Nimono (Simmered Dishes) (2)

Komatsuna and Deep-fried Tofu Nimono
Time: 7 min



[Ingredients] (serves: 4)

• 1 pound komatsuna
• 1/2 (about 3 oz) thin deep fried tofu
• 2 tsp salad oil
• 200ml dashi
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp mirin1
• 1/3 tbsp thin soy-sauce

[How To Cook]

1. Cut the komatusna into pieces 5 cm in length. Julienne the deep-fried tofu.
2. Heat salad oil in a pot. Add the komatsuna and the deep-fried tofu and fry for 30-60 sec.
3. Add the dashi, mirin and thin soy sauce and simmer for 2-3 min. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
   
   

Tips on how to cook Japanese dishes (1)

Basic Seasoning Pattern

Japanese cooking frequently use specific seasonings- miso, soy-source, sugar, vinegar, mirin and sake, etc. There is a fundamental method that should be adhered to for seasonings.

The basic order of seasoning: Sugar, Salt, Vinegar, Soy-sauce and Miso.

• Sugar is used first because it takes the longest time to penetrate the ingredients. Using sugar first also facilitates other seasonings’ ability to penetrate into the ingredients.
• Soy-sauce and miso should be added in the last stage. They contain a lot of salt, which has function to dehydrate the ingredients. If it is used too early, the dish will dry out and become firm.
• In order to retain the aroma and flavors of soy-sauce and miso, they should be added in the last stage.

In boiled dishes called “Nimono”, seasonings should deeply penetrate to all the ingredients in the pot, so this pattern of seasonings is particularly important.
Another way to enhance the taste of seasonings in a dish is to slowly cool it after it is cooked. When the temperature in a dish goes down, the seasonings penetrate into ingredients very well due to osmotic pressure effects.

Balanced Vegetable Dish (1)

Japanese Rolled Lettuce

Want to cook this dish? Click here for the details: http://tarosfood.xsrv.jp/pg247.html

[Ingredients] (serves: 4-5)

• 6 oz minced pork
• 2 oz chopped onion
• 2 oz chopped carrot
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp thin soy-sauce
• 1 tbsp starch
• 6 lettuce leaves
• Flour (to season)
• 1 oz burdock root
• 1 oz konnyaku
• 2/3 oz carrot
• 2 shiitake mushrooms
• 450 ml water
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp thin-soy sauce
• 5cm length dried konbu

[How to Cook]

(Preparation)

1. Boil the chopped carrots for 1 min. Place all the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl and mix well. Cut the burdock root and konnyaku into thin rectangles, and boil them for 1 min. Cut the shiitake into 1cm thick pieces.
2. Boil the lettuce leaves for 1-2 min and drain.Spread the leaves and sprinkle them with flour. Place a proportionate amount of stuffing on each leaf and roll carefully. Makes 6 lettuce rolls.
3. Place the broth, lettuce rolls, konnyaku, carrot and shiitake in a pot. Heat over high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce to the lowest setting and cook for 15 min. Cut the lettuce rolls in half and serve them in a dish. Season with pepper.

Soy Beans Dish (2)

Grilled Tofu with Cheese

[Ingredients] (serves: 4)

• 1 tofu
• 60g chikin breast fillet
• 5 mushrooms
• 1/4 onion4 cheese slices
• Chopped parsley
• (Miso paste)
• 2 tbsp miso, 1and a half tbsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil

[How to Cook]

1. Cut the tofu into 4 pieces. Place a kitchen towel on a strainer and place the tofu on it to remove extra water.
2. Slice the chicken and mushrooms. Finley chop the onion.
3. Place all the ingredients for the miso paste in a pot. Cook it over the lowest heat while stirring until it becomes glossy. Add the chicken, mushroom and onion to the miso paste and cook them for about 3 min over medium heat.
4. Season the tofu with soy-sauce. Fry the both sides of the tofu in a skillet for 1 min each.
5. Place the tofu in aluminum foil pieces. Place the miso paste on the tofu and grill them over small-medium heat for about 5-7 min. When they are cooked, place the cheese on them and continue to grill until the cheese has melted. When serving it in a dish, sprinkle it with the chopped parsley.

Go to this recipe with more pictures: http://tarosfood.xsrv.jp/pg269.html

Soy Beans Dish (1)

Miso Soup

Japanese meals always include the combination of miso soup and rice. Since its origin in Nara era (710-794), a number of types of miso soup has been created in many parts of Japan.Miso is made from soybeans which are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and it has been proven positively affect health.

• Miso contains saponin which effectively lowers cholesterol. Additionally, those who frequently consumed isoflavone also contained in miso are 54% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who rarely did.
• Miso has a strong antioxidant effect which slows aging.

Pork, Shimeji Mushroom and Vegetable Miso Soup

[Ingredients] (serves: 4)

• 4 cupts of water
• 100g of bacon
• 1/3 carrot
• 1/6 pumpkin
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 pack of shimeji-mushroom
• About 80g of miso (adjust the amount depending on types of miso)

[How to Cook]

1. Cut the carrot into 1cm thick quater rounds. Dice the pumpkin into 2-3cm pieces. Cut the onion into 1cm thick. Slice the bacon into 5cm length.
2. Boil the carrot for about 5 min and drain.
3. Heat the water in a pot and add all the ingredinets. When it comes to a boil, skim forms. Simmer about 10-15 min and add miso. Turn off the heat and serve in a bowl.

Foods which make you lean

Ninjas were professional warriors that also engaged in spying activities. As spying activities required high-level physical and mental abilities, they always trained themselves to maintain their super-skills. They also knew a lot about the foods they ate. They researched the effectiveness of each ingredient and classified them in order to use them to their advantage.

(1) Soy beans

Soy beans were eaten by Ninjas on a daily basis. There are 3 reasons why they ate soy beans.Soy beans contain rich vegetable protein. Protein’s role is to build muscles and replenish skin. As meat was not commonly eaten in Japan at that time, soy beans were an important source of protein used to strengthen their muscles.A ninja needed to be lean and agile. They were required to maintain a weight of less than 60 kilograms. Taking protein from vegetables was a smart way to control their weight.Soy beans are effective in improving skin-condition as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, isoflavones and linolenic acid. Ninjas sometimes needed to disguise themselves when spying, and having clean skin was advantageous when trying to pass as a townsman, monk or even a woman.

Nimono (Simmered Dishes) (1)

"Nimono" is Japanese cooking traditionally used. For "Nimono", the ingredients (vegetables, fish, meat or tofu) are boiled or simmered in broth, typically dashi containing sugar, sake, mirin and soy-sauce and these seasonings penetrate the ingredients. The seasonings particularly penetrate the ingredients well when the nimono is slowly cooled after they are cooked.


Pumpkin Nimono

[Ingredients] (serves: 4)

• 1/4 medium pumpkin
• 30 ml thin soy sauce
• 50 ml mirin
• 350 ml water
• 50 ml sake
• 3 tbsp sugar

[How To Cook]

1. Cut the pumpkin into 4 to 5 cm pieces. Thinly slice the corner of the pumpkin which prevents them from losing their shape when simmered.
2. In a pot, place the water, sake, mirin, sugar, and place the pumpkin with the skin face down. Use enough broth to cover the pumpkin pieces.
3. Cover with a cooking sheet and cook. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 more min.
4. When the pumpkin becomes soft, add the soy sauce and simmer for 2-3 min. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool.