Sunday, June 3, 2007

Cold Soba Salad Wraps




This is equally good as a wrap or just a pasta salad.

Ingredients:
100g soba noodles, cooked and chilled
1 yellow pepper (red or orange are good too), chopped roughly
1 small eggplant, diced
10-15 stalks mini asparagus
1/2 peice negi, chopped roughly
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped roughly
1-2 Tbsp oily sesame salad dressing
4 tortilla wraps



Method:
1. Place all veggies on a roasting pan. Drizzle with salad dressing.
2. Place in the oven on broil or a toaster oven until slightly browned.
3. Using a fork to hold them steady, chop veggies into smaller peices.
4. Mix veggies with soba noodles.
5. Place some filling on each tortilla and wrap.

Satsumaimo Rice




mmmm...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 cup water or just less
1/4 cup satsumaimo, diced
1-2 Tbsp soy sauce

Method:
1. Combine rice, water, and satsumaimo in rice cooker and cook.
2. Add soy sauce and eat.

Tofu Salad with Sesame Dressing




Really simple concept but, believe it or not, I had to be told about this one before I thought to make it.

Ingredients:
4 cups romaine lettuce, ripped into small bits and washed thoroughly
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, sliced diagonally
1/2 yellow pepper (orange or red are good too), julienne
1/2 peice negi, diced
200g tofu, well-drained and cubed
sesame dressing to taste

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a huge bowl and eat. The longer it sits the better.

When buying salad dressings, always be careful of katsuo (fish flavouring). It is in almost everything! I am going to post a homemade sesame dressing recipe for this salad soon.

Roasted Satsumaimo with Brown Sugar

Satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato) is quickly becoming my favourite vegetable. It is the star of the Zosui recipe I posted a little while ago and I wanted to find some other easy and delicious recipes which employ this wonderful yam. Here is a really easy and delicious take on an old Western classic.

Ingredients:
satsumaimo
brown sugar
oil or vegan margarine

Method:
1. Slice Satsumaimo and place in a (preferably non-stick) oven-save pan.
2. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with brown sugar to taste.
3. Put in 210 degree (C) oven.
4. Flip slices at least once. Cook for around 15-20 minutes or until soft and browned.
5. Eat.

Kanpyo Makizushi




It's time I posted a quick and easy method for another Japanese classic. I used to make veg sushi at home and always had huge rolls with avocado, carrot, tofu, etc. Here I have gotten used to the half size, one filling rolls. Easy to eat and quick to make. I have mostly had kanpyo (marinated gourd) sushi here. And guess what? You can get pre-sliced and seasoned packets of kanpyo that are the perfect size for a delicious makizushi roll.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 1/4 cups water

4-5 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
8 strips of kanpyo
2 sheets of dried nori, cut in half
soy sauce
pickled ginger (optional)

Method:
1. Combine rice and water in rice cooker and cook for around 20 minutes.
2. Mix rice vinegar and sugar until mostly dissolved (heating helps dissolve) and stir into rice.
3. Spread rice mixture in a thin layer on the nori sheet.
4. Place two strips of kanpyo lengthwise to one side.
5. Roll. Cut. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Makes 4 rolls (about 16-20 pieces)