mabo dofu (spicy ground pork with tofu)

1 tbsp. dark miso
2 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. tobanjan
1 tsp. gochujang
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. corn starch
1/4 cup water
1 - 1/2 tsp. chinese chicken stock
1/2 tsp. sugar
mix the above ingredients together in a small bowl.

2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. ginger (minced)
1 pound ground pork
14oz package silken tofu cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 scallions sliced thin

add the 2 tbsp. of sesame oil in a wok, or hot saute pan and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. when the meat is cooked, drain off any excess oil and add the sauce mixture.
stir the mixed ingredients into the pork, then add the tofu. If the sauce seems thick (or non-existent), add some water and cook until the tofu is heated through. if you’re using silken tofu, be careful not to mash up the tofu too much.
stir in the scallions just before taking it off the heat and serve with white rice, and garnish with chopped scallions.

enjoy :)

justin

broiled tuna melt

1 3oz. can tuna fish in water (per person)
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. old bat seasoning
drain tuna fish and mix all of the above ingredients together. then start to build your tuna melt.

1 english muffin
grape tomatoes (cut lengthwise in half)
shredded mozzarella

start with the english muffin, then add your tuna fish, then the grape tomatoes, then top with shredded mozzarella. place in the broiler on hi for 5 mins. then serve with a dab of whole grain mustard and dill pickles.

enjoy :)

justin

panko crusted chicken strips with dipping sauces

boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
honey mustard (recipe below)
tunkatsu sauce (recipe below)
canola oil for deep frying

honey mustard:
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
mix together and set aside.

tunkatsu sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cooking sake
2 tbsp. ginger (grated)
2 tbsp. garlic (grated)
2 tbsp. apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup mirin
1 tbsp. spicy mustard
1/2 tsp. ground spice

for the tonkatsu sauce:prep time: 5-8 mins.cook time: 30 mins.

to make the tonkatsu sauce combine all the ingredients together and wisk in a medium size bowl. transfer to a medium sauce pan and bring to a slight boil over medium heat. reduce heat and simmer for about 30 mins. stirring about every 5 mins. after the sauce has reduced a bit (about 30 mins.) transfer to a container, and place in the refrigerator, and chill.

makes about 3 cups.this should last about 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.

chicken fingers:
slice the chicken breast on the bias into 1/2" strips. set up your breading station. flour on a plate, beat the egg in a bowl, and panko on a plate. in this order cover the chicken in the flour then move to the egg mixture and then coat with the panko bread crumbs, and set aside. heat the oil in a pan for frying to around 340 degrees. when the oil is hot add in the coated chicken and fry for about 5 mins. until crisp. drain off excess oil and serve.

enjoy :)

justin

simmered eggplant with slow roasted kakuni (braised pork)

1 pound pork loin (cut crosswise into halves)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 large eggplant
1 1/2 cups dashi broth (recipe below)

simmering liguid:
1 quart water
4 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup sake
3/4 cup soy sauce

sauce:
1/2 cup reserved liquid
1/4 cup dashi broth (recipe below)
2 tsp. sake
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. potato starch
2 tsp. water

vegetable oil for deep frying
chives (thinly sliced)
dijon mustard

dashi broth:
8 cups water
2 pieces of dashi konbu (about 5"x5")
1 1/2 cup bonito flakes (packed)
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 tbsp. sugar

cook time: 1 hour 30 mins.
place the 8 cups of water and the konbu pieces in large pan. bring to a boil then lower heat to low, cover and low simmer for 30 mins. remove the konbu pieces and add in 1 cup of the bonito flakes. cover and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain the broth into a bowl, and add liquid back to the pan. add the remaining bonito flakes to the broth and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain again, and pour broth back into the pan. add in the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and mix together. cool and place in the refrigerator.

broth will last 3-4 days chilled in the refrigerator or pour into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.makes about 8 cups of dashi broth.

eggplant and kakuni:
heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. when smoking hot, add the porn loin and saute until slightly browned all over. in a dutch oven, add all the ingredients of the simmering liquid together with the pork loin, and simmer on low for 4 hours. reserve 1/2 cup of the simmering liquid for later.

when the pork is almost done, prepare the eggplant. cut off the tip and score a few lines on the skin to prevent the eggplant from exploding. heat the oil to around 340 degrees and deep fry until soft, about 4 mins. plunge into water and peel off the skin. cut lengthwise in half. in a small sauce pan add in the dashi broth, bring to a simmer, and remove from heat and set aside.

for the sauce, in a small cup, dissolve the potato starch in water. in a medium sauce pan add the reserved liquid, dashi broth, sake, soy sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil. lower the heat and add in the potato starch to thicken the sauce. cut the pork into bite size pieces. cut the eggplant lengthwise into 2-3 pieces. arrange onto a plate and ladle the thickened sauce over. garnish with chives, and a touch of mustard.

enjoy :)

justin

kimchi stuffed cucumbers

10 kirby cucumbers
kosher salt for pickling
homemade kimchi (recipe below)

homemade kimchi:
1 large napa cabbage (2 pounds)
2 tbsp. kosher salt

1/4 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup dashi broth (see recipe below)
3 tbsp. hot korean chili paste (gochujang)
2 tbsp. course korean chili powder
1 tbsp. sweet japanese chili paste
1 1/2 tbsp. fuji apple (grated)
1 tbsp. garlic (grated)
2/3 tbsp. ginger (grated)
1 tsp. fish sauce
2 carrots julienned
2 1/2" daikon slice julienned
4 scallions cut into about 2" slices keeping the green part

first you want to start the pickling process of the cabbage. cut the cabbage lengthwise in have, and remove the core. slice the cabbage into about 2" slices. rinse of the cabbage, and place on a paper towel to dry completely. place dry cabbage into a large bowl, and mix with the 2 tbsp. of salt. you'll need to apply pressure to the cabbage to start the pickling. i used a large tupperware container and placed the cabbage in. on top of the cabbage i then placed a plate with another medium size tupperware filled with water to apply pressure. let set for 24 hours.

in a large bowl add in the white rice vinegar, dashi broth, both chili pastes, chili powder, apple, garlic, fish sauce and ginger and mix together to form a paste. place this in the fridge and chill for 24 hours. (same timing as the cabbage)

in a large bowl add in the carrots, daikons, and scallions and mix together. strain out the cabbage of all the liquid and add the cabbage into the bowl and mix all together. pour over the korean marinade and mix everything together and place into mason jars. let set for another 48 hours in room temperature, and then into the refrigerator for an additional 4 day to finish the process.

makes about 3 cupspickling time: 7 days*side note* if making this in the summer you can reduce the kimchi pickling time in half to 24 instead of 48 hours, and 2 days in the fridge instead of 4 before serving.

dashi broth:
8 cups water
2 pieces of dashi konbu (about 5"x5")
1 1/2 cup bonito flakes (packed)
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin2 tbsp. sugar

cook time: 1 hour 30 mins.

place the 8 cups of water and the konbu pieces in large pan. bring to a boil then lower heat to low, cover and low simmer for 30 mins. remove the konbu pieces and add in 1 cup of the bonito flakes. cover and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain the broth into a bowl, and add liquid back to the pan. add the remaining bonito flakes to the broth and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain again, and pour broth back into the pan. add in the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and mix together. cool and place in the refrigerator.

broth will last 3-4 days chilled in the refrigerator or pour into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.makes about 8 cups of dashi broth.

kimchi stuffed cucumbers:
cut each cucumber in half, then cut a slit down the middle up to 1/2″ of the end. rotate the cucumber 90 degrees and cut another slit down the middle up to 1/2″ of the end. cover the cucumbers in a generous amount of kosher salt. the salt helps coax the water out of the cucumbers making them more crunchy. don’t worry about over-salting as we will be washing off the extra salt later. make sure you get the salt in between the slits in the cucumber. set them aside for at least 1 hour.

when the cucumbers have gone from an opaque pale green to a translucent green with water collecting at the bottom of the bowl, they are ready. rinse them thoroughly in cold water and squeeze as much water out of each cucumber as you can. stuff a few tablespoons of the homemade kimchi into the pocket of each cucumber. chill in the fridge, and serve cold as a side dish.

enjoy :)

justin

curried scallops with pancetta in dashi linguine

8 oz. linguine
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. ginger (minced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/4 pound pancetta (cubed)
1 tbsp. garam masala
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. red pepper powder (coarse)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup dashi broth(see recipe below)
salt
pepper
3 scallions (chopped thin on the bias)
2 tbsp. cilantro (chopped)
lime slice for serving

dashi broth:
8 cups water
2 pieces of dashi konbu (about 5"x5")
1 1/2 cup bonito flakes (packed)
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 tbsp. sugar

cook time: 1 hour 30 mins.

place the 8 cups of water and the konbu pieces in large pan. bring to a boil then lower heat to low, cover and low simmer for 30 mins. remove the konbu pieces and add in 1 cup of the bonito flakes. cover and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain the broth into a bowl, and add liquid back to the pan. add the remaining bonito flakes to the broth and low simmer for another 30 mins. strain again, and pour broth back into the pan. add in the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and mix together. cool and place in the refrigerator.

broth will last 3-4 days chilled in the refrigerator or pour into ice cube trays and freeze for later use.
makes about 8 cups of dashi broth.

pasta:
boil a large pot of salted water and cook 8oz. of linguine according to package directions. when the past is almost done, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot, add the ginger and garlic and swirl around to coat with oil.

add the scallops in a single layer and brown on one side. add the garam masala, curry powder, tumeric, red pepper powder, and cayenne pepper and quickly stir-fry together for about 2 mins. then add in the dashi broth.

transfer to a bowl and add the scallions and cilantro. add the cooked pasta and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. serve immediately with lime wedges.

enjoy :)

justin

pulled pork verde huevos rancheros

working on the recipe :)... but tastes great :)

korean style spicy stir fried anchovy

1 cup small dried anchovies
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. gochujang (hot chili paste)
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic (minced)
4 tsp. water
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

heat a medium size pan on medium high heat and cook the anchovies for about a min. add in the olive oil and cook for another min. move the cooking anchovies to one side of the pan, and on the other side mix in the gochujang, brown sugar, garlic, and water. cook until the mix becomes shiny. (about 4 mins.) then mix everything together and turn the heat off. add in the sesame oil and the sesame seeds. mix again, and serve.

enjoy :)

justin

korean style spicy stir fried pork

1 1/2 pounds pork belly (chopped into bite sizes)
1 medium onion (sliced)
3 scallions (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp. ginger (minced)
1 jalapeno (chopped-optional)
1/3 cup gochujang (korean chili paste)
2 tbsp. hot pepper flakes
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 fresh cracked pepper
2 tsp. sesame oil
sesame seeds for garnish

add al the ingredients above, in order, to a large skillet. turn heat to high and mix with a wooden spoon until the pork is cooked. (about 10 mins.). serve with lettuce or over a bowl of rice.

enjoy :)

justin