Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japanese. Show all posts

Saturday, September 16, 2023

Japanese Salad Dressing #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon


We've always enjoyed the salad dressings served in Japanese restaurants. I usually make homemade ranch dressing or vinaigrette but we were tired of those and wanted to try something different.  I looked up some recipes and found this one on the Just One Cookbook blog site.  It made a refreshing change--a little sweet and but with an acidic counterpoint from the rice vinegar. It can be stored in the fridge for two weeks or frozen for a month.

1 carrot, peeled

¼ onion

Ginger—approximately 1 inch. 

1 ½ tbs sugar

1 tbs miso

¼ tsp salt or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

1 tsp roasted sesame oil (I used regular sesame oil)

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

¼ cup neutral oil

 

Chop ginger, onion and carrot into approximately 1 inch pieces.

 


 

 

Place in food processor and puree until fine and smooth.

 


 

 

Add sugar, miso, salt and pepper to food processor and blend.

 


 

 

Add sesame oil, rice vinegar and oil and blend again until smooth.

 

Add water to thin if desired.

 


 

OUT NOW!




When murder taints writer-in-residence Penelope Parish’s charming British bookshop, she must follow the clues to catch a killer before tempers boil over.

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

Penelope Parish thought she’d turned the page on her amateur sleuthing days but when the owner of Upper Chumley-on-Stokes’ proposed first high-end gourmet shop is poisoned, the American novelist starts to wonder if she and her quaint British town are in for another rewrite. It turns out that not everyone was a fan of Simeon Foster’s farm-sourced charcuterie and imported pastries—many of the locals were outraged by the potential new competition.
 
With a full menu of suspects on her hands, this just might be Penelope’s toughest case yet. Luckily, her friends at the Open Book are there to help with every twist of the poisoned pen.

AND...


 Family fireworks lead to murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The Fourth of July always means endless celebrations in Cranberry Cove, and this year Monica and Greg have the added pleasure of spending it with Monica’s college roommate, Kelly Cargill. When they join Kelly and her family to watch the fireworks, it’s all very exciting—until the elderly matriarch of the family dies on the spot. Then evidence comes to light that she was poisoned, and Monica promises to do what she can to catch the culprit.

Just about everyone in Kelly’s family wanted to get their hands on what was sure to be a sizable inheritance. But Monica also discovers that one of them was trying to hide a messy love affair the older woman had discovered, and that the victim’s caretaker may have wanted revenge for enduring years of mistreatment. And just as more secrets surface and the clues begin to fall into place, Monica realizes that as she’s closing in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her . . .

Includes a mouthwatering cookie recipe!

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

 

My article on the Enduring Appeal of Cozy Mysteries  

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Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Teriyaki cod recipe by Mia P. Manansala @MPMtheWriter

Cod must be a popular fish since I'm following up Leslie's lovely roasted cod and broccolini with my teriyaki cod dish. I didn't grow up eating cod, but I absolutely love fish and seafood and have been trying my best to incorporate more of it into my diet (at least twice a week rather than the "only on special occasions" way I'd been doing it). I've been experimenting with new-to-me types of fish and fell in love with the firm, meaty texture of cod, which goes beautifully with the sweet, salty teriyaki sauce. 

And for those of you wondering, teriyaki is not only for chicken--in fact, it was originally a fish dish in Japan (teri means "shine" and yaki means "grill," so it was originally a grilled fish that was brushed with a sweet glaze), and the story goes that an enterprising Japanese American restauranteur subbed in chicken and beef for the customers who didn't like fish.

I'm sure this sauce would work well with other types of fish, but I suggest going with a firmer-textured one for best results. This dish is fast, simple, and requires only five ingredients! Well, six, if you have a sweet tooth like my husband. Make sure to serve with plenty of rice to enjoy that delicious sauce!

Teriyaki cod served over a white rice-quinoa mix and steamed bok choy

Teriyaki Cod Recipe

serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb. cod (I used frozen boneless filets, thawed)
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup sake*
  • 1/2 cup mirin**
  • Cornstarch, optional
  • Brown sugar, optional

Directions:

  1. Wash the filets and pat them dry with a paper towel.
  2. Pour some cornstarch in a bowl and lightly dredge the fish. This step is optional, but highly recommended, as it creates a light coating for the sauce to cling to.
  3. Heat some oil over medium heat and cook the filets until just done, roughly two minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fish. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan, and remove the fish to a clean plate when done. Leave the heat on medium.
  4. Mix the soy sauce, sake, and mirin (I do this directly in the measuring cup) and pour into the pan.
  5. The medium should come to a boil quickly. Turn the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until reduced to at least half, roughly 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and make adjustments--my husband prefers a fairly sweet sauce, so I added a few tablespoons of brown sugar at this point.
  6. Return the filets to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or so, turning the filets over halfway through cooking to coat with the sauce.
  7. Enjoy!
*not all recipes include sake, but it provides a wonderful acidity that I think works well in the sauce. You could substitute with an equal amount of dry white wine, a 1:3 mix of rice vinegar and water, or leave it out all together, though it vastly changes the taste.

**mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine. If you can't find it, replace with an equal amount of sake and a few tablespoons of honey or brown sugar.

***this recipes makes a lot of sauce, which is how we prefer it, but if you want a less saucy dish, you can cut the sauce ingredients in half.

Cast of characters: cod, mirin, sake, soy sauce, and cornstarch (hiding in the back)

Wash and dry the fish, then lightly dredge the filets in cornstarch.

Over medium heat, cook the filets roughly two minutes on each side (adjust timing according to thickness).

Cook the fish in batches and remove to a clean plate when done.

Mix the soy sauce, sake, and mirin.

Add the sauce to the pan and over medium/medium-low heat, simmer the sauce until it's reduced by at least half.

Return the fish to the pan and simmer together with the sauce for another five minutes or so, turning the filets over halfway through cooking to evenly coat with the sauce.

Enjoy! I recommend serving it with rice (or a rice-quinoa mix, like in this case) and steamed or stir-fried veggies.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy cod? Cod meuniere is next on my list, but I'd love to learn more ways to prepare this yummy fish. Let me know in the comments!

If you liked this recipe, make sure you sign up for my newsletter! I include a Filipino-themed recipe every month, as well as giveaways and book recommendations!
 

Homicide and Halo-Halo

Death at a beauty pageant turns Tita Rosie’s Kitchen upside down in the latest entry of this witty and humorous cozy mystery series by Mia P. Manansala.
 
Things are heating up for Lila Macapagal. Not in her love life, which she insists on keeping nonexistent despite the attention of two very eligible bachelors. Or her professional life, since she can’t bring herself to open her new café after the unpleasantness that occurred a few months ago at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. No, things are heating up quite literally, since summer, her least favorite season, has just started.
 
To add to her feelings of sticky unease, Lila’s little town of Shady Palms has resurrected the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won many years ago—a fact that serves as a wedge between Lila and her cousin slash rival, Bernadette. But when the head judge of the pageant is murdered and Bernadette becomes the main suspect, the two must put aside their differences and solve the case—because it looks like one of them might be next.

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