green tea icecream with Azuki & Shiratama dango

In Japan, we eat Mochi as a dessert especially this time of year when the moon is at its biggest. Treat your friends with this traditional Japanese dessert after a cozy autumn feast.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2.5 oz. Shiratamako (rice flour)      

2/3 cup water

7 oz. (1 small can) prepared red beans (Yude Azuki)

7 oz. green tea icecream

Directions:

Make the Shiratama Dango: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Mix the Shiratamako and water well with hands in a medium bowl until it doesn’t stick to your hands. Make a small ball then press slightly to make quarter-sized Dango. Place them into the boiling water one by one.
1 minute after the Dango started floating to the surface of the water, using a slotted spoon transfer all of them to icewater to cool down.
In a clear glass, serve green tea icecream then Azuki. Top with a few Shiratama Dango.

garlic fried rice with salmon and mushrooms

Salmon and mushrooms are in season this time of year. This is a great recipe to enjoy autumn flavors. Use left-over cooked rice or defrosted rice from your freezer. I normally keep left-over rice in the freezer wrapped individually. Left-over rice is drier than just -cooked rice and when fried won't become soggy and sticky.

serves 4


Ingredients:
1 lb. skinless salmon, cut into 2 pieces
3 oz. fresh oyster mushrooms, rinsed, cut into bite sizes
3 oz. fresh Shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
4 cups cooked short-grain rice, chilled
2 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1 pinch of salt & 1 tablespoon Sake or white wine for boiling salmon


Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat, add a pinch of salt and the sake. Add salmon and cook about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not over-cook. Transfer the salmon to a plate, loosen the meat and remove the bones. This process prevents the salmon from becoming too dry when stir-fried later.


Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry until the garlic is golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to paper towel to drain. Keep the remaining oil in the wok.


Return the wok to medimun-high heat and add the oyster and Shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring about 2 minutes. Add salmon and cook another minute. Break up any clumps of rice, add to the wok, toss and stir using a wooden spoon about 1 minute. Add soy sauce, butter and 1 pinch of salt and toss to mix thoroughly.
Transfer to a serving dish, top with chives and black pepper.

spaghetti with garlic squid

Sprinkling Nori on top gives an extra pleasant aroma. 

You can substitute squid with octopus if you like. Don’t forget the key ingredient, Shiso!

Serves 2


Ingredients:

½ lb. cleaned squid

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ white onion, sliced

½ dried spaghetti

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

2 shiso leaves, thinly sliced

1 Nori sheet / Japanese dried seaweed


Directions:

Cut the squid crosswise into rings ¼ inch wide and set aside. In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and the butter. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute to release the garlic’s fragrance. Add the onion and cook, stirring about 2 minutes. Add the squid and cook stirring another 1 minute.

Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a medium pot of boiling salted water, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente or according to the package instructions. Drain the spaghetti, transfer to the sauté pan and toss gently.  

Divide the spaghetti into two dishes. Tear the Nori into small shreds and top with the Shiso. Serve immediately.

Kabocha squash croquet

Pumpkin is a common ingredient in the Japanese diet; it encourages vitality and healthy skin and helps the body rid itself of impurities. Kabocha squash croquet is great as a main dinner dish. I use left-overs in my daughter's lunch box the next day.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. Kabocha squash or sugar pumpkin, seeded, cut in 2 inch cubes

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 pinch of sea salt

For frying

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour, in shallow plate

2 cups Panko / Japanese bread crumbs, in shallow plate

    vegetable oil

For dipping (mix together)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

Spread the pumpkin on a microwave safe plate. Wet a kitchen paper towel with water and cover the pumpkin. Microwave 3 - 5 minutes until tender. Cooking time might be different depending on the pumpkin, so good a bit longer if any hard parts remain. While it's warm, scoop the pumpkin flesh into a bowl and discard the skin. Add soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Mash the pumpkin with a potato masher.

Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat, add onion and saute about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with pumpkin and mix. Shat the pumpkin into patties the size of small hamburgers with your hands.

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot about 350. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl.

Dredge the pumpkin patties in the flour, dip in the beaten eggs, then dredge in Panko, shaking off any excess. Fry the pumpkin patties in the hot oil until lightly golden, 2 - 4 minutes. Do not fry more than 3 patties at one time to avoid the patties becoming soggy due to a sudden drop in oil temperature. 

Transfer to paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Serve with dipping sauce.