Innie or Outie

Hubby was really in the mood for something a little different from our normal cuisine and decided to go washyoku (traditional Japanese cooking), Papa’s Shibui-Chicken Soup:

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Presoak chopped chicken chunks in sake and sea salt; in a large pot of water, simmer konbu (seaweed) sheet until soft; remove konbu and add katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), mirin, white pepper, soy sauce, and chopped shibui (Winter gourd); bring to rolling boil (remove one cup of stock and set aside); add presoaked chicken with liquid; reduce heat and simmer until shibui is tender and chicken thoroughy cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare the accompanying dish, Papa’s 10 Grain-Kamaboko Rice:

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Cook rice adding one 10 grain rice packet, chopped shitake mushroom, diced carrot, diced gobo (burdock root) stuffed kamaboko, soy sauce, and substituting the one cup reserved konbu stock for one cup of water; plate and garnish with chopped scallions.

Plate soup and garnish with fresh arugula. Serve.

This is another version of an obabento from a local take-out chain store. Items included are beans and rice, umeboshi (pickled plum), kamaboko, greens and soy bean curd, tofu, pork, stew with rice noodles, and imitation crab-egg roll.

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As summer comes to an end, so is the supply of 70 gram somen gift packets. Here is another new idea where East meets West, Miso-Tomato Sauce Somen:

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Sauté spicy pork sausage slices and diced red onion in sesame oil; add minced garlic paste, tomato paste, 1/2 sodium red miso paste, chicken broth, frozen grilled Mediterranean vegetable (zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, eggplant, and potato) medley, dried red chili pepper flakes, dried parsley flakes, dried oregano flakes, and dried thyme flakes; bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced. Cook somen; strain and toss with miso-tomato sauce mixture; plate and garnish with julienned nori. As an accompaniment, I served Toasted Olive-Basil Bread.

Here’s a quick and tasty way to beat the munchies and make use of leftovers, Chili Steak Wrap:

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Simply place some cheddar cheese, fresh salad greens and arugula, and Chili Steak on a tortilla; heat in microwave, roll, and garnish with two small fresh arugula leaves.

Here’s a TexMex inspired dish that hubby created, Papa’s Chili Steak on Rice:

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For the dish, hubby sautéed cubed beef in olive oil; added chili pepper flakes, powdered cumin, minced garlic paste, Worcestershire sauce, and canned chili beans with sauce. He plated the beef mixture on a rice bed; topped with homegrown salad greens, sliced cheddar cheese, onion slices, and quartered cherry tomatoes; then sprinkled with dried cilantro flakes.

This is another of the local bentos with scrambled egg, mackerel, moyashi (bean sprouts), potato croquette, greens, rice, kamaboko (ground fish), and umeboshi (pickled plum).

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So you’re in the mood for a little pampering, but you don’t have a bagel in the pantry. No problem, here’s an alternative idea, Cream Cheese-Caviar Quesadilla:

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Simply spread a layer of cream cheese on one half of a flour tortilla; top with a layer of caviar; fold other half on top; place in a frying pan to toast; remove, slice, and serve.

Here’s another original home cooked meal idea that’s colorful and flavorful, Stuffed Chicken Thigh Dinner:

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Sauté julienned yellow bell pepper and red bell pepper, sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, fresh rosemary leaves, and almond slivers in sesame oil; sprinkle with white pepper; remove from heat and set aside. Slightly flatten boneless chicken thighs skin side on outside; sprinkle with black pepper; spread on a thin layer of cream cheese; sprinkle with dried oregano flakes, powdered clove, and powdered sage; top with sautéed bell pepper mixture; fold outer edges of chicken towards center to form a roll; peg with toothpicks; sear on all sides in medium hot frying pan with heated olive oil; place in baking dish and bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees Centigrade for approximately 10 minutes.

While chicken is baking, grind black olives, green olives, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil in food processor; slice one whole grain dinner roll into four pieces; spread on thin layer of minced garlic paste; toast on both sides in frying pan with heated olive oil. Sauté defrosted grilled Mediterranean vegetable medley (potato, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, eggplant, and zucchini chunks) and pine nuts in heated olive oil. Meanwhile, remove toasted bun slices from heat and top with olive mixture; blanch julienned red cabbage and carrot.

Plate cabbage-carrot mix forming a thin bed; sprinkle with crushed sesame seeds; plate toasted olive-basil bread and drizzle with olive oil; plate sautéed Mediterranean veggie mixture; remove chicken from oven, remove toothpicks, place on red cabbage-carrot bed and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve.

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This original dish combines several Asian flavors, Papa’s Spicy Miso-Pork on Sesame Rice:

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For the dish, hubby used chunked pork roast, sliced red and green bell peppers, white onion, and carrot sautéed in sesame oil; with toubanjyan sauce, oyster sauce, dried garlic slivers, minced ginger paste, powdered chicken broth, white pepper, arugula, salad greens, 1/2 sodium red miso paste, and cracked toasted sesame seeds added; ladled on a bed of cracked toasted sesame seed rice.

Another new creation using more unexpected combinations of ingredients, Asian-Flavored Seafood Mini Pizza Dinner:

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For the pizza, defrost frozen seafood (shrimp, clam, and squid) medley; premix a paste of 1/2 sodium red miso paste, cracked toasted sesame seeds, minced garlic paste, powdered red chili peppers, and fresh shikwasa juice. Set aside.

Meanwhile, dice yellow bell pepper and onion; saute in sesame oil until onion slightly translucent; place in bowl and let cool. Sauté seafood medley in olive oil until shrimp turn light pink, remove from heat and set aside.

Next, prepare the salad – julienne red cabbage, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, carrot, and iceberg lettuce; toss with fresh arugula and salad greens; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Start the mini pizzas Рspread tortilla with premixed miso paste; top with saut̩ed bell pepper, onions, and seafood; add cherry tomato slices and crumbled baby cheese; microwave for 1.5 minutes; remove and fry in olive oil until bottom lightly browned; remove and top with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and julienned nori (dried seaweed); slice and plate.

Add the premade salad topped with a somen tsuyu sauce, minced ginger paste, soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil and white wine vinaigrette. Serve.