Teriyaki Salmon, Broccoli and Rice

One of my 2022 goals is to explore Japanese food.  Tonight I made salmon with homemade teriyaki sauce and a side of steamed broccoli drizzled with a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and sugar .

Shrimp and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce

This is such an easy recipe and tastes just like what you get in a Chinese restaurant because of one simple ingredient, oyster sauce.  Blanche the broccoli by immersing in boiling water for about 3 minutes.  Cook shrimp in oil about 2 minutes and set aside.  Cook sliced onions and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes then add salt and pepper and oyster sauce along with a little water.  Mix well, continue stirring and add a corn starch slurry.  Add the broccoli and shrimp and stir fry for a few minutes.  Drizzle with a hint of sesame oil and serve with rice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUIzQO7nixk

Tilapia Filipino Style

I worked with a Filipino woman many years ago and I was lucky to get this recipe from her, that she often brought for lunch.  This can be baked in foil but I've found it's much easier to cook it stovetop.  Tilapia is coated with a little oil then seasoned with salt and pepper.  Chop some green onions, Roma tomatoes, ginger, cilantro and thin sliced lemons and place in a pan along with the fish.  Drizzle with a little soy sauce and sesame oil and cook until the fish flakes.  Serve on top of rice.

Soy Sauce Eggs

Where have these seasoned eggs been all my life?  I ran across this Asian side dish in my YouTube recommendations and I'm so glad I did.  Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari, 1/4 cup water and 1/8 cup of sugar.  The recipe would need to be doubled or tripled depending on how many eggs you're marinating.  Add sliced spring/green onions including the green parts.  Marinate hard-boiled eggs (shells removed) for at least six hours or overnight.  Slice in half and serve over rice with the sauce.  I also used this marinade for grilled salmon and the two together made a healthy and flavorful dinner.

Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

Shumai

I love Dim Sum and shumai is one of my favorites things on the menu.  Today I "made" shumai from Trader Joe's.  I have found that many types of dumplings from Trader Joe's or any Asian store are just about as good as made from scratch.  I steamed the shumai in a bamboo steamer and made a dipping sauce that consisted of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and salt.  I made Jasmine rice to go along with it and had a very satisfying dinner without having to wait to go to a Dim Sum restaurant.

Korean Teriyaki Hot Dog

I bought a package of Filipino red hot dogs at my local Asian market with the intention of having them with rice and eggs for breakfast, a dish posted here in March called Hotsilog.  I wondered how else they could be cooked and I discovered a recipe on Omma's Kitchen on YouTube.  This is possibly one of the best fast food dishes I've ever made.  The hot dogs are cut on the diagonal and stir-fried with onion and garlic, then a small splash of soy sauce and sugar are added, just a scant teaspoon of each.  Served with an egg and you have a quick and easy lunch. 

Egg Fried Rice with Scallions and Ginger

My biggest challenge in the kitchen is to use everything I buy and to not waste food.  A friend of mine who was born in France but came to the U.S. at the age of 20, learned life long lessons about food and never allowing a single thing to go to waste.  She's the only person I know who is like that and it seems everyone I talk to says they too can do better about not wasting food.  So today, instead of having my usual hash brown patty with a fried egg on top for breakfast, I used up some rice from several days ago, and some scallions that looked like they were close to being put in the disposal, and I made a wonderful and simple fried rice.  I cooked the rice, scallions and a little fresh minced ginger in canola oil until it was a little crispy in places then tossed in a whisked egg.  It only takes a few minutes for the egg to set and breakfast is ready.  I topped it with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and salt and before I had finished I wanted a little spice so I added a dash of Sriracha.

Filipino Sour Soup

This soup called Sinigang is made with Knorr Tamarind soup mix and is so easy to make.  It's a staple in the Filipino kitchen and can be made with variations using different meats such as shrimp, beef and pork, and many different vegetables.  However, the soup is always made with tomatoes and onions.  I used baby back pork ribs that I bought from my local Asian market, and my vegetable choice was baby bok choy, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), and Daikon radish.  In a large soup pot, onions and ginger are sauteed in oil for a few minutes then the pork and tomatoes are added and browned for 15-20 minutes.  Fifteen cups of water is added along with the Tamarind mix and simmered for about an hour.  Add sliced Daikon radish and simmer another 30 minutes, then at the last minute add the bok choy and gai lan just long enough to wilt a little.  Serve over rice and enjoy this soup chock full of healthy vegetables with a slightly sour taste.

Sriracha Honey Salmon

I found this wonderful pan-seared Asian salmon recipe on rasamalaysia.com.  I bought a cut of salmon with skin on from my local Safeway for $3.42.  I mention the price because pan-seared salmon at most restaurants is easily $25.  The salmon filet is marinated for 1-2 hours in a mixture of Sriracha, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, grated fresh ginger and minced garlic.  Drizzle a little toasted sesame oil in a pan and sear skin side down for several minutes, then flip and sear the other side.  Flip again and pour the marinade over the salmon and continue cooking until just barely done.  Salmon is best when it's not overcooked.  Serve topped with sliced scallions.

Shishito Peppers (Kkwarigochu)

I was at my local Farmer's Market with a neighbor and she asked if I had ever had shishito peppers.  I told her I was familiar with them and that they seemed to have recently burst on the culinary scene but that I had never eaten them.  They are popular as a side dish in Korean cooking.  She said she roasts hers with a little olive oil and sprinkles them with sea salt.  I looked at a few recipes on-line and decided to blister them in a cast iron skillet.  I tossed the peppers in a little canola oil then put them in a piping hot cast iron skillet and cooked until they were soft with a nice char on the skin.  I sprinkled a little pink Himalayan sea salt on them and what a delicacy!

Broccoli Sesame Stir-Fry

Sesame seeds and sesame oil are used extensively in Asian cuisines and I love it's rich, nutty flavor.  This simple side dish using both the oil and the seeds is so easy to make and one of my favorite ways to enjoy broccoli.  The broccoli is steamed for about six minutes then stir-fried with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for just a few minutes, then tossed with a splash of soy sauce.

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

This shrimp dish is very similar to Chinese salt and pepper shrimp.  They're both coated in corn starch or flour, both are spicy and both are fried or sauteed in oil.  For this Hawaiian style recipe, the shrimp is tossed in a mixture of flour, paprika, salt and pepper.  Shells are left intact.  Lots of chopped garlic is sauteed in a mixture of butter and olive oil and a splash of white wine.  The garlic sauce is removed from the pan and the shrimp is then cooked in hot olive oil for just a couple of minutes on each side.  Add the garlic sauce and serve.  Note, the shells become crispy and traditionally the shrimp are eaten shell and all.  This has become one of my favorite shrimp recipes and can be made in less than 15 minutes start to finish. 

Asian Garlic Noodles

There's a restaurant in San Francisco famous for this Asian-American fusion garlic noodle dish - Thanh Long.  I love pasta tossed with lots of butter, garlic and parmesan cheese and knew that adding an Asian sauce would make it even better.  The sauce is equal parts of soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water.  Five or six cloves of garlic are finely chopped and sauteed in equal parts butter and olive oil.  The sauce is then added and cooked noodles are tossed in the sauce.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese.  Any Asian noodle or spaghetti can be used.  I like thin spaghetti and used it in this recipe. 

Teriyaki Chicken

I love the flavor of teriyaki sauce and I think it's much better homemade.  The word teriyaki derives from teri which refers to a shine, and yaki which refers to broiled or grilled.  Teriyaki dates back to 17th century Japanese cooking.  Chicken pieces are marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sake, sugar or honey, and garlic.  I skewered chicken tenders after marinating for several hours and broiled for about 15 minutes, turning them halfway through.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with rice for a quick and easy Japanese takeout dish.

Stir-Fry Bean Sprouts

Potstickers

I love potstickers but have always had to wait and enjoy them when I go to a Chinese restaurant.  I discovered that Trader Joe's has frozen potstickers that are so delicious and so easy to make.  The ones I like best are the pork and vegetable gyoza.  1 1/2 tablespoons of canola is heated in a non-stick pan, then the potstickers are added and cooked on medium for 4 minutes.  Then add 4 tablespoons of water, put a lid on the pan, reduce the heat and steam for about 6 minutes.  For a dipping sauce I mix soy sauce with a splash of vinegar.  This is one of my favorite quick 15-minute meals.

Hobak Jun (Korean Fried Zucchini)

This is the Korean version of tempura.  The recipe is simply sliced zucchini lightly dredged in flour then dipped in egg and pan-sauteed until golden brown.  Serve with a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seed salt, and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Cambodian Pineapple and Pork Soup

Japanese Onigrazu