Recipe #359: Spring Rolls take 2!

I had spring roll take one a while back and they did not turn out well at all! I had the wrong kind of wrappers and not the best recipe. But I was not going to give up, so I did some research and found a better recipe, got the right ingredients and oh. my. goodness.

I found a winner.

I found the recipe here. I changed up the ingredients just a bit, but she has great step by step directions for rolling. I still need to work on getting mine the same size and shape, but they turned out so well! It is kind of a long process, but I broke it up so that most of the prep I did during Alex's nap time and then it was really easy to fry them up before dinner! I stuck over half of what I rolled in the freezer, so we already have a meal ready for another time!

You need:

1 package of spring roll wrappers. (I found mine in the frozen section of an asian food store.) get the ones that are a white 8x8 square

1 lb ground pork. 

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp sugar

1 bag of cole slaw (I used about 2/3 of it)

spring onions, sliced 

garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp mirin

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

• take wrappers out of the freezer so they are thawed out by the time you want to start.
• first mix pork, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, corn starch, and 1/4 tsp sugar together. marinate for 10 minutes
• in a large fry pan, brown pork until no longer pink, push to side of pan and then add cole slaw, onions, and garlic. stir fry for a couple minutes until veggies soften. 
• then add mirin, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil (I actually mixed these together in a small bowl first and then dumped it in)
• mix everything together.
• spread out on a cookie sheet tilted up so that the extra juices drain down. Remove access juice and then bloat with a paper towel

*if you are visual like me be sure to check out these great picture directions!

• take off one sheet and place it on flat surface with a corner facing you.
• place a tablespoon full of meat mixture in the bottom portion of the wrapper. roll up half way and then fold two corners tightly into the middle. 
• continue to roll up making sure it is tightly staying together.
• dab water on the last corner to make sure it sticks to the roll.
• as you make them layer on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap.
• take out what you need then put the rest in the freezer. I froze them on a cookie sheet first then put it in a bag after if was frozen
• in a small sauce pan, pour in about 2 inches of oil and heat until it is about 350.
• add in 2-3 spring rolls at a time. I had really long chopsticks that were perfect for placing them in, then turning each slightly so that it browns evenly. 
• after a minute or two take them out and place on a wire rack to cool.
• enjoy with sweet chili sauce or your favorite dipping sauce! :)

Recipe #354: Thai Basil Rolls

This was a very "fresh" meal...full of vegetables...but honestly not a favorite. I probably messed up the recipe terribly or something. I found the recipe here but didn't have much meat on hand so i added some shrimp to a couple but honestly i couldn't taste it at all!

You need:
spring roll wrappers (the see through ones)
basil
rice noodles
bean sprouts
cucumber
cilantro

• first boil water and heat the rice noodles for about 5-7 minutes. drain then run water through them
• get a bowl of warm water.
• place a wrapper in the water and let it soften for about 30 sec.
• in the middle of the wrapper place a basil leaf, then add some shrimp, cucumber, rice noodles, cilantro and bean sprouts.
• continue this process until you have made enough!
• I made the sauce that the original recipe had (hoisin sauce and peanut butter mixture) but it seemed really heavy for the rolls so I used my sesame dressing instead! 

Like I said...it was fresh and tasty, but I think I really needed a meat filled meal today! :)

Recipe #350: Meat Doria

I must have been subconsciously missing Japan more than normal this weekend because I tried out several recipes that remind me of food in Japan...coffee jelly, milk coffee and now meat doria. This is like a gratin, but with rice instead. and I had a ton of rice to use up so this worked perfectly. I copied the doria I often got at Gusto's, a restaurant we went to occasionally in Japan.
I made four single serving dishes.

You need:
4 cups cooked rice
white sauce (recipe found here, take out the chicken bullion and use water instead of chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup pasta sauce

•  preheat oven to 450
• make white sauce according to recipe directions
• add cheeses to the sauce and mix well. turn off heat once it is mixed together.
• meanwhile brown the beef and then add pasta sauce to it.
• in the bottom of oven safe dishes, put a layer of rice
• ladle on some of the white sauce and mix in with rice. smooth out rice and then add a little more white sauce on top. 
• put a couple spoonfuls of the meat sauce in the middle of each dish.
• arrange dishes on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 min
• in the last 5 minutes, put the oven up to 500 to help the cheese on top brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Recipe #346: Coffee Jelly!!

This is such a happy day! I have finally discovered (thanks to my mom!) a way to make coffee jelly (jello) in America!  When Will and I were in Japan several summers ago, I discovered the glorious taste of coffee jelly. My dad bought tons of it because I probably had one everyday!

Starbucks over there even had a frap with it mixed in! (AMAZING)

My mom found a recipe here and it was SO easy! You should go make some today! :)

You need:

2 cups brewed coffee

2 Tbsp sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you want it, 2 Tbsp was not very sweet, just enough!)

1 Tbsp gelatin (that is one packet in the Knox box)

4 Tbsp water

half and half (or whipped cream)

• mix the coffee and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. 
• turn off heat just before it boils
• add 4 Tbsp water and gelatin, mix until gelatin has dissolved.
• add gelatin mixture to coffee and stir until dissolved.
• allow it to cool and then poor into little single serve dishes.
• allow to cool in fridge for several hours 
• pour a little half and half on top then enjoy! (In Japan it comes with single serving cups of cream! :) ) 

Recipe #339: Inarizushi

I love inarizushi! I always get them as a "first meal" when we stop by a convenient store on our way home from the airport. When we were at H-mart after my brother's graduation, I decided to buy a package to make some of my own! Here is a sample of what a package might look like, but mine weren't in a can.

you need:
inarizushi pouches
2 cups rice

• first make little ovals shapes of rice
• carefully open up inari pouch and place rice inside

be careful not too stuff it too full! :) share with your husband and son, or make in secret so you don't! ;)

Recipe #336: Purin

Ahh...purin is a favorite Japanese snack that comes in these fun shaped little cups. But when you live in the states and can't get those, you have to settle for the DIY box!

I guess you might say it is similar to flan, but it is a much lighter consistency then the flan i have eaten!
Of course you need the box so this is kind of a hard recipe to make... and then you also need a brother who reads Japanese to tell you how to make it!

It is really easy. Just mix the package with 400ml milk, and stir over heat until dissolved. pour into 4 little bowls. Then freeze for an hour. Donnie didn't believe me on that one, but I am pretty sure that is what you are supposed to do...it sat in the fridge for an hour and did nothing! (I actually accidentally left it in the freezer overnight, but when it thawed it was the right consistency, so it was fine!)

just before serving, mix a Tbsp of water with the caramel packet and pour over each pudding.

Alex loved it so much he went into the fridge yesterday and pulled out the last one to eat! Crazy kid. He got to eat it...after sharing a couple bites with me of course! :)

Recipe #327: Spicy Pork and Soba Noodles

I found this recipe in a Real Simple Magazine or you can find it here!

You need:
soba noodles (1.5 little packs)
2 small pork chops
1/4 of an onion
long slices of an English Cucumber
2 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

• start bowling noodles
• meanwhile, thinly slice pork and season with salt and pepper
• heat fry pan with a little olive oil and cook up pork, add thinly sliced onions
• turn heat to low and add in sweet chili sauce, and stir together.
• once noodles are finished, add soba, pork and cucumber to a bowl, stir in sesame oil and mirin

Recipe #307: Homemade General Tso's Chicken

I needed a meal today and just got my new copy of Everyday with Rachel Ray so found a quick and easy meal to make This is a great variation of your favorite take out! :)

You need:
1 egg white
5 Tbsp cornstarch or flour
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (and then another 1 tsp)
1 Tbsp ground ginger
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 white onion, cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced

• whisk together egg white, 4 tbsp flour, 1 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp ginger in a medium sized bowl. add in chicken and mix until evenly coated
• in another small bowl combine sesame oil, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, remaining flour, ginger and then honey and vinegar
• pour oil into pan and let it heat a bit. start adding in chicken (do it in two or more batches so that there is one layer on the bottom of your pan) take out when no longer pink and set aside on a plate
• meanwhile cut onion and garlic
• after last batch of chicken is done add garlic and onion into the pan.
• add sesame oil mixture, then chicken. stir fry for several minutes, until chicken is done.
• serve with rice and broccoli!

I added in the broccoli later, but you can eat separately too! :)

Recipe #303: Quesadilla Asian Style

You need:

Rotisserie chicken
corn
cheddar cheese
whole wheat tortillas
sweet chili sauce

• in a tortilla, add some shredded rotisserie chicken, corn, cheese and a little sweet chili sauce
• Spray both sides with olive oil
• heat in the pan until both sides are brown
• drizzle on some more sweet chili sauce and enjoy!

Recipe #266: I wish is was Spring Rolls...

Well, I am posting this recipe, because it is a recipe, but really it was a bit of a flop of a recipe for me! I definitely have some stuff to learn in the world of spring rolls and if anyone wants to teach me their amazing secret recipe i would be happy to find it out! :)

I think it came down to the fact I had the wrong type of wrapper. That is the only thing that seems to have gone wrong. I used a recipe I found here but looked at a couple of different recipes to find out some extra hints. I also mixed some stuff together and made rolls until i ran out of filling! I am going to try these again and hopefully they will turn out better the next time!

 We tried out baked, fresh, and fried...

You need:

rice vermicelli

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 handful matchstick carrots

bean spouts

green onion

3 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

wrappers

oil for frying

• cut up veggies
• add veggies to pan and heat up. add fish sauce and soy sauce
• heat vermicelli according to package directions. cut up and add to veggies
• drain access liquid
• put each wrapper in warm water to soften it
• fill with veggie mixture
• roll up and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• fry in oil, bake in oven for 20 minutes at 400 or enjoy fresh! :)
• Dip in Sweet Chili sauce! It is AMAZING!

they tasted good even though they didn't look right... but I will work on that! :)

Recipe #259: Teriyaki Fried Rice Ball

I had this at an amazing sushi restaurant in Charlotte and tried to replicate it. I do have some work to do to master it though! :)

You need:
1 cup of rice
teriyaki sauce

• take hot rice and put it in a saran wrap.
• shape into a ball or triangle
• heat a fry pan with a little bit of teriyaki sauce 
• heat rice ball on both sides until a little brown.
• it may fall apart so be careful not to saturate it too much with the sauce!

Recipe #259: Teriyaki Fried Rice Ball

I had this at an amazing sushi restaurant in Charlotte and tried to replicate it. I do have some work to do to master it though! :)

You need:
1 cup of rice
teriyaki sauce

• take hot rice and put it in a saran wrap.
• shape into a ball or triangle
• heat a fry pan with a little bit of teriyaki sauce 
• heat rice ball on both sides until a little brown.
• it may fall apart so be careful not to saturate it too much with the sauce!

Recipe #237: Seaweed Burger

It may sound weird, but it was delicious. I even made a cute little pile of rice like they do at restaurants in Japan! My rice is topped with curry furikake, absolutely the most amazing stuff ever!

You need:
ground beef
teriyaki sauce
square of seaweed
rice

• make the hamburger into a small patty
• start frying it, add a little bit of teriyaki sauce while cooking.
• cook until juices run clear, put on plate
• cover with a square of seaweed
• put some rice in a little bowl to make it come out in a cute shape! 
• enjoy! :)

Recipe #225: Soy-glazed Chicken with veggies

Now when I get my new Real Simple magazine I always look at the recipes first now. I knew I wanted to try this one! I have trouble getting everything together for a crock pot meal when I leave for school but it is nice to throw something in on the weekends and not have to worry food but enjoy family time instead! Will told me he wanted rice and chicken with my choice of seasoning so I thought this was the perfect meal!

You need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 chicken breasts
for veggies I used: carrots, broccoli, and beans
sesame oil

• mix together brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, pepper in a crock pot. 
• Add chicken and flip several times to coat with sauce
• cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours ( I started late so left it in only 3 hours, I htink it would have been more tender if I had I left it in longer)
• In the meantime make rice. I did a mix of white and brown
• transfer chicken to a plate. Pour liquid into a fry pan. allow to boil to thicken. Add chicken to pan and heat on low, flipping chicken to evenly coat it with the sauce.
• in a small pan stir fry the vegetables with some sesame oil

Will said it hit the spot!

Recipe #219 and #220: Japanese Style Hamburger and Sesame Fries

It would be more japanese to eat this with rice, but I wanted fries and Will wanted beef so this is what we came up with! I found the recipe for the hamburgers here, but of course changed it because I didn't have tofu or mushrooms

You need:
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
sprinkle of garlic powder

• mix ground beef, salt, pepper, egg and nutmeg together
• form into 6 small patties
• mix up mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder
• put a bit of olive oil in pan then brown both sides of beef for about 2 minutes a side
• turn heat to low and cover. cook for 5 minutes.
• pour mirin mixture over hambugers. Move pan constantly so sauce doesn't burn.
• turn burgers to get evenly coated. Sauce forms a glaze on the burger.
• burgers are done when there is no sauce left in pan

Sesame Fries:

You Need:

3 russet potatoes

olive oil

sesame oil

ginger

salt

sesame seeds

• Cut up potatoes into long strips and put into a ziploc bag
• add olive and sesame oil, sprinkles of ginger, salt and sesame seeds
• bake for 25 minutes at 450 on a greased baking sheet.

Recipe #212: Tofu Stir Fry

Well, I am VERY behind in posting recipes. I made some good food, but taking the time to blog about it was not on my to do list this past week. It was a long week at school and by the end of the day coming home and chasing Alex, I was too tired to worried about it at the end of the day! Anyways, we will see how far I get on the recipes tonight!

First up...Tofu Stir Fry!

You need:
1 package of tofu
corn
1 onion
1/2 bag of broccoli
3 cups beans
rice
teriyaki sauce

• first saute onions, then remove from pan
• cut tofu into small cubes and heat up in pan with some teriyaki sauce. Add onions, and other veggies and cover.
• Allow veggies to steam lightly.
• add more teriyaki sauce
• eat with rice! 

Recipe #198 and #199: Thai Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

So our neighbors gave us some lettuce that was organic from a farmer's market. Yeah, we don't buy lettuce like that usually so I felt like I needed to make a meal that highlighted this amazing lettuce instead of using it in a simple salad. So as I was looking up how to make thai lettuce wraps, I realized I didn't have very many of the ingredients so we improvised!

You need:
2 chicken breasts
sesame rub found here
soy sauce
6 romaine lettuce leaves
one bunch of green onions
matchstick carrots
cucumbers cut into skinny slices

• cut chicken into strips sprinkle rub over it.
• cut green onions, take the white parts and saute with some olive oil
• add in chicken. 
• once chicken is cooked through add in a little soy sauce.
• in the last couple minutes add in the carrots and tops of green onions

peanut sauce. I found the recipe here. but I used the serving helper to decrease it ALOT, so this is about a small bowls full worth, but it was plenty for our wraps

You need:

3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp coconut milk

1 tsp water

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/4 tsp of ginger

1 clove garlic

• combine all ingredients and stir until mixed well.

To make your wrap:

• take a lettuce leaf and add in a couple slices of chicken 

• top with cucumbers, green onions, carrots, and peanut sauce
• then wrap lettuce up and enjoy!

Recipe #186 and #187: Asian Pork with Cabbage Salad

This is another Real Simple crock pot recipe that I got out of my magazine or you can find in here. Of course I made some changes, but both boys loved it which means success!

For Asian Pork you need:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp Rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 lbs pork loin

2 bundles of somen noodles (or soba or udon)

corn 

• mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and red pepper in the crock pot. 
• Add pork loin and cover with mixture
• cook on low for about 7 hrs
• about 15 minutes before serving, boil somen noodles.
• mix the noodles with the pork and serve

For Cabbage Salad you need:

1/4 head of cabbage

matchstick carrots

cucumber, thinly sliced

sesame seeds

sesame oil

some sauce from pork

• cut up veggies
• add a couple spoonfuls of pork sauce to veggies
• pour in some sesame oil and some sesame seeds
• stir until well combined.

Recipe #173: Mushi Pan

Mushi means bug or steam in Japanese. Don't worry, this is the steamed variety. I love it in Japan and found a recipe from here that I wanted to try! It is missing something, a little sweetness, but it was still very delicious! The original recipe was really small, but this will make 8 cupcake sizes perfectly.

You need:
4 eggs
8 tsp milk
8 tsp sugar
little less then 1 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder

• mix eggs, milk and sugar
• add flour and baking powder to just mixed
• pour into 8 cupcake liners 
• steam for 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

We topped some with cinnamon before steaming. Other things to try are raisins, apple chunks...anything that sounds yummy! :) It is surprisingly easy, so i will definitely try this again!

Recipe #172: gyoza

I was waiting for my brother and (soon-to-be) sister-in-law to come visit again so we could make gyoza and mushi pan! :) You may know gyoza as pot stickers in the U.S. Forget that name. Its horrible. Gyoza is delicious! We didn't have a single one left! :)

You need:
2 lbs ground pork
1/2 head of cabbage
2 leeks
6 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp ginger
pack of wonton wrappers i think our pack had 40-50

• chop cabbage and leeks into very small pieces
• mix meat, cabbage, leeks, and seasoning together
• place a teaspoon of meat mixture into each cover
• fold in half, one one half, line with water and press sides together and pleat (fold over)
• place on wax paper
• bring water to a boil in large pot and put steamer on top 
• steam until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes
• if frying, cover bottom of pan with oil, cook until brown on both sides
• enjoy with gyoza dipping sauce. make your own by mixing soy sauce and apple vinegar

            

                                 















         steamed gyoza                                                                                                     fried gyoza