Steak Stir-fry

Beef is very expensive in Japan so I don't often cook with it. Sometimes I can find a block of Rump steak at a reasonable price, so it is always a treat. I often just cut it up and fry it if I am in a hurry, but I sometimes like to add some flavour.
500g Rump steak block
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
3 green peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
3 stalks spring onion
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
Salt and pepper
2 tsp Sesame oil
Slice steak into strips and soak in 1/4 cup of sake. Meanwhile, slice onion and green peppers into thin strips. Chop green onion into 3 cm stalks.
Drain off remaining sake from meat and coat in cornflour. Fry in olive oil on a high heat. Remove from pan once browned. Add onions, green pepper, garlic, ginger, and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 mins. Add remaining sake, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water and salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Return meat to the pan and add spring onions. Simmer for 2 mins. Add mirin and sesame oil.

Tofu Frittata

This is one of my favourite lunchtime dishes. It is easy and very quick. The original recipe calls for Ricotta cheese, but this is very hard to find in Japan, so I use a block of Tofu instead. It works really well and tastes great!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp butter
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic
250g asparagus (I substitute green beans, spinach, green peppers, whatever I have in the fridge)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 slices of ham or bacon (optional)
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 block of tofu
4 eggs
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
Melt butter and olive oil in a pan. Fry onions, garlic and asparagus. Add salt and pepper, thyme until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper, then add tofu and whisk together until smooth. Stir in Parmesan and half a cup of cheddar cheese. Add vegetables from the pan and mix.
Pour into a greased pie dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake in 200 degrees Celsius oven for 20 minutes, or until golden.


This pie dish is wonderful for this dish! It is only 2cm high, but the pottery makes the egg bake beautifully and it never sticks! I was given this plate as a wedding present and hope it lasts a long time!

Pasta and Pesto

My friend gave me some Lumache, snail shaped pasta, as a souvenir from Italy. She didn't know how to cook it so I gladly cooked it for her. Having a jar of ready made pesto in the fridge at all times is really useful for a quick pasta dish. I sometimes prepare my own pesto, but the ingredients are hard to find all year round in Japan, so I end up using the store bought kind a lot. I usually make this pesto based recipe for Gnocchi, but it tasted great with this large pasta too. The ingredients are usually what I have in the fridge on the day, so anything goes....chicken, ham, bacon, sausage, meatless...
Ingredients:
Pasta
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper (capsicum), chopped
meat - chopped chicken breast/ham/bacon/sausage. (In the photo I used ham)
1 bunch broccoli, chopped and blanched (boiled slightly)
5 midi tomatoes, halved or quartered (midi are the size between mini and full size, they often have a sweet full flavour and have a dark red colour)
1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
3 tbsps pesto
Salt and pepper
Boil pasta until al dente. Near the end of cooking add broccoli and blanche. While the pasta is boiling, fry onion and garlic in oil for 2-3 mins. Add meat and cook until almost heated through. Add red pepper and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Add sake and broccoli. Drain pasta and add to pan with pesto and tomatoes. Stir to coat, and season.





Here is a photo of Gnocchi and Pesto. I used green peppers and sausage in this dish, and added parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese at the end. Gnocchi is ready very quickly so this dish is great for a quick meal.

Curry in a Hurry

Some of you will be familiar with the Japanese Curry. This dish is popular amongst children in Japan and usually has carrot, potato and stewed beef. I had none of those ingredients so just used what was left in the fridge.
Fry a chopped onion and garlic clove in olive oil until softened. Add mince meat and bacon and stir. Once meat is cooked, add peeled and chopped daikon (Japanese raddish), and chopped red capsicum. Coat with oil. Sprinkle Garam Masala spice and salt and pepper, then add 6 cups of water. Cover and bring to the boil until the daikon is almost cooked. Add shimeji mushrooms, green peas and corn. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Add curry roux and stir.

Chicken & Bean Rolls

Tonight was 'nothing in the fridge...' night! Slice up some cabbage and saute in olive oil and salt and pepper briefly. Set aside. Fry chopped onion and red & yellow capsicum in olive oil until softened. Add 300g chicken mince. Season. Add a can of baked beans, 2 tbsps ketchup, 1 tbsp worcheshire sauce, 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce. Simmer until liquid has gone. Heat a tortilla in the microwave, place cabbage, bean mix and grated cheese along the middle and roll up. The kids loved them.

Cream Stew

This is a popular dish in Japan, and the kids love it. They sell the sauce ready-made in a roux, but I like to make it myself. This makes a large batch.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 tbsps butter
700g chicken breast, chopped, skin removed
1 onion chopped in large pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 yellow & red capsicum, chopped large
1 bunch of broccoli
1 can cream corn
1/2 cup sake or dry white wine
500ml chicken stock
1 litre milk
3 tbsps flour
Salt and pepper
Rub salt and pepper into the chicken and brown in 1 tbsp of butter and 1tbsp olive oil. Remove and set aside. Melt remaining butter in pan and add onion, with carrots, potato and fry until onion is softened. Add flour and coat, then add sake or wine, then chicken stock. Once carrots are soft, add capsicum and return chicken to pot. Add broccoli and cream corn and boil for 5 minutes. Add the milk and heat but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

In a pan fry finely chopped onion and garlic in butter until softened. Add finely chopped spinach, parsley and basil. (instead, add some pre-made pesto). Mix pan ingredients and ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese), cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese, 1 egg yolk, salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Stuff chicken breasts under the skin and seal down with a toothpick. Brush with olive oil. Bake on a wax papered tray in an oven at 230 degrees celcius for 13 minutes.

Simple Minestrone Soup

Fry chopped bacon, onion, garlic, carrot in olive oil in a pot. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and chicken soup. Put in a bay leaf and bring to the boil. Add chopped cabbage and macaroni. Simmer until the macaroni is almost cooked. Season. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Valentines Chocolate Nuggets

These were so yummy and easy to make! Did you know that in Japan it is the women who have to give chocolate to the men???! They even made a day one month later for the men to give chocolate back to the women!
Ingredients:
200ml fresh cream (not the fake stuff, not the double stuff or thick stuff....just good old fashioned runny cream skimmed off the top of the milk vat!)
400g choc chopped up (The recipe called for milk choc...but I used 60% cacao bitter choc chips)
3 tsps sugar
2 tsps butter (not the fake stuff!)
30 ml bourbon or dark rum or brandy...whatever you fancy!
cocoa powder/chopped nuts

In a saucepan melt the sugar with the cream and butter on a low heat. Keep stirring the whole time being careful not to boil the cream. Once melted, slowly add choc bit by bit while stirring. Lastly add the alcohol and stir until mixed. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to refridgerate. I left mine over night because I was too tired to finish it...but once it is cooled spoon it out and roll it up. If it is too hard to roll leave it at room temperature until softened a little. Roll in chopped nuts or cocoa powder. Makes about 30.

Fish Tonight

My kids love fish!! I never seem to buy enough because I always have to give them half of mine once they have finished eating. Tonight was Atka Mackerel, or Hokke in Japanese. This is our favourite fish, and is sent down from Hokkaido. My husband grew up in Hokkaido and smoked Hokke made a regular appearance in their menu. When we went to Hokkaido one of the family gave me freshly smoked Hokke for breakfast and I have never tasted anything like it since. We get ours frozen and it is not the same, but still very delicious. As it comes already smoked, there is no preparation, just a nice grill in the oven, and a little lemon squeezed on top. More please! (Notice that this has zero carbs!!). I served it with coleslaw and a broccoli & tomato salad.

Chilli Prawns

Ingredients:
1 Onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp grated ginger
300g Peeled prawns
1/4 cup sake
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp chilli sauce or 1 tbsp tobanjan
2 tbsps ketchup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup green peas
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt and pepper

Soak prawns in a little sake for 5 mins. Fry onion, garlic and ginger over a high heat being careful not to burn it. Add the prawns and cook for 1 min. Add sake, chicken stock, soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup, and green peas. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 mins. Season and add sesame oil.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Soak boiled cauliflower in 1 tbsp vinegar/salt and pepper while hot. Remove from vinegar and mix together with broccoli. In a bowl mix 3tbsp mayonnaise, 1tbsp ketchup, 1tbsp vinegar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped boiled egg over the top.

Mince on 'Tofu'

I guess you could say this is my diet version of 'Mince on Toast'...
It is easy to make, but uses 3 frying pans...unless you want to transfer stuff and wash the pan to re-use.
Fry chopped onion, red and yellow capsicum, sliced ginger and mince in a pan. Once browned, add 2 tbsp Sake, 2 tbsp Soy sauce and 2tbsp mirin. Add 2 tbsps green peas and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
In a separate pan, fry sliced cabbage in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Add 1 tbsp mirin and simmer until cabbage is soft.
Slice tofu into 1.5cm thick steaks. Coat in cornflour. Fry in olive oil until brown.
On a plate place the tofu, top with the cabbage, then the mince mixture.

Stroganoff-Style Chicken

Ingredients:
600g Chicken Breast, cubed
1 Onion, sliced
1 cup shimeji mushrooms, or white mushrooms
1 Red Capsicum
1 Yellow Capsicum
1 clove Garlic
1 175g can evaporated milk
1 cube chicken stock
2 tbsps tomato paste
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 cup sake or dry white wine
Rub salt and pepper into the chicken. Fry in olive oil until browned. Add onions and stir fry for 2-3 mins. Add capsicum, garlic, mushrooms and coat in oil. Add tomato paste, chicken stock, paprika, then pour in Sake. Simmer for 2-3 mins. Finally add evaporated milk, and heat but do not boil.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sourcream and rice if desired.

Quick Chicken and Spinach

500g chopped chicken thighs, no bones.
1 bunch spinach, chopped in 3 places.
1 onion
1 clove Garlic
1 tsp crushed Ginger
1/2 cup Sake
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
Salt and pepper
Coat chicken in salt and pepper. Fry over a high heat until brown. Add onion and stir. Add garlic, ginger and sake and bring to the boil. Throw in spinach and soy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 mins, or until chicken is done. Season as desired.

Seafood Soup

Olive oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet potato cubed
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
juice of 1/4 lemon
2 tbsps turmeric
700ml fish stock
500g mixed frozen seafood
salt and pepper
In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil for 4 minutes. Add garlic. Then add the sweet potato, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, lemon juice and turmeric. Bring to the boil. Add fish stock and boil for 10 mins. Add the seafood. Bring to the boil, then season and cook for a final 3 minutes. Season as desired.

Beef Stew

I do this stew in the rice cooker. It comes out really tender and you don't have to stand over it and watch it. I often put it on when I teach at home and dinner is ready when I am done!
Here's how to make it:
Coat 500g beef cubes in 3 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar and let sit for 15 mins.
Chop 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 carrot, 1 sweet potato, and place in ricecooker with one can of cut tomatoes. (Don't turn on yet)
Season meat with Salt and Pepper, coat in flour and brown meat in frying pan. Add to rice cooker. Add chopped yellow pepper, shimeji mushrooms, and a 15g packet of mixed grains. Add 2 tsp dried thyme, a bay leaf, 150g packet of tomato puree, salt and pepper then fill the rice cooker with water to the top memory.
Set on 'Brown rice' setting. Some rice cookers only shut off once all the liquid is gone, so check the cooker after 1 hour. If cooking on the normal rice setting then check after 40 minutes. The meat should be tender and vegetables cooked. Add chopped broccoli ten minutes before it is ready, or boil and serve on the side of the plate.

Tofu Salad

Tonight's dinner was left over Rolled Cabbage and Tofu Salad.
Cut Tofu into cubes and boil for 1-2 minutes, toss in a creamy dressing. Grill coloured peppers until black on top. Peel off blackened skin and slice. Cut up avocado and coat with lemon juice. Toss together with lettuce, boiled egg, snap peas, tomato, ham and sliced shiso leaves.

Rolled Cabbage

This is one of my favourite winter dishes. I got this recipe from a Japanese recipe book I have. The dish seems to have originated from Hungary, Poland, Lithuania or Slovakia, and is also listed as a Jewish dish. It is sometimes referred to as Halupki.
Ingredients:
12 Cabbage leaves
Plain flour
4 rashers bacon
1 onion
1 can of cut tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
15g butter
Salt and Pepper
Filling:
500g mince
1 onion
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp butter
Salt and Pepper
Remove the leaves from the cabbage, being careful not to tear them. Boil in salted water for 2-3 mins. Remove and cool. Lay flat on a board and slice the top part of the core with a knife to make it even.
Filling: Chop the onion finely and fry in butter until softened. Cool. In a bowl mix the filling ingredients and knead with your hand. Add onion and mix again. Divide into 12.
Lay out a cabbage leaf and sprinkle flour on it, then roll one part of the mince filling in your hand and place on leaf. Roll up tucking the sides in as you roll. Secure with a toothpick.
In a large pot melt the butter and fry the onion and bacon until softened. Add can of tomato, salt and pepper, bring to the boil.





Place rolled cabbage in the pot and pour chicken stock over it.
Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Naughty Treats - Apricot Slice

Many of you have requested low-carb menus to help you eat a healthy diet...and I have put some on previous posts... but I had some dried apricots that had gone a little ripe so decided to make this slice for the kids. The original recipe doesn't have chocolate in it and is covered in coconut. But as I didn't have enough condensed milk I substituted it with choc chips. If adding choc chips melt the butter/2tbsp condensed milk and sugar first, then add choc chips once removed from heat.
1 pkt plain biscuits
1-2 cups dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup condensed milk
100g butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Coconut or finely chopped nuts.
Crush biscuits in mixer and put in bowl. Add chopped apricots. Melt condensed milk, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan. Pour over apricots and biscuits and mix well, using your hands if necessary. Press into a biscuit tin and sprinkle with coconut or ground pecan or almonds. Cut immediately then place in refridgerator for an hour to set.

Daring Dessert - Rum and Raisin Cheesecake

No party is complete without a good dessert! This cheesecake is from a recipe my friend Kyoko gave me. It is originally a recipe with only plain cream cheese, but I had some leftover rum and raisin cream cheese that we were sick of, so I substituted it. It turned out divine! Now I will buy the rum and raisin cream cheese just to make this cake.
Ingredients:
Base:
1 Pkt plain biscuits. (soft biscuits work better, eg:'choice', 'malt biscuits')
3 tbsps melted butter
ground nuts optional
Mixed together and press into a flat pan or cake tin. I line mine with waxed paper to make it easier to get out of the box once set.
Filling:
200g cream cheese
80g sugar
3 eggs
200ml cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tablespoons plain flour

Place cream cheese, sugar and 1 egg in blender/mixer. Whiz on and off until fairly mixed. Add the other eggs to help mix it all up. Then add the cream and whiz again. Finally put in the vanilla and flour and mix. Pour over base and bake at 160C for 10 mins, then reduce heat to 140C for 90 minutes. (If you are in a hurry and not worried about appearances, keep it at 160 for a shorter time. The lower temperature stops the cake from cracking). Cut once cooled.

Party Food - Pizza Pinwheels

Friday night was 'Party Night' at Erinn's. All the women bring their finest dishes and it is always a delicious assortment. I made Pizza Pinwheels and Grilled chicken. The pinwheels were surprisingly easy to make and well received by the children.
I make my own pizza dough in the bread maker. 400g bread flour, 280ml water, 11g yeast, 1/2 tsp salt.
Filling:
400g mince
1 onion, chopped finely
1 glove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, grated
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Dash Hot pepper sauce
1 jar of tomato puree (150g)
1 sachet of tomato paste (18g)
2 cups cheese (cheddar or mozarella)
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese for topping
Fry the onion and garlic in a dash of olive oil, add mince and brown. Add rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Simmer until liquid is absorbed. Cool. Stir in cheese.
On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle. Leaving a 1 inch border along the top, spread filling over dough. Moisten uncovered border with water. Starting at bottom edge roll up jelly roll style. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 1 inch thick slices.
Place, cut side up, on waxed papered pizza pan. Cover and let rise for 25 mins in warm draft-free place. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in bottom third of the oven at 200C for 15-20 mins, or until crust is golden.
This is the picture from the Canadian Living Magazine (Jan 1998). I adapted the recipe from that issue. The recipe said 220C for 25 minutes...and well, as you can see from the picture at the top, they are a little over-done.... Ok, they are burnt! Shock, horror! For some reason my oven wasn't registering the temperature correctly, so I was waiting for it to correct itself thinking it was only 160 degrees in there...then after 18 minutes I checked and they were a little black on the sides...boo hoo... so I next time I will lower the temp to 200C and check after 13 minutes, no matter what the gauge says! Lesson learned. But they still tasted great!

Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken with Cajun seasoning. Grilled at 220C for 18 minutes. Broccoli coated in light olive dressing, mini tomatoes.

A Typical Breakfast

1 egg, 2 wiener sausages, tomato on a bed of lettuce with a non-oil vege dressing.