Saturday, December 19, 2009

dinners

It's bonenkai season here. Satoshi has been eating out several times during the week. Which is fine with me, because I don't have to cook and usually buy something to eat.

But, for the dinners that he does have at home, I've been trying to get our veggies in with our main dishes, so that we won't have to eat cold salads.

I tried a new recipe the other day and adapted it because I had veggies in my refridge that needed using. The recipe is kinda rough around the edges because I noted what I used.

Daikon wrapped with pork
adapted from "Orange Page's Fuyu ni Oishii Kondate"
Serves 4

300 grams thinly sliced pork (I used pork sliced for shabu shabu)
5 cm of daikon (long white radish), cut into 2-3 mm wide match sticks
8 inches gobo (burdock) washed and sliced thin
3 inches zucchini, sliced thin
1 eringi mushroom, sliced thin
EVOO

Ginger sauce:
1 nub of ginger, grated
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)
1/2 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon sesame oil

green onions chopped

Wrap sliced daikon with pork
Put some oil in a pan and sear
Add the other veggies, when they are almost cooked through, add ginger sauce
Cook on high, tossing until most of the sauce evaporates, everything should get a little caramelized
Top with chopped green onions

I served this dish with kim chee miso soup, nukazuke (pickles soaked in rice bran) and rice.

For another dinner, I threw together a dish which was "nikujaga" mixed with cleaning out more veggies in the fridge.

I used this recipe. For the meat, I used leftover thinly sliced pork. I added 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato unpeeled, part of a daikon(long white radish), 1 onion and 1/4 cabbage.

I followed the recipe for the sauce and method to make it. It came out delicious.

And for another dinner, this was a last minute "I don't really feel like cooking anything" dish. Satoshi called me at the last minute one day to say he didn't need dinner (he had a last minute drinking gathering with a sales office).

I had some leftovers in the refridge, but didn't feel like eating it. So I sauteed some zucchini and eringi in EVOO and seasoned it with Herbs de Provence. Then added an egg and put everything over rice. A couple squirts of ketchup and hits of Tabasco. A simple yet satisfying dinner in less than 15 minutes!

What have you been enjoying for dinner?

9 comments:

Unknown said...

That's interesting. I've never heard of "bonenkai". Well, I won't participate in it this year because I don't think I want to forget this year... especially since it's the year I got married! Hahaha. I'm sure Kelli wouldn't like that.

As for what I've been enjoying for dinner, EVERYTHING! I'm so relieved to be eating almost normally! I'm gaining weight back tooooo fast!!!!

Rowena said...

You always eat so good, even when using up leftover vegs. I braised a a whole pheasant in a soy sauce mixture last night but the meat still came out rather dry, and with a hint of a wild flavor. Chicken, duck or goose are definitely the moister birds. Turkey too, if cooked properly! heh heh

K and S said...

You will be sleeping on the sofa if you forget Rick! But congrats on being able to eat normal, so happy for you, eat up, gain weight, enjoy!

Thanks Rowena, I try :) Hmm, I guess pheasant doesn't have as much fat as goose/duck.

Take care you two.
Kat

Jann said...

I wish I had the leftovers that you had~you certainly became creative this night!

Kelly said...

Your impromptu dinner with the egg and zucchini sounds great but what is erengi?

Last night for dinner I had baby greens, sliced avacado, sliced calamata olives, crumbled goat cheese with olive oil and lime dressing. I'm in love with that salad. :)

Deb in Hawaii said...

All three dinners look good. I have just been eating leftovers--curry and soup--trying to use things up as I leave for Portland Monday for the holidays.

K and S said...

Thanks Jann :)

Eringi is a type of mushroom Biologie :)

So glad you get to go to Portland Debinhawaii, I remember you couldn't go last year because of bronchitis. Enjoy!

Take care everyone.
Kat

KirkK said...

Hi Kat - I love the photo of the egg! I believe that everything tates better with an egg on top of it!

K and S said...

Thanks Kirk :) eggs and bacon make everything taste better!

Take care.
Kat