached Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad

• 2 Persian cucumbers, thin-sliced 
• 1 Chicken breast
• 1/2 tbsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Sake
• White sesame seed
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

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makes 2 servings

1. In a heavy bottomed pot ( I use Le Creuset pot), place a piece of chicken breast, add sake and just enough water so that chicken won't stick on the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook in a low heat.
2. Once water start boiling, cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Keep the lid on, and let it steam for about 5-10 minutes.  
3. In a bowl, add sliced cucumber, sprinkle some salt and mix. After 5-10 minutes, squeeze the cucumber and drain extra water. 
4. Take out the chicken from the pot, shred it with your hand, and add them to the cucumber. 
5. Add chopped ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and vinegar to the bowl and mix them well.
6. If time allowed, chill for 15-30 minutes, sprinkle sesame seed at the end.  

Note: .

Chili Nachos

A quick snack/appetizer using the left-over chili con carne, pico de gallo, and guacamole. It was a super-bowl dinner request from my husband. I like a dash or two of some hot sauce (such as tabasco) to spice up a notch.

Chili Nachos

• 2 cups prepared chili con carne
• 1/2 bag of tortilla chips
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Queso Quesadilla, or cheddar

Garnish options:
sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, chopped scallion, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, etc...

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makes 2-3 servings

1. Set oven to 400°F.
2. Heat the chili in a small saucepan or microwave until hot.
3. Spread half of the tortilla chips on the bottom of a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.
4. Spread half of the chili over the chips.
5. Sprinkle with half of the cheese.
6. Repeat with remaining chips, chili and cheese.
7. Bake for about 7-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
8. Top with the garnish of your choice.
9. Serve immediately.

Mini Donut Balls with Pancake Mix

An easy solution to a sudden craving for old fashioned donuts.

Mini Donut Balls with Pancake mix

• 200g Pancake mix
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1-2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 egg
• Vanilla extract
• Sugar to sprinkle at the end, 
• Cinnamon, with your preference

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makes 10-12 small balls

Mix all ingredients together (except sugar and cinnamon), keep them in a fridge for a while, to make the dough easy to work with later. Meanwhile heat oil enough to cover small donut balls. Take the dough out of fridge when it's harden a bit, scoop a drop of dough with a spoon, fry them till golden crispy in medium heat. Sprinkle sugar all over at the end. 

Note:  When heat oil, make sure not to heat too high, it will burn the outside too quickly.

Cripsy Potato Skin Chips

Utilizing saved peeled potato skins that come out of your typical potato dishes such as mashed potatoes, stews, etc. A great way to add an extra dish to your supper, or use them as a healthy snack.

Cripsy Potato Skin Chips

• Potato skins (picture above is from 4 potatoes)
• Flour
• Salt & Pepper
• Vegetable oil

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1. Save potato skins when you cook other potato dishes such as mashed potatoes.
2. Put them on a paper towel, sprinkle salt and let the paper towel soak moistures, let them dry.
3. Heat oil, sprinkle pepper and flour all over the skin to separate them each other.
4. When the oil is hot, throw in the skins, make sure to separate them. Cook a portion at a time.
5. When they're golden crispy, take them out. 

Tool recommendation:

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

Daikon & Carrot salad, Sesame Mayo flavor

A refreshing salad with a bit of crunch. Fine shred makes it easy to eat plenty, hence helps digestion. Make a batch, and save for when you don't have time to make a fresh salad.

Daikon & Carrot salad, Sesame Mayo flavor

• 4-5 thin carrots, peel the skin if they're not fresh
• 1 medium size Daikon radish, 
• a handful of chopped Shiso mint leaves or basil
• 1-2 pieces of lemon or Orange rind, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame sauce (Goma dare) or Tahini sauce, if not, substitute with ponzu + sesame oil.
• 1-2 tbsp Mayonnaise 
• 1-2 tbsp vinegar (my favorite is Alessi fig infused vinegar, which gives a touch of sweetness.)
• Lemon juice
• White sesame seed

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makes 5-6 servings

Peel the skin off Daikon and carrots, chop the bottom end off, shred them. I use Mandolin Vegetable Slicer. It make a life so much easier. Just watch out not to cut your finger. Combine vegetables in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and toss well. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Meanwhile, chop the Shiso/ basil and lemon/ orange rind finely, then make a dressing by combining sesame sauce, mayo, vinegar, and lemon juice. Once vegetables are soft, combine everything together, and toss.  Serve chilled, sprinkle sesame seed before serving.

Tool recommendation:

Kyocera CSN-182S-NRD Wide Julienne Slicer, Red

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

A simple supper that's ready in 30 minutes.  Refreshing sun-dried tomato and green herbs works great with the rich flavor of Italian sausages.

 Fusilli Corti Bucati with Italian Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2/3 box of pasta of your choice ( I used Fusilli Corti Bucati this time, farfalle will work well, too. )
4 or 5 links of sweet Italian sausage or broccoli rabe sausage
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
6-7 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
a handful of chopped basil or Italian parsley
crushed red petter
white wine or sake
truffle oil
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makes about 3 servings

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  While you wait for the water to boil, chop all vegetables. Take sausage meat out of casings, heat a pan or thick bottomed pot (I use le creuset pot). Once hot, oil the surface, cook garlic in low/medium heat until fragrant, add sausage and brown them. Add onion and sauté them together. Throw in crushed red pepper and sun-dried tomato, drizzle some white wine or sake, cook them covered for a while.
Once pasta is ready, drain the pasta, toss them with sausages, drizzle some truffle oil, add basil, mix together.  Serve. Sprinkle generous amount of parmesan cheese.

Daigaku Imo (Glazed sweet potato sticks)

Daigaku-imo （大学いも）literally means University potatoes. The snack itself probably originated as a cheap high-calorie, affordable snack sold to students on budget. It is characterized by crispy outer shell with creamy interior, glazed and coated with crunchy black sesame. I am introducing a  quicker/ healthier modification of the original recipe.

Cut Japanese yam potato (Satsuma sweet potato) into sticks. Microwave them for 2 mins. Toast black sesames on frying pan till you smell the sesame. Empty the sesame out of pan, melt butter in a pan, saute potatoes till crispy outside. Blend black sesames into potatoes, drizzle maple syrup, sprinkle dash of lemon juice at the end.


揚げずにカリッと炒めたお芋に煎った黒ごま、メープルシロップ、最後にレモン汁を絞る。

手順：サツマイモの細切りに少し塩をしてレンジで２分。その間に黒ごまをフライパンで軽く煎っておく。煎ったごまを皿に取り出して、フライパンにバターを溶かす。チンしたお芋を強火でかりっと焦げ目がつくまで焼く。最後にメープルシロップとレモン汁、ごまを絡めて出来上がり。頂き物の川根茶と一緒に食す。ああ、幸せ。

ポイント：かりっと炒め焼きをするのと、ごまを煎ること。