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Japanese Fried Chicken AKA Tori no Karaage Japanese Fried Chicken (the Japanese call it Tori no Karaage) must be one of Japan's most well known foods. It's certainly something I get asked about a lot, along the lines of "How do you get Japanese karaage so golden and crispy but juicy at the same time?" Aha, just read on... Oddly enough, for a food that is as universally popular and well regarded, Tori no Karaage doesn't have a long history in Japan. Dating the dish is a little difficult but most sources have it that it Tori no Karaage only became "a thing" in Japan in the 1930s, so less than a century ago. The history of the dish aside, there is no doubt that a plate of freshly fried Japanese Fried Chicken is a tasty wonder to behold. What makes it so good? Basically, this boils down to four things: the colour - properly prepared Japanese Fried Chicken wears a coat of golden brown the texture - when you take a bite of Japanese Fried Chicken, the coating should be a little bit crunchy but not overly hard the juiciness - once your teeth have bitten into a nugget of your Japanese Fried Chicken, you should find a juicy little morsel of chicken inside the taste - your Japanese Fried Chicken should fill your mouth with rich, spicy hints of ginger and garlic with a little touch of sweetness So, how to achieve all of the above? Well, there are a few basic steps and if you follow each one, delivering a plate of delicious, golden Tori no Karaage to your table will be well within your grasp. First things first - the chicken. I use chicken thigh meat rather than breast for my Tori no Karaage. Chicken thigh meat has a higher fat content which makes for that lovely, juicy feeling on the tongue when bitten. Second, preparing your chicken thighs. To produce consistent and uniform results, the chicken needs to be cut into pieces that are pretty much the same size. So, the first part of your prep will be to lay your chicken thighs out flat. This done, you'll see where the thigh muscle is more "lumpy'. Partly slice this lump with a sharp knife so that your can then spread the meat out into a flat piece. Now that the meat is much the same thickness, cut it into bite sized pieces. Third, making your marinade. Many cooks and restaurants in Japan boast their own Fried Chicken marinades but what they all share is ginger, soy sauce and Japanese sake. My recipe also includes mirin and a couple of large grated cloves of garlic for an even deeper flavour. Once the marinade is assembled, the chicken pieces should be generously seasoned and then left in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes but preferably for at least an hour or two. Fourth, the flour coating. Or to be more precise, the flour and starch coating. The secret to that crispy, crunchy texture is to use a coating that combines corn starch with plain flour. (Some cooks swear by potato starch but I find corn flour produces the best combition of colour and texture.) Fifth (and last), the double frying. That crunchy texture and golden colour doesn't happen by accident. The trick is to fry the Karaage not once but twice. You can use the same pan and the same oil to do this. All you need to do between the two frying phases is to use a (metal) strainer to sieve out any flour coating that is in the oil. Frying your karaage for two minutes, twice, will produce exactly the colour and texture that's required for a pukka Japanese Fried Chicken. When all that's done, all that remains is to enjoy the fruits of your labours. I usually serve mine on a bed of salad with bowls of rice but I'll leave those details up to you! If you'd like to try this recipe out, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Fried Chicken or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2-3 servings) 4 boneless chicken thighs 3 cm / 1.25 in piece of ginger 2 large garlic cloves for the marinade 1 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp sake 2 tbsp soy sauce salt & pepper 8 tbsp cornstarch 6 tbsp plain flour 1/2 lemon for drizzling some sunflower or other vegetable oil for shallow frying how to: lay out the chicken thighs flat, then slice the thickest part of the thigh. the aim here is to get a uniform thickness, so that when you cut the thighs into bite sized peieces, you get pieces that are the same thickness. this way, you’ll ensure that they all cook well when you come to fry next, cut the thighs cut into bite sized pieces to make the marinade: grate the ginger and garlic into a bowl. add the mirin, sake and soy sauce to the bowl. mix together well sprinkle the chicken generously with black pepper and salt over the chicken. pour over the marinade. mix well so that all the chicken pieces are well coated. marinate for at least 30 minutes for the karaage coating: combine the cornstarch and plain flour in a bowl. (the ratio of the flour is 4 : 3 - the cornflour gives the karaage its signature crunchy texture.) give each chicken piece a good coating of flour. while you are doing this, if you notice some pieces have absorbed the flour, give them another dip, so that they are nicely coated with flour pour about 2cm / 3/4 in of oil into a medium saucepan. heat the oil about 170C / 340F. to test the heat, drop a small piece of the flour mixture into the pan. if it bubles readily, you are ready to fry the chicken shallow fry 4 - 5 pieces at a time for 2 minutes. don’t overcrowd the pan as this will reduce the temperature. after 2 minutes, remove the chicken pieces to a rack or some kitchen paper to drain off the cooking oil. fry your next batch, reducing the heat a little if its getting too hot when you have finished frying the chicken, use a (metal) strainer to remove ny excess flour from the oil in the saucepan next, refry your first batch of karaage for another 2 minutes. adjust the heat as you fry to keep the temperature constant. fry the chicken batch by batch like you did the first time around when all chicken pieces have been fried again for 2 minutes, drain on a rack or with fresh kitchen paper your Japanese fried chicken is now ready to serve Japanese Fried Chicken AKA Tori no Karaage

Carrot and Celery Salad with Orange Rice Vinegar dressing I don't know about you but I love salads that combine vegetables and fruit and sweet and sour flavours. This Carrot and Celery Salad with Orange Rice Vinegar dressing features some everyday fruits and vegetables - carrot, celery, raisins and some walnuts. The dressing combines freshly squeezed orange juice and rice vinegar along with some extra virgin olive oil. Rice vinegar is great in salad dressings - it gives you a slighly sour flavour but without overpowering the sweetness of the ornage juice and the raisins. The carrot and Celery Salad with Orange and Rice Vinegar Dressing salad is so simple, it can be prepared in 15 minutes. It is substantial enough that you can serve it for 2 as a light lunch or supper. The same amount works equally well as 4 side salads. The only slightly exotic ingredient is the rice vinegar. If there's none in your pantry or if you can't easily get hold of any, then by all means use a tbsp of apple cider vinegar as a substitute. If this is the sort of salad recipe you like, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Carrot and Celery Salad with Orange and Rice Vinegar Dressing or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 ample servings or 4 servings as a side dish) for the salad: 2 stalks of celery 250g / 9 oz carrots, peeled 4 tbsp raisins or saltanas 4 tbsp walnuts halves for the dressing: 1 medium orange a pinch of salt 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil some fresh chopped green herbs such as chives or parsely for topping how to: top and tail the celery stalks, removing any discoloured parts. thinly slice the stalks diagonally grate the carrots into a bowl. add the sliced celery, raisins and walnut halves to the bowl to make a dressing: squeeze the orange. pour the juice and any orange flesh into a jug. remove any pips add the salt, rice vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. stir well add the dressing to the salad and stir everthing together garnish with the chopped herb leaves Carrot and Celery Salad with Orange Rice Vinegar dressing

Asparagus Tart with Wasabi The Japanese have an expression - kakushi aji - which translates as "hidden flavour". I think you get the picture, don't you? It's that kind of flavour that's subtle and just sits in the background. It's definitely there but you can't quite figure out what it is that's raising a humdrum dish to another level. I think "kakushi aji" perfectly describes the way a tablespoon of wasabi taste in this recipe makes a big difference to the result and raises your culinary game by a notch or two. The recipe itself is very simple and only requires six ingredients plus a generous sprinkle of pepper. I don't make the puff pastry myself, so the pack I buy at my local supermarket comes prerolled and with its own greaseproof baking paper. The only exotic ingredient you'll need is. - you guessed it - wasabi paste. You can buy this at Asian and Japanese stores and online. Once you've assembled your ingredients, you're only about 30 minutes away from an asparagus tart with an interesting hot little twist in the tail. I'm pretty sure that if you make this once, it will become your go to recipe for an asparagus tart - it really is that oishii (which means "tasty" in Japanese.) If you think you'd like to put a little wasabi in your life, then you com find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Asparagus Tart with Wasabi or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes enough for a 2 / 3 serving tart) 320g / 1oz ready rolled puff pastry sheet* (you'll also need a sheet of greaseproof baking paper if you make your own pastry or buy readymade pastry in a block) 100g / 4oz parmesan cheese 1 packet of cream cheese (165g / 9oz) some black pepper 5 baby tomatoes 1 tbsp wasabi paste 18 asparagus spears oven at 220C / 425F (fan) a large baking tray *I leave my ready rolled puff pastry sheet at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes before rolling it out. how to: first, roll out your puff pastry onto your baking tray. don't forget to line the pastry with a sheet of greaseproof baking paper. trim the ends off the baking sheet , so that it doesn’t burn when you bake your asparagus tart grate the parmesan cheese. combine the grated cheese and the cream cheese in a bowl. sprinkle generously with black pepper. use a spoon to mix everything together gently halve the baby tomatoes pre-heat your oven to 220C / 428F (fan) next, return to the pastry sheet. spread the wasabi paste over the pastry sheet, taking care not to split or tear the pastry next, divide the cheese mixture into 6 spoonfuls. place these evenly onto the pastry sheet then spread the cheese mixture over the pastry sheet. leave about 1.5cm / 1/2inch around the edge of the pastry uncovered so that it will rise when you bake it lay the asparagus spears over the pastry. if any of the spears are too long, cut them to size decorate with the halved baby tomatoes between the asparagus bake in the oven at 220’C for about 18 minutes. keep an eye on the pastry and remove whenit has risen and is lightly browned transform the asparagus tart to a cutting board or large plate and slice into pieces. serve while hot Asparagus Tart with Wasabi

Japanese One Pan Macaroni Cheese Gratin You're probably wondering what the Japanese "twist" is to this most un-Japanese of dishes. Well, it's really simple - instead of making a bechemel sauce, cooking macaroni and then assembling for a bake in the oven, the Japanese method cooks everything in a frying pan on the hob - all in one go, making it easier and quicker to prepare a delicious mac'n'cheese gratin for your table. Being a Japanese take, there are always more vegetables involved than you might expect - for this recipe, I used cauliflower and brussel sprouts although leek and brocolli are also popular variations back in Japan. This dish makes for a great (and filling) winter warmer for those chilly evenings. It can be ready in 30 minutes and with the vegetables already in the mix, it doesn't even need any accompaniments. You won't need any special ingredients either apart from some Japanese panko breadcrumbs. (You can make do with normal breadcrumbs but I find "panko" breadcrumbs brown a lot better and tend not to burn.) You can make this dish either as a mac'n'cheese or go a step further (as I do here) and make it into a gratin by adding a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and toasting under a hot grill for a few minutes. Either way, you get a really quick, easy and delicious macaroni dish for your table. So, if you'd like to discover an easy route to a macaroni cheese, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese One Pan Macaroni Cheese Gratin or by scrolling to the end of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1/2 medium onion 10 brussel sprouts 140g / 5oz califlower florettes, rinse 2 tsp vegetable oil 1/2 tsp salt and a little pepper 140g / 5oz macaroni 140g / 5oz cheddar cheese* 25g / 1oz butter 350ml / 12floz milk 150ml / 5 floz water 30g /1oz plain flour 1/2 tsp mustard 2 tsp Panko Breadcrumbs some dried or fresh parsley for topping *I use a generous quantity of cheddar cheese in this recipe for a really rich tasting result. If you wish to reduce the cheese to, say, 120g, then by all means do so - it will still taste great. how to: first, cut the onion into slices remove the stalk and the outer leaves from the brussel sprouts and cut them all in half cut the cauliflower florettes into small pieces heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the slices of onion for about 2 minutes. add the sprouts and the cauliflower. season with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. give everything a quick stir and then turn off the heat combine the milk, water and plain flour in a measuring jug or large bowl. whisk well add the mustard, butter, macaroni and the milk mixture to the frying pan turn the heat back on and cook while stirring over a medium heat for 11-13 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked. add the cheddar cheese and stir the cheese until melted turn off the heat. transfer the macaroni cheese to an oven proof dish. sprinkle with some panko breadcrumbs grill for 2-3 minutes or until the breadcrubs are lightly browned top with a sprinkling of parsley Japanese One Pan Macaroni Cheese Gratin

Japanese Egg Mayo Rolls Sando Many people who travel to Japan for the first time are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the bread products in a country where the food culture is, on the face of it, rice centred. One of the bread products that the Japanese excel at is the humble sandwiche. One of the most popular sandwiches you can buy (no surprise perhaps) is Japanese egg mayo sando. Now, you may ask - what's so special about egg mayo sando? Well, in the case of Japan, it's the mayo that makes all the difference - mayo in Japan means Kewpie brand mayo. It's quite different to the regular mayo you''ll find in the UK or the US. For one thing, Kewpie mayo uses only egg yokes not the whole egg - that makes for a very smooth, creamy texture. The other ingredients are canola oil, rice vinegar and seasoning. What you get when you squeeze Kewpie mayo out of its bottle is a lovely yellow creamy mayo with a hint of sweet and sourness. It may not sound like much but it is quite addictive and makes all the difference when you use Kewpie to make an egg mayo. so, if you're in the mood to try out this Japanese Egg Mayo Rolls sando recipe, you can check out the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Egg Mayo Rolls sando or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. (PS: You can find lots of "sando" recipe on my site, just click Cakes, Sando and Desserts or Pasta, Doria and Savoury Sando for a look at what you can make.) ingredients: (makes 2 egg mayo rolls) 2 bread rolls butter or spread mustard 3 medium eggs 3 tbsp Kewpie brand mayonnaise 1/4 tsp salt and a little pepper a little dried parsley for topping how to: first, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. boil the eggs for 10 minutes meanwhile, slice each bread rolls across the top creating. hinge at the bottom. take care not to cut all the way through the roll gently open each roll. spread butter onto 1 side of each roll and spread the other side with mustard when the eggs have boiled for 10 minutes, place them in cold water for 5 minutes to make them easier to peel. when the 5 minutes is up, peel off the shells. carefully break the egg white and remove the yolks roughly chop the egg whites and then place both the yolks and chopped egg white in a mixing bowl. add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper to the eggs. mix together well carefully spoon half of the egg mayo into each bread roll top with a sprinkle of dried parsley. serve with a little salad on the side Japanese Egg Mayo Rolls Sando

Udon Noodles with Fluffy Eggs AKA Kakitama Udon This Udon Noodles with Fluffy Eggs recipe is known as Kakitama Udon in Japan as which translated literally "stirred egg udon." As I think you will agree, that sounds a little dull, so I've given it a, shall we say, more appealing name as above, "Udon Noodles with Fluffy Eggs." (The "fluffy" bit comes from the way the beaten eggs are beaten into the hot noodle broth just before serving and break up into little fluffy bits and pieces.) The broth is a lovely umami rich blend of mirin, Japanese sake rice wine, rice vinegar and a little sugar. This is all mixed into a Japanese dashi base made from instant dashi granules although you can of course use home made dashi stock or dashi stock bags if you have some available. The broth is thickened with a little potato flour and as I said above, the eggs are swirled into the hot broth just before serving. As for the udon noodles, I normally use frozen noodles but fresh udon noodles and dried ones also work really well. This recipe is very easy to make and you can have two steaming bowls of udon goodness on your kitchen table easily within 20 minutes - what could be nicer to warm your cockles? If you'd like to learn more about this recipe, you can find the Youtube recipe by clicking Udon Noodles with Fluffy Eggs / Kakitama Udon or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. PS. If you're just starting your Japanese cooking journey, you can find all the ingredients you need at Morueats (UK only) ingredients: for 2 servings: 700 ml / 25 fl oz water 1.5 tbsp Japanese dashi stock granules 2 tbsp Japanese sake or cooking sake 2 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp rice vinegar a little salt (optional: the dashi stock granules already contains salt but if you enjoy saltier flavours, then by all means add another pinch.) 1 tbsp potato flour 2 tbsp water 3 eggs some cress (or other small leaves) for garnishing how to: first to make your broth: combine the water, Japanese dashi stock granules, sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar (and a little salt if you wish) into a medium or large sauce pan. bring the broth to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes meanwhile, mix the potato flour and water well in a small bowl, before setting aside break the 3 eggs into a second small bowl rinse the cress and set aside cook the udon noodles in a large pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes or according to the instruction on the packet. drain well using a large sieve and divide between 2 serving bowls now, return to your broth. turn the heat back on and add the potato flour mixture. stir well until the potato flour is dissolved last, mix the eggs well and swirl them into the hor broth. stir the eggs around in the pan for just a few seconds and your dish is ready. pour the hot broth over the udon noodles and finallly, garnish with the cress Udon Noodles with Fluffy Eggs AKA Kakitama Udon

Easy Sushi Cake My Easy Sushi Cake recipe is my take on a dish that is quite a new "thing" in Japan. The sushi cake concept is fairly easy: make sushi into a sharing experience by using a cake tin to create a cake using sushi rice layered and topped with other sushi ingredients like salmon, tuna, Japanese omelette etc. They make a great "cake alternative" for people who don't have a sweet tooth but like the idea of a cake to celebrate a special occasion such as Valentine's Day or birthday. Here, I thought I would use a heart shaped mould to create a Valentine's Day sushi sharing plate for two. The ingredients are all quite easy to obtain - Japanese rice, sushi vinegar, fresh salmon, smoked salmon, miso and egg. The top is decorated with some little avocado hearts created using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter and some mini tomato hearts. (See below for how to create these - it's really easy and makes for a nice effect.) Heart-shaped black baking pan You will, of course, need a cake tin / cake mould. I bought the heart shaped mould I used here online at Amazon UK - it's about 10cm / 4 in wide and about 5cm / 2 ins deep. There's quite a selection available but remember if you buy a bigger size, you'll need to increase the ingredients below accordingly. So if you want to try something a little different to share with your significant other on Valentine's Night, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Valentine's Day Sushi cake or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Valentine's Day! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 1 sushi cake for 2 small servings) 170g / 6oz cooked Japanese rice 2 tsp sushi vinegar 1 medium egg 1 tsp sugar 130g / 4.5oz, 1 fillet salmon 2 tsp Japanese mayonnaise or any mayo will do. 2 tsp miso 2 tsp sunflower oil for the topping; 3 baby plum tomatoes 1/2 avocado some rocket leaves 10cm / 4inch heart shaped cake tin 1 small heart shape cookie cutter how to: first, prepare the sushi rice: in a bowl, gently mix the freshly cooked rice with the 2 tsp of sushi vinegar using a folding motion next to make your omelette: break the egg into a bowl and add the sugar. mix well. next, heat 1 tsp of oil in a small frying pan, pour the egg mixture in and cook over a medium / high heat until the bottom of the omelette is firm. use a slice to carefully lift the edge of the omelette and flip it over. turn off the heat and leave the omelette to stand for 1 minute before transferring to a plate now, take the base of your cake tin and lay it on the omelette. using the base as a template, cut out a heart shape using a kitchen knife. don’t discard the leftovers of the omelette, just roughly chop these into shreds and set aside next, heat another 1 tsp of oil in the frying pan. place the salmon fillet skin side down in the pan. fry for about 3 minutes with the lid on over medium heat. when the time is up, flip the fillet over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes with the lid on when the salmon is ready, transfer it to a bowl. remove the skin and then use a spoon or fork to break the fillet into flakes. add 2 tsp of mayonnaise and 2 tsp of miso to the salmon flakes and mix together well until blended now to assemble your sushi cake: place the cake mould (without the base) on a plate. spoon half of sushi rice into the mould. press the rice down lightly using the back of a spoon or fork until you have a uniform layer next, spoon the salmon flakes over the rice. gently form the flakes into the mould again in an even layer. add the rest of the rice over the salmon and gently firm again. add the omelette shreds in an even layer and then lay the heart shaped omelette over the top. gently firm the top into sushi rice cake. set aside next, to create your Valentine’s Day decorative hearts: cut the baby plum tomatoes diagonally. reverse one of the halves of each tomato and push them together again to create little tomato hearts (I said it was easy!) using a small heart shaped cutter, press out 3 avocado hearts from the half avocado. trim the bottom to make the hearts flat, then gently push them out of the cutter remove the heart shaped mould from the sushi cake. decorate the sushi cake with the tomato and avocado hearts. add some rocket leaves around the cake as a garnish Easy Sushi Cake

Thai style oven baked Spring Rolls I recently posted a blog on Chinese style oven baked spring rolls and this recipe is a close cousin - Thai style oven baked spring rolls. I have always been a devotee of the traditional fried spring roll but some family members - most notably my husband - always groaned whenever they appeared on the table. So, instead of frying, I developed an oven baked version fo the spring roll. The big advantage of oven baking is that you use a lot less oil and therefore produce a healthier spring roll. Oven baking can produces a spring roll that is every bit as crispy as the fried version too. So what's not to like? So what's inside that crispy oven baked skin? Well, there's some bean thread vermicelli, some bean sprouts, carrot, celery onion and garlic. Given the contents, you might be wondering why I don't call these "vegetarian" or "vegan". That's because along with some black pepper, these little darlings are seasoned with Thai fish sauce and oyster sauce which contains anchovy and oyster extract respectivly. So, strictly speaking, they can't be considered vegetarian or vegan although to all intents and purposes, they are. There are a few tips I can provide for when you come to make your own Thai style oven baked spring rolls, as follows: you'll probably be using frozen spring roll wrappers, so remember to gte these out of your freezer well in advance so they can thaw out when you've boiled the bean thread vermicelli, use a pair of scissors to cut the noodles a few times. This way you will reduce the length of the noodles and make them easier to roll up inside the spring roll wrappers, when you stir fry the vegetables in the oyster and fish sauces, make sure the vegetables are cooked through and there is next to no liquid left in the frying pan. This will ensure that there is no liquid left to ooze out of the spring roll wrappers when they are oven baked, meaning you will end up with nice, cleanly coloured, crisp skins, don't be tempted to overstuff the spring rolls - a tablespoon of filling per roll is ample. The rolls will be easier to create with less filling and you won't risk them splitting or oozing when you oven bake them. When my spring rolls are ready, I like to serve them straight from the oven, which is when they are at their best. Paired with a spicy Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce, they make a great, moreish finger food for parties or sharing with friends or family gathered around the table. If you like the idea of this recipe, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Thai style oven baked Spring Rolls or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. You can find the written recipe just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (Makes 20 Thai style oven baked Spring Rolls) 20 spring roll pastry sheets (125mm / 5 in square) 20g / 0.7oz bean thread vermicelli noodles 40g / 1.4oz bean sprouts 1/4 medium onion 1/4 small bell pepper 1 stalk celery 20g / 0.7oz peeled carrot 1 large cabbage leaf 1 large clove of garlic 1 tbsp vegetable oil some black pepper 2 tsp Thai fish sauce 1 tsp oyster sauce 1 heaped tsp plain flour 2 - 3 tsp water 2 - 3 tbsp vegetable oil for brushing Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce a baking tray covered in aluminium foil oven setting - 210C / 410F fan for 20 mins how to: defrost your spring roll pastry sheets in advance bring a small saucepan of water to the boil add the bean thread vermicelli to the pan. turn off the heat immediately. let the noodles cook for 1 - 2 minutes in the saucepan until softened. drain the noodles through a sieve. use scissors t and cut the noodles a few times to reduce the length finely slice the onion and the bell pepper. cut the slicos of bell pepper in half cut the celery diagonally into thin slices slice the carrot and then cut into thin matchsticks halve the cabbage leaf and remove the stem. roll up and slice the leaf. slice the removed stem thinly mince the clove of garlic. heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a frying pan. add all the vegetables and stir fry for about 2 minutes sprinkle generously with black pepper. add the fish sauce and the oyster sauce and mix everthing together well. add the bean thread noodles and mix again before turning off the heat transfer the vegetables to a cold tray or plate to cool next, make a spring roll glue by mixing 1 heaped tsp of plain flour with 2 - 3 tsp of water in a small bowl gently separate 20 of the defrosted spring roll sheets. (put the rest of them back into their plastic bag, so that they dont dry out) place 1 sheet on a plate or chopping board in a diamond shape take 1 tbsp of the stir fried vegetable filling and place it onto the sheet near the bottom corner roll the bottom corner up and over the vegetables when you have rolled up to half way, stop and fold the right and left corners inward to meet in the center spread a little glue on the top of the corner, then roll up the wrapper to seal and create your first spring rolls repeat with the rest of the sheets heat your oven on the fan setting to 210 C / 410F pour 1 tbsp of vegetable oil onto the alumium foil a baking tray and spread it all over place your spring rolls on the tray. then, brush another 1 - 2 tbsp of oil over the spring rolls bake in the oven for about 20 minutes serve immediately with a Thai sweet chilli dpping sauce Thai style oven baked Spring Rolls

Miso Nabe Hotpot with Chicken Meatballs Miso Nabe Hotpot with Chicken Meatballs recipe is easy to prepare and makes a great sharing nabe hotpot for a cold evening. Japanese winters can get very, very chilly, especially in the north of the country. And when the mercury closes in on zero, Japanese mums get out their "nabe" hotpots and prepare a Japanese winter soulfood just like this Miso Nabe with Chicken Meatballs. Being a Japanese hotpot, it contains plenty of healthy green vegetables. The fast cooking chicken meatballs are flavoured with ginger and a little cooking sake. The broth is a tasty blend of cooking sake, miso, soy sauce and mirin. Served with freshly steamed rice, this nabe is guaranteed to take the chill off of the coldest night! If you're in the mood for some Japanese comfort food, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Miso Nabe with Chicken Meatballs or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. PS. If you're just starting your Japanese cooking journey, you can find all the ingredients you need at Morueats (UK only). ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1/2 leek, rinsed 2 large chinese leaves a small bunch of choi sum 4 shiitake mushrooms 4 oyster mushrooms for the meatballs: 1 cm / 1/2 inch piece of peeled ginger, 1/4 onion 250g / 9oz minced chicken a pinch of salt 1 tsp cooking sake 1 tbsp potato flour 1 tsp vegetable oil for the broth: 550 ml / 18 fl oz water 1 tbsp Japanese stock granules 1 tsp soy sauce 2 tbsp mirin 1 tbsp cooking sake 40g / 1.5oz miso paste how to: first, prepare the vegetables: slice the leek into chunks using a diagonal cut remove off the stem ends of the Chinese leaves, then cut them in half, halve longways and slice trim off the stem ends of the pak choi and cut into 5cm / 2inch pieces trim off the stems of the mushrooms end. cut any large mushrooms in half next, to make the chicken meatballs: slice and mince the onion and ginger and combine them into a bowl add the minced chicken, salt, 1 tsp of cooking sake and 1 tbsp of potato flour. mix everything together well. rub 1 tsp of vegetable oil over your hands (this will stop the mixture sticking to your hands) take about 1 tbsp of the minced chicken mixture and roll it into a ball repeat until all the mixture is used up next, to make the hotpot broth: add the water, Japanese stock granules, soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake and miso paste to a medium pan. stir together turn the heat on and bring the broth to the boil. add the chicken balls. simmer for 2 minutes. remove the chicken balls to a plate. if there is any scum on the surface of the broth, skim it off add all the vegetables to the pan and return the chicken balls turn on the heat again and cook until the leeks are cooked (this should take about 5 mins) try the broth. if it tastes too salty, add a little more water until it suits your taste Miso Nabe Hotpot with Chicken Meatballs

Sushi style Smoked Salmon parcels This is a fusion cooking idea that I've used during the Christmas period as a starter for dinner with some success. As the title suggests, it is "sushi style', which in this case means using sushi rice and nori seaweed but instead of rolling, this recipe used a cookie cutter to create a parcel where the sushi rice is wrapped in slices of smoked salmon and a strip of nori. The big advantage to this for the cook is that if you haven't rolled sushi before and don't feel confident of achieving a good result, then this is an easy method to get a similar "sushi style" effect. In addition, these salmon parcels can be eaten with a knife and fork if you don't like (or don't own) chopsticks! So, what's involved here? Ingredients-wise, you'll need to prepare some Japanese rice and a little sweetcorn. You'll also need some sushi vinegar. You'll need about 100g of smoked salmon to make two salmon parcels and a sheet (or half sheet) of dried nori. I decorate these parcels with a few small slices of avocado, a disc of melted cheddar cheese and some cranberries for a little festive touch. That's all you need apart from a 5 cm / 2.5 inch cookie cutter to create the parcel. These are very easy to create but I do have a few pointers for you, as follows; Wet the cookie cutter before you start, this will help when you push the parcel out of the cutter and onto a plate, When you line the cookie cutter with smoked salmon, make sure not to leave any gaps. You can get away with some little spaces at the top as these will be covered with the strip of nori but any gaps at the base or sides will spoil the effect. Be sure to leave some smoked salmon over the rim of the cutter as you will need this to fold over the top of the rice. When you fill the parcel with sushi rice, don't be tempted to over pack - just a little gentle pressure with the back of a spoon will be enough until you have filled the cutter to the top, You can eat these smoked salmon parcels with soy sauce and a little wasabi but they also work very well with a more festive spoonful of cranberry sauce - I leave that choice to you. So, if you are looking for a Christmas time starter that's a little different, you may have found it! You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Sushi style Smoked Salmon Parcels or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Christmas! Kurumi XXXX. (PS; There is, of course, nothing to stop you serving these as a main course - just use a larger cookie cutter and increase the amounts of ingredients accordingly!) ingredients: (makes 2 sushi style smoked salmon parcels) 1 heaped tbsp frozen sweet corn 100g / 4oz cooked Japanese rice 1.5 tsp sushi vinegar 100g / 4oz smoked salmon 1/4 avocado for topping 2 slices cheddar cheese, about 10g / 0.5oz together for topping 1cm / 0.5 inch X 2 strips of nori sheet for wrapping some cranberry sauce for decoration a cookie cutter about 5.5cm / 2 in diameter some soy sauce and wasabi or more cranberry sauce as you prefer how to: first, boil 1 heaped tbsp of frozen sweet corn for 3 minutes until cooked, then drain and set aside. spoon the cooked Japanese rice into a bowl. add the sushi rice and cooked sweet corn. stir everything together. dip your cookie cutter in a bowl of cold water - this will help you when you need to push the parcel out of the cutter. line the base and the inside of the cutter with smoked salmon. (this should take about 50g / 2oz per parcel.) at this stage, make sure to leave some of the salmon over the rim to close the parcel. fill the cutter with the sushi rice and sweetcorn mixture. gently press down the rice until the cutter is full, then fold the salmon over the top of the rice to close the parcel. use a pair of scissors to trim the salmon until you have a neat finish. next, invert the parcel and then gently push it out of the cutter and onto a plate. repeat for parcel two. for your topping, cut 3 thin slices of avocado. cut 2 slices of cheddar cheese (10g / 0.5oz) and cut each in half. melt the cheese in a hot frying pan. (put the lid on as the cheese will spit as it melts.) once the cheese has melted , set the pan aside to cool down. now, place each salmon parcel onto a serving plates. wrap the base of the parcels with a strip of nori. cut the avocado slices in half and place 3 pieces on the top of each salmon parcel. use a slice to slide the melted cheese out of the frying pan. place the cheese on a chopping board, then use the cookie cutter to shape the melted cheese into roundels. place the cheese on top of the salmon parcel, slightly offset (like a jaunty little hat.) garnish with some cranberries. Sushi style Smoked Salmon parcels

Wasabi Cheese on Toast Here's a quick and easy way to take your cheese on toast breakfast, lunch or supper to the next level - Wasabi Cheese on Toast which you might call Japanese Rarebit! Just mix up some wasabi with soft butter, spread it onto your toast and cover with slices of mature cheddar cheese. Pop under your grill for 3 or 4 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and bubbly. Last, before the cheese cools, sprinkle over some finely cut nori seaweed matchsticks and serve. One mouthful will be enough to persuade you that this is one of the easiest and tastiest bits of Japanese fusion cooking you'll ever come across! You can have this dish ready at any time of day in about 15 minutes. I used supermarket purchased S&B branded wasabi from a tube to make my wasabi butter. (As a "waste not, want not" alternative, you could use any leftover wasabi from a takeaway sushi if you've got a 'sushi habit'.) When I make my Wasabi cheese on toast, I only toast the bread on one side - I know a lot of people swear that toasting both sides is the pukka approach but I like the soft and crispy texture that you get when you only toast on one side. But, I leave that call to you, if you're in the "toast both sides" school, then by all menas do so. Your Wasabi cheese on toast will be equally delicious whichever method you choose! Likewise, if you prefer not to eat butter, this recipe works well if you mix the wasabi with a healthier option spread as a substitute (as I sometimes do myslf, truth be told.) The one thing I would recommend for this recipe is a good, mature cheddar cheese for its outstanding umami-rich flavour. The amount of cheese I use allows for a nice bubbly layer of cheese without too much spill over the sides. Wasabi, melted cheddar and nori - umm , my mouth is watering already! If your taste buds are tickled too, you can find the Youtube tutorial for this recipe by clicking Wasabi Cheese on Toast or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. the written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 slices of Wasabi cheese on toast) 20g butter 2 tsp wasabi paste 2 thick slices of white bread 120g / 4.5 oz mature cheddar cheese 1/2 nori seaweed sheet how to: soften the butter if using it straight from the fridge. when soft, combine with the wasabi until well blended toast the bread on one side only to a golden brown colour meanwhile cut the cheese into 5mm / 0.2 inch slices when the bread has toasted, put the slices toasted side down onto a chopping board. spread over the wasabi butter lay the slices of cheese over the wasabi butter toast again until the cheese is melted and bubbling - this should take 3 - 4 minutes meanwhile, fold the nori sheet and cut along the fold. repeat 2 or 3 times, then snip the nori into thin matchsticks sprinkle the nori matchsticks over your wasabi cheese on toast and serve Wasabi Cheese on Toast AKA Japanese Rarebit

Omu Fries The 'omuretto' is one of the most popular foods you'll find in Japan. The Japanese version of the venerable omelette is almost always wrapped around something like rice or soba noodles - it used to be and still is considered a good way to use up any leftovers in the fridge, normally leftover rice or noodles. Based on that idea, I came up with my own creation - omu fries. As the name suggests, omu fries combines an omelette on the outside with leftover French fries on the inside. I add some cheddar cheese to the mix and some seasoning (salt, black pepper and parsley) and in less than 15 minutes, I am plating up a meal which works as a lunch, dinner or supper. (If you prefer, you can leave the cheese out - your omu fries will still taste great, just a little less rich.) This recipe is quick, wholesome and people of all ages seem to love it. What more can I say? Well, here are a few tips that come to mind, if you decide you want to try this recipe out: 1/. The first thing to do is give your leftover fries a rough chop - this will reduce the size of the fries and makes for a neater result when you wrap the fries in with their omelette jacket. 2/. The recipe uses two eggs per omelette and a large (25cm / 10 in frying pan). The omelette needs to be big enough to be wrapped over the filling, thus you need the two eggs and a large pan to make it. If you make this dish with a small pan, you'll struggle to cover the filling with the omelette. 3/. Get the pan and the vegetable oil hot and then turn the heat down a little before pouring in your omelette mix. The pan needs to be hot enough to form the omelette skin but not too hot that the omelette burns or even worse, sticks to the pan. 4/. When you add the fries, make sure they are kept to one side of the pan so that you can easily wrap them when the omelette is firm enough to flip over the top. So, if this recipe is something you think you'd like to try out, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Omu Fries or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 omelettes) 140g / 5oz leftover fries 40g / 1.5oz cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese 4 large eggs salt & pepper dried or chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp vegetable oil omu fries pairs well with a green salad. you could drizzle with tomato ketchup or mayo or brown sauce, if you prefer. how to: chop the fries a few times to reduce their length chop or grate the cheese break the 2 eggs into a bowl. add a generous sprinkle of salt, pepper and dried parsley heat 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan (25cm / 10 in). once the oil is hot, turn the heat down a little. pour in the egg mixture. let the omelette skin form in the frying pan once the omelette skin has nearly formed, add 1/2 of the cheddar cheese and 1/2 of the chopped fries to one side of the pan next, when the omelette skin has firmed firm, use a slice to lift the edges of the omelette, then gently flip the omelette over the fries remove from the heat. transfer the omelette onto a plate. repeat for omelette #2 serve with a salad of your choice and drizzle with tomato ketchup, mayo or brown sauce Omu Fries