Edamame Appetizer Recipe - Salt-boiled Edamame

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Edamame are green soybeans which are rich in proteins and vitamins A, B, and C. Salt-boiled edamame in pods are eaten by squeezing beans out of pods with fingers. It's a great appetizer to serve with beer.
*If you are using cooked frozen edamame, just thaw them in the bridge.
Photo Tutorial: How to Prepare Edamame Appetizer

About Edamame

Japanese Vegetable Recipes

Japanese Recipes
Japanese Food Pictures

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh edamame in pods, or frozen edamame in pods
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tbsp salt

Preparation:

Cut off the stem end of edamame pods. Wash edamame and drain. Put edamame in a medium bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the edamame. Rub them with salt. Boil lots of water in a large pot. Add 1 Tbsp of salt in the boiling water. Add edamame in the boiling water and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander. Spread boiled edamame on a flat tray and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of salt over them. Cool the edamame.
*Makes 4 servings


Source
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/bean/r/edamame.htm

Japanese-style Christmas Menu

By Setsuko Yoshizuka

Japanese people celebrate Christmas even though most of the population isn't Christian. You might be wondering what Japanese people eat on that day. It's common to eat a special dinner on Christmas Eve in Japan. Many people go out for a special dinner at a fancy restaurant, so the well-known restaurants are usually fully booked on Christmas Eve.

At home, the kinds of Christmas dinner dishes change slightly year-by-year, but usually roast chicken or fried chicken and a Christmas cake are included. In fact, KFC restaurants around Japan get very busy on Christmas Eve. Instead of cooking a whole chicken, cooking chicken thighs is common in Japan. Lately, various pizza has also become a popular food to eat on the Christmas Eve.

Most of Japanese people buy Christmas cakes at stores. Different kinds of Christmas cakes are sold everywhere in Japan. When making a typical Japanese Christmas cake at home, making sponge isn't easy for beginners. You can use any cake mix if you would like. Also, roast teriyaki chickens are popular Chrismas menu. Try making your own roast teriyaki chickens. Here is a list of some ideas for Japanese-style Christmas dinner.

Source

http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/holidays/a/christmasdinner.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