Chinese Night

Steamed Renko-dai( some kind of snapper)

Braised Ta-cai , Bok Choy and turnip leaves.

Turnip, pancietta and egg soup

My clean-up fridge project has been surely processing. :-P

Another one day left. Will my project be done??

Taro's rate:★★
He had only fish and eggs.

Kaorinskiee Salad & Shrimp Noodle（蝦麺）

From May 1 to 4, we will go to Nagoya. So as to consume vegetables in the fridge, I made salad.

There're more than 10 ingredients in it!!!!

---Italian parsely, rocket, watercress, spare mint, Oba(japanese herb), Yanaka-ginger, leaf lettuce, boiled shred burdock and carrots, tomatoes, snap peas, sliced onion, green&red pepper and home-made corned pork.

As for a dressing, fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice, rice vinegar, crushed garlic and sesame oil in it.

Shrimp noodle with chopped green onion and "zha cai搾菜"(chinese pickles.)

Just boil noodles and mix together with well heated sesame oil.

This is super yummy when eat them together!! I think it's very healthy as well.

Taro ate only noodles. Even though I served some vegetables in his plate, he tried to get rid of them. Moreover, today since he might have got tired, after this shooting, he wanted to have breastfeed milk and fell asleep soon.....

As Taro's teacher said, he is always a good boy, never leaves his place during lunch time, had anything and finish his plate! and never spit out at school! Cannot believe it.

Once he goes home, he totally changes his behaviour though.

WHY??

酒池肉林Party＠Minako-san's place

Toddlers gathered again. Everyone loves eating and cooking!!!!!

Ratatouille

Lotus Salad!!!

Garlic Toast

Papaya with prosciutto and ricotta cheese

Scallops　Carpaccio　

Ground meat rolled in cabbage leaves.

Corn flour pasta ( I made it:))

Meat Sauce Potatoes Gratins

Hope I will be able to meet up with my dear friends once a month at least!

Oats and Maple Cookies

I am crazy about baking. Today was my off. I dedicated myself to bake for whole day.

This is macrobiotic recipe. No eggs, daily product and sugar. Use olive oil and maple syrup instead.

I don't think macrobiotic is healthy. This is super high calories indeed! Thus it's yummy though.

Oats and Maple cookies

Ingredients

- 60g oatmeal

- 60g wholewheat flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

-20g dried raisons ( actually I didn't measure.)

- a pinch of salt

- 3 tablespoon maple syrup

- 2 tablespoon olive oil

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 170℃

2 Mix all ingredients.

3 Drop spoonfuls of the cookie, about 2cm sized balls, onto prepared oven sheets on the pan.

4 Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make about 15 cookies.

Referred to cookpad recipe.

It takes only 30 minutes to bake cookies.

Buntan Peel Butter Cake

Since lots of candied Buntan peels are left, baked buntan peels butter cake.

This time, I adapted the recipe from this sight, cookpad.

Aside from butter, flour and eggs, add some yoghurt which was drained off water overnight.

The taste is very light and soft even though lots of butter in there.

Taro's rate:★★★★★

He loves sweets indeed.

Maccha Madeleine

Baked Maccha(green tea) Madeleine. Since I don't have shell shaped molds, I used muffin pans instead.

Am not sure if you are familiar with Maccha, but Japanese people are really loving the flavour. Very special~:D

The key point is to leave the batter overnight in the fridge.

Taro's rate:★★★★★

Maccha Madeleine Recipe

Ingredients

- 100g all purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon Maccha powder

- 100g unsalted butter (melted)

- 60g beet sugar

- 20g honey

- 2 eggs

Method

1 Place all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir well using whisk. (it's not necessary to shift if only you stir them well.)

2 Add eggs and honey. Mix together until incorporated.

3 Add melted butter and mix well.

4 Put a plastic cover onto the bowl. Leave it into the fridge overnight.

5 Preheat the oven to 210℃.

6 Butter the mold. ( I always use oil spray since my mold is made of silicon.)

7 Drop batter into each prepared mold.

8 Bake it 210℃ for 8 minutes after that reduce the heat to 180℃ and bake for 15 minutes.

9 Release madeleine and transfer them onto a wire rack to cool.

It's first time to bake madeleine. So far this is the best ingredients and procedure, but the recipe would change and improve some day.

Spring Couscous Salad & Squid Ink Pasta

Various ingredients in there- Broad bean, Sparkling Enope Squid, tomatoes,peppermint, watercress, onion and Shiso.

Season with S&P, coriander, cumin and paprika powder, olive oil and lemon juice.

Made Tonnarelli from scratch again so as not to forget how to make it. This time, I didn't put chilli since Taro-san cannot accept chilli taste. Add chopped onion instead.

Even though he has been in sick again, he ate this pasta!!

Happy. :D

Taro's rate:★★★★★(pasta)

※Taro had been suffering from ear infection, but now he has cured of it!

Candied Buntan Peels

Buntan peels are quite bitter but they became very beautiful when candied their peels.

This is the first time for me to make them. I think I made it.

They're going to be used in cookies/pound cakes/breads.... whatever!

But probably before that, it will be consumed by Jun and me......

I know they are super high calories though.

Buntan Jelly

Buntan is one kinds of citrus. It is very big shaped and the flesh is similar to Pomelo and grapefruits. Since their flesh are quite filled and don't have juice so much, when I made jelly, I added fresh orange juice. The jelly is very soft that no need any jelly molds.

Buntan Jelly Recipe( Serve 4)

Ingredients

- 2 Buntan (peeled and crushed their flesh) Any citrus would be fine.

-350cc Fresh orange juice

- 2 tablespoon beet sugar ( it depends on how sweet buntan are)

- 5g gelatine powder

Method

1 Pour 1/3 orange juice in a measure cup. Add sugar and gelatine powder and mix together.

2 Place 1 into the microwave oven and heat for 1minutes (5oow) until sugar and gelatine has dissolved.

3 Add the other orange juice and buntan into the 2 and mix together.

4 Turn 3 into a large bowl and chill until set.

5 Scoop jelly into a bowl using a spoon. Place some mints.

Sunday Lunch w/my friends

Burdock , shred chicken breast and raison salad

Stracci(made them from scratch) with mushroom and spinach cream sauce

Grilled Tuna

Grilled vegetables(carrots, zuccini, Yamato-imo,onion and Maitake mushroom) with valsamico sauce

Plus baked roll buns. :D

I quite often make "Stracci" from scratch when I invite friends. Because it is not necessary to use a pasta machine. They look gorgeous, don't they?

As for the dessert, I am going to post it later. Very special. :)

Feel like a Beer

~Saturday night menu~

Sashimi Sardines with Japanese herbs(Ooba and Yanaka Shoga)

Deep fried Fukinotou and Fennel

Boiled firefly squids with sweet Miso sauce

Deep fried fennel!! This is awesome! Very sweet when they are cooked. Am very impressed.

After making "Sashimi", I also made deep fried sardine bone and sprinkled salt and pepper.

Very crispy.They go with beer :D

Jun's rate:★★★★★

Steamed Sweetpotato with butter and maple syrup

This is our breakfast today.

Just steamed sweet potato and drizzled maple syrup and poured butter over them.

Simple and quick meal. :)

Taro's rate: absolutely ★★★★★

My Pancake

I've never heard of those who don't like pan cakes.

You can make yummy pancake without "hot cake mix" at home. Just mix all ingredients together. Here's my pancake recipe. :D

My pancake recipe ( serve for 2-3)

Ingredients

(dry ingredients)

- 250g all purpose flour

- 1&1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 table spoon beet sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

(wet ingredients)

- 250g yoghurt

- 1 egg

- 60cc milk

- 1/2 tablespoon honey

- 2 table spoon melted butter

Method

1 Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl.

2 Put all wet ingredients except melted buter into another bowl and mix together until incorporated

3 Add 2 into the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together.

4 Add the melted butter

5 Heat a large pan- to medium high heat. Oil the pan with vegetable oil/butter. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle to the desired size. When air bubbles start to bubble up to the sueface at the centre of the pancake( around 2-3 minutes), use a flat spatula to flip them over. After a minute, peak under one for doneness. When golden brown, they are done.

Before you start to make second one, you may want to cool down the pan with wet cloth.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Usually the last one I griddle gets the perfect golden brown colour, but at that time, everyone has already got full. :( To make the perfect pan cakes from 1st round- this is my recent issue. :)

Hamburg Steak

-Hamburg Steak with mushrooms sauce.

-Caramelize carrots

-Corn and Mush potatoes

- White Rice

As for the mush potatoes, I added sour cream instead of mayonnaise.

I didn't have any intention to caramelize carrots. Just forgot leaving them and burnt a little bit by chance. However, this is very beautiful. I prefer caramelized carrots rather than glaces.

So far, I am managing to deal with both working and making meals for my family.

It is true that working 8 hours makes me tired seriously. I need to go out for diners. May go to McDonald's to have happy meals for a change since Jun is going to out tomorrow night. Probably if I had it, I would have regret eating it though. :P

What about Taro-san? Will he love junk food? I guess he's going to devour French fries.

Anyway, I will try it tomorrow.

Stir fried beef, green pepper and bamboo ~青椒肉絲~

The first key point of success is that marinated beef in the seasoning -soy sauce, sake, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce , sesame oil and grated garlic well.

The second point is that when stirring and seasoning, besides oyster sauce, I add "Sake-kasu" to make the taste more rich and mild.

Make sure that do not stir-fried too much. Green peppers and bamboos should keep fresh taste.

Taro's rate:★★★★★

Corn Bread Sandwich

Baked a loaf of bread. I added sweet corn.

Made ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich for breakfast.

Taro really loves sweet corn. ;)

This week, I am going to feature "CORN".

Corn Bread

Baked corn bread from scratch. Serve with honey and butter.

Actually I haven't had proper corn bread which is eaten in South America. Probably this bread might not be so sweet and looks like a sponge cake.

Corn Bread Recipe~20cm square casserole~

Ingredients

- 125g corn grits

- 125g all purpose flour

- 2 and half teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 40g beet sugar

- 2 eggs

- 30g melted butter

- 250cc milk

Preheat the oven to 220℃.

Butter the casserole. ( I always use a oil spray.)

Shift all dry ingredients.

Mix all ingredients together. ( Stir them lightly.)

Pour batter into the casserole.

Bake it for 30 minutes until the centre of bread are done.

Green Tea Bavarian Cream @ Kinozen

Jun has started to learn English. His English school is located in Iidabashi and he dropped in at Japanese sweets shop, "Kinozen" to get super awesome sweets.

We all really love this sweets!

When you have an opportunity to come to Tokyo, you should go there to have this sweets.

This is the best green tea bavarian cream ever!!!

Taro's rate:★★★★★

Absolutely he's loving it.

Simmered Lotus and Taro with ground chicken.

The genuine Katsuo Dashi is the key to make this sort of meals.

The texture of lotus is as if it were potatoes. Very beautiful.

Garlic Chive and deep fried bean curd Miso soup

Taro's rate:　★★★★★

He really loves eating.

Apricot Steam Buns (Hua Juan花巻）

Made Hua Juan from scratch. This time, I added dried apricot. It's very pretty shape :)

We had them for breakfast today. Taro has been really vigorous these days.

Taro's rate: ★★★★★

He is in love with this steam buns. :D

Curry and Rice

I have been back to my work this Monday. I became a full-time worker again.

Am not sure whether I could continue posting everyday, but I will do my best. :)

Maybe post twice a week.

The first day, Made Japanese style curry and rice. For Taro, I used this curry roux.

When he is tapping his cheek, it means "Yummy indeed".

He loves curry and rice. It's been ages since he had rice last! His appetite was totally coming back.

Since I am out during the daytime, Taro has to stay at a day care centre from 9 a.m to 6 p.m.

He always cries when I am leaving. But as his teacher said he has already got used to the new environment. He enjoys the playing time with teachers.

Hang in there, Taro!!!! :O

Octopus Lagu Sauce Pasta

Made "Umbricelli" from scratch. This pasta doesn't need a pasta machine when you shape it. Just extend the dough to the stick shape and cut them to 5-8cm.

As for the ragu sauce, chopped all ingredients (octopus, celery, onion, carrot and garlic) using food processor. At first stir the vegetables around 10 minutes until sweat. Then add octopus and stir them well. Add whole tomato, cover the lid and simmer around 40 minutes. Season salt and pepper well.

Finally Taro has been cured of the sick. But he still cares for breastfeed milk. I am getting tired of it. :(

Ravioles

Ravioles

Tomato and Green salad with crispy chicken skin.

Made "Ravioles" from scratch. This is one kind of "Gnocchi" made from flour and potatoes.

I really recommend to make them for babies. Perfect nutritions!

As for ravioles, besides flour and potatoes, add some parmesan cheese and egg yolk. This is more rich taste.

We usually taste them with melted butter/olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Boil or Steam potatoes(500~600g) until tender. Peel their skin and mash.

Place 240g flour( for bread flour or #00 Italian flour), 3 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add mashed potatoes and mix together until scramble. Add one egg yolk until making a dough. Knead lightly! otherwise the taste gets worse.

Pick up a pinch of dough and shape like the photo above. Sprinkle rice powder so as not to get sticky.

Boil the water with salt (1litre for 1 tablespoon salt) in the large pot. Boil them until the ravioles bobbed to the surface(1~2 minutes), they are ready to serve. Heat another pan and add butter or olive oil. Scoop them out with a sieve, shake off the water and transter them to the pan and coat them with the oil. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

They can be stored in the freezer around 1 month.

To be surprised, Taro had 3 pieces of them even though he has been sick! Maybe he will recover soon.
Taro's rate: ★★★★★