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: .

Tomato Red Sauce with Meat Balls

This is the very basic way of making home-made red (tomato) sauce for stocking. In order to feed my Italian descent husband, I make a batch of red sauce bi-weekly, usually on Sunday (so called Sunday sauce). We'd eat freshly made sauce with meatball over spaghetti or ravioli. Then I separate the left-over meatballs from sauce. I keep a jar of sauce in a fridge, and another jar in a freezer. A jar stored in a fridge can be used for a quick pasta dish during the week. The left-over meatballs can be used to make meatball sandwich for lunch. I sometime add italian sausage, chicken on bones, or pork ribs to the sauce to give a richer flavor. Ideally, you want to cook the sauce at least 3 hours.

The"Red Sauce" ~ basic tomato sauce 

• 3 large cans of peeled tomatoes (I used 3-35oz cans)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, shredded or grated
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• a few bay leaves
• about 1/5 a can of water, to clean the inside of each can and add it to the sauce
• Red wine (optional)

Meatballs 

• 1lb ground meat (I used pork, beef, veal mix)
• 1 egg
• bread crumb
• milk
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried oregano
• nutmeg
• dried red pepper 
• black pepper and salt
• a dash of worcestershire sauce
• grated parmesan cheese

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to make about 10 servings

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté chopped garlic and onion in low/med heat. 
2. When onion looks golden and fragrant, add carrots and bay leaves, cook for few more minutes.
3. Open cans and add all the contents to the pot, clean the inside of each can with water, and add it to the pot as well. Bring it to boil with high heat, uncovered.
4. Once boiling, scoop out the foamy scums on the surface, lower the heat.
5. After 30 min of so, smash the tomatoes with potato masher, continue cooking in low heat.
6. Make meatballs - In a large bowl, let the bread crumbs soak in cold milk. When the bread crumbs get fluffy, add the rest of ingredients, mix well until it gets sticky. Let it sit.
7. After 1-2 hours, throw in meatballs, cook another 1 hour or so. Add red wine. (optional)
8. When the sauce reaches to your preferable thickness, stop the heat and serve over your favorite pasta, topped with chopped fresh parsley or basil, and grated parmesan cheese. 

You can use the red/tomato sauce to make dishes like:

• pizza 
• tortilla soup
• chili con carne
• lasagna

Using Stocked Red (Tomato) Sauce: Chili con Carne

Heres's one way to turn your stocked Italian red (tomato) sauce into a hearty & warming, Tex-Mex style chili. Can be served by itself with some tortilla chips or bread. You can also use it for tacos, Chili Nachos, or filling for quesadilla. Great stocking food during cold winter.

Chili con Carne

• 1lb ground meat
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chpped
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups red (tomato) sauce
• 1 can kidney beans, drained 
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 cup beef broth (or chicken broth, or water)

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makes about 6 servings

1.  In a saucepan or Dutch oven (I use Le Creuset pot), cook garlic and onion till they turn golden and fragrant, add jalapeño and bell pepper, continue over medium heat-high heat. Once they are soft, add ground meat.
2. Add all of dried ingredients (chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, cumin, cocoa powder, and bay leaves), stir occasionally and brown the meat.
3. Stir in Tomato (red) sauce, bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in beans. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until desired thickness.

Note: Adjust the amount of broth or water, depending on the thickness of your tomato (red) sauce.

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.

Marinated Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

I almost never cook steak at home, but this is the only option. Skirt steak is a part of beef that is relatively thin, easy-to-cook, yet is as flavorful as some of more expensive cuts. Chimichurri sauce is an Argentinean condiment which consists of olive oil, parsley and oregano. It goes perfectly with a juicy skirt steak and is a healthier way to eat steak with.

Marinated Skirt Steak 

• 1lb of skirt steak
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 cloves garlic, grated
• salt and pepper
• a wedge of lemon or lime juice

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makes 2-3 servings

1. Season steak with a pinch of salt & pepper on each side, grate garlic over the meat, pour soy sauce and balsamic vinegar, flip the meat and marinate each side. Refrigerate the steak for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.
2. Once the steak has finished marinating, remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (for about 30 minutes).
3. When ready to cook the steaks, prepare your grill for grilling.
4. Grill the steak over medium-high heat till the edge looks shrunk/crispy (4-6 mins), flip over, cook till the meat feels firm and thickened (4-6 mins)  to serve it rare to medium-rare.
5. Once cooked, lay the steak on a clean cutting board, and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes to let the meat redistribute its juices.
6. Serve with chimichurri sauce and a wedge of lime or lemon.

Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley and/or fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried oregano)
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

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makes about one cup

1. Pulse the garlic and shallot in the food processor until finely chopped. 
2. Add the rest of ingredients in processor, puree them. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Note: 

You can simply chop all the vegetable finely with a knife, if not using food processor. It'll give you a more earthy flavor.

The left-over chimichurri sauce can be packed in a small ziploc bag and be frozen for a later use. If kept in a fridge, use them up in a few weeks.  Some ideas for alternative use include omelettes, quesadillas, or on other grilled meat dishes.

Pico de Gallo (salsa fresca) and Guacamole

Healthy snack, great as a party appetizer. I make the two dippings together, since they use similar ingredients.

Pico de Gallo

• 2 packs of grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 lime, juiced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• a cup of cilantro
• salt and pepper
• white vinegar

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makes 4-5 servings

1. Finely chop all vegetables. Keep them in separate containers. Strain chopped tomatoes and remove excess liquid. You can reserve the tomato liquid to make  a healthy cocktail-drink later.
2. In a bowl, combine all vegetables, season with lime juice, white vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Adjust flavor to your taste by adding onion, jalapeño and cilantro, little by little. Same with the seasonings.

Guacamole

• 2 Avocados
• pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt
• a pinch of ground cayenne pepper and cumin

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makes 4-6 servings

1. In a bowl, mash halved avocados, add lime juice, pico de gallo, and garlic, mix together.
2. Season with salt, cayenne pepper and cumin.
3. Adjust flavor by adding remained vegetables from pico de gallo recipe.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve chilled.

Note: The amount of ingredients are just a guide. Just chop a bunch, keep them in a separate container, add each ingredient gradually, taste, then reach to your best flavor.

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.

How to make Red Bean Paste (Anko: 餡子)

Anko, red bean paste, is used in many confectionery in Japan, most commonly used for wagawashi (traditional Japanese confectionery). Anko is often used in a similar way as chocolate, sometimes wrapped in pastry, bread, mochi (we call it Daifuku), or topped on ice cream. I simply like to eat it with sticky mochi, or in Zenzai style, a soupier version with mochi inside. This is my comfort sweets around New Year.

 Red bean paste (Anko: 餡子)

• 10 oz (283.5g) Azuki red bean 
• 280g suger
• water
• a pinch of salt

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1. Rinse azuki beans, let them soak over night with a plenty of water in Donabe (earthenware pot) or other deep pot. Pour water till 1-2 inches above the beans.
2. When soaked, start heating the pot, bring them to boil in high heat. Covered.
3. Once boiling, scoop the scum off the surface, reduce heat to low, cook for 1-2 hr, covered.
4. keep adding water so that beans are always covered.
5. Pick one azuki bean and squeeze it with your fingers. If it is smushed easily, it’s done. Check few azuki beans and make sure all beans are soft. ( *Once you add the sugar, uncooked beans will harden like a stone.)
6. Dump azuki beans into a strainer, drain water completely.  
7. In a pot, add 70mil of water and sugar, then cook till sugar is dissolved.
8. Add drained azuki beans, cook in high heat even after boiling, keep mixing gently to avoid burning the beans, or mash beans too much.
9. Stop the heat when beans a thicker and syrupy (they will harden as they cool down), add a pinch of salt.
10. Move azuki bean into a container, let them cool down completely before you eat. You can wrap extra portion with saran wrap, keep in a freezer. 

Note: Cooking time varies depending on the kind of Azuki bean you're using, and how old they are, as well as the kind of pot you're using. The brand I used tend to cook in about 1 hour.  The sweetness of azuki bueans also  depends on what kind of sugar you use. White sugar tends to be too sweet to my taste. Experiment with different kinds of sugar and discover your own favorite. 

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

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche is a classic French tart originated in Germany. It consists of savory custard with cheese, meat, and vegetables.  Quiche Lorraine is a popular kind that uses spinach, onion and bacon. I usually make one in a 11-Inch Round Quiche Pan, then keep it in a fridge as a breakfast supply for a few days. In the morning, cut up a piece, heat up in a toaster oven till crispy outside, serve with a salad. I find it remains tasty until finish the last piece.

Quiche  Lorrain

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 or 3 tbsp of shredded Cheese (such as Swiss, mozzarella, etc.)
• 1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed in room temperature
• 1 small/medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped (this time, I used 6 slices of soppressata instead)
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry)

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makes about 5-6 servings

First, thaw the puff pastry overnight in a fridge, or 2-3 hours in room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, spread out the dough big enough to cover 11-inch round quiche pan.  

Coat a surface of the quiche pan with 1/2 tbsp of melted butter, fit the dough into the pan.  

Heat a pan on a stove, and brown bacon till crispy, take them out and drain on a paper towel/ newspaper. Take the excessive oil out of pan, as well. Discard the fat or reserve for another use.

Using the same pan, sauté onion till clear, add spinach, season with salt and pepper, cook till liquids are evaporated, then add the crispy bacon.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add heavy cream and cheese, whisk together.

Layer the spinach in the bottom of the pie crust, then pour the egg mixture on top.

Bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.

Key: Cook the bacon till crispy and sautéing vegetable separately. This will make the flavor stronger.
Caution: Make sure to hold the edge of the quiche pan, since the center part is removable.  

The Quiche Pan I used:
Kaiser Bakeware Basic Tinplate 11-Inch Round Quiche Pan with Removable Bottom

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。

Bratwurst dinner

This is my nice n easy, weekday-night German style supper. Sip a beer while you cook, dip a sausageinto a mustard of your choice.

Brown the surface of bratwurst crispy in Le Creuset pot, take them out, then throw in chopped garlic, onion, shiitake mushroom.  Saute until they smell nicely.  Add washed and drained sauerkraut, shredded apple. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and caraway seeds.  Add chicken broth, bring them to simmer. Add browned sausage back in, cook for about 30 minutes.

Make the potato salad while you wait.

Highlights:  Definitely the sauerkraut.  Tasty and healthy. You can get creative on this. Make a batch, and you're set for a week. Great with beer.

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

The crunchy, sweet yet delicate flavor of lotus root has numerous health benefits. It is high in fiber, and an excellent sources of vitamin C. Lotus root has traditionally been used to treat various respiratory problems, as well.

Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) also have remarkable medicinal qualities. Their powerful acidity has a paradoxical alkalinizing effect on the body, neutralizing fatigue, stimulating the digestion, and promoting the elimination of toxins. This is the Far Eastern equivalent to both aspirin and apple; not only is it a potent hangover remedy for mornings after; more than that, an umeboshi a day is regarded as one of the best preventive medicines available.

CrunchyTangy lotus root salad

1 section of lotus root
1 piece of umeboshi pickled plum
5~6 leaves of basil
a dash of ponzu sauce
1 tbsp of mayonnaise
white sesame seed
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makes 2~3 servings

Chop each end of lotus root, peel the skin off, slice them in 2-3mm thickness.
Soak them in water with a little vinegar for 5-10 minutes.
Remove a seed from Umeboshi, mince it by chopping, chop basil leaves as well.
Boil water in a pot, throw in strained lotus roots, cook them for 1~2 minutes, drain water right away.
While still hot, coat them with ponzu sauce, once less hot, add mayonnaise, basil and minced umeboshi and mix them together. Serve chilled, sprinkle sesame seeds when serve.