Kenchin Jiru (Vegetable Chowder)

Ingredients

1-4 oz shrimp or chicken (chicken should be boned, skinless, and cut up into bite size pieces, shrimp w/o tails and deveined) Beef, pork or beans may be substituted for chicken or shrimp...(larger portions of shrimp or meat for larger recipe ^^)
1 med carrot, peeled, cut into half rounds or whole round no more than a 1/4 inch thick
1 med white sweet onion, cut into chunks (do not make them too small, no less than 1/2 inch because they will melt away)
1 med sweet potato, yam, or russet, peeled, cut into half (about 1/4 inch thick) yams are the best for this recipe in my opinion and add colour and are tasty
1 bunch of asparagus, hard white ends cut off, discard, and remaining green parts of stalks cut  into large pieces (depending on size of stalks...with mine I ended up with three pieces per stalk)
2 whole baby bok-choy cabbage heads, washed thoroughly, dried with paper towels, hard white bottom ends cut off and discarded, split stalks and leaves in half then chop into bite sized pieces
1- 1/1/2 cups reg white mushrooms (opt) tips of stems cut off, then halve the mushrooms
1 cake/block of extra firm tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes (opt)
1/12- 2 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs sake
4 heaping tbs of shiro miso paste
one bunch of green onions chopped for a garnish
5-8 cups hon dashi broth (instant), home made dashi (using dashi recipe I put out earlier in the blogs), or chicken consomme....**I usually use 8 cups hon dashi broth... it's better than the chicken stock....and 8 cups serves more people...5 cups

**Konnyaku noodles (yam & seaweed) may be used in this recipe, many Japanese do use them in this recipe,  follow the cooking directions on the package. After all ingredients are in the pot and boiled at the last stages of this recipe, add the konnyaku to bowls in small amounts and pour the soup over the already cooked noodles. Make sure the konnyaku is the noodle form and not the cake forms. They also may be called shirataki too. They may be white or brown in colour. These noodles are neutral in taste, but do absorb the flavours of the soups, etc.


Directions

In a large skillet, saute the chicken or shrimp, carrot, onion, and yam or potato (and or broccoli and asparagus)  in sesame oil over medium heat for 2-4 minutes. When all the ingredients are well coated with the oil, add half the dashi broth ( or chicken consomme). When the dashi is boiling, remove any scum that may surface (not present in hon dashi) , add the sake, then lower the heat. In a pot pour the rest of the remaining dashi in, bring to boil (if it isn't already hot from being freshly made before you started to cook this), after it starts boiling rapidly remove from heat, dissolve the miso paste in the broth.
 When the veggies are semi soft and the shrimp cooked thru, as the chicken should be too at this point, take skillet off the heat and dump all ingredients into the pot with the miso and dashi.
 Add chopped cabbage then return to pot to heat and bring to rapid boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, tofu (opt). Remove from heat.
Serve in bowls add green onions as garnish and to give it a kick..... add chrushed red chili peppers, togarashi seasoning, or chinese or japanese or Vietnamese chili sauce or pour soup over kannyaku noodles

**5 cup dashi broth serves 4-5
**8 cup dashi broth serves about 8

Making hon-dashi

Hon dashi is a premade instant, dried granule soup stock you can find at many Japanese/asian markets.
It's easier to use than making your own dashi, make the real stuff if you have time, but most of us, including the Japanese, just don't have time to make it from scratch. Many restaurants use han dashi too. You can always ask your local Japanese restaurant if they use han dashi or make their own. If they use hon dashi instant  soup stock for their soups and sauces, and you don't know where to get the stuff in your town, ask them, they may know. But here is how you make instant dashi.

**Just remember this: 1 teaspoon of hon-dashi to 3 cups water (which is how I was taught). However that's not always the rule of thumb. Just the basics. Real dashi broth  home made is stronger.
 For the this Kenchin Jiru recipe I used 8 cups water to 3 1/2  teaspoons of hon dashi. You can add 4 for more flavour. It is fish stock, so the more you add the more of it you will taste. Try not to make it too overpowering. But if it's your taste to have it stronger then go ahead. Personally I wouldn't add more than 5 teaspoons.
Also remember to let the water come to a rapid boil before you add the instant dashi. ^^
The brand I use is listed in the pics below. It comes boxed and in jars of different sizes.

Have fun and enjoy! this soup is great for the fall and winter. Very delicious.

Konnyaku yam noodles

Konnyaku noodles

                                                               Konnyaku with tofu

                                                                      Shirataki Noodles

Hondashi in the Bottle

Hondashi in the Box

Kenchin jiro

Onigiri

I have a LOVE for Onigiri. I make it all the time, salmon, tuna and grapes are my favorite fillings Seaweed and sesame seeds go well as toppings. the video below is just one of the many ways to make this yummy snack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj8MFKdUH7I&feature=relmfu

Sekihan

Made this the other day, AND there's a video from our favorite poodle! Try it out, it's really good, and not hard to make.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFqh3cWdeFI&feature=g-all-u

Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream & Tempura Fried ice Cream- Higurashi

I stumbled across the video for Tempura Fried ice cream a few months ago. I've yet to try it, but this week I am going to make it with Red Velvet Cake Ice cream. here is the video link to it, and the Homemade pineapple ice cream, brought to you via "Cooking with Dog"

I just love Francis.

Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L43CU1f8ClI&feature=g-all-u

Tempura Fried ice Cream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znHjbWbtl3s

O-tsukimi Matsuri recepies- From okaa san Shurayukihime

Tsukimi Udon: Moon Viewing Noodles for O-tsukimi Matsuri

For the Sanuki Sea Stock:

*You may wish to use regular dashi (recipe included at bottom of NC) rather than the sea stock if dried sardines are hard to find. I still like to add the shiitakes to the broth for extra flavor. If you can’t find any of the needed ingredients for sea stock or dashi, try using light chicken broth or vegetable broth. The flavor will be different but still tasty.

4 cups cold water

8 dried sardines

3 pieces of kombu, about 4″x4″ each

5 shiitake mushroom stems or 2 dried shiitakes

For the rest of the dish:

4 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons saké

2 teaspoons sugar

4 large eggs

12 ounces dried udon noodles

1 scallion, both green and white parts thinly sliced

In a medium saucepan, add the water, dried sardines, kombu and mushrooms. Allow to sit for about half an hour.

In the meantime, cook your Udon noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for about 4-6 minutes for smaller noodles, a little longer for the thicker noodles. Drain and run under cold water. Set aside.

Place the broth over medium high heat until small bubbles begin to form. Turn the heat down to medium (or adjust accordingly) to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover for 3-5 minutes. Strain the broth through a coffee strainer fitted with a coffee filter. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, saké and sugar over low heat. Stir until the sugar has just dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the serving bowls by dividing 1/4 of the noodles among each dish. Have these nearby so you can easily transfer the egg and broth to the bowls.

In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of the broth and 1/4 of the soy sauce mixture (a scant tablespoon). Bring to a boil. Add one of the raw eggs and poach for about 3 minutes or until desired doneness. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg and add it to one of the bowls. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the broth into the bowl being carefully not to break the egg. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 bowls. (You may also poach the eggs all together in water and simply bring the broth and soy mixture to a boil without poaching the eggs in it, though the flavor will not be the same.)

Garnish each bowl with the sliced scallion and serve with chopsticks and a spoon.

Homemade Dashi 出汁, だし

 Dashi broth recipe

 *Hint...the Japanese use this broth in most of their soups and sauces and some recipes like okonomiyaki ! Dashi can be described as the heart and soul of Japanese cooking. There are of course instant dashi stock that you can get these days but nothing beats a good homemade one. It is dead easy to prepare and once you have done it the first time, you'll never touch the instant dashi powder again! Although I'm lazy I use the instant kind and there are good brands out there. ^^

you'll need:

2 pc of dashi kombu (kelp)
15 gm kezurikatsuo (dried bonito flakes)
5 cups of water
dash of salt

Directions:

Cover kombu with water in a pot and let it stand for 30 minutes. Turn the heat on and simmer uncovered on a very low heat for 15 minutes, little bubbles will start to appear. Remove the kombu; it should have doubled in size by now,  keep it for another use if you want. Empty the bonito flakes and a little salt into the stock and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain broth through a mesh strainer and it is ready for use.

Make Your Own Tsukimi Dango


Tsukimi Dango – lit. moon-viewing dumplings – are non-skewered filled or plain dumplings that are traditionally eaten during the moon viewing festival (tsukimi) in mid-September. They are usually displayed in a pyramid-shaped pile. Tsukimi Dango are very easy to make and its also easy to add your own twist to the recipe to change the flavour or texture of the dumplings.


One 120g bag of dango flour だんご粉1袋　(dango kona) will make about 15 dango.

★Ingredients:
 ■1 cup of dango flour (about 120g) だんご粉
 ■1/3 cup warm water (about 100 ml)
 ■2 tablespoons of sugar (optional)
 ■Other flavourings (optional)
 ■Small amounts of extracts, concentrated flavorings, powdered spices, espresso powder, coconut powder, cocoa, matcha and powdered milk can be added to the rice flour to create flavored dough.


★Preparation:
 1.In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, add the sugar (optional), add the flavourings (optional), lightly mix.
 2.Slowly add the water to the flour, kneed and mix with your hands. You should get a dough that isn’t too soft and is well combined.
 3.From the dough make 15 small, round dumplings – about the size of ping-pong ball.
 4.Boil some water in a pot and gently lower the dango balls in with a table-spoon or ladel.
 5.Boil them long enough for them to float and then cook them for an additional minute.
 6.Take off the heat and add cold water to the pan. Put the dango on a mesh tray and let them cool.

Shurayukihime's And Futsunushi's Easy Obon Okonomiyaki

O-bon is a Buddhist ritual to welcome the ancestral spirits to the home shrines on August 16th, brings Japan to a standstill for the whole week as people working  away from home travel back to visit the family cemeteries. Think Memorial Day celebrations in the USA, but Japanese style, in my opinion, Obon is more fun and more reverent toward the dead because MOST  japanese during Obon GO to their ancestors graves instead of camping, etc.
Many festivals range throughout the country in Japan, each city or village and family spends it in their own way, from private ceremonies to visits to the shrines to family dinners to huge festivals. What they all have in common is the traditional summer style dishes they serve. There are many to be had at Obon festivals, but one of the most popular is one of my favourite dishes Futsu's and my RL Japanese born martial arts sensei tought to us. It's okonomiyaki! Also known as "supper pancakes". Although this dish may be enjoyed anytime and in Tokyo is served at many food stalls, I wanted to point out it is widely consumed in Japan and is very connected to obon festivities as a popular food.
Okonomiyaki comes in many varieties and is usually made the same way in every family, but there are variants to the ingredients. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
8 oz (227g) roast pork, cut in slivers
10 large cabbage leaves (regular or bok choi), cut in slivers
1 cup dried baby shrimp (hoshi-ebi), or bite sized pieces of pre cooked shrimp or crab
a pinch of salt (yes I know very old school LOL)
1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable or conola oil
4 tablespoons each: Worcestershire sauce (I use Lea Perrins) and ketchup
Nori seaweed, in powdered form (aonori), OR dried Bonito flakes (katsuo bushi)
Mayonnaise in a squeeze bottle (optional--but I use Best Foods brand it's the best hahaha...DO NOT use Kraft because its usually too sweet, however, you may use squeezable Japanese mayonnaise you may get at local asian/Japanese markets^^)

 Directions

* Mix the 4 Tbs of ketchup and 4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce in a bowl real good and set aside^^

 Mix flour, eggs, pork, cabbage, and half the dried shrimps and the pinch of salt in a large bowl,
 until you have a thick, smooth batter. Heat a small amount of vegetable or conola oil  on a hot plate or griddle or a large frying pan and pour the batter on it forming "pancake-like" round shapes.

Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or when you see small bubbles form around the edges.
Place the remaining shrimp on the "pancake" and flip over to cook the other side, for about 2 minutes.
Brush the cooked side with the  ketchup/Worcestershire sauce mixture, then squeeze or pour mayonnaise in thin lines or a small dab will do in the center about the "pancake" (optional) and sprinkle the powdered nori seeweed on top.

*Serves 4 as a main dish

*Also other fave dishes at O-bon festivals inclued takoyaki (yum!) octopuss in balls of batter on a stick
and grilled corn (yakitomorokoshi ) another fave of mine. And let's not forget the dango!  Those recipes are coming soon!

Enjoy!

Domou Arigatou Gozaimasu

Matsubaya Okaasan, Shurayukihime

*Also a nice video "Cooking with Dog"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeUHy0A1GF0&feature=plcp

Welcome to Cooking with Matsubaya!! - And with Dog (It's not what you think)

Welcome to cooking with Matsubaya!! This is a SL group blogging effort in which we'll be posting a monthly video, a favorite dish that one of our members loves to eat.
We'll post videos on how to make some of our favorite foods/drinks, recipes and even pictures of our own of dishes we've made, or failed to make lol A lot of our videos will come from a lovely little japanese show we found that's made for us english speaking folks, feel free to check it out and tell us what you think. Make your own attempts at cooking this yummy dishes and tell us how they turned out.

If you have dishes of your own you'd like to share with us, please send me an email at udasaeshi@yahoo.com or IM me in world to Samajimimamimi Xue.

Now that you've met us here,
Chori o shutoku shite okimashou!! -Let's get cooking!


Our first video and recipe of the month comes from our Okaa san Shurayukihime.

Sukiyaki 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVWPH0C_17c&feature=plcp

Go check it out!