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I have a love/hate relationship with Japanese shiso (which you might know as green perilla) - you know, those large sweet mint leaves with serrated edges you get when you eat sushi and sashimi at a restaurant.) don't get me wrong - I love eating the leaves - not just with sushi but also in salad, or mixed with miso (a dish which is called shiso miso) on rice but I hate buying shiso leaves - they are sooo expensive! Shiso So, the ideal solution is to grow them myself which I now do every year. Shiso is actually very easy to grow. All it takes is a packet of seeds, some potting compost and a little tender loving care. Once the seeds have germinated and you have some little plantlets, they grow quite vigorously all through summer and well into autumn as long as you keep them watered every day or two. Shiso can also be brought indoors as long as it gets plenty of light - in fact, (and I agree with this) many Japanese people only grow shiso indoors because you get softer, sweeter leaves. Shiso seeds germinate after 7 - 10 days. First things first - buy your seeds from a reputable specialist. Why do I point this out? Well, all you are getting is a packet of tiny seeds, so you need to know you are actually getting shiso seeds and not something completely different! I have heard of people buying seeds from the internet which turned out to be weeds not shiso! This year, I planted my first seeds in late March in a seed tray in fresh potting compost (just tap them into the surface and sprinkle a little more compost on top) and kept them inside. I kept them damp and covered with a sheet of newspaper while they germinated. They took a little longer than usual, about 10 days, because of the cold weather but they all arrived in the end. Once they reached about 3cm tall, I thinned them out a little (see image left). Shiso is quite hardy - it grows just about everywhere in Japan - just beware of slugs and snails because they like the young leaves as much as I do! Shiso plants at 2 months. I waited until the seedlings were about 10cm high before planting some in a raised bed outside and some more in deep rose pots which I kept inside. I am happy to say that despite the on/off weather we've been having, my shiso has grown in leaps and bounds. I started harvesting the leaves just this weekend and with any luck, the plants should continue to provide me with a supply throughout the summer. So now I've got lots of delicious shiso leaves, what am i going to do with them? One of the most common ways of using shiso in Japan is as a salad dressing. It's easy to do - here's a recipe you might like to try: Shiso salad dressing ingredients 8-10 fresh large shiso leaves Shiso salad dressing 2 tbsps veg oil 2 tbsps soy sauce 2 tbsps rice vinegar 2 tsps sugar 1 tsp mirin Just chop up the leaves finely, then whizz everything together for 30 secs in a blender. Add a pinch of salt & pepper and it's ready to use! Tofu with Shiso topping There are lots of other ways you can use shiso. A simple way is to chop it finely and use it as a garnish for tofu (left). Here I combined it with some sesame seeds - just add a little soy sauce - add a bowl of fresh white rice and maybe a salad and you've got a healthy, low calorie lunch in not much more than 10 minutes! I'll be posting some more recipes for using shiso as I harvest it from the garden. If you are interested in how to grow shiso, you can watch my youtube tutorialby clicking Grow your own Shiso or just scroll down to the bottom of the page. There's also a written "how to" below. Give it a try, once you've gotten the shiso habit, you won't know how you ever lived without it! Grow your own shiso what you’ll need: 1 packet shiso seeds (these may be called green perilla where you live) 1 seed tray filled with potting compost extra potting compost water 1 sheet newspaper how to: put 3 - 4 seeds in each plug of the tray sprinkle a little more compost over the seeds so that they are covered mist well with water cover with the newspaper place indoors or under cover mist the newspaper daily until the seeds germinate then remove the newspaper once the seedlings are 3-4 cm high, repot into larger pots, mist well and keep inside or under cover keep the earth moist and with 3-4 weeks, the plants should be about 10cm tall and developing a leaf system plant outside in beds or large pots and keep well watered (you can keep shiso inside and it will still grow well as long as it receives enough light) harvest the leaves when they are about 5-7 cms wide. (shiso is a "cut and come again" plant, so regular harvesting of the leaves will encourage new growth.) How to grow Shiso

Cod Fillet Tendon Here's a recipe that you could call, with just a little stretch of the imagination, "Japanese fish and Chips". You get a fillet of cod fried in tempura batter served on a bed of the staple Japanese food - steamed rice. Of course, it wouldn't be a Japanese meal without some vegetables and here you get slices of sweet potato, carrot and rocket - these were my choices from the larder - you could use other combinations that take your fancy. No salt' n 'vinegar flavourings here though - tendon dishes are served with a tendon sauce - a combination of soy sauce and mirin. All in all, this makes a great one-dish recipe for lunch or dinner. You can make your own tempura flour or you can buy a ready made - I used showa brand tempura flour which is a mix of wheat flour, egg yolk powder, pumpkin powder and baking powder - it gives a nice, light result. Rather than coating everything in tempura batter first, this is a recipe where you coat each item separately with batter and deep fry, then coat the next item. The sweet potato takes the longest time - 2-3 mins - you can test whether the slices are done with a chopstick or skewer - the carrot matchsticks and the rocket are formed into little bundles in the batter and then plunged into the oil to stick them together - they take no time at all. I fried the cod fillets for about 2 - 3 mins and kept an eye on the colour to make sure the batter didn't overcook. The rest is simple - arrange the tempura on a bowl of fresh rice and drizzle over the ten-don sauce - and you have a tasty, satisfying main meal to serve. If you are ready for a tendon fish dish, you can find the written recipe just below and the Youtube tutorial by clicking Cod Fillet Tendon or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you would prefer something a little more traditional, then you could take a look at my Prawn Tendon dish. You can go to that the recipe by clicking Prawn Tendon . Cod Fillet Tendon ingredients: (makes 2 servings) for the tendon sauce: 2 tbsp sugar 2.5 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp mirin 1/4 tsp japanese dashi granules 40 ml water 400-450g cooked rice for cod tendon: 60g carrot 220g cod fillet 4 slices of sweet potato (about 5mm thick) a handful of rocket, rinsed 150ml tempura flour 220ml water vegetable for deep frying some kitchen paper how to: to make the sauce for tendon, put all the ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil while stirring & simmer for 1-2 mins or until the sauce becomes slightly thick to make the tendon, peel and thinly slice the carrot into matchsticks cut the cod fillet in half lengthways mix the tempura flour and water into a batter fill a pan with 2 - 2.5cm of veg oil & heat to 170’c dip the sweet potato slices into the batter deep fry until golden in colour. check that the potato is cooked using a chopstick or skewer put the carrot into the batter, then take up a small bundle & deep fry in the oil until golden in colour put the rocket into the batter, then take up a small bundle and deep fry in the oil for just a few seconds dip the cod fillets into the batter, fry until golden in colour assemble the tempura by dividing the rice between 2 serving bowls. arrange the tendon over the rice and last, sprinkle over the tendon sauce before serving Cod Fillet Tendon

Edamame I've never met a soul who doesn't like edamame, have you? They are truly at their best eaten freshly picked straight out of the garden - just rub with a little salt, pop into a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes and serve with a glass of chilled Japanese lager and...well, you be the judge. I'll be honest, I buy most of my edamame frozen but I do love the "straight from the soil" ones best - to me they feel softer and taste sweeter - so I grow my own in small quantities too. Growing edamame in the northern hemisphere can be a little difficult - edamame love warm, sunny conditions - and if they don't get what they want, the stroppy little plants won't raise they're little heads above the soil for love nor money. I planted some seeds earlier this year in April and consider myself lucky to have achieved a 1 in 3 success rate - but I probably planted too early. You can plant edamame seeds straight outside but I always think planting indoors gives your little babies a nice warm start to life - better than risking a spring meeting with the dreaded Mr. Frost out of doors. I get my seeds from a company called Chiltern Seeds but most reputable seed companies stock them. I advise against buying seeds from the internet - unless they come from a company you know, you can't guarantee the seeds in the packet are really the seeds you ordered. Once you have your little packet of seeds, plant one seed each 4cm down in 10-12cm pots in a good potting compost. A little water now and again to keep the earth moist and then just leave in a sunny warm spot for 2 - 3 weeks to germinate. Edamame and Wasabi rocket Salad I leave mine another 2-3 weeks to grow a little stronger before I pot them on. Don't leave this too late though otherwise there will be more risk of damaging the roots when you transfer the plantlet. 4-5 weeks later and you should have a 60-75cm plant with a good few edamame beans ready to be harvested. If you're interested in growing edamame, you can find my simple video tutorial down below along with the written instructions or just click Grow your own Edamame . Once you have your edamame beans, you might wish to try a few recipes. I have a few on the site including my Edamame salad . Grow your own Edamame what you'll need: edamame seeds from a reputable supplier some small pots (10 - 15cm diameter) some bigger pots to pot on some compost how to: fill some the small pots with good quality potting compost plant 1 edamame seed per pot about 2cm into the compost, cover with another 2cm of compost and sprinkle with a little water leave in a warm sunny spot indoors for 2-3 weeks and keep moist but not wet 6 weeks later, your seedlings will be ready to pot on or move to a vegetable patch. if you pot on, the pot should be at least 30cm deep and free draining (I use a mix of fresh compost and garden soil as a medium) invert the pot & transfer your seedings, bedding them down to force out any pockets of air. top with some fresh compost leave in a warm, sunny spot outdoors. (edamame need 4-6 hours of full sun daily to grow well) provide regular water and keep the soil moist but don’t overwater your edamame will be ready to harvest in 5-6 weeks. How o grow your Edamame once you've got your edamame to hand, there are lots of ways you can eat them. you could just rub them in salt while their still in their pods, boil for 5-6 mins and then enjoy them with a cold japanese beer. if you're feeling a little more adventurous, you could mix them up with a salad as i did in the pic above. i mixed them up with my homegrown wasabi rocket, some baby tomatoes and chopped seafood sticks and then seasoned them with a little oil and salt - simple, nutricious and really quite tasty! you can find the recipe for my edamame and wasabi rocket salad just below and the youtube tutorial is at the bottom of the page. happy cooking! kurumi XXXX. Edamame and Wasabi rocket Salad ingredients: (makes 2 servings as a side dish) 160g edamame 5-6 wasabi rocket leaves 5 baby tomatoes 5 seafood sticks 1/4 salt or to your taste 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil how to: rinse & chop the wasabi rocket leaves rinse & halve the tomatoes cut each seafood sticks into 4 cubes bring some water to the boil in a pan, then cook the edamame for 4-5 mins for fresh, 6 mins for frozen, drain mix the edamame, tomatoes, seafood, wasabi rocket leaves in a bowl, season with the salt & add the oil, mix one more time Edamame and Wasabi rocket Salad

Japanese Steak Salad with Onion sauce Japan and beef have an interesting history. For centuries, the eating of beef (along with most other meats) was prohibited in Japan - in the years before mechanisation this made great sense - livestock such as oxen performed a lot of tasks, so killing them for food just wasn't feasible. Second, Japan's landmass is 80% mountains so again, raising animals on pasture wasn't an option either. But attitudes and technology changed and so did Japanese eating habits. Steak remained (and to an extent remains) a great luxury in Japan - so when it is eaten, the emphasis is on quality and taste rather than quantity. I like to think my recipe for steak salad ticks those particular boxes - the steak is pan fried to medium rare, sliced and partnered with a sweet, sticky Japanese onion sauce. It's served up with a healthy salad of spinach, broccoli, peppers and tomatoes - all in all, a healthy, tasty way to enjoy good beef. You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Steak salad and onion sauce and Japanese Onion sauce or scroll down to the bottom of the page. The written recipes are just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you wish to partner this with another Japanese dish, why not try my Aubergine in a spicy Soy marinade. Japanese Steak salad with Onion sauce ingredients: (2 servings) 70g baby spinach 80g stem broccoli 70g yellow pepper 80g baby tomatoes 50g peeled red onion 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 sirloin steaks Japanese onion sauce: 110g peeled onion 30g peeled carrot 2 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp vegetable oil 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp mirin how to: finely slice the onion then soak in water for 15mins (changing the water once) finely slice the pepper halve the tomatoes blanche the stem broccoli in boiling water for 2 mins heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan and fry the steaks for 1 min each side over a high heat turn the steaks over, reduce the heat to medium and fry for 3 mins each side mix all the vegetables together in a bowl and divide the salad between your two plates to make the onion sauce: thinnly slice the garlic, carrot & onion heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the garlic, carrot & onion over a medium heat for 3 mins add the soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake & vinegar and simmer for 3 mins put it in a blender and blend well - your onion sauce is ready slice the steaks into 1cm strips and place on the salad pour the japanese onion sauce over the steaks and serve Japanese Steak Salad with Onion sauce Onion sauce

Chicken Katsudon If ever there was the perfect warming dish for chilly nights, this is it - Chicken Katsudon. I'm sure you know about katsu , which is the Japanese adopted pronunciation of the English word, cutlet. Katsu dishes are uber-popular in Japan (and in a lot of other places nowadays) with pork - tonkatsu - being the most popular version. But chicken katsu isn't so far behind and presented like this on a donburi (bed of steamed white rice) and then covered in a delicous eggy, umami-flavoured dashi with onion, it has to be one of the best Japanese dishes you'll ever taste (and, of course, I hope you make it too!). So if you want to get your taste buds drooling one cold night, you can find the youtube tutorial for chicken katsudon by clicking Chicken Katsudon or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you want to have a look at a different katsu recipe, why not check out my Menchi Katsu recipe by clicking Menchi Katsu . Chicken Katsudon ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1 large chicken breast 40g plain flour 1 egg, beaten 50g panko breadcrumbs a little salt & pepper 1 onion 1 tsp japanese dashi granules 100ml water 2 tbsp cooking sake 2 tbsp soy sauce 1.5 tbsp sugar 3 eggs 450g cooked rice veg oil for shallow frying 1 spring onion, finely chopped (optional) some kitchen paper how to: slice the chicken breast horizontally to create your katsu, sprinkle with salt & pepper, coat the katsu with flour, beaten egg, and coat well with the panko put 2cm of veg oil in a large saucepan, heat to 170’C, then fry the katsu for 7-9 mins on a medium heat or until the katsu are cooked (turn them a couple of times during frying) drain on kitchen paper peel, halve & slice the onion cut the katsu into 1 cm slices and set aside put the water, dashi, soy sauce, sake & sugar into a frying pan add the onion, bring to the boil & simmer for 4-5 mins add the sliced katsu to the pan, pour the beaten egg over the katsu, put the lid on and cook until the egg is almost firm put 1/2 the rice into a bowl and arrange the katsu and egg over the rice sprinkle with some chopped spring onion and serve Chicken Katsudon

Fried Scallops in Breadcrumbs Scallops, or hotate in Japanese, are one of my favourite sea foods. In japan, these are popular in their raw state as sushi or sashimi (particularly on the northern island, Hokkaido, where they are so abundant). For those who don't fancy eating raw shellfish, hotate are also found in Japanese yakitori bars where they're usually served grilled or fried in butter. Now I can eat scallops every which way, but the way iIlike them best is deep fried in breadcrumbs (think big scampi and you get the idea). I love the crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside contrast and I think 3 mins or so of deep frying actually enhances the flavour. While fresh scallops are best, I usually buy mine frozen from an Asian store (the ones sold in UK supermarkets always seem to be on the small side). Making deep fried scallops is easy - just coat in flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs and then fry each side for a minute or two and you're done. I would serve this with rice and perhaps a soup or a vegetable dish (or both if I fancied something a little more complex.) If you're in the mood for some scallops, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Scallops in breadcrumbs or just scroll to the bottom of the page. The written pdf recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you would like to pair this dish with a soup, why not try my Miso soup with Pumpkin and Green beans recipe ? Fried Scallops in Breadcrumbs ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 8 large scallops 1 egg, beaten 40g panko (breadcrumbs) 40g plain flour a little salt & pepper veg oil for deep frying how to: season the scallops with the salt & pepper coat them with the flour, then the beaten egg and finally with the panko pour 2cm of veg oil into a pan and heat to 180’C fry the scallops for 1-2 mins each side until golden (check to ensure the scallops are cooked through) Fried Scallops in Breadcrumbs

Japanese Onion Soup This is my twist on French Onion Soup - Japanese style. As you will know, like the French, the Japanese turn out some pretty mean soups and I like to think that this fusion of the two traditions - French and Japanese - creates something that's really quite special. Like the French version, my Japanese Onion Soup features some delicious, slow sweated onion and garlic. There's also a rich broth which includes a heaped tablespoon of miso. Whereas the classic French dish would be presented with some toasted bread and melted cheese, I use rice cakes which I toast with a generous topping of cheddar cheese. If, like me, you are an umami flavour lover, the combination of miso, cheddar and garlic will be too tempting to resist, I assure you! Whenever I make this dish, I always chuckle at how easy it is to make something so tasty. The only thing that takes any time at all is sweating the onions and garlic. I usually let this happen for about 20 minutes - I want the rings of onion to be nicely cooked and a little bit sweetened but not overdone so that they fall apart. Once that is done, everything else happens pretty quickly so you don't need to plan much more than 30 minutes to have this ready for the table. I normally eat this with a bowl of rice but you could serve it in smaller portions as a starter. On the other hand, you could pop in a few more vegetables (think, mushrooms, some diced potato, maybe) and you would have a main course for lunch or supper. If you are interested in this recipe, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Onion Soup or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. Ingredients: Makes 2 generous servings: 25g / 1oz butter 500ml /1 pt water 2 rice cakes 75g / 3oz cheddar cheese 1 large brown onion 4 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp Japanese instant dashi stock granules 1 heaped tbsp of miso shichimi (Japanese chilli flakes) , optional How to: Peel, top and tail the onion. Set the onion on it side and cut into thin slices to create onion rings. Carefully break up the onion rings into a bowl. Crush the garlic cloves and add to the onion rings. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion rings and the crushed garlic. Stir gently to coat the onions and garlic in butter. Sweat the onions over a medium heat with a lid on for about 20 minutes until the onion has softened. Stir occasionally to prevent any of the onion burning or sticking to the pan. Meanwhile, cut the cheddar cheese into straws. Cover the rice cakes evenly with the cheese. When the 20 minutes is up, add the water and Japanese instant dashi granules to the saucepan of onion rings and garlic. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. Next , grill the rice cakes for 3 - 4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Meanwhile, add 1 heaped tbsp of miso to the soup. Gently blend the miso into the soup using a spoon or spatula. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Remove the rice cakes from the grill. Ladle the onion soup into bowls. Place a grilled cheese rice cake on top of each bowl and sprinkle with a little shichimi seasoning. Japanese Onion Soup

Miso Udon Hotpot I've posted a number of New Year's resolution style, light and healthy veggie dishes in recent weeks but here's something different for you (still pretty healthy though and definitely tasty) - red miso udon. I don't count myself as an authority on miso but as far as I know, this fermented soya bean paste falls into three categories - white, yellow and red. (Some people say there are four categories, with black being the fourth, but the black miso I've seen just looks like a stronger, darker version of red miso - but if you know better, please tell all). Anyway, as you probably know, miso is made by fermenting soya beans and usually a quantity of grain or rice with salt and a fermenting culture ( koji in Japanese). The colour of miso is determined by how much soya bean is used to make the miso and what is added to it - so white miso combines soya beans with white rice, which explains the light colour. Yellow miso combines soya beans with barley and red miso combines soya beans with barley or another grain such as buckwheat but uses a higher percentage of soya beans, resulting in a darker colour. The taste of miso also depends on its ingredients but also on the fermentation time - typically a white miso is left to ferment for a few months while a red one can be left for a year of longer. Shorter fermentation results in a lighter, sweeter taste with less umami flavour while a long fermentation should result in a dark, salty miso with bags of umami. Being strongly flavoured, red miso is really well suited to stews where it can hold its own against the other ingredients. I combined miso here with udon noodles, chicken, shiitake, seafood sticks, carrot, leek and cabbage - so this really is a true one pot meal! If you want to give this a try, you can find the Youtube video by clicking Miso udon Hotpot or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you would like to browse a fish hotpot dish, why not try out my Salmon and Miso Hotpot recipe? Miso udon Hotpot ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 2 portions of udon 2 chinese cabbage leaves 1 leek 4 shiitake mushrooms 6 sugar snaps 40g carrot 120g boneless chicken thigh or breast 2 seafood sticks 2 tsp japanese dashi granules 700ml water 1/2 tbsp sugar 2.5 tbsp mirin 3 tbsp red miso* 2 eggs *you can also use other types of miso, but the red variety will give you the richest flavour how to: cut the cabbage leaves into bite sized pieces slice the leek diagonally cut star marks onto the shiitake mushroom heads for a decorative effect if you wish (see the video tutorial for how to do this) peel & slice the carrot into thick matchsticks halve the seafood sticks diagonally cut the chicken into bite sized pieces pour the water & dashi granules into a large saucepan add the mirin, sugar, and miso and stir & bring to the boil add the carrot, leek, chinese cabbage & chicken to the pot, then bring back to the boil and cook for 5 mins add the shiitake mushrooms & udon and cook for a further 3-4 mins break the eggs into the centre of the pan, add the sugar snaps & seafood sticks, then cook with a lid on for 3-4 mins until the eggs are set your dish is ready for the table Miso Udon Hotpot Miso Udon Hotpot

Salmon and Tuna Poke bowl Poke dishes are on a roll at the moment, aren't they? Unlike pokémon, poke bowls didn't originate in Japan but from Hawaii, where apparently "poke" means "to slice diagonally." (Hawaiian speakers, please confirm!) The story goes that back in the day, Hawaiian fishermen used the offcuts of their catch as their own meal. The fish was rubbed in salt, probably to preserve it, then laid onto a bed of rice. The salt has now morphed into a marinade to give the fish a greater variety of flavours. This got me thinking that a poke bowl isn't that far from the origins of a chirashi sushi bowl - the thinking behind the two is the same - using offcuts and leftover seafood to garnish a bed of rice as a cheaper meal than full on sashimi or sushi made from prime fillets. My poke bowl dish is designed as a sharing platter, so that you and your significant others can spoon out servings onto individual dishes. I use sushi grade salmon and tuna, chopped into small chunks. Along with that, I serve this with some sweetcorn prepared in sweetened water, some salted mangetout and some avocado marinated in sushi vinegar. This way your tongue gets a whole spectrum of flavours. I serve this with soy sauce and wasabi so that individual diners can season the fish to their own taste. Like the idea? You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Salmon and Tuna Poke bowl or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you like the idea of a poke dish but you aren't so keen on the raw fish, why not check out my Miso Salmon Poke bowl ? Salmon and Tuna Poke bowl ingredients: (4 servings in a party bowl) 450g Japanese rice (dry weight) 200g salmon (sushi grade) 200g tuna (sushi grade) 70ml sushi vinegar 1 avocado 100g mangetout, rinsed 2 tsp sugar 120g frozen sweetcorn 1/2 tsp salt 1.5 sheets of nori 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds for topping some wasabi some soy sauce how to: rinse the rice a few times until the water becomes nearly clear, then cook in a rice cooker or large saucepan when the rice is cooked, put it in a large bowl, sprinkle 65 ml of sushi vinegar over the rice and gently turn the rice to incorporate the vinegar bring about 300ml of water to the boil in a pan, add the sweetcorn & salt, cook for 3 mins, drain and set aside bring another 300 ml of water to the boil in the pan, add the mangetout & sugar for 2 mins, drain and set aside slice the mangetout diagonally into diamonds halve the nori sheets, fold them twice, then use scissors to cut into matchsticks peel & halve the avocado, then thinly slice & drizzle with 5 ml of sushi vinegar cut the salmon & tuna into 1.5cm slices, then cut into 1.5cm cubes to assemble, put the sushi rice into a large serving bowl then sprinkle the nori matchsticks over the rice cover 1/5 of the rice with the mangetout on one side then spoon the tuna beside the mangetout (covering another 1/5 section) cover another 1/5 of the bowl with sweetcorn next to the tuna, then the salmon and avocado in order to cover the whole bowl sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with some wasabi and soy sauce Salmon and Tuna Poke bowl

Japanese Tomato Hotpot My latest recipe is a modern take on the traditional Japanese hotpot, which in Japanese, we call Nabe. In many Japanese homes, a nabe dish is cooked over a portable gas cooker on the kitchen table - it's a very communal food that people share, add more raw food to the pot, cook and share again. (Of course, you can always cook this on your hob as well as I did in the Youtube tutorial!) Unlike a western stew dish, Japanese nabe tend to be quite light and definitely a lot quicker to prepare - this recipe takes around 30-35 mins from prep to plate, so it's ready in literally no time at all. I used chicken breast in this Japanese Tomato Hotpot recipe, but you could use chicken thigh or no meat at all, if you prefer, and just use more vegetables. Either way, you end up with a great tasting, healthy stew, (sorry, make that nabe!) If you want to try this recipe out, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Japanese Tomato Hotpot or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX If you would like to check out another Japanese nabe hotpot, why not try my Miso and Udon Hotpot ? Japanese Tomato Hotpot ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 60g carrot 1 king oyster mushroom 1/2 sweet pointed cabbage 1 onion 130g potato 1 fresh small tomato 4 broccoli florets 300g boneless chicken breast or thigh 1 tin of tomatoes (400g) 300ml water 3 tbsp Japanese cooking sake or white wine 1 tbsp, bouillon powder or vegetable stock cube 1 tbsp veg oil how to: peel the carrot, halve & slice into large matchsticks cut the mushroom in half and slice rinse & halve the cabbage, then cut out the stalk & cut into bite sized pieces peel, halve & slice the onion and the potatoes quarter the tomato halve any large broccoli florets cut the chicken into bite sized pieces heat the oil in a pot, add the chicken pieces and fry lightly add the potato and fry, then add the tinned tomatoes, water (300ml), sake & bouillon. bring to the boil while strring well add the remaining vegetables and the salt & pepper simmer for 15-20 mins until the chicken is cooked lastly add the tomato quarters and simmer for 1-2 mins your tomato hotpot is ready. serve with freshly made rice of your choice Japanese Tomato Hotpot

Oven baked Karaage Chicken Nuggets If you were to take a peek into a Japanese bento box, there's a good chance that you'd find some Tori no karaage (deep fried chicken nuggets) tucked away inside. This is one of the most popular ways to eat chicken in Japan and it tastes equally good eaten straight out of the pan or after a couple of days sat in the fridge (in the unlikely event that there are any leftovers). Purists will say that tori no karaage has to be deep fried but I think you can make a great tasting (and more healthy) version of this dish in a hot oven, which is what I do here. No frying odour, no hot oil - this method certainly has some advantages! The way to a good tori no karaage is to make a good, tangy marinade and leave the chicken to steep in it for as long as you can - 30 mins in a pinch but ideally left for at least 2-3 hours - left overnight all the better. You can use all sorts of chicken parts for karaage - breast and wings but my personal favourite is thigh because the higher fat content in the thigh means more moisture is retained during cooking. If you want to try your hand at one of Japan's favourite chicken dishes, you can find my recipe just below. You can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Oven baked Karaage chicken nuggets or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy baking! Kurumi XXXX. If you would like to try out the classic version, you can find the recipe here Tori no Karaage . Oven baked Karaage Chicken nuggets ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 400g boneless chicken thigh 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp mirin 2.5 tbsp vegetable oil a pinch of salt & pepper 1 tsp ginger paste 2 tsp garlic paste 70g potato flour 6 asparagus 1/2 lemon a sheet of aluminium foil how to: cut the chicken into bite size pieces and marinade with the pinch of salt & pepper, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, mirin, 1.5tbsp of the vegetable oil in a bowl for 30 mins cut off the bottom ends of the asparagus and halve cover a baking try with aluminium foil and brush on 0.5tbsp of oil coat the chicken with the potato flour and put it on the tray leave to stand for 15 mins until the flour is absorbed heat the oven to 220’C, place the asparagus next to the chicken and sprinkle 0.5tbsp of oil over it put the tray in the oven for 20mins your oven baked chicken karaage is ready. garnish with the lemon and serve Oven baked Karaage Chicken Nuggets

Chicken and Coconut Curry What could be better suited to the fruity taste of a Japanese curry than the coconut rich flavours of Goan cuisine? I started putting coconut milk in my Japanese curries a while ago and I've discovered that it's a fantastic combination. The coconut milk gives these curries a lovely, creamy taste. For this recipe, I used the S&B brand curry called Torokeru which is quite mild but you can combine a can of coconut milk with any Japanese curry cube brand and it'll turn out well. I put in half a sweet pointed pepper, some green beans, aubergine and some chicken breast. To deepen the curry flavours, I used onion, garlic and ginger. A can of coconut milk (PS: don't use "light" coconut milk, only use the regular thick version) and three curry cubes later, I was looking at a thick, creamy sauce with a mild curry aroma wafting out of the pan. Served with some fresh cooked white rice, I can think of no better way to put a smile on the faces of family or friends. Better still, you can have this on your table within 30 minutes! If you like the idea of mixing it up curry-wise, you can find the Youtube tutorial for this recipe by clicking Torokeru Chicken and coconut Curry or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. For another Torokeru curry recipe, why not try my Torokeru Curry with Egg & Lentils ? Torokeru Chicken Curry ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 x 5mm slice ginger, peeled & finely chopped 1 onion (130g), chopped 300g boneless chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite sized pieces 60g green beans, remove both ends and halves 1/2 sweet pointed pepper, sliced 100g (1/2) aubergine, cut into chunks 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk 3 cubes (85g) S&B torokeru curry how to: heat 1 tbsp veg oil in a pan and fry the garlic, ginger & onion for 2 mins add the chicken and fry for 2mins, then add the vegetables & fry for a further 1 min add the coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins then add the curry cubes and simmer for 3 mins while stirring your curry is ready! serve with fresh steamed rice Chicken and Coconut Curry