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Japanese-style Hoi Ko Ro - Pork Cabbage Stir Fry This recipe was provided by my good friend Yumiko Nikaido who lives in Tokyo. Yumiko always has here finger on the city's pulse for what is trending in food and this is her latest trending recipe - Japanese style Hoi Ko Ro Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry. As the title of the recipe implies, this dish is originally Chinese - that probably won't surprise you as you no doubt know that the Japanese love Chinese food and have their own versions of many Chinese dishes. Hoi Ko Ro in Chinese translates as Twice Cooked Pork - the pork is first simmered in water and then sliced and stir fried along with some spring onions and garlic. The dish comes from Sichuan Province and, as you might know, Sichuan cooking is famous for its use of chilli and hot flavours. Being a Japanese take on this dish, my recipe is a little different to the original: First, the pork (you can use shoulder or belly) gets cooked once not twice to save time - in order to keep the meat soft, I season and coat it in plain flavour instead of simmering - this keeps cooking time and washing up to a minimum which must be a goo thing! Second: in common with the standard Japanese version, I use cabbage, spring onion and bell peppers for the vegetable content. Third: like most Japanese versions of Chinese dishes, my recipe is a little less hot and a little more sweet. The flavourings in this dish are true to the original - so, you'll need two jars of Chinese sauces - Toban Djan which translates as Chinese chilli sauce and Tian Mian Djan which means Yellow Bean Sauce. These are two of the most widely used flavourings in Chinese cooking so you should be able to find them quite easily. Third, you'll need a teaspoon of soy sacue. Of course, Japanese-style Hai Ko Ro pork & cabbage stir fry wouldn't be Japanese without that little extra and in that case, the extra is two tablespoons of Japanese sake for that little extra sweetness and richness. As I said above, the original Hai Ko Ro dish is from Sichuan so it is quite spicy. I use a tablespoon of Toban Djan chilli sauce which I find makes for a spicy but not too spicy dish. If you prefer things a little hotter, then by all means add another half tablespoon. On the other hand, feel free to reduce the amount of Toban Djan if you want a milder result. As a final, more authentic touch, I drizzle a half teaspoon of Chinese La Yu chilli sauce over the finished dish for a little more spice but feel free to skip this stage if you don't want the extra heat. All in all, your Japanese style Hai Ko Ro Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry will take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The result will be a great, tasty dish of stir fried flavours - just right for when you want to bring a little Asian warmth into your home during the chilly winter months. So, if you fancy giving this dish a try, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese style Hai Ko Ro - Pork Cabbage Stir Fry or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy stir frying! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1/2 sweetheart cabbage 1 green bell pepper 3 spring onions 1 clove of garlic 250g/9 oz pork shoulder steak 1/2 tsp salt some black pepper 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp Toban Djan Chinese chilli bean sauce 2 tbsp Tian Mian Jiang Chinese yellow bean sauce 2 tbsp Japanese cooking sake 1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp Chinese La Yu chilli oil (optional) how to: cut the cabbage in half lengthways. cut away the hard stem from the base, then, chop the cabbage into bite sized pieces cut the bell pepper in half and remove the stem, seeds and white flesh. cut into bite sized pieces slice off the root ends of the spring onions and any fried or discoloured stalk from th top. then slice up diagonally slice and mince the clove of garlic cut the shoulder steak in half lengthways. thinly slice into 4 - 5cm / 1.5 - 2inch pieces season the pork with the salt and pepper, then coat with plain flour on both sides heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan. add and stir fry the cabbage and bell pepper for 2 - 3 minutes. turn off the heat and transer the cabbage and pepper to a plate add another tbsp of vegetable oil (but don't turn the heat back on yet.) lay the pork pieces in the frying pan. now, turn the heat back on to medium and fry th pork until lightly browned turn the pork pieces over and fry for another 2 minutes next, add the minced garlic and sliced spring onion to the frying pan. urn the heat down to low and stir fry for 1 minute add the 1 tbsp of Toban Djan Chinese chilli bean sauce to the pork and mix well now, return the cabbage and pepper to the frying pan. mix well, then add the tbsp of Chinese Yellow Bean Sauce. mix again add 2 tbsp of Japanese rice wine and the tsp of soy sauce. and stir fry for 1 minute to give the alcohol time to evaporated serve with bowls of rice (this dish is a great winter warmer served with glasses of sake!) Japanese-style Hoi Ko Ro - Pork Cabbage Stir Fry

Japchae - Korean sweet potato noodles with stir fried vegetables and beef If anyone ever asked you what noodles are made of, you'd probably say, "wheat flour", right? But noodles don't have to be made of wheat flour. They can be made from rice flour along with mung bean starch and, in the case of this very popular Korean dish, sweet potato flour. As well as being called "sweet potato noodles", you'll also find these sold as "glass noodles" because when they are cooked, the noodles become translucent. Although the sweet potato noodles are the main constituent of Japchar, the name itself - Japchae - actually translates as "mixed vegetables" - the "Jap" meaning "mixed" and the "chae" meaning "vegetables." because the original dish didn't contain noodles although today, Japchae without the noodles just isn't considered to be Japchae at all. Japchae has along history in Korea, going back, it is said, 400 years to the 17th century when it was decreed to be a "royal dish" by the Emperor as he liked it so much. Apparently the cook who invented it was promoted to head of the Royal Treasury, so I hope he was as good managing money as he was with his cooking! In Korean, Japchae is a very flexible food which can he served hot in winter and cold in summer. It can be served as a main dish or as a side dish. The vegetables in a pukka Japchae can be quite varied but the main principle is to include 5 colours being red, green and yellow, black and white. In my version, that means red bell pepper, baby spinach, spring onion, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, beef and onion. As we are talking "stir fry" all the ingredients (apart from the sweet potato noodles) are cut small to ensure that they cook through quickly. The flavours for the dish are principally soy sauce, sesame oil and a little garlic which give the noodles and veg a rich, nutty and slightly sweet flavour - I think this is one of the nicest ways to eat noodles that you'll find. What's more, it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so what's not to like! If you would like to give this recipe a try, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japchae Korean sweet potato noodles with stir fried vegetables and beef or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 120g /4 oz rump steak 1 tsp garlic puree or 1 crushed clove of garlic 2 tsp soy sauce some black pepper 1 medium onion 50g / 2 oz carrot, peeled 1/2 bell pepper 2 fresh shiitake mushrooms, rinsed* 2 stalks of spring onion 50g/ 2 oz baby spinach 180g / 6 oz Korean sweet potato noodles for the sauce: 2 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp garlic pure or 1 minced clove of garlic 1 - 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil for stir frying salt and pepper toasted sesame seeds for a topping (optional) * if you don't have any shiitake, you can use other mushroom variants how to: slice the rump steak into thin strips place them into a bowl and season with black pepper, garlic puree and soy sauce. stir well and marinate for about 15 minutes meanwhile, top and tail of onion, then slice stand the carrot up straight and thinly slice and then julienne the slices into matchsticks remove the top of the bell pepper, the seeds and the core and any white flesh. cut into matchsticks remove the stalks of from the shiitake mushrooms, then thinly slice remove the ends from the spring onions, then slice diagonally next, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, put the Korean sweetpotato noodles into the water. cook according to the instruction on the packet. (if the instructions are only in Korean and you can't read it, then about 10 minutes cooking time should be fine.) meanwhile, to make the sauce, put 2 tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of sesame oil and 1 tsp of garlic puree in a small bowl and mix together well when the noodles are cooked, drain through a culander. using scissors, cut the pile of noodles a couple times to shorten their length. place the drained noodles in a large bowl, add half of the sauce and mix together well put 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and heat until hot. add the bell pepper, onion, carrot, season with some salt and pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes when the vegetables are done, add them to the noodles in the bowl next, add another 1 tsp of vegetable oil to the frying pan. add & stir fry the spinach for 1 minute, then add & stir fry the chopped spring onions for 30 seconds when finshed, add the spinach and spring onions to the noodles in the bowl next, add the strips of rump steaks to the frying pan. fry until lightly browned then add to the noodles in the bowl pour over the rest of sauce and mix everything together well last, sprinkle some white sesame over your Japchae and serve Japchae - Korean sweet potato noodles with stir fried vegetables and beef

Oven baked Spring Rolls This blog item shows you how to make a batch of easy, quickly prepared Oven baked Spring Rolls. Deep fried spring rolls (not the oven baked variety I show you how to make here) used to polarise opinion in my household. Personally, I adored them (and still do) as did one of my children. My other half on the other hand, would wear a "oh no, not that again", expression whenever I suggested them for lunch or dinner. Reasons? They didn't like the deep frying and they thought the flavour too bland. So, with the family split down the middle, I put my mind to creating a spring roll that we could all enjoy. What did I do? First, I decided that rather than trying to shallow or dry fry, I would use my oven to create oven baked spring rolls instead. After several near misses, I think I got the time and the temperature for oven baking just right along with the amount of oil brushed on the spring roll wrappers. That solved the aversion to deep frying. As for the flavour, I introduced a little more seasoning, some Shaoxing wine for sweetness and some shiitake mushrooms and oyster sauce to add a little umami as well. And the result? Well, my ever sceptical other half was wowed. Wowed to the point where even he suggests that we eat these nowadays. which I take as a sure sign of success! Like any spring roll, my oven baked spring rolls are best eaten straight from the oven. If you like your hot flavours, you could drizzle over a little sri racha sauce. Otherwise, the flavours in these oven baked spring rolls are strong enough to enjoy without any additional flavouring. I think you'll find the oven baked method does take the crispness to another level and, of course, oven baked spring rolls are a much better healthy eating option than deep frying. Making Oven baked Spring Rolls is really quite straight forward as you will see below. The recipe uses bean thread vermicelli and pre-made spring roll wrappers - you can buy both in most Asian stores and on line. As bean thread vermicelli noodles tend to be quite long, I use a pair of scissors to cut them up a few times to shorten the noodles so they are easier to wrap when you come to that stage. My other tips are: : you'll probably be using frozen spring roll wrappers, so remember to thaw them ahead of when you'll need them and, : the wrappers tend to dry out and become brittle quite quickly, so only take out one at a time and cover the others with a damp cloth and, : use a plain flour paste to seal each wrapper. Some recipes just use water but I find the flour paste not only seals the wrapper better but also helps to make the wrapper crispy in the oven. So, if you fancy creating a really crispy spring roll recipe that's full of flavour, you need look no further! Check out the Youtube tutorial by clicking Oven baked Spring Rolls or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy baking! 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 10 spring rolls, enough for 2 servings) 10 spring roll sheets (215mm / 8.5 in square) 30g / 1oz bean thread vermicelli 1/2 large onion 2 shiitake mushrooms, (you can use fresh or dry) 60g / 2oz carrot 5mm / 1/4 in slice of ginger 60g / 2oz tinned bamboo shoot, (rinsed) 1 tsp potato flour 1 tbsp water 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil 150g / 6 oz minced pork some salt & black pepper 1.5 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tbsp Chinese shaoxing wine 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce 1/2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp plain flour 1.5 tbsp water 1 baking tray / cooking foil vegetable oil how to: bring a small pan of water to the boil. put the bean thread vermicelli into the pan and then turn off the heat. leave to soften for 3 - 4 minutes. when the time is up, drain the noodles using a sieve. using a pair of scissors, cut the noodles 4 or 5 times - this will makes it easier to make your spring rolls later thinly slice the onion and the shiitake mushrooms peel the carrot and slice it diagonally, then cut into thin matchsticks peel, slice and mince the ginger cut the bamboo shoots into matchsticks combine 1 tsp of cornflour and 1 tbsp of water and mix well, then set aside heat 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a hot pan. add the minced pork and fry for 2 - 3 minutes next, add the vegetables. sprinkle generously with salt and black pepper. stir fry for 1-2 minutes turn the heat off and add the soy sauce, Chinese shaoxing wine, oyster sauce and sugar to the frying pan. turn on the heat again and stir fry for a further 1 - 2 minutes add the cooked vermicelli and mix everything together well now, add your thickener (the potato flour and water mixture). add to the pan and stir fry for 30 seconds while mixing now the filling is ready, put it into a bowl to cool before you mke your spring rolls meanwhile, prepare a little "glue" by mixing 1 tbsp of plain flour and 1.5 tbsp of water together once the filling is cooled, you are ready to start wrapping place 1 spring roll sheet on a large plate or chopping board with the corners at north/south/east/west place 1 - 1.5 tbsp of the filling on the wrapper near the bottom corner roll the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling and roll the wrapper toward the centre. fold over the right and left corners, then roll the wrapper a little more until you have a shape that looks like an envelope. brush the last corner of the wrapper with the plain flour "glue" before completing the roll repeat to create 10 spring rolls heat your oven to 200 C / 400 F cover and oil the baking tray with a sheet of cooking foil. arrange the spring rolls on the tray, then brush each one with a little oil. turn the spring rolls over and oil once more bake the spring rolls for 20 mins or until lightly browned serve straight away with a dipping sauce of your choice Oven baked Spring Rolls

Fried Chicken with Spring Onion and Lemon This is an easy recipe to prepare and it cooks in about 10 minutes. Apart from two chicken breasts, you only need two large spring onions, a clove of garlic and half a lemon. Yes, I said it was easy, didn't I! Chicken breasts are a great high protein, low fat option for your diet. The only thing is that being breast meat, it can dry out during cooking. So, I add a few tablespoons of water to the chicken while it is frying. This keeps the flesh tender and succulent. (Just remember to keep the lid on the frying pan for the best result!) This chicken dish goes equally well with a side salad or rice (or both if you’re feeling hungry!) You can either present the chicken breasts uncut or slice them prior to serving (maybe you're going the whole hog and using chopsticks!) If you think you like the sound of this dish, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Fried Chicken with Spring Onion and Lemon or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. ingredients: (makes 2 servings) for the Spring Onion and Lemon sauce: 2 spring onions 1 clove of garlic 1/2 lemon 1/2 tsp Japanese instant dashi stock granules* 1/2 tsp salt some pepper 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 chicken breasts some salt and black pepper 1 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp water *if you don't have any Japanese dashi stock granule, you can use vegetable stock as a substitute how to: finely slice the 2 spring onions, then mince. place them in a bowl finely slice and mince the garlic. add to the spring onion in the bowl squeeze the 1/2 lemon. add the juice to the spring onion and garlic add the Japanese dashi stock granules, salt, pepper and sesame oil to the spring onion and garlic in the bowl. mix together well before setting aside season both sides of the chicken breasts with a generous sprinkle of salt and black pepper next, lightly coat the chicken with plain flour on both sides heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. fry the chicken breasts over a medium heat for 5 minutes with the lid on the pan. when the chicken breasts have browned, turn them over. add 2 tbsp of water and fry a further 4 minutes with the lid on. add 1 tbsp more water and cook for a final 1 - 2 minutes more once the chicken is done, you can either serve as is, or cut the chicken breasts into 6 - 7 slices if you prefer to serve it that way drizzle the spring onion and lemon sauce over the chicken and serve Fried Chicken with Spring Onion and Lemon

Golden vegetable curry here's my latest vegetable Japanese curry recipe. I used the hot version of "Golden" vegetable curry cubes for this dish. the vegetables i used were as follows: sweet potato, aubergine, onion, mushroom and a can of chickpeas. i added a little extra flavour with a clove of garlic and a little bit of ginger and last, some mango chutney. the result is a medium hot, sweet curry that you can serve for a lunch or an evening meal with some fresh steamed rice. if you watch the Youtube tutorial, you'll see that i slice of the stem part of the tomato after i've quartered it. why? you may ask. well, it depends on whether you like to remove the skins of your tomatoes after they've cooked. removing the stem part of the tomato means the skins just peel off really easily. if you don't mind about the skins (and i admit. most people don't) then you don't need to remove the stem during your prep. i used a little fresh mint as a garnish as i have lots growing in the garden but it isn't obligatory (obviously!) if you'd like to make a healthy Japanese curry, you can click Golden Vegetable Curry for the youtube tutorial or scroll down for the recipe. happy cooking! kurumi XXXX. Golden vegetable curry ingredients: (makes 2 portions) 1 onion 90g aubergine 80g sweet potato, peeled 60g mushrooms 90g tinned chickpeas 1/2cm ginger 2 cloves garlic 1 1/2 tbsps vegetable oil 300ml water 3 cubes, “Golden” curry roux 1 tbsp mango chutney how to: peel and cut the onion into 12 segments. cut the aubergine, sweet potato & mushrooms into bite size chunks. peel & mince the ginger & garlic. heat the oil in a pan & add the ginger, garlic & onion. fry for 30 seconds. add the aubergine, sweet potato & mushrooms & stir for 1 min. add the chickpea & water and cook over medium heat for 8-10 mins. add the “Golden” curry roux & chutney and cook over low medium heat for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally serve with fresh Japanese rice Golden vegetable curry

Daikon in Miso sauce The daikon (AKA white radish or mooli) is a much beloved vegetable in Japan - you'll find it featured in many classic Japanese woodblock prints and today, people even make daikon into very cute food sculptures! Daikon isn't so popular here in the UK and that's a shame as it is considered a very healthy thing to eat (lots of fibre, high vitamin C and phosphorus and potassium.) It can also be made into many delicious dishes - daikon is especially good for simmered dishes like this recipe as it soaks up flavours and seasoning really well. I like to think my recipe for Daikon in a Miso sauce is right up there with the best of them. This is a simple dish to create - the daikon needs to be simmered 20-30 mins to cook and you can use that time to make your sweet miso sauce. A lot of chefs in Japan enrich the sauce with an egg yolk or two but I prefer to keep it simple - that way, it can be served to vegetarians and vegans as well. I hope you'll try this, the sensation of biting into that soft daikon flesh flavoured with sweet miso is, dare I say, quite a sensual food experience (and it's healthy & nutritional too!) So, if you're in the mood for something sensual to eat, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Daikon in Miso sauce or scroll to the bottom of the page. You can find the written recipe just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. (PS: Daikon is very easy to grow if you have a space in your garden. All it really needs is deep, soft, rich soil, lots of water and sunshine now and then. If you want to try your hand, you can find my "how to" instructions here.) Daikon in Miso sauce ingredients: (makes 4 pieces) 16cm daikon (white radish/mooli) 4 pieces or 10cm of dried kelp for the sweet miso sauce: 2 tbsp japanese cooking sake 2 tbsp mirin 1.5 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp miso some toasted sesame seeds (optional) how to: to cook the daikon, peel, cut it into 4 equal pieces, trim the edges slightly (this helps the daikon hold a nice shape while it simmers) put the daikon & kelp into a saucepan, pour in enough water to just cover the daikon bring to the boil and simmer over medium to low heat for approx. 25-30 mins (depending on the size of the daikon) use a skewer to make sure the white radish is cooked through to make the sweet miso sauce: put the sake, mirin, sugar & miso in a pan bring to the boil then turn down to a medium-low heat and simmer for 1 - 2 mins while stirring to evaporate the alcohol serve the daikon with some sweet miso sauce spooned over the top & sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Matcha Tiramisu If you are of a certain age, you might remember that back in the 1980s, Tiramisu was the absolute must eat dessert, especially in Japan. Nowadays, this Italian dessert is still a firm favourite and like most foods that have stood the test of time in Japan, it's "gone native" to fit the Japanese palate and undergone a few changes. For example, unlike the Italian original, Japanese tiramisu doesn't use eggs which makes it a little less rich and a little less calorific. Of course, coffee tiramisu is still very much the "standard" but tiramisu made with matcha green tea has also become a bit of a "thing". Real matcha green tea is quite costly but a little does go quite a long way (you only need 1.5 tbsp in this recipe) and shouldn't we all treat ourselves to something luxurious now and again? Once you have bought your packet of matcha, you'll probably find the other ingredients you need somewhere in your larder or fridge - double cream, mascarpone cheese, a few sponge fingers etc etc. Once you have all your ingredients lined up, putting this delish dessert together is a breeze - 15 minutes later just pop it in the fridge to set a little and it's ready. Once matcha tiramisu is served, it tends to disappear quite quickly so if you're thinking of sneaking back for some cheeky fridge leftovers, prepare to be disappointed! My recipe uses enough finger biscuits to create two layers in a 15cm X 15cm pyrex dish. You'll need to vary the number of biscuits depending on the dish you use. My only other tip is not to over whisk the cream/mascarpone as this make it harder to spread over the biscuits when you are putting the dish together. That apart, this is a doddle to make! If it sounds like your proverbial cup of tea, you can find the written recipe below and the Youtube tutorial by clicking Matcha Tiramisu or just scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. For more Japanese matcha inspiration, why not try my Matcha and White Chocolate cookies recipe? Matcha Tiramisu ingredients: (enough for a 15 cm x 15 cm pyrex dish) 1.5 tbsp matcha powder 100ml hot water 13 sponge fingers 1 tbsp golden syrup 130g mascarpone cheese 20g sugar 130g double cream how to: set 1/2 tbsp of the matcha aside for later add hot water to the remaining 1 tbsp of matcha in a small bowl a little at time, whisk well until the matcha is dissolved, then add the golden syrup and whisk again soak the sponge fingers in the matcha liquid in a shallow dish, turn over the sponge fingers a couple of times so they are well soaked meanwhile, put the mascarpone & sugar in a bowl and whisk, add the cream, and whisk again until the cream keeps its peaks lay half of the fingers in a dish, sprinkle some of the matcha liquid over the fingers, spread 1/2 of the mascarpone & cream over the fingers and create an even layer lay the rest of the sponge fingers over the cream, then layer the remaining cream over the fingers and smooth the cream over using a knife or the back of a spoon sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of matcha powder over the cream until it’s covered refridgerate to cool before serving Matcha Tiramisu

Matcha Muffinscheese cake Have you ever seen the very entertaining "Paul Hollywood in Japan" series? Yes, that Paul Hollywood , the celebrity chef and baker. He goes to Japan to sample the food culture and entertain us with a few quirky features of Japanese life. Anyway, I was interested to see how surprised he was by the quantity and quality of Japanese bakeries. But I'd forgotten that most people react like that when they're in Japan for the first time - they just don't expect to find a thriving Western style food industry. In fact, bread and cake making was introduced by the Portugese way back in the 1600s - apparently the Portugese at that time even introduced the "castella" (a very moist sweetened sponge cake) which probably ranks today as Japan's all-time favourite cake. Nowadays, cake baking is as popular in Japan as it is here in the UK - the cakes are subtly different, less sweet and made with different ingredients. One perennial favorite in Japan is the muffin made with matcha powder (green tea powder) and I've put together an easy recipe for you to make these in your own home. In Japan, you'd normally find adzuki beans used to sweeten these muffins but I know adzuki isn't everyone's cup of tea, so instead I use raisins as a sweetener. There's no butter in this recipe, I use vegetable oil instead - the result is a very soft, spongy green tea muffin. These are a cinch to make and there's nothing better IMO than a fresh from the oven matcha muffin for tea served with a nice cup of earl grey. The key is to use a good quality matcha powder so that you get a real green tea flavour when you bake. Want to make some matcha muffins? You can find the written recipe just below and the Youtube tutorial by clicking Matcha Muffins or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy baking! Kurumi XXXX. For another matcha green tea dessert recipe, why not try my Baked Matcha Cheesecake? You can find the link to the recipe by clicking Baked Matcha Cheesecake. Matcha Muffins ingredients: (makes 8 muffins) 1 egg 70ml veg oil 100ml milk 150g self raising flour, sieved 1 tsp baking powder 90g sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1.5 tbsp matcha powder 60g dried raisins 8 small paper cups for the muffins how to: break the egg into a bowl, add the veg oil and whisk, then add the milk and whisk again in another bowl, add the self raising flour, baking powder, sugar, salt & matcha powder and mix well gently add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in a bowl and mix lightly, then add the raisins and mix again heat the oven to 180’C place your paper muffin cup in a tray and either spoon or pipe the misture equally into the cups bake the muffins for 13-15 mins, test with a skewer before removing from the oven matcha Muffins

Matcha Green Tea Latte Now that the days are growing shorter and the nights a little chilly, my thoughts turn to warming autumn drinks and there's nothing better as far as I'm concerned than a matcha latte. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that matcha is considered as something of a superfood because it is ground from the whole tea leaf into a fine powder, making it much higher in anti-oxidants than green tea in leaf form. I also don't exaggerate when I say it is pretty expensive, albeit a little matcha powder does go a long way. I tend to treat myself to a matcha latter whenever I feel in need of a gentle caffeine boost rather than double espresso style rocket. I make my matcha latte using 1 teaspoon of powder with 300 mls of milk - (that's probably enough for 2 matcha lattes but I like a nice big mug all to myself!). I whisk the milk with some sugar to get it a little frothy. Of course, if you have a milk frother, all the better. Then I pour the milk over the matcha power which I've pre-mixed with a little water. A little more matcha powder sprinkled over the top and there you have it, a soothing Matcha Latte. If you like the sound of this, you can find the youtube tutorial here or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy drinking! Kurumi XXXX. For another matcha based recipe, why not try out my Matcha Teramisu dessert. You can find the link to the recipe here. ingredients: (makes one large matcha latte) 1 tsp match powder 2 tbsp hot water 2-3 tsp sugar (according to your taste) 300ml milk how to: add the matcha powder to the hot water in a bowl and whisk well put the milk & sugar in a small pan and warm up but just below boiling while whisking vigorously to create a froth pour the matcha into a cup, then gently add the milk decorate with some additional matcha powder if you wish Matcha Green Tea Latte

Japanese Chocolate Mousse Chocolate desserts probably wouldn't be high on your list if you were asked to name Japanese foods but the Japanese actually consume more chocolate than any other Asian country and that's steadily increasing. T he preference in Japan is not for chocolate bars but for chocolate desserts and cakes but this is also changing. Just type in "Japan chocolate" to your search engine and you'll find some very niche (and very expensive!) Japanese artisan chocolate brands. The preferred type of chocolate for the Japanese is for softer, darker, somewhat bitter blends with a high cocoa content. My recipe combines those two qualities into a rather yummy mousse dessert. I use 75% cocoa content dark chocolate mixed with milk, cream and gelatin as a gelling agent. The result is a slightly firm, rich mousse that any chocolate lover out there will willingly gobble up. If, like me, you enjoy a naughty but nice chocolate treat now and again, I can think of nothing better...you can find the written recipe just below. The Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Chocolate Mousse or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you'd like to try a Japanese dessert which is animal free, then take a peek at my Coffee Kanten. Japanese chocolate mousse ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 70g plain chocolate (70-75% cocoa) 5g (3 sheets) gelatin 170ml whole milk 20g sugar 100ml single cream some whipped cream for topping 2 glasses or small cups (approx. 180-200ml each) how to: soak the gelatin sheets in water for 10 mins break up the chocolate into small pieces, melt in a bowl over hot (but not boiling ) water in a saucepan in another saucepan, combine the milk & sugar and stir over a medium heat for 1 min but don’t boil squeeze any excess water from the gelatin , add to the pan and stir over low heat for 1 min (again, don’t boil) add the chocolate and mix over a low heat, then add the cream and mix well again until blended well pour into two glasses and refridgerate until set once set, top with whipped cream and serve Japanese Chocolate Mousse

Souffle Pancakes Here's another Japanese expression for you, "fuwa fuwa" (it's pronounced fwa fwa). What does it mean? If you imagine something light, airy and fluffy, you're headed in the right direction. The other day, I went to the Fuwa Fuwa cafe in Russell Square, London. It's a specialty outlet that sells one yummy product - you guessed it - Japanese souffle pancakes. The cafe has recently moved to bigger premises just a few units from where it began in the Brunswick Shopping Centre, just across the road from Russell Square underground station. It is, as far as i know, the only cafe selling these lovely dessert pancakes in London but i doubt that it will be the last. I went along Fuwa Fuwa's nutella & banana souffle pancakes to the new shop recently to try out their wares and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. They were delish! The cafe offers eight toppings and for £ 8-9 per serving, you receive two pancakes, which is enough as they are generously sized. I went for the fruits and maple syrup topping while my partner chose nutella and banana (right). You order your food and wait for around 20 minutes while the souffle pancakes are cooked at the counter. They take a little time but it's worth the wait! The key to getting a souffle pancake right is the balance between the light, airy souffle and the substance of the pancake. I think Fuwa Fuwa cafe's recipe is just about right (if iIm honest, it maybe just a tiny bit too heavy) - a visit to the Fuwa Fuwa cafe is definitely recommended! Making Japanese souffle pancakes at home isn't as difficult as you might think. The secret is warmth - like any souffle, these Japanese souffles can look great when cooking only to collapse after being put on a plate as they cool down - so the longer you keep your Fuwa Fuwa souffle pancake with fruits and honey pancakes warm, the longer they will strut their fluffy stuff. I've learned over time (and I've had a few setbacks making these) that you need to start with a warm kitchen. I also use aluminium foil rings to hold the pancake mixture steady while it cooks - this really helps in creating gorgeous pancake towers - just be careful when you remove the rings. Oh, and serve them on a warm plate. The other thing I would recommend is using a really good quality, fine plain flour when you make these souffle pancakes - run of the mill grade flour is too heavy and your pancakes will struggle to rise. I have one last tip - the majority of recipes you'll find online promising beautiful tall towers of fluffiness, do not work - (unfortunately the online cooking community isn't immune to click bait!) I'm happy to say my recipe does work - the two photos of souffle pancakes on the Royal Albert plate (I am a sucker for collecting Old Country Roses!) are the ones i made following this recipe - they had been out of the pan for about 20 mins and had been drizzled with honey so they had deflated a little but they were very, very good to eat. Souffle Pancakes So, if you'd also like to try your hand at making your own souffle pancakes, why not follow my recipe - I should also send thanks to my friend Macky Wu who helped me with my final recipe - Macky, your cakes are a wonder to behold - (you can find Macky's fantastic creations at her instagram site "mackywu"). You can find my written recipe and the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Souffle pancakes or scroll to the bottom of the page. I decorated my pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, honey and some double cream but why don't you come up with your own toppings? iId love to hear about it! Happy cooking. Kurumi XXXX. If you'd like to check out a less calorific but no less tasty Japanese dessert, why not try my Coffee Kanten recipe? Japanese Souffle pancakes ingredients: (makes 4 large souffle pancakes) 8g melted butter 18ml whole milk 18ml cream 1 lge egg yolk 20g plain flour 4 large egg whites 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 30g caster sugar 1/2 tsp egg white powder a few blue berries & strawberry some whipping cream 2 tbsp veg oil a little water kitchen paper (for oiling the pan) some honey for drizzling (optional) 12 x 30 cm aluminium foil x 2 how to: to make your souffle rings, fold the aluminium foil lengthways to make a 4 cm wide strip then, fold the ends together to make a ring shape of about 8cm diameter oil the inside of the rings whisk the egg yolk in a bowl, add the melted butter and whisk again until blended add the milk & cream and mix again, then add the flour a little at a time and whisk until the flour is well incorporated in another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar when the whites starts to aerate, add the egg white powder & sugar a little at a time now whisk the egg whites until the peaks hold - when you invert the bowl, the egg white should hold its form carefully fold the egg white into the yolk mixture in 3 or 4 large spoonfuls mixing very, very gently to keep the mixture aerated heat the pan over a medium to low heat and oil it sparingly put the foil rings into the pan, then gently fill the rings with the pancake mixture drip a little water into the pan (not into the rings!) for humidity. now, put a lid on the pan cook for 6 mins remove the lid and gently turn the pancakes over, oil the pan again if necessary & drop in a little more water. cook for a further 6 mins with the lid on gently remove the pancakes from the rings serve with some blueberries, strawberries & whipped cream and drizzle with some honey. the quicker you serve, the less time the pancakes will have to droop as they cool down Souffle Pancakes

Two layer Fruit Kanten Hello everyone. Here's my latest offering - a kanten based dessert made in two layers. For anyone who hasn't come across kanten before, (agar agar is a close relative,) it's an algae based product used to make jellies and other desserts. It's similar to gelatine but it's completely a non-animal product, so suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It's also full of fibre so it's also great for your digestion. This recipe is healthy, a cinch to make and it always get the thumbs up when I serve it to guests! I used some canned "fruit cocktail" to make this but you can, of course, use fresh fruit if you want to. You'll need some fruit juice for the top layer of kanten - I used mango juice here. Once you've got the hang of making this dish, you'll be able to experiment with all sorts of different colour combinations and layers. If you want to try this out, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Two layer Fruit Kanten or scroll to the bottom of the page. the written recipe is just below. Have some fun in your kitchen! Kurumi XXXX. If you'd like to check out another kanten recipe, why not try out my Berry Fruits Kanten? Two layer Fruit Kanten ingredients: (makes 4-6 glass cups*) 1 tin, fruit cocktail (approx.400g) 150ml (approx.) water 2g x 2 kanten (agar agar) powder 2 tsp sugar 300ml mango juice small mint leaves for garnishing how to: add the juice from the fruit cocktail tin to the water making up to 300ml put the fruit into your glasses put the water/fruit juice & 2g of kanten powder into a pan & stir on a high/medium heat for 1 min add the sugar to the pan and stir for 30 secs, then turn off the heat and stand for 1-2 mins pour the liquid into the glasses and set aside until firm next, make the mango kanten: pour the mango juice & 2g of the kanten powder into the pan. heat & stir for 1 min and stand for 1-2 mins pour the mango liquid into the glasses and stand until firmed garnish with mint leaves before you serve Two layer Fruit Kanten