Relocated!! www.bendibenri.wordpress.com

Hello friends,

I have been on the look out for a better place to blog after having a few too many frustrating moments with putting this blog together.

I have moved along with all my previous posts to;

www.bendibenri.wordpress.com

I intend to write more frequently offering all those in need of some inspiration as well as myself to cook up some delightfully delicious yet super bendi dishes.

Hope to see you there.

If you have any questions or want to leave comments, feel free to do so.

Red Thai Curry

Andy and I have been living the life on the road, eating in Izakaya and convenience stores as we complete the 88 temple pilgrimage here on Shikoku island.   Moving from hostel to hostel, temple to temple and izakaya to izakaya my body is craving fresh foooood or anything that's not convini onigiri. 

We have finally finished the pilgrimage, which has taken a year on an off to complete.  It has been a wonderful and memorable journey,  but happy to have finished.  

We are now relaxing at home filling our vacation with Japanese study, yoga, painting, cooking and eating of course.  

I wanted a wee break from Japanese food for a night so decided to throw together a yummy red Thai curry. 

This dish never fails to please and  extremely easy to make.  All I need now is a decent camera to do the dish justice.  Thankfully I have an excuse to splash out for the camera of my dreams in a month, however a little unfortunate that it has to be because I turn th***y.

Until then here is an idea of what it looked like: 

I usually serve this curry with soba noodles or brown rice and barley, however anything works. 

Ingredients (sauce): (serves 2)

tbls Olive Oil

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1/2 onion (red is best)

1 inch fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 desert spoon of brown or palm sugar

1/2 can coconut milk

1/4 cup water

1 dessert spoon fish sauce.

2 white fish stakes (chopped into bite size chunks)

1 desert spoon red Thai paste (reduce or increase to your desired spiciness)

a handful of chopped fresh coriander 

1 chopped scallion(thin green onion) to garnish

Directions:

1. sweat the onion in a wok or deep pan in the olive oil

2. add the pepper, ginger and garlic then the fish sauce

3. Shake the jar of coconut milk before opening then add half to the wok

4. add the water then the Thai paste and the sugar bring to the boil then reduce the heat

5. Add the fish and cook for 1 to 2 mins

6. Finally add the coriander then serve with noodles or rice and garnish with the scallion. 

Yuzu Chocolate Cake

It feels great to be free from 9 to 5 for a fortnight, especially when spring arrives.  My most favourite season here in Japan.  

The end of term is always the busiest and most exciting.  Everyone is in good spirits to later indulge in more with all the celebrations and good bye parties.  

There is always an abundance of amazingly delicious food for the season, from sashimi, salad, noodles, to cakes and home made confectionary.  It's so exciting.

Most of my students in a private class I teach, own small farms or have friends who do, meaning I am continually indulged with any fruit or vegetable in season.   I love it!

This time I was gifted with a jar of home made yuzu marmalade.   Something which is enjoyed here as a hot or cold drink, spread on toast or used as a marinade/dressing for meat, fish, tofu and salad.  

Yuzu is a citrus fruit with a flavour not too dissimilar to orange and lemon combined.  This fruit has a really distinct flavour but refreshing.  Difficult to find in the west as a fresh fruit, but you can find it dry or in bottles from asian markets or stores.

Yesterday I had a very empty fridge, but really wanted to bake something.  I was craving banana cake (surprise surprise), but had no bananas. 

I knew I needed a vegetable or fruit to moisten my cake, but the only thing I had close was the Yuzu marmalade.  

Here is what I came up with: 

It looks like a big cookie, ehe?

Cakes are far too easy to make, but even easier in the rice cooker.  No need to feel compromised in the kitchen ever again. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

2 tablespoons coco powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs (separated and COLD)

100g butter (softened but not oily)

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup Yuzu marmalade

1/4 -1/2 cup brown sugar

100g Chocolate bar or choc chips. 

Directions:

1. Grease rice cooker bowl, set to 50mins and press start. 

2. Sift the flour 3x to lighten. On the 3rd sift add the baking powder, soda      powder, salt, cinnamon and coco powder. 

3. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar then mix in the lightly mixed egg YOLKS finally adding YUZU and SOY MILK. 

4. Mix the creamy mixture into the flour etc. When combined, whisk the egg WHITES to a soft peak then fold into the batter.

5. Transfer the batter to the rice cooker bowl, by this time the setting will probably be down to 40 mins. 

6. break the chocolate into smallish pieces and sprinkle/place on top of the cake batter. 

7. Close the cooker and check for doneness when the timer goes. If the chopstick doesn't come out clean set the cooker for a further 5 - 10 mins. 

8. When done allow to cool, cut then stuff the faces of the ones you want to fatten up with your love. 

Tofu and Blueberry Scones

Toasted Scone Variation 2

Wow it's almost March and it has taken me till now to write my first post of the year. Oh dear! However, my lack of posting hasn't meant lack of cooking. Quite the opposite actually, although I do seem to return to the same dishes over and again. I can't seem to part with tofu. This ingredient is my partner in crime. I'm just so excited by its versatility and lack of naughtiness. There's no looking back it's here to stay and I'm gonna make you love it as much as I do.

From looking back at recipes I have been using, I really need to start pushing the boat a bit more in terms of experimenting with different flavours, methods and styles. That doesn't mean that I am going to try or even think of attempting more complex recipes or gourmet style. Convenience and nutrition is always going to be key in my collection of recipes. The recipes here will always be easy, always delicious and always healthy. If you are into that too, then perfect!

Just the other day Andy was telling me how much he is bored of his usual egg in the mornings. One a day for almost 2 years straight I'm surprised he hasn't become allergic to them.

After browsing the Internet for ideas I stumbled upon yogurt scones. They are easy to make and freezable, they are the perfect choice for convenience. But, would they work in the rice cooker? Only one way to find out.

At that time I didn't have any yogurt in my fridge, Only half a block of tofu a dribble of soy milk and about 60 g cooking marg. Hmmm...blended tofu it is then.

I made one big scone in the cooker, which rose beautifully. The taste test was next and OMG... ridiculous!! Maaaaan this stuff is amazing! Stays moist and fresh in the fridge for a whole week.

We toasted it under the grill to eat plain with green tea, beautiful, not too sweet, just a hint. Sooooo moist and melt in the mouth that you wouldn't want to ruin it by smothering it with jam or butter. In saying that it would probably taste amazing with a runny poached egg!! :)

Toasted Scone Variation 2

Right, here's the recipe.    I made them twice changing the recipe the second time around.   Both recipes are equally as delicious.

Scone variation 1:(apologies for lack of image for this variation)

- 1/2 a block of blended firm/silken tofu 150 g (3/4 cup)

- 2 cups of plain or whole grain sieved flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 60 g marg. /butter at room temp.

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

- Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together with the sugar in a large bowl.

- Add the margarine in pieces then rub into the flour with your fingertips making bread crumbs.

- Make a weld in the centre of the bread crumbs and pour in the blended tofu (if you are blending firm tofu, you'll need to add a little water or soy milk to thin it).

- Fold in the tofu with a knife forming a dough.

- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface and form into a round.

- Pierce a few holes in the dough with your knife and insert the blueberries.

- Grease the rice cooker pan and drop in the dough and close the lid.

- Set the cooker to 60 min and let the magic happen.

- When cooking time is over, cool on a wire rack before cutting and storing in the fridge or freezer.

When your ready to eat it, for best results toast it under the grill to crisp it up a bit. nomnomnom...


Tofu and Blueberry Scones Variation 2:


Ingredients:


1 cup oatmeal
1 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
60g butter/margarine at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup blended silken/firm tofu
1/4 cup blueberries
handful of raisins

Use the same methods as in variation 1 except with the oat meal, break it down in the blender to more of a powder then mix into the flour.

This one is my healthier option.  You'll find it's a little heavier and dense in comparison to the variation 1 and perhaps a little less bready and more cakey.  Still, it is still worth trying out.   This one will definitely be the one I return to.  Enjoy!

If you have any other suggestions to improve these, please leave a comment.

Also, I understand not everyone owns a rice cooker so if you are using a regular oven preheat it to 250 degrees. 
Dust a baking sheet with flour and lay out your scones.  They should only take about 15 - 20 min at the most. 

No1 Hummus

Over the past 2 weeks Andy has kindly taken charge in the kitchen and cooked up a storm, making the most healthy and yummiest of meals. His need to cook gave me time to work on my stock for the crafts fair in Akaoka town, Kochi last Saturday. I was so lucky to be apart of this fair. It only takes place once a year in the first week of December. The atmosphere was dream like, with smells of fresh multicultural inspired cooking and stalls packed with handmade beautiful crafts. Street performances were ongoing throughout the day with live music and authentically dressed locals. Homes and stores were opened up to sell vintage goods and home cooking. kotatsu (small tables with built in heaters and covered with a quilt for you to snuggle into) were set up with hand made traditional Japanese board games for passers by to play whilst absorbing the atmosphere and enjoy the festival food.

As things were drawing to a close and sellers were beginning to pack up their goods, the local Kabuki theatre opened for the annual Kochi film festival. This film festival is a competition for film makers, amateurs and skilled alike, to submit their works on the theme of Kochi. Unfortunately though we couldn't make it. Hopefully next year if we are still here.

Saturday was a big one, crafts fair from 7.30am to 5pm then potluck birthday party at ours (thanks for all the amazing food guys, especially the left over soup Jenya :) maaaan that stuff is to die for) for Chisako until...well... ??:?? o'clock. That part was erased by the sake. All for a good cause though.

Monday came too quickly followed by a nasty cold...sniff sniff...:(. This didn't stop me from experimenting in the kitchen though. The 2 day hangover gave me huge cravings for hummus. I hadn't eaten it since leaving Scotland almost 2 years ago. Something I've never tried to make, but had all the ingredients for it. I also never had high hopes for this one as I've never been fond of home made hummus. However, my mind has been changed for good now...I found a super simple recipe on www.jamieoliver.com and...OMG...this stuff is mecha oishii!!! (just too delicious)

Basic Hummus Recipe

2 cups dried chick peas (also called Garbanzo Beans), soaked overnight
1 T sea salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup tahini (also called sesame seed paste) - I didn't use so much tahini as it contains too many calories.
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 t cayenne pepper, more to taste
1/2 c filtered water, plus 1/2 cup or more as needed
sea salt to taste

Rinse the soaked chickpeas well, put in saucepan with 9 cups filtered water, plus 1 T of sea salt. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the chick peas are soft. As foam rises to the top, skim this off and discard. The foam contains the impurities of the beans (supposedly!) and is best to remove. You may need to add more water as it cooks down.

In a food processor, chop the garlic cloves. Add tahini, lemon juice and 1/2 c water, process until smooth and well combined.

Add cooked and drained chickpeas and cayenne to the bowl of the food processor with the tahini mixture. Process until well blended while adding additional 1/2 cup or more of water, as needed. Add sea salt to taste, as needed. Once blended, process another minute or so. The extra processing adds air to the hummus which gives the recipe a light, pleasing texture

Hummus is great with nearly any chopped vegetable. Add to sandwiches. Serve topped with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or chopped parsley. Experiment with adding chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes to the basic recipe for additional flavor. Enjoy!

Here is a short slide show of the crafts fair for you all to enjoy whilst munching on some yum.

The music is "Colleen" by Joanna Newsom.

Beautiful November!

What a beautiful weekend it has been. Nothing but Chilling, making funky knit Jewellery, studying Japanese and practising Yoga in the beautiful autumn sun. This week has been a strange one. 10 degrees one minute and 24 the next. Keep it up Mr sunshine! However, I have the feeling today was the last we have seen of its beauty.

As I mentioned in my last post, yoga everyday... So far so good.

Today I decided to take my new yoga mat to this beautiful spot which was introduced to me by a good friend who once lived here in Konan City, Kochi (thanks Jules). It has been a while since my last visit, but luckily today the sun was at its best for me to salute it with a dose of A & B (sun salutation, Astanga series). Just to prove how amazing this spot is for doing yoga, here is a short video Andy took.

Suryanamaskara B x 5

Sweetpotato, pumpkin and onion mash

The weather is becoming cooler by the day and the last of the momiji are parting from their branches.  Winter is approaching fast and the thought and excitement of winter deliciousness is beginning to excite my taste buds.

The thought of this yum also frightened my waist line, or what's left of it anyway (I bake cakes way too much) so this past month has been filled with the need to get back in shape.  Yoga every day has started me off to a decent start.  I also bought this genius little application for my ipod for strength training.  It's basically a game where you battle other users to beat their score.  The ipod scores you on your form and control.  such a genius piece of equipment.  Impressed.  Anyway, only just started using it and my body is feeling tender...I didn't realise how out of shape I became!

Let's just hope the motivation lasts longer than a week.

As for food, this week I wanted a wee change from our usual rice and veg, so decided to pick up some fresh fish fillets, leafy herbs and of course pumpkin and sweet potatoes and created this delicious dish.

   

The recipe will follow shortly....

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet potatoes

1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash

1 cup celery

1 cup red onion

1 tsp powdered stock/ vegetable or konbu dashi

1 clove garlic

fresh ground black pepper

a dash of olive oil

a dash of soymilk

Directions

- Cut the pumpkin and sweet potato into cubes and boil untu\il tender

- Meanwhile, saute the onion, celery and garlic for a couple of minutes until translucent.  You want to have a bit of crunch to the vegetables.

- When the potato and pumkin is tenter and crumbling slightly, drain and return to the pot

- mash with the powdered stock, soy milk and a little olive oil

- mix in the sauted oinion etc

- sprinkle the black pepper

To accompany the mash I served mixed herbs with a lemon dressing and cherry tomatoes and

grilled a fillet of white fish and placed on top of the mash.

Beautifuly colourful and of course...delicious!!!

Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

This soup is one I picked up from working in a bistro a few years ago. It is an absolute favourite of mine. It's deliciousness is 5 star. You have to try it to see what I mean.

Ingredients

Half a Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) or 1 squash

1 onion

2 pints of vegetable stock (I used 2 sachets of Konbu dashi)

200 ml Coconut milk (1/2 tin)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp Chinese 5 spice

1 scallion (garnish)

Directions

1. Cut up the Kabocha/squash and cook it in the stock until the pumpkin becomes soft.

2. In the meantime chop up the onion and sauté in a pan with a little olive oil.

3. When the pumpkin is cooked add the onion, spice, and coconut milk.

4. Spoon half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth then transfer back to the pot and reheat.

5. Quarter the lemon then squeeze the juice into the soup and stir.

6. Serve with your garnish.

Day 2 soup = Pasta sauce!!

Brown pasta mixed with pumpkin soup, 1 small eggplant, a cup of spinach, 2 scallions, 1 big juicy tomato, 1 tub of firm tofu(diced).... basically all the leftovers in my fridge

Nice, quick and very satisfying : )

Shiawase Sunday...pure bliss...

Unfortunately my Sunday had to come to an end :(

We are into the 2nd week of November and the shorts and T-shirt are still a strong contender in the wardrobe stakes. 24 degrees and a clear blue sky.

A lazy morning uploading images from the Japanese wedding we attended on Sat mixed with a yummy Sunday breakfast and watching "In treatment". I had the intentions of a morning full of Astanga, but that thought passed when I realised I need to clean (That also didn't happen). Instead we took an hour bike ride to our favourite cafe "Cotton Time" and devoured a smoked salmon and cream cheese wrap (above) coupled with Japanese study.

These wraps are sooo unbelievably fresh and addictive, you pretty much inhale it! Only one problem, fujuubun (not enough).

Arriving home and only an hour to spare before the family were online for their weekly catch up, so I spent it making unleavened bread or more like yeast-less garlic focaccia...(Oh my gosh) It has been soooo long since eating bread I almost forgot what it tasted like (not such a bad thing, as it does stick to your insides like glue, but it was a sunday and best time to indulge a little).

This bread was too easy to make and so easy to manipulate with any flavour you are in the mood for.

I'm gonna make more later so I can take a picture, but here is the recipe for now.

2nd time bread (above) with garlic and sunflower seads (I cut the cooked bread into slices, drizzled a little olive oil onto one side then toasted it and served it with soup...oishiiiiii)

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup water

1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried crushed garlic

sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper and salt

sprinkle cayenne pepper.

1. Sieve the flour, salt, baking powder into a bowl then mix in the water little by little. Depending on your flour you may not need to use all of the water.

2. mix into a dough.

3. turn onto a floured surface and kneed into a ball.

4. Plop the dough ball into the greased rice cooker flattening it to 1/2 and inch. It doesn't have to be even, but make sure there are no holes.

5. brush the dough with the olive oil.

6. sprinkle the pepper, garlic, etc. onto the dough

7. Set the rice cooker to the cake setting and time it to 45mins

8. wait for the beep then turn it out onto a wire rack and eat immediately. (best when hot)

9. It also tasted great day 2, toasted :)

Chick Pea Chocolate Cake

This is how my Sunday began.  Woke up at stupid o'clock 6.30am and couldn't get back to sleep for the life of me.  Possibly has a lot to do with the fact that this weekend wasn't active and neither was I.  hhmmm no exercise for 1 month...I really should get back on track.

The only thing on my mind was to try out a new cake recipe.  I love secret ingredients and especially if they are healthy.  Chick peas were on my mind and that is what I used.

I didn't hold many hopes for this one working as the batter was pretty runny and minimal.  It was just too easy to make, but I bunged it into the rice cooker and the results, well...actually pretty good.  I wish I had a tub of creme fraiche to go with this one.  The consistency was similar to a chocolate fudge cake, but a little dryer and very nutty.  Next time I'm gonna mix in some chopped dates to give more moisture or perhaps a banana...hmmm...maybe both.

I love how this is healthy naughtiness.  It makes me feel a little less bad about not exercising.

I will post the recipe later, but for now here is a lovely find....This is the diamond in the rough and it goes by the name, "Graffiti"

Beautiful little gallery cafe in Kochi city, very fresh and bright with funky style.  The cherry on the cake was the free wireless.  Now I can spend all day here, blogging, studying Japanese and planning lessons.

A perfect Sunday afternoon.

Ok so now for the recipe to this protein rich gluten free cake.

Ingredients

1 tin of chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained.
1 cup dark chocolate (I used 70% greens organic)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
20g Butter
3 eggs
0.5 tsp baking powder

Directions

1.  melt the chocolate
2.  Mix the butter, sugar and baking powder to a paste
3.  mix the sugar mixture into the melted chocolate
4.  Put the beans and the eggs into the blender and blend until smooth
5.  Pour in the chocolate and blend together ( the smoother the better to avoid the cake to crumble when cooked)
6.  Add the raisins and pulse a few times
7.  Add batter to the rice cooker then set to the cake setting and cook for 45mins.
8.  When the timer has timed out, check the cake with a chopstick.  If it comes out clean transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool before cutting and serving.

Dress the cake however you please.  For me, a cup of green tea works just fine, but for others a spoonful of creme fraiche or double cream.

Autumn Spiced Boiled Raisin Cake

Unlucky for me and due to the crazy changes of temperature, I caught the cold :( it was inevitable really since everyone around me seems to be sick.  Luckily though, it wasn't the piggy variety : )  For this I was surprised, considering the high school I teach at has been closed down twice in the past 4 weeks because of it.

On a good note though staying at home and trying to rest encouraged me to do a bit more baking, making and movie watching :)

Here is one cake I made (see pic below).  I took the recipe from www.allrecipes.com I have their funky wee spinner application on my iPod and this recipe took my fancy because of the easy instructions and I had all the ingredients.

WOW!! I love it!! It tastes like autumn and a bit like those little ginger German cakes covered with icing.  I know there is no ginger in the recipe, you don't need it either as the cake is super fragrant and tasty!!  I can't wait to have another piece today with my new fresh green tea : )

There were crumbs and chunks of cake remaining on the chopping board after cutting it into edible pieces, so Andy put them into his plain yogurt.  Now, this could be an excuse for me to eat it for breakfast I think!

I wish I could send a piece of this cake to everyone! instead this blog posting will have to do!!  Enjoy!

       INGREDIENTS 

• 
  
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water ( or soda water - for a fluffier texture and appearance)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
 DIRECTIONS

1. Boil raisins in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add vegetable oil and cold water to the raisins.
3. Mix sugar, flour, spices, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the raisin mixture, and stir till just mixed.
5. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch baking pan or rice cooker bowl, and bake for one hour in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven or 1hr 30mins in the rice cooker switched on to cake setting. It is done if a toothpick comes out clean.

Pea n' Sweet Potato Soup

This soup is an adaption from Jamie Oliver's 20 min recipes iPod application.   Quite a funky little application actually, with vids and pics and tips.  Some nice recipes and this is the first one I tried out.

The problem with western cooking when living in Japan is the severe lack of ingredients, so for this wee dish I had to make a few adjustments.

Here are the results.

Ingredients:

250 g   frozen peas

1 large sweet potato

1 small onion

0.5L  vegetable stock (Miso paste and 2 sachets of Konbu Dashi)

1 stick celery

150 g pureed silken tofu

6 tsp  cottage cheese (or feta cheese preferably)

drizzle olive oil

Directions:

1. Set and start your rice cooker to quick cook.

2. Add a splash of olive oil and leave to heat up.

3. Meanwhile peel and chop the onion.  Trim and chop the celery stick.

4. Add to the rice cooker with a splash of water and allow to cook until the onion and celery become soft.

When a little soft add the stock and grated potato. Bring to a simmer.

5. Add the peas, stir ingredients together close the rice cooker lid and set to porridge setting and leave to cook until the timer sounds.

6. When cooked stir in the pureed tofu.

7. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with the cheese and sprinkle with cracked pepper and salt.

Tofu & pumpkin burgers

Photo to follow....in too much of a rush to get them on the table hot.  Got all excited and we gobbled them up too quickly before taking a photo for you all to be tempted by the beautifulness!!   I'm obviously going to make them again.
It was my first attempt at tofu burgers and oh my...too delicious for words!!  I was on the search of a good recipe off the internet, but no such luck.  I was also short on some ingredients and some looked too eggy or too plain.  I also wanted to use my ingredient of the month - PUMPKIN!!
I made 6 burgers, 3 for me and 3 for Andy :)
I served them up with a nice mixed salad of spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, shaved carrot, umeboshi (pickled plums) rasins, soy nuts and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.


Ingredients

(makes 6 burgers)

0.5 cup soy beans
1 cup pumpkin finely copped
1 cup onion minced
1 300g tub firm tofu (drained)
1 small bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp mirin
1tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp kombu dashi granules (bullion powder would also work)
0.5 cup oats
1 oat cake
1 egg
1 tblsp crushed sesame seads
Dusting of corn flour

[next time I'll probably add a little fresh herbs]

Directions
1) To drain the tofu cut it into four even pieces wrapping each peace in doubled over kitchen roll. Set aside for 30 mins.

2) Finely chop the onion, pumpkin, garlic, pepper and mix together with the soysauce, mirin and kombu dashi granules.  Mash the soy beans then add to the mixture

3) Heat up a pan with a little olive oil then cook this mixture until all the ingredients come together and the onions begin to brown and the liquid has dissolved.
When satisfied transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and mix through the oats, scrunched up oat cake and sesame seeds.

4) Mix the tofu in the food processer or blender then scrape into the oaty mixture and mix through.
Lightly beat the egg then mix together with everything else.

5) lightly dust a plate with corn flour spoon a little of the mixture onto the flour turning and forming into a small or medium sized pates.


The flour gives the burgers a delicious crunchiness so don't miss it
out : )


Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
This mixture may feel a little unstable but it really comes together when you cook them in the pan.

6) Heat a little olive oil in the pan and cook through.   Roughly a couple of minutes on each side should do.
Serve with your favourite salad and enjoy!!

Variety Bites

Since coming to japan I have developed an obsession for onigiri (rice balls).   So much so I have ditched the sandwich for the delightful pretty tasty treats.   It has come to the point that my day doesn't feel fulfilled until I have munched on an onigiri.


The joy with onigiri is that you can put pretty much put anything you want in them from bacon, eggs, haggis, fish to veggie's beans and pickles.  The options are endless use your imagination, anything goes.


What's also exiting about these savoury treats is that each new onigiri can be a surprise when preparing a variety for guests.
You can be guaranteed they will be polished off in a matter of minutes.


The traditional shape to prepare onigiri into is a triangle, however you can be experimental with their shape or simply shape them into balls and roll them in sesame seads.   Personally though, I prefer the triangles, especially since I have a nifty wee mold making them perfect every time, although using your eye and clean wet hands also works just fine.

My favourite filling by far is umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), see picture above.  Other favourites are listed bellow.  Honestly though, try anything you like as it probably will work!


Ingredients


1 cup Japanese or short grain rice  (making 6 small onigiri)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt and pepper


Either cook according to the instructions on your packet of rice, or if you have a rice cooker like me, follow the quantities above and switch the rice cooker on regular cook and wait for it to time out.
When the rice has finished cooking, open the lid and fluff the rice allowing it to cool a little before making the onigiri.
In the mean time prepare your desired filling.
If you like you can take ideas from my list or follow the same fillings as I usually use.


If you don't have a mold then using your hands is pretty simple


1st - after cleaning your hands, wet them and dust with a little salt

2nd - spoon some rice into the palm of your hands making a cup shape.

3rd - make a well in the ball you have made with your hands then spoon a little of your desired filling.

4th - cover with a little more rice.

5th - Shape the mixture into a tight ball or shape into a triangle.

6th - practice makes perfect.


An alternative is to use a piece of plastic wrap using the same method as above from the 2nd step then gathering the four corners of the plastic wrap then twist and shape with your hands.

Filling 1:


1 tblsp Mayo
0.5 tsp wasabi paste
[this is a dressing so use sparingly.  making it in a small dish and add the amount you need when you need it]
3 king size prawns cooked and chopped / 1 tblsp drained tuna flakes




Filling 2:


Half a cup diced cooked pumpkin
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
1 tsp toasted sesame seads


Chop the pumpkin and mix into the mirin soy sauce and allow the pumpkin to soak up the flavour
Remove excess liquid then mix in the sesame seeds.


Filling 3:


Half a cup avocado chopped
Wasabi paste to taste(optional) / a little of the dressing you used for the prawns and tuna
salt and pepper to taste


Filling 4:


Small Diced cucumbers
dab of wasabi (optional)
sprinkle Ukari flakes / salt and pepper


Filling 5:


4 pitted umeboshi (chopped)


Make a well in the triangle and scoop in a little filling then cover with a little more rice.
Dress with nori (seaweed strips) or sesame seeds.

Curried Barley & Pumpkin

When starting this blog,  I hadn't really experimented much in the way of using recipes.   I would only look through cook books, take ideas and make up my own dishes, but always forgetting what I used exactly in the way of quantities or method of cooking. This would make the same dish taste different every time.  Not such a bad thing, but it can become a pain when you want to cook something quickly, something that you know is good for friends visiting.

From posting my fave dishes here, forces me to note down what I did, therefore opening up a new world of cooking.

I'm also always open to new ideas, especially ones which are easy to make, take little time, taste outstanding and of course are healthy.

I love it when friends are also interested in cooking, as this opens up new tasty doors.   Jules, a friend of mine from New Zealand is a keen cook and always has great ideas in the kitchen.  Being a yoga fanatic vegetarian and interested in healthful ingredients has possibly made her more experimental.   I turned to her first because one of the first dishes of hers I tasted was right up my street.  Curried barley and pumpkin.  A really delicious side dish so full of flavour and very aromatic.

Sadly Jules had to leave Japan to return to New Zealand so no more sampling of new dishes that I can steal and no more yoga afternoons :( . Thankfully the power of the internet helps keep things close, so I asked her to send me some of her favourite meals, the ones she turns to most often.  Luckily she sent me the Curried barley and pumpkin recipe I have been trying to copy for the past 6 months.

Tonight I followed the recipe for the first time and tried my best not to ruin it by adding extras before I'd even sampled the original recipe.   The results, were just as I thought, super delicious.   I served it with a tofu and edamame mixed salad and pickled cucumbers on the side (a new favourite of mine.  Thank you Chisako for introducing them to me).  I have sooo many left overs too.  I doubled the batch as Andy is a huge eater and always worrying if he eats enough.  He said he'd eat it again, however the only suggestion he made was to serve it with a saucy dish as it wouldn't work as a meal by itself.  I feel that this dish as a meal by itself, wasn't the intention and works amazing with a crunchy salad and tofu.  The quantities of spices were spot on and the sweetness of the pumpkin and the mirin pull out the spicy flavours.  I loved how making this dish filled my apartment with mouth watering aromas.

I have no need to change anything, but I'm happy to hear what your opinions are.

Thanks Jules for this one!! x

Ingredients

1 cup barley
1 cup chopped pumpkin
2 teaspoons toasted and crushed cumin seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
1-2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 teaspoons kombu dashi
1-2 cups water

Directions

Put all ingredients in to the rice cooker and mix together.  Set the cooker to cook and let the rice cooker do the rest.   Enjoy the smells and wait for the beep.

Simple :)