Prawn Cocktail

It has been a loooong time since I published my last blog.

Soon after we moved to our new home we invited my parents to come over from Japan.  They are very old; my father is 89 and my mother is 84 and neither of them understands English.

They have traveled overseas several times before including the US, but Seattle was a brand new place for them and they knew nothing about it at all.  I was therefore very busy every day acting as their interpreter, taking them to tourist attractions etc., etc.

Last night, we invited my husband's work colleague for dinner and I cooked some of my specialities including this Prawn Cocktail.

He really enjoyed the cocktail sauce and requested the recipe in English.  This is why I am updating my blog after a long break.

Ingredients for 5~6 people
30 raw prawns

(Cocktail sauce)

1 cup real mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise is not suitable for this dish!)

3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons tomato paste

1.5-2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1-2 teaspoons squeezed lemon juice

few drops Tabasco

AJINOMOTO (MSG) to taste (optional)

(Other)
Paprika to garnish (optional)
Sliced baguettes

Instructions

Pull out the vein from the prawns using a toothpick and then peel leaving the tails intact.

Thread each prawn on to a toothpick to give them a nice shape.

Cook the prawns in boiling water for a few minutes, then wash under cold running water and drain well.  Pull out the toothpicks from the prawns and keep them refrigerated until serving.

To make the cocktail sauce, add all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Keep it refrigerated until serving.

Just before serving, lay enough ice to cover the bottom of the serving plate, then arrange the prawns on top.  Serve the prawns with the cocktail sauce garnished with some paprika, together with baguette slices.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Pork and Barley Broth

It has been a long time since I last time updated this blog.  :-(  My husband and I have recently bought a house and I have been very busy and unable to spare time to update my English blog, besides Japanese one.

However, as I have recently cooked a very tasty broth and would really like to share that recipe with my blog readers, I am trying to translate its Japanese recipe into English.

When the weather is really cold, I like making heart-warming soups and stews to warm up my chilled body from the inside. 

This dish is a cross between soup and stew, similar to gumbo.  The slow-cooked pork is so tender and flaky, the barley makes the soup thicker and richer, and it really fills your hungry tummy!

This winter dish is served as a main course both for family dinners as well as for guests.  It is absolutely gorgeous and you will definitely love it.  You must try it!

Ingredients for 4 people
1 bay leaf

1 small sprig rosemary

1.5lb Pork rib shoulder blade, cut into cubes (about 1” to 1.5”)

Olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 small stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 small carrots, roughly chopped

Half cup white wine

3 cups chicken stock

Half cup pressed (or pearl) barley

2/3 cup chopped parsley, reserve about 1 tablespoonful for garnish

Black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

AJINOMOTO (MSG) to taste

Instructions

Wrap up the bay leaf and rosemary with some cheese cloth and tie with string (making a small bouquet garni). 

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan to a medium heat and brown the pork all over.  Remove the pork from the frying pan and drain on kitchen paper.  Set to one side.

Heat some more olive oil in a heavy based pan (e.g., Le Creuset) and cook the onion until it becomes golden and tender (4 – 5 minutes).  Add the garlic, celeries and carrots to the onion and cook further 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the cooked pork to the pan, and pour over the wine and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil.

Add the barley, parsley and bouquet garni to the pan.  Season with black pepper.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 2 hours.

Season with salt and MSG (if using).  Garnish with the reserved parsley and serve with boiled new baby potatoes or some crusty bread and butter.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Mixed Mushroom Doria

Doria is a gratin-style dish in which white sauce and cheese overlay cooked rice on the base of casserole dish and is then baked.  I heard that this delicious dish was originally created by a Parisian restaurant when they served an Italian noble family “The Doria”. The name of dish, as you can imagine, came from this noble family.

In the early 90s, this dish was introduced to Japan by a Yokohama’s hotel restaurant chef. Since then, Doria has become very popular in Japan.  There are many variations and here I am introducing our family’s recipe.

Ingredients for 4 people

1oz dry Porcini

7 oz skinless boneless chicken breast or thigh

2 rashers fatty bacon, chopped

8 oz mixed mushrooms (such as Shiitake, cremini or oyster), sliced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup white wine

1.5 tablespoons butter

1/2 finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

7/8 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup Porcini liquor

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 cups cooked rice

2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Wash the Porcini and soak in hot water for 30 minutes.  When they are reconstituted, wrap them with a kitchen paper and lightly squeeze to remove the excess water.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the Porcini liquor.  Remove any extra fat from the chicken and cut into strips.

Heat a frying pan and cook the bacon without oil (if the bacon rashers are not fatty enough, you can use a little of the olive oil).  When the rashers are nearly cooked add the chicken strips and cook for further 2 - 3 minutes.

Add the Porcini and mixed mushrooms and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, then add the white wine and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until the liquid evaporates and reduces.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan heat the butter and cook the onion until becomes soft but not brown.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour and mix well.  Return to the heat and, beating constantly with a whisk, gradually add the half-and-half.

Add the contents of the frying pan to the large saucepan including any remaining liquid and the reserved Porcini liquor.  Mix well and if the sauce is too thick add a little more half-and-half to thin it a little.

Season with salt and pepper, then add the parsley, mix, and remove from the heat.

Spread the cooked rice on the base of an oven-safe dish.  Pour the sauce over the rice and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on the top.  Bake it in a preheated oven at 400F for 30 minutes or until it becomes golden brown.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Chicago Style Vege Pizza

The slow-cooked onions are beautifully caramelised and delicately sweet. The mixed mushrooms have a buttery garlic flavour and a delightfully chewy texture. Although vegetarian, this deep-pan Chicago style pizza topped with these deliciously prepared vegetables is a substantial dish. It will definitely fill everyone’s stomach at dinner and surely become the most popular appetiser among your guests at a party.

Ingredients for 4 people

(Dough)

9 oz all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

4.6 fl oz water

1.5 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(Toppings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large red onions, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon soft brown sugar

salt and black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

10 oz mixed mushrooms (3 - 4 types), sliced if large

2 - 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 lb Mozzarella cheese, sliced

10 - 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Instructions

Put the dough ingredients into the pan following the directions for your bread maker. Select the dough cycle.

Whilst making the dough, prepare the toppings. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 10 minutes on a medium-low heat. Add the soft brown sugar and cook further 10 - 15 minutes or until the onion is caramelised and reduces its volume by half. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Wash the frying pan thoroughly and dry carefully. Then heat the butter in the frying pan and cook the garlic for few seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 - 6 minutes until the liquid on the base of pan has almost completely evaporated. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat and again leave to cool completely.

When the dough cycle finishes, turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Push down the dough gently, and then divide into 2 balls. Cover with a damp cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Lightly grease two 8” sandwich tins. Push down the dough ball gently again, then, using your palms and a rolling pin, roll it out to a round shape until it is large enough to cover the base and side of the sandwich tin. Fit the dough into the tin and trim the edge with your fingers. Repeat for the next dough ball. Let them rest for 15 minutes.

Place the Mozzarella cheese in the base of tins, then spread the onion and mushrooms. Top with the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 400F, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for further 30 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit! 

Three Colour Bell Pepper Tarte Tatin

Stuffing bell peppers with cooked rice, cheese and vegetables and then baking in the oven is one of our family’s favourite dishes. I have modified that usual recipe, and rather than stuffing the rice into the bell peppers I have used all the ingredients in a tart. When the tart is cooked, I turned it upside-down as if it was an apple tarte tatin.

Ingredients for 4 people

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into long strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 cups brown rice, cooked with chicken bouillon and 1 tablespoon butter

1 medium sized tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and then cook the bell peppers for 4 - 5 minutes or until they become soft but not browned. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.

In the same frying pan, adding more oil if necessary, cook the onion and spring onions until softened. Add the garlic and cook further 1muninute or so. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

On the base of a tart dish, arrange the bell peppers in a single layer in an attractive pattern, such as red-yellow-red-yellow-green, red-yellow and so on. If you have different colors of peppers, you can use a different ratio or pattern.

In a mixing bowl, place the cooked rice, tomato, basil, parsley, and both types of cheese together with the onion mixture. Mix and season well with salt and pepper. Spread the rice mixture over the arranged bell peppers evenly.

Roll out the puff pastry slightly larger than the diameter of tart dish and place it on top of the rice mixture. Cut the pastry following the line of the tart dish, leaving an extra half inch all the way around. Tuck the extra pastry down inside of the tart dish.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 375F.

When the tart has cooked, remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a thin knife, gently go round the edge of the tart dish to ensure the crust does not stick, and then invert the tart to a serving dish.

If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit! 

Lou’s Cinnamon Rolls

Lou and I became friends through our respective Japanese blogs. We have never met, but we have been keeping up our friendship for 3 – 4 years and now we are more than just “blog friends”.

Lou is a Japanese housewife with two lovely kids. She is extremely good at baking different breads. Her bread recipes vary from soft loaves to sweet rolls.

Lou often introduces her masterpieces in her blog. One day, she wrote an article about the cinnamon rolls that she baked that day and showed the picture of these yummy rolls to her blog readers. They looked so delicious and I immediately fell in love with them! So, I asked her for the recipe.

The recipe I am going to introduce to you today is a modification of Lou’s Cinnamon Rolls. I changed the flour from 100% bread flour to all-purpose flour, the liquid from only milk to a mixture of milk and eggs, the filling from just cinnamon sugar with raisins, to cinnamon butter cream with rum, raisins and walnuts, and finally coated them with some vanilla icing.

I know you can buy ready-made cinnamon roll dough at any supermarkets, but just once, spare a couple of hours and make it from the dough following Lou’s recipe. You will never buy the ready-made dough again, as these are super delicious cinnamon rolls!


Ingredients for 32 rolls
(Dough)
1 1/3 lb all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/4 tablespoons butter
4 1/4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 large eggs, beaten
Milk, add to the beaten eggs and make it to 14 oz (1 3/4 cups)
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

(Fillings)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, soften
1 1/4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
6 oz raisins
4 tablespoon rum
5 oz walnuts, chopped

(Glaze)
1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon milk for glazing

(Vanilla Icing)
4 oz icing sugar
few drops of vanilla essence or oil
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoonsof milk to make your preferred thickness of icing

Instructions
Put the dough ingredients into the pan following the directions for your bread maker. Select the dough course.

Prepare the filling. In a small mixing bowl, place the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon powder and mix well. In a microwavable cup, place the raisins and pour in the rum, then cook them in the microwave for 1 minute. Leave to cool completely.

When the dough course finishes, remove the pan from the machine and turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Push down the dough gently, then divide it into 4 balls. Cover with a damp cloth or with lightly greased cling film and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Push down the ball gently again, then with a rolling pin roll it out to a 8”x 10” rectangular shape. Spread 1/4 of the butter mixture onto the dough and scatter 1/4 of raisins then 1/4 of the walnuts. Starting from the long edge, roll up the dough tightly into a cylinder. You may need to stretch and shape the roll to make it even.

Cut the rolled-up dough into 8 equal slices. Place them, cut sides up, on a lined or greased cookie sheet. Cover with a damp cloth or with lightly greased cling film. Repeat for the rest of balls and let them rise for about 40 minutes.

Brush the dough lightly with the egg mixture and bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F.

When the rolls have been baked, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the vanilla icing, mix together the sugar, vanilla oil and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add more milk (1 teaspoon each time) to make it your preferred thickness of icing. Drizzle over the cooled cinnamon rolls.


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!

Marmalade Chicken

Following my pan-fried YAKITORI recipe, I am introducing another easy way to cook TERIYAKI style chicken.

Cooking chicken in a mixture of marmalade and soy sauce - that might sound disgusting to you, but, trust me!  It works very well and marmalade chicken is just so delicious!


Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
5oz plus 1 tablespoon marmalade
2 tablespoons rice wine (SAKE)
2 lb chicken wings, drumsticks, or a mix

Instructions
In a very big pan, mix well the soy sauce, marmalade and rice wine until combined.

Place the chicken in the pan as single layer.

Bring to boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, lower the heat. Place a lid on the pan and braise for 40 minutes. Turn the chicken 3 - 4 times during the cooking process.


If you would like to read this recipe in Japanese, please click HERE.

Bon appetit!