tamago onigiri

Not really a recipe but this is a really easy idea from the "Kenmin Show".

On the island of Amamioshima, they make these tamago onigiri to take with them for lunch.

The original version is just rice, salt and egg.

I think the original is kind of plain because they eat these with other okazu (dishes).

I made these for breakfast so I added some okaka konbu (seasoned bonito with kelp)

For one tamago onigiri
1 egg
a little milk
a little olive oil

cooked rice about 120 grams

your favorite condiment

On medium heat, put a little olive oil into a non-stick pan
Beat one egg with a little milk
Pour the beaten egg into the pan and swirl to make a thin "crepe"
Turn heat to low and cook thoroughly
On a piece of plastic, place the cooked egg "crepe"
Put the rice onto crepe
Add your condiment
Pull up the edges of the plastic wrap and mold into a ball
NOTES: super easy and tasty...will definitely make this again

cabbage mochi

We recently received a lot of plain mochi (no filling).

I froze most of them. And with 3 of them I made this...cabbage mochi.

This is a pupu (appetizer) eaten in Fukushima prefecture. I learned about this one from that same show, Kenmin Show, that showcases different foods from the various prefectures in Japan.

Makes about 3 or 4 servings

1 small head of cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon of oil
3 mochi (rice cakes), cut into bite sized pieces
some water
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tablespoons shoyu
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)

Cut your cabbage & mochi into bite sized pieces
Add the oil to a heated pan and put the cabbage in
When the cabbage is almost wilted, add the mochi and a little water to steam
Just before the mochi starts to melt, add the mirin, shoyu & sake
Cook for about 3 minutes and serve

NOTES: this recipe actually asks you to add freshly made mochi, but we didn't have any, so I added the ones we received and steamed them along with the cabbage to soften. There weren't any measurements for the condiments, so what I have here is what I used. If you do use freshly made mochi, cook the cabbage to your liking with the condiments and add the mochi at the end.

Super easy and a different type of beer chaser.

kodomo yoshoku

Another easy recipe from that quirky show, Kenmin Show, that shows all the different foods from the various prefectures in Japan.

Kodomo Yoshoku literally means Children Western Food, this recipe combines potatoes (western), worchestershire sauce (western), green onions and sakura ebi (sergia lucens)

They didn't give any specific measurements, so I made this one up: (serves 2)

1 medium sized potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
handful of dried sakura ebi
handful of green onions
2 teaspoons of worchestershire sauce

Boil potato with the skin on until soft.
Peel and cut into bite sized pieces
In a pan, heat up oil
Add potato and toss
When it is coated with the oil, added ebi and half of the green onions
Then add the sauce
When everything is coated with the sauce, serve and top with the rest of the green onions.

NOTES: super fast, easy and goes well with beer. I'm making this again.

nasu kabayaki donburi

On a recent television show, which showcases the odd & mysterious cuisines from different prefectures in Japan, there was nasu kabayaki.

When one hears the word "kabayaki", most often one would think of unagi kabayaki (grilled eel).

Nasu Kabayaki is popular in Gunma prefecture. It is served just like unagi in a lacquered box, at the bottom is rice, next come slices of teriyaki chicken, on top, the grilled eggplant.

The texture is sort of similar to unagi, but has less calories.

Kabayaki Sauce: adapted from the internet : makes 3/4 cup
75 mililiters mirin (sweet rice wine)
25 mililiters sake (rice wine)
62 grams brown sugar
90 mililiters shoyu (soy sauce)

In a pot, bring the mirin and sake to a boil
Add the sugar and shoyu
Bring mixture back to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a glass container and cool before putting into the refrige.

Veggies
2-inch piece zucchini, thinly sliced
2-inch piece carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 package maitake, torn apart with fingers
1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Sautee veggies in a non-stick pan until they are cooked through, set aside.

Nasu Kabayaki (grilled eggplant): serves two
2 eggplants, peeled
2 tablespoons kabayaki sauce (see above)
sauteed veggies
sansho (Japanese pepper)
200 grams cooked rice

Cut the eggplant in half, lengthwise then make another cut in the middle lengthwise but not cutting all the way through.

Put it into a heated non-stick pan and drizzle some of the kabayaki sauce on it.

(Reserve about 1 teaspoon of sauce)

Flip eggplant over and drizzle a little more sauce.

When everything has caramelized a little, add a little water and cover.

Flip the eggplant and add a little more water. Cover the eggplant and cook. It should be soft but not too mushy.

Before serving, drizzle 1/2 a teaspoon onto the rice and top with eggplant and other veggies.

Sprinkle some sansho.

NOTES: this was good! Actually the original version uses a pastry "blow torch" to char the side not on your pan, but I thought that was a bit over the top to do in my kitchen, so I just kept flipping it over.

I served it with some tomato & onion miso soup. I'm definitely making this again.