Miso Glazed Black Cod

This miso glazed black cod has to be one of my favourite dishes and since black cod is a little on the expensive side here I typically only use in on special occasions like Valentine's Day and it is alway an absolute please to do so! Black cod (aka sablefish) is a white fish that has a buttery texture due to the fatty layers that contain as much omega 3 fatty acids as wild salmon. My favourite way to enjoy black cod is in a super quick and easy miso marinade or glaze that takes 10 minutes to make the marinade and 10 minutes to cook with a marinate time of anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days. That means that you can make the marinade a day or more ahead of time and you can have an amazing dinner ready in under 10 minutes! Although the recipe for this misoyaki black cod is nice and simple it's so good that it's sure to impress that special someone on Valentines Day!

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Teriyaki Chicken Buns

This fabulous Teriyaki Chicken sandwich filling is perfect in freshly steamed Chinese Buns or Gua Bao.





Teriyaki Chicken Buns/Sandwiches

Ingredients

12 pcs (about 800 grams) Boneless & Skinless Chicken Thigh, cut into 2 to 3 pcs each

Teriyaki Sauce
8 Tbsp Soy Sauce
6 Tbsp Sake
4 Tbsp Mirin
2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Recipe Chinese Steamed Buns
1 Bunch Scallion/Green Onion, cut into 1 ½ to 2 inches segment & finely sliced
I Bunch Fresh Coriander
2 Cucumber, thinly sliced
1 Cup Roasted Peanut, chopped
Sweet Sauce/Tim Cheong (Store-bought)

Method

Sauce: Combine all the ingredients and mix until the sugar dissolved.

Heat a cast-iron pan or heavy-bottom pan until very hot. Add some oil, and
place the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides. Push the chicken aside, and remove some of the oil with a paper towel. Then spoon some Teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Bring the sauce to a boil and mix well with the chicken. When the sauce has thickened and coated with the chicken, remove the chicken from the pan.

To serve: Brush the inside of the buns with some sweet sauce and stuff with cucumber slices, chicken, scallion, coriander, and peanuts. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 Teriyaki Chicken Buns

Teriyaki Salmon and Pineapple Quesadillas

When I made the teriyaki salmon last week I could not help but think of making these teriyaki salmon and pineapple quesadillas! Teriyaki sauce and pineapple is such a fabulous flavour combination and you really can't go wrong throwing them into quesadillas with plenty of melted cheese! I kept these quesadillas nice and simple only adding some green onions and sriracha to the teriyaki salmon and pineapple and I went with monterey jack for the cheese. I made the teriyaki sauce a little differently by replacing the sake with pineapple juice to get even more pineapple flavour. Although these teriyaki salmon and pineapple quesadillas are super tasty all by themselves I served them topped with a drizzle of sriracha mayo and teriyaki sauce and a quick pineapple salsa!

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Salmon Teriyaki

Lately I have been trying to include more fish in my meal plans and teriyaki salmon is definitely one of my favourite ways to go! Salmon teriyaki is a super quick and easy meal where you simply marinate the salmon in a homemade teriyaki sauce and then broil or grill it! Not including the marinate time, salmon teriyaki takes less than 15 minutes to put together making it perfect for busy weeknight meals and it is also sure to impress dinner guests!

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Stone Pot Rice Bowl With Vegetables

This is a mouth-watering stone pot rice bowl recipe. Complete with stir-fry tofu and vegetables, top with a soft-boiled egg and flavored with Korean chili paste and Teriyaki Sauce.






Stone Pot Rice Bowl With Vegetables

Ingredients

3 Pcs (150 grams) Japanese Style Fried Tofu/Atsuage, halved & sliced
1 Tbsp Chopped Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
4 Scallions (white/green part, divided), sliced
1/2 Cup Shitake Mushrooms
2 Large Bok Choy, sliced
3 1/2 Cups Cooked Japanese Medium Grain/Gen-Ji-mai Brown Rice (2 portions)
2 Soft-Boiled or Poached Eggs
Teriyaki Sauce
Gochujang/Korean Chili Paste
Vegetable or Peanut Oil, for cooking

Teriyaki Sauce
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Mirin
3 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp Sugar

Method

Teriyaki Sauce: Combine all the ingredients, simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, over medium to high heat.

Add tofu slices, ginger, garlic, and stir-fry for about 1 to 2 minutes. Then mix in scallions (white part) and mushrooms, give it a good stir and lastly add the boo choy, stir until all the vegetables are cooked, remove from the heat.

Grease the inside of the stone pot with oil (over medium heat), and add a portion of cooked rice. Stir in the scallions (green part, mix well, and add some Korean chill paste, stir, follow by some Teriyaki sauce. Once the rice are warm and toasty, top with a portion of the stir-fry vegetables and a soft boiled egg. Give it a good stir, drizzle with extra Teriyaki sauce and some Korean chill paste, if desired. Serve warm

Makes 2 servings

Miso Soup With Clams

This rich-tasting soup is found in many Japanese restaurants, and it's easy to prepare at home. For a more substantial meal, you can add deep-fried bean curd, vegetables, and serve with some steamed rice.





Miso Soup With Clams

Ingredients

600 grams of Manila Clams, soaked with salt & rinsed & drained well
1 Piece (2-inches) Konbu/Kelp, wipe lightly with cloth & soaked in hot water for 30 minutes (discard Konbu)
1 Cup of Water
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Sake
1 1/2 Tbsp White Miso Paste
2 Scallions, sliced

Method

Place Konbu water, water, Mirin, sake ad clams in a pot to saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Once all the clams are open, skim off the scum and reduce the heat to low. Then place the Miso paste in a strainer and into the soup. Dissolve the miso with chopsticks or a whisk, stir well, and top with some scallions.

Rice Burger

The first time I had this rice burger was at a small cafe/bakery in Tokyo, Japan during the summer holiday. I remembered that both my kids enjoyed it, so we went back for more the next day. The elderly lady at the cafe was kind enough to share the recipe, so I tried, tested, and finally got the result I wanted. This is a perfect umami rice burger! Since the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII is around the corner, why not to try make this Japanese style burger for a change from the traditional burger?






Rice Burger

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef
4 Tbsp Finely Chopped White Onion
1 Tbsp Ginger Juice
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sake
4 Tbsp Panko
¼ tsp Sea Salt
Black Pepper
½ Cup Micro Arugula or any small spicy greens

Rice
2 ¼ Cups of Japanese Medium Grain Rice cooked with 2 ½ Cups of Water
4 Scallions, finely chopped

Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Sake
2 Tbsp Mirin
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Method

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, ginger juice, soy sauce, sake, panko, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix all the ingredients until well combined and marinate for about 30 minutes. Then, gather about ¼ of the meat and shape the patty into 2-½ inch round. You’ll have 9 patties for this recipe.

For the rice: Mix cooked (hot) rice with scallions, and let it cool slightly and shape into 2-½ inch round patty.

Sauce: Combine all the ingredients and mix until the sugar dissolved.

When ready to serve: Place rice patties into a lightly oil non-stick pan over medium heat until brown in color. Turn over, brush with sauce, and continue to grill until toasty and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Place the meat patties into a lightly oil grill pan, over medium-high heat. Grill the meat until brown, turn over, and brush generously with the sauce. When all sides are brown, remove and assemble the burger. Place a piece of rice, meat, and top with micro Arugula and another piece of rice. Serve warm.

Makes 9 mini Rice Burgers

Vegetable Omelette Roll

This Vegetable Omelette Roll is cooked with a Japanese-style and is a refreshing alternative to a normal omelette recipe. What’s more, it is fun and easy to make.






Vegetable Omelette Roll

Ingredients

3 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup of Mixed Vegetables, finely diced
(carrots, bell peppers, scallions, green chili)
2 Tbsp Whipping Cream
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil

Method

Place eggs in a measuring jug or bowl and beat with a fork or chopsticks. Add cream, mixed vegetables, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick pan over moderate heat. Lightly grease the pan with vegetable oil. Drip in a little bit of the egg into the pan. When the egg make a sizzling sound, pour 1/3 of the egg mixture and spread to even the thickness. Once the egg is half-cooked, roll/fold it with a rubber spatula or chopsticks. Then push the egg to one end, and grease the empty space with oil. Pour another 1/3 of the egg mixture into the empty space, continue to cook and roll/fold the egg. Repeat the process with the remaining egg mixture.

Once all the egg is rolled up, cook for another 30 to 40 seconds on all sides. Remove the egg and place on a paper towel. Let it cool slightly, trim off the end, and slice into 6 pieces. Serve warm with some ketchup or your favorite condiment.

Tofu and Wakame Miso Soup

With the cooler weather here I have been thinking about soups more and I thought that I would take the opportunity to update the recipe for one of my favourite soups, miso soup. Miso soup is a Japanese soup consisting of dashi and miso paste along with other ingredients that vary depending on region, season and taste. You will find miso soup on the menus at a lot of Japanese restaurants and it's super easy to make at home! One of the more common ingredients combos for miso soup is tofu and wakame (an edible seaweed) and it is the version that I probably make the most. One of the things that I like about miso soup, other that the fact that it's packed with flavour and umami along with being healthy, is that it usually only take a few minutes to make which makes it perfect busy work day meals!

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Japanese Beef Rolls ~ Negimaki

Next time you throw a party, these Japanese Beef Rolls will do the trick! It is a thinly sliced beef rolled with Enoki mushrooms, scallions, and asparagus. If you prepare ahead of time, it should take less than 10 minutes to serve this delicious appetizer.

Anyway, recently I started filming some home cooking videos to make it easier for anyone who is learning how to cook, especially my own kids. So I will try to include a step by step video whenever possible. If you liked the video or just want to see more, please give the video a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe my channel. Thanks :-)




Japanese Beef Rolls ~Negimaki

Ingredients

400 g of Thinly Sliced Rib Eye or Sirloin Steak (available at Asian grocers)
5 Stalks Asparagus, trimmed, halved
5 Stalks Scallions, trimmed and halved
120 g Enoki Mushrooms
4 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 to 3 Tbsp Sake
Shichimi-Togarashi

Method

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce and Mirin. Set aside.

Spread the slice beef on a cutting board and top with asparagus, scallion, and Enoki mushrooms. Roll up tightly and place seam side down.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and coat with oil. Arrange the rolls with the seam side down and sear all sides, and at the same time brush the rolls with the soy and mirin. Once the rolls are cooked, splash some sake and let the alcohol evaporated and top with some Shichimi pepper. Serve warm Wasabi mixed with soy sauce, if necessary.

Makes about 9 to 10 pcs of Japanese Beef Rolls

Maple-Miso Dijon Salmon

Maple dijon, a variation of honey dijon, is such a nice, easy and amazingly tasty flavour combo that goes great on so many things including meats like chicken and fish and vegetables like green beans, asparagus and even brussels sprouts, but my favourite way to enjoy it is on silky smooth salmon. Although the basic maple and dijon combo is great I often like to change things up with additions like grainy mustard or other flavours and one truly standout version is this one with a Japanese theme including miso. Miso is a fermented soybean paste that is packed with flavour and umami and it is typically used in soups but it also goes great in sauces and marinades like this one.

This maple-miso dijon salmon is literally as easy to make as mix the marinade, marinate and cook! All said and done it only takes about 15 minutes of effort! If you place the salmon in the marinade the night before or in the morning you can have the main course of your dinner ready in under 15 minutes! In addition to being super quick and easy to make it is amazingly tasty and pretty healthy to boot! The maple, miso and dijon flavours go magically well with the buttery, flaky salmon that just melts into your mouth!

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Teriyaki Shrimp Burgers with Grilled Pineapple Salsa, Bacon and Blue Cheese

I have been completely enamored by homemade shrimp burgers ever since I first tried them a short while ago and since they have been on my mind a lot I had to make some more! One combo that I particularly enjoy is juicy shrimp and a sweet and salty teriyaki sauce which goes fantastically well when wrapped in bacon and grilled on skewers along with some sweet and tangy pineapple and I was thinking that a burger version would be amazing! I kept the shrimp patties pretty simple with large chunks of shrimp, a few seasoning including garlic, ginger, sesame oil and teriyaki sauce, in addition to some breadcrumbs to help hold things together. Although you could easily use a store bought teriyaki sauce it is so easy to make your own and doing so gives you the opportunity to customize it for the dish that you are using it in like in this case where you use pineapple juice. I filled the burgers out with some bacon and instead of using slices of grilled pineapple I kicked things up a bit and went with a grilled pineapple salsa. I often like to include a cheese in my burgers and after thinking about it for a while I came to the conclusion that a touch of creamy blue cheese would go perfectly well with all of the other flavours going on in these burgers! I might just have found my new all time favourite burgers in these teriyaki shrimp burgers with pineapple salsa, bacon and blue cheese and I have to admit that I made them two times last week!

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Cucumber With Sesame Dressing

This is a light and refreshing Japanese inspired Cucumber With Sesame Dressing appetizer. A quick cucumber pickle flavored with toasted sesame and soy sauce.



Cucumber With Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

2 Japanese Cucumbers
½ tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Roasted Sesame Seeds, pounded (for sprinkling)
Shichimi (Japanese 7 spice mixture) Optional

Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
4 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Yuzu Vinegar
1 Tbsp Pounded Toasted Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Method

Cut cucumber into ¼ inches slices and put into a mixing bowl, sprinkle with salt and mix well. Leave the cucumber for 10 minutes to absorb the salt then drain off excess liquid. Return cucumber to the bowl and mix with the sesame dressing. To serve, arrange the cucumber and spoon the sauce over it, and sprinkle with some pounded sesame seeds and spice mixture.

Kale, Butternut Squash and Mushroom Miso Soup

The other day when I was cleaning out my fridge I came across a tub of miso and that reminded me that it had been far too long since I last made miso soup! Miso is a Japanese ingredient that is made with fermented soybeans and it is used in a lot of different dishes including miso soup. Miso soup is a Japanese soup that is made with dashi, a Japanese broth packed with umami, miso and various other ingredients like tofu and vegetables depending on the region and time of year. One of the things that I like most about miso soup is that it is so easy to make and if you have the dashi on hand it only takes a few minutes to prepare. You can add pretty much any ingredients that you want to your miso soup and I like to use whatever vegetables are currently in season and keep things nice and healthy! This time I went with a tasty combo of kale, butternut squash and enoki mushrooms. Miso soup makes for a quick, easy and healthy breakfast, especially when combined with a bowl of nattou on rice!

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Dashi

Dashi (出汁, だし) is a Japanese broth or stock that is used in many Japanese dishes from soups to rice bowls to okonomiyaki and even in omelettes. One of the reasons that it is used in so many dishes is because it is packed full of umami and it adds a ton of flavour to anything that you use it in. There are several different kinds of dashi but the main one is made with kombu, a dried kelp, and katsuobushi or bonito flakes or dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna. These days dashi is commonly made with an instant powder but it is so easy to make from scratch once you get your hands on the kombu and katsuobushi. You can find both the kombu and katsuobushi in a local Asian grocery store and these days some larger grocery stores have them in the Asian section or sometimes in the sushi section. Once you have your dashi a good place to start using it is in a basic miso soup!

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Shoyu/Soy Sauce Chicken Stir-Fry

It took less than 30 minutes to prepare this Shoyu Chicken Stir-Fry. It's simple and tasty with steamed rice and soft-boiled eggs, if you desire.

Shoyu/Soy Sauce Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

300 g (4 pieces) Skinless & Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite size
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Chopped Ginger
1 Small Onion, sliced
2 Tbsp Peanut or Vegetable Oil

Sauce
3 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dark-Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Mirin
3 Tbsp Sake
200 ml Chicken Stock or Water
¾ tsp Corn Starch

Toppings
2 Scallions, chopped
Soft-Boiled Eggs
Steamed Rice

Method

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Mirin, Sake, chicken stock, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Toss the chicken pieces with some salt and pepper. In a skillet or wok, stir-fry the chicken with oil and ginger over high heat until no longer pink. Mix in the soy sauce mixture. Bring it to a boil, add the onion, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve over rice, and top with soft-boiled eggs, and some chopped scallions.

Serves 4

Buffalo Chicken Sushi

Last week I went out for sushi and that got me thinking about making sushi at home. Although I am still a bit leery about making actual sushi at home with raw fish, that does not stop me from having a bit of fun with sushi in the form of this buffalo chicken sushi! I am totally addicted to buffalo chicken in all forms and when I came across the recipe for buffalo chicken sushi on Choosy Beggars I immediately bookmarked it to try later! This sushi contains all of the flavours of buffalo chicken wings including the buffalo chicken, blue cheese, carrots and celery all rolled up in rice and nori. Sushi is actually pretty easy to make at home and this tasty buffalo chicken sushi is definitely worth the effort! You can serve this buffalo chicken sushi with soy sauce, hot sauce or even blue cheese dressing for your dipping pleasure and I served it with a drizzle of mayo and hot sauce.

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Zesty Soba Noodles

Try serving this healthy Zesty Soba Noodles for a light lunch or as a side to your favorite meat meal. This noodle dish is tossed with soy and sesame dressing. Really simple to make. Hope your family enjoys this recipe.

Zesty Soba Noodles

Ingredients

1 Packet (270g) Organic Soba/Buckwheat Noodle, cooked as per manufacturer’s instructions, chilled
4 Stalks Scallion, chopped
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Roasted Seaweeds

Soy & Sesame Dressing
4 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp Japanese Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Yuzu Vinegar
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Method

Combine all the salad dressing ingredients and whisk well. When ready to serve, toss the chilled soba with prepared dressing, top with chopped scallions,some sesame seeds and roasted seaweeds.

Serves 4

Okonomiyaki, Hiroshima Style

One of my favourite Japanese dishes has to be Okonomiyaki a savoury Japanese style pancake and luckily it is really easy to make at home so I can indulge whenever I want. Recipes for okonomiyaki vary from region to region in Japan and there are two main styles of okonimiyaki the Osaka style where all of the ingredients are mixed up into a batter and cooked and the Hiroshima style where the ingredients are layered as the pancake cooks. I normally make the Osaka style of okonomiyaki as it is by far the easier recipe but the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is also really good and definitely worth the effort to make it every once in a while.

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Deep-Fried Banana Dumplings

Does this happens to you? Whenever I make dumplings, I always have some surplus dumpling wrappers. This dessert dumpling uses the balance wrappers from the Deep Fried Savory Dumplings which I made and had posted yesterday. So, I'd like to throw this question out there, what do you do with these surplus wrappers? Feel free to also share your thoughts with all the readers here. Thanks.

In any case, let's get back to this recipe. These are Deep-Fried Banana Dumplings, topped with confectioner's sugar, chocolate sauce, and served with chocolate Gelato. I'll admit this is pretty similar to the one served in a Japanese restaurant which I frequent here in Vancouver. You will enjoy the sweetness and the fragrance of the baby bananas. The fried dumpling wrapper is just superb as well. It has the right crunchiness, a milder taste, and not too hard as compared to Wonton wrapper. As for the bananas, it's advisable to use the baby bananas variety because it's sweeter and it has a crunchier texture. Try it!


Deep-Fried Banana Dumplings

Ingredients

18-20 Circular Flour-And-Water Dumpling Wrappers

Filling


5 Ripe Baby Bananas, lightly mashed
A Squeezed of Lime Juice


Confectioners' Sugar
Chocolate Sauce

Method




Combine the mashed banana and lime juice in a medium bowl, and mix well.

Place a dumpling wrapper flat on your hand, and add 1 ½ tsp of banana filling. Brush or wet the edge of the wrapper with water. Fold one side of the skin over the filling, and seal the dumpling with a series of little pinches if you wish. Make sure you pinch the skins together tightly so the filling can't ooze out.



Deep-fry the dumplings over medium heat for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes or until they are light golden brown in color. Drain on a paper towel, topped with confectioners’ sugar, drizzle some chocolate sauce, and serve with chocolate Gelato, if desired.