edamame soba salad with grilled salmon

i first had this amazing medley at clementines in century city (one of my fave places in la).  this salad includes 3 main ingredients: soba (super good-for-you, antioxidant-rich, gluten-free japanese buckwheat noodles), edamame (young soybeans that are super rich in antioxidants and fiber) and salmon (also very good for you!).  the dressing is super delicious with a yummy tartness, perfect for the summer.  this recipe is a MUST TRY!!!!!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 tablespoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon honey

-  lemon wedges (1 for dressing and a couple for the salmon)

- 1 teaspoon coarse salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

- 3 green onion, finely diced

- 1/2 cup cilantro

- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

- 3 tablespoon soy sauce

- 6 oz soba noodles

- 1/2 pound salmon fillets

- 1 12oz bag of frozen shelled edamame

directions:

- boil a pot of water and cook the soba noodles until al dente; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- boil another pot of water and cook the edamame for 4 minutes; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- grill the salmon until cooked through; squeeze a lemon wedge over salmon fillets

- remove the skin off the salmon fillets; set aside

- in a super large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, juice of 1 lemon wedge, salt, pepper, carrots, shallots, green onion, cilantro, sriracha and soy sauce

- add soba noodles and edamame to the bowl

- fork apart the salmon into pieces; add to bowl

- mix the salad carefully then refrigerate for at least an hour...then enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

amazing spicy tuna (for crispy rice, rolls and bowls!)

i'm a fan of good spicy tuna...sushi gen's spicy tuna, crispy rice at katsuya and definitely the spicy tuna bowl at teriyaki me in glendale (i miss teriyaki me!).  i feel like a lot of places make their spicy tuna too spicy so you can't taste the tuna or it's just really bland.  after experimenting and trying all sorts of variations of spicy tuna at home, here is a tried and true recipe for the best spicy tuna you'll ever have!

ingredients:

- 1 pound sashimi grade tuna

- 2 teaspoon mayo

- 2-3 teaspoon asian chili paste/sauce (ie: sriracha. i recommend the chili garlic sauce with the green cap and rooster)

- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (ie: japanese rayu)

- dash of soy sauce

- 4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon smelt roe *optional

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil *optional

-  lemon *optional

- rice and nori (for rolls or handrolls; see below)

- 4 tablespoons of butter and rice (for crispy rice; see below)

directions:

- mix the mayo, 2 teaspoon chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sliced green onion and sesame oil in a bowl.  taste the sauce.  if you want it spicier, add another teaspoon of chili paste

- dice the tuna into small pieces; add the tuna to the bowl with the sauce

- mix carefully. add a spritz of lemon if you want to add some acidity to the taste.  refrigerate immediately

- use the spicy tuna mixture in a handroll (rice and tuna rolled up in nori), in a roll (you know...a sushi roll!), over a bowl of rice or over some crispy rice!

crispy rice directions:

- create rectangular blocks of rice (approximately 4"x1"x1")

- over a hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple dashes of soy sauce

- when the butter starts to bubble, add the rice blocks and cook on each side until the rice gets crispy; remove

- let it cool a tad then spoon some of the spicy tuna mixture on top (garnish with a slice of jalapeno if you'd like!)

xoxo,

kara

japanese sukiyaki

for those of you who don't know what sukiyaki is (other than that 90s song), it's one of my favorite japanese dishes.  sukiyaki is a delicious one pot meal that is usually cooked at the table (like shabu shabu), and the flavors from the beef and vegetables mixed with soy sauce and mirin are out-of-this-world delicious.  and the best part is the leftovers!  i love piling the leftovers on top of a warm bowl of rice...yummy!!

ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds thinly sliced beef, cut into large bite-size pieces

- 1 package shirataki noodles, washed and drained

- 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed then halved

- 1 package enoki mushroom, bottom trimmed

- 3 stalks green onion, washed and sliced into 2 inch pieces

- 1/2 napa cabbage, washed and cut into 2 inch wide pieces

- 1 package of grilled tofu or firm tofu, drained then cut into 1 inch pieces

for sukiyaki sauce:

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

- 3/4 cup water or chicken stock

directions:

- mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock in a bowl

- heat a japanese style hot pot or a le creuset type of casserole over medium-high heat (or on a table-top stove)

- add a tablespoon of oil

- add half of the beef slices and saute for a few minutes until browned

- add the sukiyaki sauce mixture to pot

- move the beef over to one side of the pot, then add the vegetables, tofu and noodles in neat sectons

- let the broth come to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes

- reduce heat to a simmer; once all the ingredients are softened, it's ready!

- serve with rice (if you want to be super traditional, also dip ingredients into a bowl of raw beaten eggs).  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

japanese-style chicken curry

i'm really not a big fan of instant, pre-made mixes or frozen, microwaveable foods...but when it comes to japanese curry, i always use curry sauce mix because it's so much easier, takes less time (30 minutes versus 3 hours?!), and it's soooo delicious! i have, of course, made some tweaks to the directions you can find on the back of the box to make this curry recipe the best you've ever had. 

ingredients:

- 2 brown onion

- 2 russet potatoes

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks

- 1.5 pounds chicken thigh, cut into chunks

- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

- 1 package japanese curry mix (i highly recommend s&b tasty curry sauce mix in med hot) 

directions:

- first, cut the 2 onion into halves.  dice one of the halves into small pieces; cut the other 2 1/2 onion into chunks

- peel the russet potatoes and cut into large chunks so they won't disintegrate during the cooking process

- in a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat and add the diced onion

- add chicken pieces into pot and cook until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes

- add the rest of the onion chunks, potatoes, carrots and zucchini into the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes, still over high heat until lightly browned

- add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil

- lower heat as soon as it comes to a boil; cover pot and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the veggies are cooked

- turn off heat, then add in curry squares and melt into broth

- simmer for an additional 8 minutes and gently stir occasionally

- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

buta no kakuni, aka japanese style braised pork

this japanese braised pork dish is originated/inspired by the chinese dongpo pork dish.  tender and delicious, the pork belly (or pork shoulder/butt, which i personally like using for this recipe) is braised for a few hours in a yummy broth of soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, garlic and star anise.  the outcome is an amazing dish that melts in your mouth.  very easy to make (just takes a little time)...and perfect with a hot bowl of rice :)

ingredients:

- 2 pounds pork butt or pork belly (skinless)

- 1 japanese white radish (aka daikon), sliced into 1-inch rounds then halved

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/2 cup soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon salt

- a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thick rounds

- 3 garlic cloves, smashed

- 1 piece of star anise

- 1 stalk of green onion, thinly sliced

directions:

- cut the pork belly or pork butt into large chunks

- heat a medium dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat

- add pork and brown all sides

- once browned, push pork chunks to one side of the pan; add sugar to the other side of the pan and caramelize

- stir and combine the carmelized sugar with the pork

- add the water, mirin, sake, soy sauce, salt, ginger, garlic, star anise and daikon slices

- cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to super low and simmer for 3-4 hours

- check the pot every hour or so to gently stir and to make sure there is enough braising liquid (ingredients should be submerged); add water if needed

- after about 3-4 hours, check the flavorings and add soy sauce if needed

- once done, sprinkle the green onion slices on top and serve with warm white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

oyako donburi

my favorite dish in the world is oyako donburi; it reminds me of my summers in japan growing up, and my dad and i cooking together on weekends as a kid.  i love the blend of simple, japanese tastes - soy sauce, mirin, dashi stock and green onion.  the best part about this dish is its name: oya = adult, ko = child...get it chicken (oya) + egg (ko)!

ingredients:

- 4 cup cooked japanese rice

- 3/4 - 1 pound chicken thigh, cut into pieces

- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

- 1 2/3 cup chicken stock or dashi soup stock

- 8 tablespoons soy sauce

- 4 tablespoons mirin

- 3 tablespoons brown sugar

- 4 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 green onion, thinly cut

directions:

- heat chicken stock/dashi soup stock over medium heat in a saucepan or skillet

- put cut chicken thigh in a bowl and cover with 2 tablespoons of mirin; let rest for 5 minutes

- add soy sauce, leftover mirin and brown sugar to broth

- add chicken to broth and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes

- add sliced onion to broth and simmer for an additional 3 minutes

- bring broth to a boil for 5 minutes, until onion are soft

- add lightly beaten eggs over chicken and onion in broth; turn down the heat to low and cover with a lid for 1 minute

- sprinkle in green onion slices; turn off the heat, cover with lid and let it rest for an additional minute

- to assemble, add hot rice to individual bowls.  with a large spoon, scoop individual portions of the chicken and egg topping and soupy stock into each bowl.  enjoy!

xoxo, 

kara