Chan Chan Yaki- Steamed Salmon and Vegetables with Miso Sauce

This dish doesn't require any cooking skills or preparation time, but looks great and tastes great.

Ready in: 30 minutes (7 minutes to prepare)

Ingredients for two:
2 Salmon filets
Some mushrooms
1 carrot
1/2 onion
4 cabbage leaves
1 hand full of bean sprouts
1 hand full of garlic chives
Some green onions
Some butter, goes on top of everything
<Prepare in a bowl>
2 tablespoons of miso
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of mirin
1 tablespoon of sugar

Equipment:
Tajine, or aluminium foil and oven


Step 1: Cut vegetables, place them on the bottom of Tajine or on aluminium foil

Step 2: Place salmon filets on top. You may want to pour 1 tablespoon of sake to remove fishy smell.

Step 3: Cover salmon with the rest of vegetables, and pou the sauce on top of it. Don't worry if the sauce isn't enough to coat everything.

Step 4: Put lid on, or close the aluminium foil. If you are using Tajine, put it on the stove and cook it for 10 minutes. If you are using aluminium foil, put it in a 400 degree-oven for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Open the lid or foil, and mix eveything.

Chimaki- Steamed Sticky Rice with Meat and Veggies

My mother was on mission of making home-made food and dessert 365 days a year when I grew up. She has made anything by herslef; juice, pizzas, birthday cake, ice cream, anything you can think of. 

There are many food that I missed from her. Chimaki rice is one of my favorite.

After both her children left home, my mother opened a cooking class and still enjoys home-made cooking. 

She has never taught me how to cook. We've never stood in the kitchen together. However, I remember seeing things what she did in the kitchen, and oddly enough I know what to do to make her taste.

This rice taste good even eating it cold.

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for four:

2 cups of sweet rice

1/2 cups of dried mushrooms- dilute the mushroom water to 2 cups

1/2 cups of minced chicken or pork, if you want

1 cup of vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, or bamboo shoots 

2 tablespoons of sake

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sesame oil for frying

2 cups of  mushroom water

Equipment:

Foil or leaves to wrap

Steamer

Step 1: Soak dried mushrooms in water and mice them. Do NOT throw out the water!!

Step 2: Mince your meat and vegetables, and cook eveything with sesame oil in a frying pan.

Step 3: Wash rice, and put in the pan. Mix everything.

Step 4: Put mushroom water, sake and soy sauce, and cook untill water disappears.

Rice should look still white, and uncooked.

Step 5: Place some in foil and wrap it in a shape you like.

Step 6: Steam the wraps for 20 -30 minutes.

Put the lid on!



Mushi Pan- Non Baked Muffin without Egg or Butter

We Japanese don’t bake muffins, we steam them. This was my favorite snack when I was growing up.

I used sugar cane sugar.

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for ten muffins:

Sweet potatoes 100g, softened and cut into cubes (or your favorite fruit, such as an apple)
Raisins 10g (or your favourite dry fruits such as cranberries)

<Prepare the following in a bowl>
Flour 200g
Sugar 100g
Baking powder 10g
Milk or soy milk 200g

Step 1: Prepare your steamer.

Step 2: Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, and add milk.

Step 3: Add fruits in the bowl and mix well.

Step 4: Put the mixture in 10 baking cups, and place them in the steamer.

Step 5: Steam them for ten minutes or more at high heat.

Chawan Mushi- Broth Cup Puddings

Chawan Mushi is a very traditional Sushi restaurant food. It requires special technic to make it silky smooth. Relax! The taste doesn't really change.

It shouldn't be bubbly...

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for four:

Parsley

2 eggs, beaten

<Prepare the following in four cups>
Peas, chick peas, or Eda Mames
3 dried Shitake mushrooms, softened and sliced
100g of chicken or crab sticks, cut into cubes
1/4 teaspoon of Yuzu Cha jam, if you have
<Prepare the following in a bowl>
3 cups of Dashi broth
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Step 1: Put ingredients in cups.

Step 2: Heat up the soup till all the ingredients blending in. After it gets cold, add beaten eggs.

Step 3: Using a strainer, put the soup into the four cups.

This step will make your pudding smooth.

Step 4: Boil water for a steamer. Place cups on the steamer, and cook them for 15 minutes.
<Important> Put a cloth and chopsticks on top before putting a lid on to avoid making bubbles on the surface.

Step 5: Put some parsley for the decoration.

Shyumai- Steamed Dumpling (Dim Sum)

Sumai is very similar to Gyoza. They both are popular in Dim Sum.

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for two:

200g of ground pork

3 chopped green onions

3 chopped dried mushrooms (Leave them in water to make soft)

5 chopped Nappa cabbage leaves

2 teaspoons of minced ginger

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of oyster flavored sauce

1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of flour

Salt and black pepper

1 pack of dumpling paper

<To serve>

Mustard, vinegar, soy sauce

<Important> Your dumpling will be hard if you use less Nappa cabbage. 

Step 1: Cut dumpling paper, and make noodles with it.

Step 2: In a bowl, place all the ingredients, and mix them well.

Divide into small balls.

Step 3: Add some flour onto noodles, and wrap the balls with them. 

Step 4: Place them in a steamer, and steam for about 10 minutes.

Make sure your dumpling doesn't become watery.

Sauce: Soy sauce + Vinegar