Yaki Udon

Udon is thick white noodle made from whaet flour.
"Yaki Udon is stir-fried udon.
Udon noodles are stir-fried with meat, vegetables ,and soy sauce or worester sauce.
In my case, I usually have it with soy sauce.
They say that yaki udon was born in kyushu region after world war 2.

Hijiki no Gomoku Ni

This is also called "Gomoku Hijiki" .
It is a typical dish of hijiki and well known simmered dish.
It is made by stir-fring and simmering hijiki with other ingredients.

Typical ingredients.
Aburaage
Chikuwa
Konnyaku
Carrot
Lotus-root
Burdock
Shiitake-mushroom
Soy bean

( It is not necessary to cook all )


Soy sauce
Sugar
Salada oil


Hijiki is a kind of sea weed.
It is rich in fiber, calucium, and iron.
We usually buy dried hijiki, and sock it into water to recover it befor cook it.

Horenso no Ohitashi

This is a boiled spinach seasoned with soy sauce.
We usually boile spinach in hot water.
Put it cold water to cool it.
Squeeze it to drain off the water.
Mix it with soy sauce and dashi-stock.
And serve it topped on shreded dried bonito.

By the way, I remenber I learned how to cook it in elementary school.

Kamaboko

Kamaboko is a traditional Japanese food which is made fron ground white fish meat
sesoned.
Kamaboko is made by forming surimi on wooden board, and steaming it.

We usually slice it and eat.
It is also good put soy sause and wasabi on it just before eat it.

Kamaboko is rich in protein, low in fat and calorie.

Hotate Kaibashira no Sashimi

This is scallop sashimi.
It has nice texture and nice taste.
And it is also nutritious food.

Scallop is rich in ingredients of "Umami".
"Umami" is one of five basic taste.
So it is delicious.


(note)
"Hotate" means scallop.
"Kaibashira means an adductor muscle in a shellfish.

Sunomono

Sunomono is a type of Japanese dish which is made by mixing some ingrente to vinedgar ( "Awase zu) which is made by mixing some seasonings to vinegar.

This photo is a sunomono of Wakame and sliced cucumber.
In my case, I mix Wakame, and sliced cucumber, vinegar and sugar.

Ika no Karaage

This is deep-fried squid.
"Karaage" is a type of deep-fried dish which is made by deep-frying ingredient coated slightly by potato starch or wheet flow.
I have already post Tori no Karaage.
please chek it.

"Ika" means squid.
Squid is rich in taurine.
We usually cut it into ring shaped, when we deep-fry it.
I think This is also good for Bento, and good with beer.

Inarizushi

It is also called "Oinarisan".
Inarizushi is a pouch of aburaage stuffed with vinegared rice.
I have alredy post the article of aburaage on this blog. please check it.

Usually cut in halves aburaage are simmered mildly sweet taste.
Pulled open pouch shaped.
And stuffed with vinegared rice.

Some time, we mix some ingredient such as carrot, shitake-mashroom with vinegared rice.

Chikuwa

Chikuwa is a traditional Japanese food which made from ground fish meat seasoned.
Chikuwa is made by wrapping ingredients around a stick, and grilling (some time steam).
It appears in various dish such as simmered dish, deep-fried dish.
And it is also good to mix it to other ingredient as raw, or to eat as raw without seasoning.

We often stuff some ingredients into center hole of Chikuwa such as cucumber.

Main ingredient of Chikuwa is ground fish meat, It is rich in protein and low in fat.

Zaru Soba

Zarusoba is a cold type soba dish.

It is similar to Mori Soba.

Zaru soba is topped with shreded Nori.
Mori soba is topped with nothing.
Both of soba noodle and dipping sauce are same in Zaru soba and Mori soba.

In my case, I prefer Zarusoba.
Because I think Nori is good for soba.


(Note)
Usually Zaru soba is served on rounded plate, Mori soba is served on squarish plate.

Long ago, Dipping sauces were different in Zaru soba and Mori soba.

Konnyaku

Konnyaku is a ingredient of Japanese dish.
Konnyaku is a jelly-like food which is made from Konnyaku potato.
It is a little taste, but it has pleasant unique texture.
Usually Konnyaku is eaten as ingredient of simmered dish, or soup.
But some time we slice thinly it and eat as sashimi. (If we buy konnyaku for sashimi)

Konnyaku is also popular as healthy food.
It is low in calorie and rich in fiber.

Photo above is long narrow shaped Konnyaku.
It is called "Shirataki" or "Ito konnyaku".



Photo above is Konnyaku sold in the supermarket.

Miso Ramen

Miso is femented soy bean paste.
It is a basic seasoning of Japanese dish.

Miso ramen is a ramen which ramen noodles are in miso flavor hot soup.
Usually the soup is made by adding miso based Tare to Dashi (stock).
Miso ramen has rich taste.

Miso ramen is born in Sapporo and spreaded all over Japan.

Hanpen

Hanpen is a ingredient of Japanese dish.
Hanpen is a kind of Surimi which is made from kneaded fish, glutinous yam, and some seasonings.

It has very soft texture, and mild taste.
Usually it is eaten as ingredient of simmered dish such as Oden.
But it is also good to fry it or deep-fry it.

Hanpen is rich in protein and calcium.

Hirame no Sashimi

Hirame is a one of flat fish.
It is a popular ingredient of sashimi among white meat fish as well as seabream.
Especialy wild Hirame is expensive.
So I went to the supermarket to buy it in late time, because I want to get it in half-price.
Hirame has plain taste and pleasant texture.

Aburaage

Aburaage is an ingredient of Japanese dish.
Aburaage is made by deep-friyng thinly sliced tofu.
It is some time called "Aburage" or "Age.

It is ingredient for various dishes.
For example, miso soup, simmered dish, Inarizushi, etc.

Photo above is aburaage cut to half.

We usually buy it tofu shop or supermarket.

Kinpira

Kinpira is a type of Japanese dish which is made by sauteing and simmering shreded vegetables.
Usually main ingredients are root vegetables such as burdock, carrot, lotus root.
Seasonings are mirin and soy sauce. some time add red pepper and sesame seed.

It has mildly sweet taste.
It is typicaly home dish and it is often appear in ingredient of bento.