Kinpira Renkon

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Kinpira renkon is braised lotus root. Lotus root (renkon) is rich in vitamin C and is thought to be a good luck food in Japan.

Kinpira Gobo Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. renkon (lotus root), peeled and sliced into thin rounds or thin half rounds
• 3 oz. carrot, peeled and sliced into thin half-rounds
• 2 tsps vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sake
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 Ttbsp mirin
• 1 Tbsp soysauce
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Preparation:

Soak renkon slices in water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry carrot and renkon slices for a couple minutes on medium heat. Add sake and stir-fry until the liquid is gone. Add mirin and sugar and stir-fry until the liquid is gone. Further, add soy sauce and stir-fry quickly. Stop the heat and sprinkle sesame seeds at last.
*Makes 4 servings


Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/vegetable/r/kinpirarenkon.htm

Yudofu Recipe - Tofu Recipe

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Here is an easy tofu recipe. Yudofu is Japanese tofu hot pot.
Japanese Tofu Recipes

Japanese Recipes
Japanese Food Pictures

Ingredients:

• 2 blocks silk tofu (kinugoshi)
• 6 inches konbu (kelp)
• 5 cup water
• For dipping sauce: 2 cups dashi soup
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• For toppings: dried bonito flakes / chopped scallions

Preparation:

Clean the konbu with wet towel. Put the konbu and water in a donabe ceramic pot and leave it for a few hours. Cut tofu into small cubes. Put the pot over low heat at the table. Add tofu in the pot and simmer. Put dashi soup stock, soy sauce, and mirin in a pot and heat to make dipping sauce. Pour the dipping sauce into individual bowls. Add some topping in the bowl and eat boiled tofu, dipping in the sauce. Makes 4 servings


Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tofu/r/yudofu.htm

Japanese Grilled Eggplant

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Japanese grilled eggplants are called yakinasu and usually served cold. It's a traditional Japanese summer dish.
Japanese Eggplant Recipes

Japanese Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients:

• 4 Japanese eggplants
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsps katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
• *soy sauce for seasoning

Preparation:

Heat grill. Place eggplants on the hot grill. Grill them until they are softened and the skins get really burnt. Cool the grilled eggplants in water and peel the skins. Dry eggplants with paper towels and trim the stems. Chill eggplants in the refrigerator. Serve them on a plate and put katsuobushi and grated ginger on top. Season with some soy sauce before eating.
*2 servings


Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/vegetable/r/broiledeggplant.htm

Goya Chanpuru

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Okinawa is the southmost prefecture of Japan. Bitter gourd is called goya in Okinawan dialect. Goya has dark-green and bumpy skin. Goya skin is very bitter but is rich in vitamin C. Because of the bitterness, it's said that eating goya helps to beat the heat in summer, and goya dishes are often eaten during the summer. Chanpuru are regional specialities in Okinawa which are stir-fried dishes. Adding eggs in goya chanpuru softens the bitterness.
Japanese Pork Recipes

Japanese Recipes
Japanese Food Pictures

Ingredients:

• 1 goya (bitter gourd)
• 1 block cotton tofu
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced pork, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 2 tsps sake (rice wine)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• *vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Cut goya in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon. Slice the goya thinly and sprinkle some salt over them. Wash the goya slices and squeeze to remove the water. Wrap tofu with paper towel and place it on a cutting board. Put another cutting board or a plate on top the tofu to remove liquid from tofu. Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet. Stir-fry pork and sprinkle salt over the pork. Crumble tofu into large pieces and add in the skillet. Stir-fry with pork. Add goya slices and stir-fry with tofu and pork. Pour beaten eggs over and stir quickly. Season with soy sauce, salt, and sake and stir lightly. *Makes 4 servings

Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/pork/r/porkgoyachanpu.htm

Beef and Onion Kabob - Japanese

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef
• 2 onion
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• *vegetable oil

Preparation:

Cut beef into bite-sized chunks. Cut onion into chunks as the same size as beef. Put oil on bamboo skewers. Pierce bamboo skewers into beef and onion pieces. Mix soy sauce and mirin in a plate and marinate skewered beef and onion for one hour. Drain well. Grill the kabobs over high heat until the meat is cooked. *Makes 4 servings

source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/beef/r/beefonionkabob.htm

Simmered Eggplants Recipe

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

In this recipe, eggplants are deep-fried before they are simmered. It's called ageni in Japanese. This dish can be chilled before serving in summer.

Ingredients:

• 4 Japanese eggplants, cut in half lenghthwise
• 1 1/3 cup dashi soup stock
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp katakuriko or corn starch
• 1 Tbsp water
• *vegetable oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Make diagonal incisions on the skin side of eggplants. Heat oil to 360 degrees F in a skillet for deep-frying. Deep-fry eggplants until softened. Combine dashi soup, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to low. Simmer fried eggplants in the soup for about 10 minutes. Remove the eggplants into a plate. Bring the soup to a boil and add the mixture of katakuriko starch and water. Stir quickly and stop the heat. Add grated ginger in the soup and pour it over simmered eggplants.
*Makes 4 servings

Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/vegetable/r/eggplantnitsuke.htm