Shiso&Salmon Maze-gohan

 Maze-gohan is one of 100+ ways  that we have in Japan to prepare rice.  Mixed (from the verb meaning to mix  "Mazeru") with some kinds of ingredients AFTER rice is cooked.  When you cook rice already with ingredients, it's called Takikomi-gohan (like Hijiki Ginger Rice I made a few weeks ago).  I'm growing Shiso leaves on my balcony and enjoying them almost everyday during the short Hamburg summer, for rice, pasta, fritters and whatnot!  Here's one easy and healthy idea, if you're tired of regular plain white rice... 

Ingredients (serves 2-3)
300g/12oz rice
250g/9oz salmon fillet (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp. sake
5-7 leaves of Shiso
1 tbsp. roasted white sesame seeds
salt to taste

Directions
1. Defrost salmon if you're using frozen.  Salt salmon and sprinkle sake, let it rest in fridge for at least an hour.  Meanwhile, cook rice as usual.  
2. Heat a non-sticking frying pan or skillet, grill salmon without oil.  Break the salmon up roughly in the pan.
3. Chop Shiso leaves roughly.
4. Mix salmon, shiso leaves, sesame seeds and salt with warm rice and serve.


-Aug. 5 grocery shopping €  17.79/ € 198.64 left
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-Aug. 7 grocery shopping €  13.77/ € 170.49 left

Totrtillas de Patatas (Spanish Omlet)

 We had "welcome home dinner" with some Spanish tapas on the night my husband got back from his a week long business trip to China.  I prepared Spanish omelet the day before and the rest (Jamon Serrano, Manchego cheese, grommet olives and etc.) was bought from delicatessen grocery store.  There are many versions of Tortilla Espanola but the classic is with potatoes and onion.  

Ingredients
6 large eggs
600g/1.3lbs potatoes
1 medium onion
salt&pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
a pinch of nutmeg

Directions
1. Slice onion thinly.  Slice potatoes to thickness of 2-3 coins. 
2. In a large pan/skillet, heat half of olive oil and cook onion and potatoes for about 15 min. until potatoes are cooked.  Turn the heat off and cool a little.
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl with salt&pepper and nutmeg.  Put potatoes and onion into egg mixture and let it sit for 20 min.
4. Heat the rest of olive oil in a small non-sticking pan.  Pour in the egg&potato mixture and turn the heat low, cover and cook for 10 min.  Flip over once and cook for another 5 min. covered.

-Aug. 2 grocery shopping €  24.54/ € 216.43 left

Om-Rice

 If we're ever to conduct a questionnaire survey on "favorite Japanese dish" to all the Japanese people, probably Om-rice comes in top 3 regardless the age, gender or background.  Om-rice is abbreviation for Omlett-Rice; omelet that has ketchup flavored rice inside, one of the most beloved Yo-shoku (Japanized Western cuisine) dish.  The rice usually has chicken and some veggies, like onions and peas, and makes a protein-rich meal together with eggs for omelet.  Every detail of Om-rice, aroma of butter, sour ketchup, mild and fluffy eggs...brings me back to my happy childhood!  Oh how much I miss Japan!!


Ingredients (for 1)
130g/4.5oz chicken breast/thigh
1/4 small onion
about a cup of cooked rice
3 tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. chicken soup powder
salt&pepper
2 eggs
2 tbsp. butter


Directions
1. Make ketchup rice. Chop onion finely and cut chicken in small dice.  Heat skillet and melt 1/2 tbsp. butter, cook onion for 3 min. then add chicken.  Cook until color changes.   
2. Add rice, season with chicken soup powder, salt&pepper, ketchup and stir for 2-3 min.
3. Beat eggs in a bowl.  Melt the rest of butter in a non-sticking pan* over medium heat.   
*recommended to use a pan with round bottom like wok, to flip the omelet over easily!
4. Pour in beaten egg in to a pan and stir quickly for 10 sec. keeping the most part still liquidy.   Spread the ketchup rice in the center, wait until the bottom is firmly cooked and flip the sides to wrap the rice.  Flip it over onto a plate and decorate with ketchup.


-Aug. 1 grocery shopping €  9.03/ € 240.97 left

Chirashi-zushi

"Chirashi" literally means "scattered" in Japanese and Chirashi-zushi is clearly named for its serving style; neither rolled or shaped, a mix of fish, veggies and garnishes garnished on top of sushi rice.  I made traditional country style Chirashi without any seafood because it's hard to get fresh seafood of sashimi-quality here in Germany (at reasonable price at least).  There are several steps of pre-preparation but totally worth the effort to see the beautifully decorated work of art on the table.  Perfect for party, celebration or potluck!!  I used Sakura-denbu (pink colored and sweet-salty flavored ground cod fish), Shiso (Perilla) leaves and Kinshi-tamago (egg crepe cut in thin strips).

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
 ...<for sushi rice>
450g Japanese sushi rice (uncooked measurements)
4 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar
a pinch of salt

 ...<for ingredients mix>
3 dried shiitake mushroom
1 medium carrot
30g dried kanpyo gourd
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. mirin

 ...<for Kinshi-tamago>
3 eggs
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sake

for garnishments,
Shiso leaves
Sakura denbu
roasted white sesame seeds

Directions
1. Cook the ingredients mix (You can make this a day ahead and reserve in fridge). Rehydrate shiitake.  Rub kampyo with salt and rinse off.  Cook clean kampyo in water for 5-7min. until you can cut it with your finger nails.  Cut carrots small and thinly.
2. In a small pot, put shiitake, kampyo, carrot, soy sauce, sugar and mirin.  Simmer for 10-15min.  Turn the heat off and cool. 
3. Cook rice.  Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.  When the rice is done, immediately mix in the vinegar mixture and the ingredients mix also, and combine lightly.
4. Make Kinshi-tamago.  Beat eggs with sugar and sake.  In a crepe pan or non-sticking frying pan, spray oil and pour in the half of egg liquid over a medium heat.  Quickly Move the pan to cover the surface with egg liquid.  When the surface of egg crepe is almost dry, turn it over and cook for another 20 sec. Take it out on the cutting board and cool.  Make another sheet of crepe with remaining liquid.  Cut crepes into very thin strips.
5. Put sushi rice on a large plate or bowl.  Garnish with Kinshi-tamago, Sakura-denbu, cut Shiso leaves, sesame and etc. (Also fresh seafood in chunks or salmon caviar can go on top to make more luxurious sushi !)    

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Gazpacho

 Cold Gazpacho can cool you down, keep you hydrated and provides vitamins you need on a hot summer day.  It's a drinkable salad basically, but can be a stylish in a glass to add to your supper.  Most importantly, it is the easiest soup in the world!!  You just chop up veggies and turn on your blender switch...seriously that is ENERYTHING.  Enjoy this summer soup!! :)

Ingredients (serves 4)
1/3 red bell pepper 
3 large tomatoes
1/4 small onion
cucumber
1/6 baguette
1/2 clove garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt&ground white pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cut the vegetables and baguette in bite size.
2. Blend all the vegetables and baguette in a blender.  Add salt and vinegar.
3. Add olive oil gradually while blending.
4. Strain through a sieve if you like smooth texture (I don't) and cool for at least 2 hrs. in fridge before serving. 

-Jul. 15 grocery shopping €  7.39/ € 156.61 left
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Grilled Vegetable Pita

 Inspired to make something light and fresh as it's been very hot here in Hamburg.  It's a simple mixture of Mediterranean ingredients, available and accessible in price in German supermarket.  A light supper idea on a hot day, served with some cold soup aside!   

Ingredients (for 2)
2 pitas
1 small zucchini
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
salt&pepper
a sprinkle of dried oregano
a sprinkle of dried basil
50g feta cheese
50g humus
some rucola

Directions
1. Cut zucchini and bell peppers in bite size.  Cook in skillet with a plenty of olive oil for about 5 min.  Season with salt&pepper, oregano and basil.
2. Slice pitas in half and toast for a minute or two.
3. Spread humus inside the pocket of pitas.  Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese.  Tuck in rucola and grilled vegetable. 

-Jul. 1 grocery shopping €  10.55/ € 239.45 left
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Argentinian Empanadas

 I made Empanadas as snack for the guests who came to watch World Cup soccer match with us.  Who can resist home-made Empanadas hot from the oven??  They're prefect for game nights!!  A friend from Chile taught me how to make the dough and it has become the hall of fame of my cookbook.  It's slightly crunchy but not too hard, perfectly buttery and not too heavy or greasy.  You can get creative with fillings and go vegetarian; tomato&mozzarella, corn&chili peppers&bechamel sauce, spinach&ricotta and etc.    

Ingredients (makes about 25)
 ...<for the dough>
1kg/2.2lbs flour
250g/7oz shortening/unsalted butter 
300ml/10oz water
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs

 ...<for the filling>
800g/1.8lbs ground beef
2 small onions
2 boiled eggs
green olives (seeded)
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. paprika powder
salt&pepper

1 egg to brush tops

Directions
1. Make the filling.  Chop onions, olives, garlic and boiled egg finely.
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic and onions until translucent.  Add ground beef and cook until the color changes.  
3. Add raisins, olive and egg.  Season with nutmeg, paprika powder, salt&pepper and cook for another 1-2 min.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
4. Make the dough.  In a large bowl combine flour and salt.  Add melted shortening/butter, beaten eggs and water and knead well.
5. Dust a flat working surface and a rolling pin with flour.  Roll out the dough to 2mm/1/12" thickness.  
6. Cut out 20 round shapes.  Place the cooled filling in the center, water the edge and fold in half.  Pinch and twist to seal the edge.    
7. Brush tops with beaten egg and bake in oven at 180°C/350°F until golden brown.