Girl's day (Hinamatsuri) sushi cake

March 3rd is a "Hinamatsuri"-Girl's day in Japan. 

This year, I made a very easy and cute sushi cake!

How to make banana muffin

I used to make pastries and confections all the time.
This is one of the easiest, yet the best recipe by far.

When you have some ripe bananas hanging around, this recipe comes out better!

1. Mix two eggs and 100grams of brown sugar in a bowl.  Whisk them very well.

2. Add 80grams of vegetable oil, and 30grams of yogurt, then mix well.

3. Add two ripe bananas, they are so ripe and super easy to mash in a bowl.

If it is a little bit hard to mash, you can always use a fork to mash before you mix in to the bowl with the other ingredients.

I like a little chunk to be seen.

4. Add a little spoon of baking powder and 150grams of sifted flour.

This is an old and beaten up muffin tin, but it is a great size!

So I line this pan with muffin cups.

We can make 8 muffins perfectly.

5. Bake 14-18min in 350F oven.

They are delicious and so moist!

I sometimes jazz it up by adding some spices (nutmeg, cinnamon) or nuts or even chocolate chips!

How to make best lemonade ever!

Whenever it is lemon season, we should take advantage, right?
Since the Meyer lemon tree outside bears so many of them!

You only need:

6 juicy lemons
6 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of ice cubes


1. Cut the lemons in half, and squeeze the juice out.

 

2. In a med sauce pan, pour 6 cups of water and a cup of sugar.

3. Turn the heat to med high, and stir the water and sugar mixture until the sugar dissolves completely.

 4. Cool the sugar water.

5. Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and ice cubes, and the sugar water, then chill in the fridge.

Cutely enough, there are so many baby lemons are in the branches!

More to come!

Serve with lots of ice. 
This is a great drink for kids and adults.
Of course my daughter drinks it straight up!

It can be mixed with good liquor or even simple soda water!

How to make Shio-Lemon and...

For a while, "Shio-Lemon (Salt and lemon)" was the "it" thing in Japan.

It is supposed to be a Moroccan condiment, and it is very versatile when it comes to cooking vegetables, meat, and even fish!

So I thought this should be our new seasoning because our house's Meyer lemons are growing beautifully. 

But first, we need to make this condiment, and it takes a little while.

Needs: Big mason jar, 3 big juicy lemon (500gram), good sea salt (50gram 10% of lemon)

1. Cut the lemon into wedges (maybe into 1/8).

2. Place them to the sanitized jar, and then add salt.

3. Leave the jar in the fridge. Shake it in 2-3 days for the salt to be dissolved thoroughly.

You can use it in a week or so, but the good flavor kicks in when you leave it for a month.

The lemon's acidity and the salt become much more mild!

 Using this newly introduced condiment, we will make grilled chicken today!


1. Cut some chicken breasts into bite sizes. (I usually eliminate any fat because my family does not like the fatty parts)

2. Place all the meat in a zip lock and pour some of the "Shio Lemon." 

(I used one wedge of lemon for 2 chicken breasts today.)  And massage the zip lock a little in order for the lemon to be squished and the chicken to absorb the flavor.

3. After one hour in the fridge, take out the chicken pieces and grill them on a griddle (or BBQ, whichever works for you!).

4. Leave a couple of min before turning to achieve the grill marks :)  YUM!

5. Cook thoroughly.

So I made some creamy pasta and topped it with the Shio-Lemon grilled chicken.

Juicy and flavorful!

How to make Niku-jyaga

If you could make this by heart, you are truly Japanese...

It is the food people think of when they are asked what is mama's home made cooking.

It is very simple, and always home-y.

1. Cut 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, and 1 onion into bite sizes. 

2. Oil well and heat a medium sauce pan, and then start to stir in the potatoes and carrots.

While it's cooking, we are going to do a little prep.

We want some green and some texture. 

So today, I chose green peas! (it can be sugar peas or green beans, etc...)

So I always think "Shirataki" is a must-item for Niku-jyaga.

Let's ask Wiki again...

Shirataki is a thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam (devil's tongue yam or elephant yam).  The word "shirataki" means "white waterfall", describing the appearance of these noodles. Largely composed of water and glucomannan, a water-soluble dietary fiber, they are very low in digestible carbohydrates and calories, and have little flavor of their own.

Shirataki noodles can be found both in dry and soft "wet" forms in Asian markets and some supermarkets. When purchased wet, they are packaged in liquid. They normally have a shelf life of up to one year. Some brands may require rinsing or par-boiling as the water they are packaged in has an odor that may be unpleasant to those not accustomed to it.
Alternatively, the noodles can be drained and dry roasted. This gets rid of the bitterness. It also makes the noodles have a more pasta-like consistency. Dry roasting is done by placing noodles in a non-stick skillet on high for a minute or until you hear a slight squeaking noise when moving them around. After that they are ready to be added to soup stock or have a sauce added to them.

3. Wash "Shirataki" in a colander with water. 

4. After the potatoes and carrots are a little cooked, pour in the washed "Shirataki," and onions.

5. Cut up a little bit of thinly sliced beef.  After "Shirataki's" liquidness is mostly gone and the onions are somewhat translucent, stir in the meat.

6. After the meat is halfway cooked, splash in 2 big spoons of sake and a cup of hot water

and bring the heat to high.

We need a good sake for cooking as well...

Today I used one from my home town :)

7. Once it is boiled, turn the heat to med-low, and scoop up some scum with a ladle. 

8. Add a 1/2 big spoon of granulated sugar and boil for 5min.

9. Add 2 big spoons of soy sauce and stir thoroughly.

,

10. Use "Otoshi-buta" to keep all the good liquid and leave it on med low for 15-16 min, stirring occasionally. 

11. After potatoes are soft, add the color! Green peas!! 

Serve it while it is hot and hearty!!