Dinner Tonight - Curry Udon...So easy to make!

Curry Udon

I usually take a couple of  hours in the kitchen making our dinners, but sometimes I find stuff that is quick and easy...it usually has to do with using leftovers;o)  This is another dish that I grew up with.  My mom would make it for lunch the day after we would have Kare Rice (Curry Rice) for dinner.  I froze the  Chicken Curry I had made a couple of weeks ago and used that as the base.

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/04/dinner-tonight-japanese-style-kare.html

Voila!

All I did was thaw the curry in a sauce pan then added:  water, soy sauce, mirin, & Menmi (Japanese Noodle/Tempura Sauce Base).  Next, I chopped up some carrots, daikon & eringi mushrooms and cooked it for about 10 - 15 mins, boiled up some udon noodles, put it in a bowl and topped it with some sliced green onions.  It's one the easiest dishes to make, well, as long as you have leftover curry ;o)

This a past udon post...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/04/tonights-dinner-chicken-udon.html

Lunch Yesterday - Sashimi Rice Bowl made w/Leftovers

We had a lot of leftover Sashimi from our feast from the night before. Obviously, raw fish is something that doesn't keep for very long, so I made a Sashimi Bowl with the Toro (Fatty Tuna), Hamachi (Yellowtail), & Crab.  I saved the Salmon and froze it to make something else with it later.  

Post of the Sushi/Sashimi Feast...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dinner-last-nighta-sushi-sashimi-feast.html

Sort of a Negitoro Don

Negitoro is supposed to be Toro with chopped Negi (Green Onion) flavored with Soy Sauce.  At sushi restaurants they would use the scraps of the Toro that they weren't able to serve as Sushi or Sashimi because of the size or irregular shape.  I think nowadays, they probably also use just regular Maguro (Tuna) for this. 

I took the Soy Sauce Mixture that was used for the Hamachi and added more Green Onion and Wasabi.   The original sauce had:  Soy Sauce, Green Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Jalapeno, & Ponzu (Citrus).  I chopped the Hamachi & Toro into small bite size pieces and put it in the sauce for about 5 mins before putting it on the Sushi Rice.  I put the crab in the middle and drizzled a little sauce on it.  They sell Nori (Seaweed) sliced up like this, but I didn't have the packaged stuff, so I just cut nori squares with scissors :o)

This is a very easy meal to make with leftover Sashimi!  The middle is crab and the pink on the left is ginger.

Inari Sushi

The outer part of the Inari is Fried Tofu Skin flavored with a Soy Sauce mixture with sugar.  I just buy pre-packaged stuff that is already seasoned and is in a plastic pouch that you boil.  I've tried making it by scratch, they sell the fried tofu pockets that aren't flavored.  The pre-packaged ones don't taste too bad and it's much more convenient!  Some packages even come with a packet of dry vinegar mix that you mix with hot rice and you can make instant sushi rice!  I had the freshly made sushi rice from the night before;o)  This is another dish that children love! We used to call them Oinari-san, but Japanese-Americans nicknamed these footballs...lol It's a very easy side dish to make!

Tamago (Sweet Egg Omelette)

Lunch Today - Steak Sandwich w/Leftovers...

I love making meals out of leftovers.  It's a game to me of what I can come up with that's different than the original dish.  This one isn't that hard to come up with, but it still is leftovers!  

Fixin's for the sandwich...

This time I figured out an easy way to add the veggies to the sandwich. (Not that a sandwich isn't easy)  Duh!  Just mix it all up just like a salad! I guess I'm a slow learner sometimes..  At sandwich shops I sometimes see them add oil, vinegar, salt & pepper to the lettuce on the sandwich, but sometimes that makes the bread soggy.  Last time I made a sandwich and I added the dressing to the lettuce only, I thought I was brilliant;o)  Today I came up with the salad idea.  Instead of layering all the veggies, why not just mix it up! This one has mixed greens, red onion, tomatoes, pepperoncini's & avocado on the side.  Then I added a simple dressing of oil, red wine vinegar, salt , pepper and some other seasonings.  I added the dressing right before putting the sandwich together.  There also was watercress with the leftovers, so I threw that in too.

Sliced Steak Ready!

We got the leftovers from a small restaurant called Sly's in Carpinteria, CA.  I didn't like the restaurant much when they first opened, but they've really warmed up on me;o)  Sly was the chef at Lucky's Steakhouse in Montecito and then decided to open his own restaurant a few years ago. He's French trained, so he also has a rotating Prix Fixe French course every month.  Of course the steak isn't as good as Dan Tana's, but it's pretty good!  He uses the freshest of ingredients!  Last night I noticed that even the twist that they put in  my Martini was organic.  As soon as I put it up to my mouth I could smell the wonderful aroma of a lemon, I thought it could be a Meyer lemon, but it turned out it was just a regular organic lemon.  I think sometimes we forget what stuff is really supposed to smell like.  I was raving to the waitress and chef about how impressed I was by this, so they gave me one of the lemons with the rest of my leftovers!  It's the small things and gestures that put a big smile on my face :o)  Also, their Coconut Cake is to die for...

For the sliced steak I seasoned with soy sauce, ajishio and pepper.

French Roll

One of my pet peeves is that it's hard to get a good sandwich!  I think it's mainly the bread and of course the meat inside.  I think the only sandwich I like eating out is at a deli called Bay Cities in Santa Monica.  They have an Italian sandwich called the Godmother.  Some people think that it's overrated, but I don't think you can get much better than that!  They bake their own bread, so whenever we go I get a couple of loaves to go and freeze it.  I cut it into serving size, wrap in foil, put in baggie then freeze it. To thaw it, I put in oven or toaster oven @425 degrees for 15 mins and it's almost like having fresh baked bread!  I wasn't able to go to Bay Cities, so I had some frozen bread from Vons Grocery in the freezer.  I'm pleasantly pleased and surprised at how good the French rolls are at Vons!  If I can get a decent roll from Vons why can't sandwich shops get at least that quality??

Steak Sandwich w/Avocado & Salad...

To peel and slice an avocado can be a pain and messy, so I just scoop it out with a spoon and put it on the sandwich.  It's all going to get mooshed together, so presentation doesn't matter that much.

Lunch Today - Kimchi Fried Rice w/Bacon, Corn & Leftover Teriyaki Chicken

Another one of my favorite dishes.  Maybe everything I cook is a favorite of mine and is the reason I make it ;o)  Fried rice is pretty easy to make, especially in a wok!  It's better with med/long grain rice, but I normally have short grain rice on hand.  It's also easiest to make with leftover rice that's been in the refrigerator overnight.  When it's cold, it crumbles better when you fry it up.  

I cut up the bacon then fry it, drain it, set it aside then use some of the bacon grease for the fried rice.  Next, I  add the rice and season it with salt, pepper, ajishio (salt & msg mix), and  a pinch of dashi powder.  This time  I added some frozen corn, bacon, leftover cut up Teriyaki Chicken , drained kimchi and added soy sauce at the very end of cooking.  Fried Rice is another dish that you can put just about anything in!

Love it with the runny egg on top!

My home made Kimchi in the background...

Dinner Tonight - Leftover NY Steak made into a Japanese Steak Dish

This is another of my favorite dishes I like to make with leftovers.  I make it anytime I have leftover steak or Prime Rib.  It's another dish that my mom used to make.  I think though that all the dishes that my mom used to make, I've put in a little bit of my own touches. 

I got the leftovers from our favorite (I have many favorites of everything;o) place to get a NY Steak. It's a neighborhood restaurant called Dan Tana's.  They are a small place that people either love or hate. They may not have the "best" food, but it's solid and we love the Old School ambience, but they seriously have the best NY Strip Steak!   They've been around since 1964.  If you remember the show VEGAS, you may remember the character Dan Tanna, the character was named after the restaurant, not the other way around!  It's also a semi-celebrity hang out.  It's always fun to get a glimpse of a Star! Danny Vito once told me I was gorgeous when we saw him there...lol  It took us about 8 years, but now we are finally considered regulars!

 Daikon Oroshi (Grated Daikon Radish)

I thinly slice the beef and then arrange it on a plate and place Daikon Oroshi, Chopped Green Onion, Ponzu (Citrus) Sauce and a little bit of Soy Sauce for extra saltiness.  Sometimes I will add Yuzu (Citrus) Juice to brighten it up. This is a ceramic grater to make the Daikon Oroshi.  You need to be careful that you don't grate your knuckles when you are at the end;o)

 Ponzu Sauce

I normally don't like the pre-made Ponzu/Soy Sauce combos because they have an artificial flavor to it, but I finally found one I like!  Ponzu is a generic term for a citrus sauce made with vinegar, lemon juice or some other citrus.  This one is made with Sudachi which is a ctirus that looks like a lime.   Then there is Yuzu which is a delicacy and is similar to Sudachi. It is hard to find fresh in the US and when you do, it's pretty expensive.  In the past it was more commonly used for it's zest, but now it is sold as juice.  You can buy small bottles of Yuzu juice without the soy sauce mixed in.  

 Slicing the NY Steak

See how marbled it is...yum!!  The steak stays cold and it is so delicious when you eat it with hot rice!

 Stirring the Miso into the Soup

I made a very simple miso soup tonight.  I just used Dashi Powder instead of making stock with konbu (seaweed) and Katsuobushi (Dried Shaved Bonito Flakes).  I also added a splash of Sake in it.  You bring everything to a boil  and cook the ingredients until it's done then turn down the heat and mix in the miso.  I like to use a strainer, so their aren't small pieces of softened soy bean from the miso.  I'm not sure exactly the reason for it, but you are never supposed to let miso soup boil!

This miso soup has tofu and napa cabbage and it's topped off with chopped green onion and togarashi/hichimi (Japanese Chili Pepper w/7spices)

 Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu)

This was a healthy meal because we split a leftover steak and then had rice & two types of tofu with it.  I love tofu and luckily, Hubby likes it too! Hiyayakko is a very traditional tofu dish.  It just has drained cold tofu, grated ginger, chopped green onion, bonito flakes & soy sauce.  I like med firm tofu, but many people like the soft.  It's all personal preference.

I was in Japan and talking to some friends about tofu and when I told them the tofu we have here lasts for months in the refrigerated package they were a little horrified.   In Japan tofu is such a fresh and perishable product it lasts for only a few days!  I kind of like the fact that I can always have a package of tofu in my refrigerator;o)

 Assembled Togther..

Recently, I was able to try out a new lens my brother got for his camera that takes awesome food shots.   Since I've been so diligent with my new food blog, Hubby bought me the lens too!  It takes beautiful close up shots!  My husband is the best!!  Most of the pictures today are taken with the new camera lens.  I still need a separate camera for the wide shots;o)

Oct 2009 - Mushroom & Shrimp Risotto, Arancini, Spaghetti w/Shredded Beef & Tomato Sauce, Soup & Chopped Salad

Mushroom & Shrimp Risotto

I used stock I made with Roasted Shrimp Heads.  The shrimp is just simply sauteed. The mushrooms are Bunapi (White Beech Mushrooms).

I topped it with Parmigiano Reggiano shaved with a rasp, I know some people don't think Parmesan goes with seafood...oh well;o)

Bunapi Mushrooms

This is one of my favorite mushrooms.  They have a very mild taste that you can use in most anything.  It's a specialty breed that Hokuto Company came up with, it's a type of Shimeji mushroom.  You can find it at many Asian markets like Marukai.  The reason I bought it the first time was because I thought they were so pretty and white...lol

Arancini

I love Arancini  (Italian Fried Rice Balls)!  It's the perfect use for leftover Risotto...if you have any left over;o)  It's made just like Tonkatsu with the panko breading.  I stuffed the middle with Mozzarella.  

I love using leftovers to make a second or third meal out of it.  It's kind of a game for me.  It's much more fun than just serving the exact thing over again :o)

 Spaghetti w/Shredded Beef & Tomato Sauce

A friend of mine told me he makes something very similar to this and I had to try it since it sounded so good!  It seems that I can never follow a recipe exactly how it is written.  I usually look at at least 3 and then mix and match and then put in my own touch;o) 

 I used the same ingredients as Osso Buco, but used a Beef Rump Roast and braised it for a couple of hours. I topped it with Gemolata (parsley, garlice & lemon zest) just like Osso Buco...it added great flavor!

For the garlic bread, I mix softened unsalted butter (Plugra is the easiest to find), chopped garlic, parsley, Parm cheese, S & P.  I slather the butter mixture on the bread then top it off with a little more Parm then stick it in the toaster oven.  I don't have a microwave, so my toaster oven is my best friend...lol

Like a Minestrone Soup...

I made this soup with the leftover Shredded Beef using up the beef & tomato sauce.  I also added:  diced tomatoes, spinach, flageolet & pinto beans, celery, onion, garlic, zucchini, corn, it's basically my 'Frig Soup ;o) I topped it with the left over gremolata & Parm Cheese.

Italian Chopped Salad

I served this with the soup, it wasn't as good as some restaurant versions, but it was pretty good!  I think I'd rather just eat it at a restaurant, it takes a lot of time to chop everything up...lol  Ingredients were:  Red Leaf Lettuce, Tomato, Salami, Provolone, Celery, Parmesan, Treviso (a racicchio that's shaped like a Belgian Endive), Red Onion, Hearts of Palm (my fav!), & Garbanzo Beans...I think that's it..   Again, not very traditional;o)  I made a simple Vinaigrette Dressing to go with it.

Oct 2009 - Tonkatsu & Tonkatsu Sandwiches

The miso soup just has cabbage and tofu.  When I have the time, I make it more in a traditional way called Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup) and use home made pork stock, pork pieces, cabbage & potato.

Momotaro Tomatoes

Momotaro's are my favorite tomato.  They are found in Japanese markets during the season.  I love to eat them with a little Fleur de Sel  (Salt), Pepper & Kewpie Mayo :o)  I served this with the sandwiches that we had.

Sep 2009 - Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie

From September 2009

Again, this is made from leftovers. This time I had made ground beef tacos and used the leftover cooked meat from it. I love to use leftovers and try to come up with a completely different dish.

This was my first attempt at making Tamale Pie, (I know, very retro) I'd never even eaten it before, only had heard about it! It was supposed to be a double crust...one on the bottom and one on the top, but the one on the bottom just stuck to the bottom of the casserole dish. I can admit my failures too;o)

My first food post...

 Hitching Post II, Buellton, CA

I think that big honkin steak in the back was ours :o)  We usually get the 24 oz Angus Rib Chop and then share it. They also have the best Baby Back Ribs!  They just season it with their own blend of spices called "Magic Dust", no sauce, just the seasoning and the nice flavor of the oak!  The only problem with that is it's only available Sun-Fri only...

They have a window where you can watch them grill your food...

Steak Hash

From September 2009

I love leftovers from both my own cooking and restaurants! I think these leftovers are from the Hitching Post which is about an hour away from Santa Barbara. I use both the steak and baked potato leftovers and turn it into hash. I just saute some garlic and onions then add the potatoes and then the steak at the last minute, so it doesn't get too well done. I'm not the best at making eggs, but this breakfast was sure tasty :o)