Kimpira- Lotus Root and Carrot Spicy Stir Fry

I have been practicing Microbiotics Diet since 2015.
Lotus Roots are often eaten in Microbiotics Diet.

The biggest reason why I started Microbiotics Diet is to warm up my body. Maybe because I live in a city where gets minus 30 degrees in the winter, I feel cold always. I am bundled up with leg warmers, a blanket and scarf at work, and I am still cold. I researched how I can warm up my body online. I tried many different things, but nothing lasts long. My friend’s parents own a Chinese medicine store, and they recommended boiling water with some dried fruits for 30 minutes and make a tea. I wasn’t sure if I could continue it. It tastes awful, but surprisingly I’m still doing it. This is how I went back to the orient culture.

I researched more about Chinese medicine, and learned Yin and Yang in food. Then I ended up reaching out to Microbiotics Diet which was invented in Japan in 1928. If you go deep in the concept, it gets complicated. However, eat a bowl of rice with some pickles, and miso soup, that’s a very simple Microbiotics Diet.

I enjoy Japanese simple food, so this diet is very fun for me.

Cut refined suger, dairy food, meat, fish, and reduce egg consumption. Eat rice, seaweeds, beans, fungus and vegetables. Microbiotics Diet doesn’t consume fruits or raw vegetable- except mandarin orange and apples. I eat meat and fish on weekends, and enjoy coffee in the morning.

Simply, stick to Japanese traditional dish. This is what I like th most about this diet!

Ready in: 15 minutes

Ingredients for two:
2 small lotus roots
1/2 carrots
1 chili
2 tablespoons of mirin
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sake
sesame oil

Step 1: Cut vegetables.

Step 2: In a pan, put some sesame oil, and cook vegetables. Add mirin, soy sauce, sake.

Jyako no Tsukudani- Caramelized Dry Anchovies

I can buy most of Japanese food in Canada. However, there are a few things that I cannot find. Tsukudani is one of them. It's a simmered food in soy sauce and sugar.

Ready in: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

50g of dried anchovies

Handful of nuts of your choice, crushed

3 tablespoons of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of sake, or white wine, if you want to remove the smell of fish, soak it in 3-2 tablespoons of sake

3 tablespoons of sugar

3 tablespoons of mirin, if you have any

Step 1: Wash anchovies and drain water. 

Step 2: In a pot, heat up soy sauce, sake, sugar and mirin.

Step 3: Add fish in to it, and mix it well.

Step 4: Add crushed nuts.

Step 5: Keep cooking till there is no more liquid.

Renkon Chippusu- Lotus Root Chips

This was my favorite snack when growing up.
Any root vegetables clean and smoothen your blood flow.

For more menu with a lotus root, see Chakin Zushi- Vegetable Sushi Wrapped with Thin Omlet.

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lotus root
Frying oil
Your favorite seasoning

Step 1: Peel the lotus root,  and slice it really thin. Soak them in water for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Dried them in paper towel.
Step 3: Fry them, and add your favorite seasoning on the top on it.

Samon No Marine- Salmon Salad with Onions and Vinegar

Want something that is refreshing during summer time? This recipe is quick and easy, and will freshen up your day!

Ready in: 10 minutes to prepare

Ingredients for four:
2 fillet of salmon
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 carrot
Flour to coat the raw salmon
<Prepare in a container with a lid>
1/4 cups of white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Slice all the vegetables.

Soak onions in water.

Step 2: Cut the salmon into small pieces, coat them with flour and bake them in a pan.

Step 3: Put all the ingredents in a container with a lid, and shake it. Keep refregated for 3 hours, and serve.

Onigiri (or Omusubi)- Rice Ball with seaweed paper

Onigiri (also called Omusubi) is very standard food in Japan, just like a sandwich in North America.

 

Ready in: 5 minutes with cooked rice

Ingredients for one ball:

1 cup of cooked sushi rice
1/8 of Nori seaweed paper
Some fillings

Step 1: Wet a small bowl and sprinkle some salt in it.

Step 2: Place a half cup of rice in the bowl and make a dimple in the middle.

Step 3: Put a filling in the dimple, and put the rest of the rice onto it to cover. Sprinkle some salt on it.

Step 4: Roll the bowl to put rice together like a ball.

Step 5: Wet your hands, and take the rice in your hands. Try to make a triangle ball.

Step 6: Put Nori around the ball.

Buta No Kaku Ni- Pork Belly Cooked in Coke

Prepare this food at night in a crock pot! 

Ready in: 10 hours (the preparation time is 5 minutes)

Ingredients for two:

100g pork slice or block

350ml coke can

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Some ginger slices 

Some green onions

Step 1: Cut the pork and cook in a pan.  

Step 2: put the pork in a crock pot with ginger slices, add coke and soy sauce.

Start cooking in "Auto" or "Low"

After 4 to 6 hours

Step 3: Add eggs.

Cook another 4 hours!

Step 4: Put some green onions to serve

Chakin Zushi- Vegetable Sushi Wrapped with Thin Omlet

In our language, Sushi has a couple way to spell. One is "The best way to eat fish", and other is "Food which manages celebration". I belive that one of the reasons why Sushi becomes a popular Japanese food is that we serve Sushi to foreigners often as a food to celebrate to get to know them.

Sushi also has many different styles. Here is one of them!

Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients for two wraps:
<Prepare the following in a pan>

1/2 cups of cut lotus roots

1/2 cups of cut carrots

1/2 cups of mushrooms, wet dried mushrooms 

1 cup of Dashi stock

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 eggs

1/2 cups of Sushi rice, or 1 cup of cooked rice

Some chopped green onions 

<Sushi vinegar>

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of salt

For cooking Sushi rice, see How to Cook Sushi Rice on Stove

Lotus roots, it gives nice'n crunchy texture

Step 1: Soak the lotus roots in a water and put 1 teaspoon of vinegar.

Drain it after 10 minutes

Step 2: Add 1/2 cups of water onto dried mushrooms.

Keep the water

Step 3: Cut carrots.

Step 4: Put everything into a pan, and cook with stock, mushroom water and honey.

Add soy sauce when everything is cooked

Cook it until it drys up

Step 5: Put cooked rice in a bowl, add Sushi vinegar and mix it well. Add cooked vegetables into it.

 

Step 6: Make two omelets paper thin.

 

Step 7: Place rice in the middle of the omelet, and wrap it.

Tie it by using a string or band



Samon no Daikon Basami- Daikon Radish and Salmon Salad

I like food that takes no time to make and tastes just great!

Ready in: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Some sliced Daikon radish

Some green onions

Some smoked salmon

Step 1: Place salmon and green onions on daikon paper and fold in half

Nimono- Assorted Vegetables Cooked in Soy Sauce

In Japan, there is an old healthy habit; eating 30 different food items a day. It's not hard as we eat anything such as seaweed, any kind of animals, weeds, and roots! We also like to have many little dishes on the table.

Remember, Japanese food is all about balance; seasonal, nutritious and colourful. Seasonal food gives you energy and nutrition from the earth, and colour in your dish to enjoy visually!

Count your food items that you eat today. If you are way far from 30, start trying new food items that you have refused to eat like roots! Lotus roots are in season now!

  

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for two:

1 tablespoon of vinegar

Some sesame oil

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of honey

2 teaspoons of Dashi (fish) stock, use only mushroom water for vegetarian

100g of chicken, eliminate it for vegetarian

1 cup of diced carrots

1 cup of diced lotus roots

Handful of dried mushrooms

Some edamame

Step 1: Put the mushrooms in water to soften.

Step 2: Peel the lotus root and cut it into small dices.

Step 3: Cook it in a pan with vinegar for 5 minutes, drain and rinse.

Step 4: Cut a carrot.

Step 5: Put some sesame oil in a pan, cook the chicken.

Step 6: Add all the vegetables and water to cover all the ingredients. 

Add the mushroom water as well

Remove the brown bubbles

Step 7: Add stock, honey and soy sauce.

Keep the soup clear

Step 8: Put some edamame on top when serving.