Tofu with pork and kimchi sauce

Meaty and spicy sauce poured over silken tofu makes this protein anything but boring! This quick tofu with pork and kimchi shows how a simple block of tofu can be transformed into something spectacular.

Serves 4 people


Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 blocks of tofu
• 150 grams of pork, finely sliced and cut bite size
• 150 grams of kimchi, chopped bite size
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp, finely chopped ginger
• 1clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp  sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp white miso
• 1 1/3 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp potato starch mixed with 1tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Wrap tofu in paper towel and leave for 10 minutes to remove excess water. Cut into bite size cubes and set aside.
2. In a large pan over high heat, add vegetable oil, garlic and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes. 
3. Add pork and cook for 2 minutes, until cooked through. Add kimchi and cook for another minute.
4. Add chicken broth, sake, soy and miso paste, and stir well. Turn down the heat to a simmer.
5. Add tofu cubes and stir well.
6. Add potato starch mix and stir well until the sauce thickens (add more if you prefer thicker).
7. Turn the heat off, add sesame oil and scallions and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve with warm white rice.

Butter and soy: Japan's favorite mix

A very simple yet delicious pasta with soy, butter and mushrooms.

And not only is it a Japanese favorite, it's also one of chef Jean-George Vongerichten's favorite flavor combinations. Complementing each other to a tee, butter and soy can be used in many different ways, and with many different ingredients, such as this pasta with mushrooms recipe. Pan fried daikon with soy and butter is also terrific or mixing worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and freshly ground pepper with this combo to make a delicious steak sauce. Lots can be achieve with these two simple ingredients; share your own recipe and we'll post it on our blog!


Butter and soy spaghetti:

Ingredients

1 lb dry spaghetti

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms

1/4 lb beech mushrooms (bunashimeji) or other Japanese mushrooms

1 tbsp sake

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp neutral oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

a handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pasta water

fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to the boil.

In a large pan over high heat, add oil, 1 tbsp butter and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and add mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add half of the parsley and mix well. Turn heat off and wait until the pasta is cooked. While the pasta is boiling, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain your pasta and add to the pan of cooked mushrooms.

Turn the heat to low and add the remaining chopped parsley. Mix well and add soy sauce, butter and sake. Mix well again, making sure all the pasta is coated with all the ingredients. Add a good amount of fresh ground black pepper and a little bit of the pasta water to make the sauce more unctuous.

Serve with fresh parmesan.

Recipe taken from pickledplum.com

Easy chicken katsudon

Packed with sweetness and umami, chicken katsu is a very traditional and popular dish. Easy to prepare, it's the perfect comforting dish to share with your family. 

(4 servings)

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut in half in thickness and in size
• all purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• oil for deep-frying
• 1/2 medium size onion, thinly sliced in half moons
• handful fresh basil (or flat leaf parsley)
• 1 cup dashi stock
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• cooked Japanese rice

Cooking Directions

1. Dip the chicken pieces in the following order: flour, egg (use one egg) and panko.
2. Heat oil in a large pan to 350 degrees (180c).
3. In another large pan, put the sliced onions, dashi, sugar, sake, soy sauce and mirin, and simmer until onions are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes).
4. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 eggs.
5. Fry chicken pieces until golden brown. Add the chicken to the onions, pour the eggs around the chicken, over the onions, and cook for a minute or two. Sprinkle basil or parsley on top, turn the heat off when eggs are cooked through.
6. Serve with rice.