Easy Party Sushi

Serves 6

300g sushi rice
5tbsp Mizkan Sushi-Su
1tsp sesame oil
4-5 sheets dried nori seaweed, each cut in half

Suggested fillings:
Cooked peeled prawns, cucumber batons, strips of red pepper, flaked crab meat

1. Put the rice in a sieve and run cold water through it until the water is clear. Drain well, put in a saucepan and add 330ml boiling water. Cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to stand covered for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the sushi-si and sesame oil together and pour over the hot rice. Transfer the rice to a shallow dish and turn it over with a spatula so it cools quickly.
3. When the rice is cold, put a nori sheet on to a sushi mat with the long sides top and bottom and spread an even layer of rice across the central two-thirds. Arrange a thin layer of filling down the centre of the rice and roll up with the help of the mat, tucking the uncovered part of the nori inside and dampening the final edge to stick it down. Cut the roll into 6 pieces with a damp knife.
4. Make other rolls in the same way using the remaining ingredients. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger

Crab & Spring Onion Cakes

Crab Cakes:
350g/12oz potatoes, boiled and mashed
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger puree
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
225g/8oz white crabmeat, flaked
4 tbsp flour
1 egg beaten
75g/3oz fresh breadcrumbs
Oil for frying

Method

To make the salsa, line a grill pan with foil and grill the peppers on all sides until the skins blacken. Wrap foil around the peppers to enclose them tightly and leave until cold. Unwrap, halve and deseed the peppers and peel off the skins. Cut the flesh into strips.
Put the peppers, chilli and onion in a bowl, mix together the vinegar and sugar and pour over the vegetables. Cover and chill until needed.
To make the crab cakes, put the potatoes, spring onions, garlic, ginger, parsley, coriander and crabmeat in a bowl and stir until mixed. Shape into 8 even-sized balls, dust with flour, brush with beaten egg and press in the breadcrumbs until coated. Chill for 1 hour until firm.
Deep or shallow fry the crab cakes in hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot with the salsa.

Asian Crab & Prawn Salad
3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
110g (4oz) sugar snap peas or mangetout
2 heads pak choi or 1 head Chinese leaves, roughly chopped
200g (7oz) bean sprouts
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
110g (4oz) mushrooms, sliced
225g (8oz) large peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
170g can crab meat, drained
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)
A few sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Method:
1.First make the dressing by mixing together the Mizkan Seasoned Rice Vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.2.Cook the sugar snap peas or mangetout in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, then rinse with cold water and drain well.3.Put the pak choi or Chinese leaves into a large salad bowl with the sugar snap peas or mangetout, bean sprouts, peppers and mushrooms. Add the prawns, crab meat and chilli, if using. Stir the dressing, then add it to the salad bowl and toss everything together.

Yakitori Chicken

1 1/2 cups mirin
3/4 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed (optional)
1 lb boneless chicken thighs
1-2 green onions, in inch-long pieces (optional)
8 bamboo skewers

1Put mirin, soy sauce, sugar and garlic, if using, into a medium-sized sauce pan, and cook over medium heat until there is only half as much sauce remaining.

2Let cool slightly while you are preparing the chicken.

3Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces; keeping the skin on is usual in Japan.

4Thread chicken onto skewers, alternating with green onion if desired.

5Begin grilling the chicken skewers on both sides without the sauce, when the meat starts changing color, brush the sauce on both sides, and continue grilling, brushing on sauce about 3 times total, and turning until done.

 

Japanese Beef and Vegetables: Sukiyaki

3 ounces peanut oil, plus 3 ounces
1 1/2 pounds beef top round, trimmed and cut into julienne
4 ounces soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
10 scallions, washed, trimmed and cut into 1-inch strips
10 ounces peeled and julienned Spanish onion
10 ounces mushrooms, washed, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
1 pound tofu, cut into small dice
10 ounces spinach, washed, stemmed and cut chiffonade
8 ounces bamboo shoots, julienned
10 ounces mirin (available in Asian markets)
1 1/2 pounds shirataki noodles, cooked, cooled and cut into thirds

In a wok, heat 3 ounces of peanut oil. Add beef strips and stir-fry quickly, just to brown meat. Season with soy sauce and sugar, then remove and set aside.
Clean the wok, and heat the remaining 3 ounces of peanut oil. Add scallions, onions, mushrooms, tofu, spinach, and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry quickly, about 2 minutes. Add mirin and noodles and return cooked meat to the mixture. Stir-fry an additional minute or just until hot and well-incorporated.
Remove from wok and serve at once on a preheated dinner plate.

 

TEMPURA

4 spring onions
4 Shiitake mushrooms
8 king prawns
1 cup flour for coating
6 teaspoons finely grated daikon (white radish)
2 egg yolks
2 cups(500ml) ice water
2 cups(250g) tempura flour
1 cup dashi (Japanese fish stock)
3 teaspoons mirin
4 teaspoons soya sauce
1 lemon

For the dipping sauce, bring to boil dashi, soy sauce and mirin, reduce heat and keep warm. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons daikon in each of 4 serving bowls, with 1/2 tsp ginger, cut lemon into wedges and set aside.2.Heat oil to 160C and maintain temperature. Prepare batter - beat 2 egg yolks in bowl and add 2 cups (500ml) ice water, beat lightly to mix well, add 2 cups (250g) flour and mix ingredients.3.To cook, individually coat ingredients in flour, shake off excess flour, dip into batter, fry (most things need only 2-3 minutes) and drain on plate covered with kitchen towel or paper napkin.4.To serve, pour 1/4 cup (60ml) dipping sauce into each bowl with daikon and ginger. Eat the tempura while hot and don’t drown it in the dipping sauce, otherwise it will get really soggy.

Japanese Fried Prawn Gyoza

24 prawns
1 piece of fresh ginger (about 3 cm)
1/4 cup of chopped spring onions
24 gyoza wrappers (from a Japanese supermarket)
3 cups of vegetable oil

Peel the prawns and remove the veins, but leave the tails on. Season with salt and pepper. Mince ginger and chopped spring onions together. Dampen the edge of a gyoza wrapper with a little water, then wrap around a prawn and a bit of ginger and spring onions. Roll it tight and stick the edges down, leaving the tail outside the wrapper. Fry in oil in a saucepan until crisp. Serve them nice and hot!

TONKATSU-Deep Fried Pork Cutlets

4 pork loin chop with bone out
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 cup flour
1-2 eggs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying
PREPARATION:
Cut the edge of pork chops in several places.
I usually pound the pork lightly
usin the serated end of a meat cleaver
IT gives the pork a patterned look
and makes it not tuff when cooked
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork.
Coat pork lightly with flour
Dip the pork in beaten egg.
Coat pork well with panko bread crumbs.
Fry the pork in 320F oil for a few min.
Turn over the pork chops and fry a few more min.
Take out the pork and put them on a paper towel to drain the oil.
Cut each tonkatsu into small pieces.
**Serve shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce with tonkatsu

MISO SOUP WITH TOFU

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/3 cups dashi soup stock
1/2 tofu
3-4 tbsps miso paste
1/4 cup chopped green onion
PREPARATION:
Put dashi soup stock in a pan and bring to a boil.
Cut tofu into small cubes and add them to the soup.
Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and dissolve miso in it.
Return the soup in the pan. Stop the heat and add chopped green onion.
Remember not to boil the soup after you put miso in.

SASHIMI

Ingredients
-Raw fish
soya sauce
Wasabi (green mustard)

Prepare the fish
Make sure the fish u purchase are fresh
We usually use snapper,tuna and salmon
Clean the fish well then fillet the fish and skin.
Make sure u take all bones off the fish
Starting from the tail end slice thin slices of fish on an angle
As u get to the wider end of the fish I usually just cut the fish in half lengthwise
that makes the slices smaller and soo u can make the slices thicker
Place the slices onto a plate or platter and server with soya sauce n wasabi.

YAKISOBA-JAPANESE FRIED NOODLE

Ingredients
1 lb lean pork loin, sliced thinly (against the grain)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
12 ounces Chinese wheat noodles (udon noodles may be substituted)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced thin
1 lb napa cabbage or savoy cabbage, sliced very thin
3 carrots, grated
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)
Directions
1In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar, stirring to dissolve.
2Cook noodles in boiling water about 8 minutes, or until tender.
3Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.
4In a large deep skillet or wok, cook onion in oil for about 3 minutes.
5Add the cabbage, carrot and ginger and cook until cabbage is softened, about 3-5 minutes.
6Add the pork and cook for 2 minutes more.
7Cover the mixture with noodles and pour the sauce over all.
8Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, the remove the lid and toss the mixture together until it is well combined.
9Place on a serving platter and garnish with chopped scallions, if desired.