I’m at the Sunday market at Serendipity Cafe here in Chigasaki with hummus and flatbread.

On May 19th I’ll be participating in the Sunday market at Serendipity Cafe here in Chigasaki. I’ve decided to make hummus and flat bread. I haven’t decided the exact flavors of hummus but I’m thinking Moroccan spice, texmex and something Indian.

Serendipity Cafe is my favorite place to hang out here in Chigasaki. The owners, Mabo and Lisa, have build a great community and host events run by members of that community. I’m running a hummus workshop there next month. If you come to Chigasaki I highly recommend checking out Serendipity Cafe.

If you are in the area, I would love to see you at the market a week Sunday.

Address: 1-7-35 Matsugaoka, Chigasaki

Phone number: 047-84-5244

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/CM8iT

I came across this recipe on Pinterest a week or so ago and thought one of my gluten-free friends would like it. I didn’t actually intend to make it myself but she happened to come over later that week so we tried it out. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. We didn’t follow the suggestion of putting the pan in the oven and subsequently it wasn’t crispy on the bottom.  The top was delightfully crispy and the Parmesan cheese I sprinkled over the top was great. I wanted to try it again pan fried. I made it twice because I wanted to try a couple of tweaks. I am teaching a hummus class at a local cafe in June and am making pan fried flat bread at the same time. I thought could be a great addition to the lineup as it would taste superb with hummus. Sadly, it didn’t turn out that well panfried. So baked it will remain.

I made a couple small changes to the original recipe.

• used rice flour instead of quinoa flour (you can make your own by grinding quinoa in a food processor or coffee grinder)
• baked it for 30 minutes (mine was about twice the thickness of the picture in the original recipe)
• added a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder to the dough before baking
• used olive oil

Where to get quinoa キヌア kinua in Japan

• supermarkets – some supermarkets carry small bags of quinoa in the rice section. This quinoa is meant to be added a tablespoon at a time to rice as an add-in. The brand I most often see is this one (be careful as they also sell millet in bags that look exactly the same) and it is a perfect size for a couple of batches of quinoa bread. 
• import shops – you will likely find bigger bags here but still possibly only 400g or so. I often see this bag. You sometimes also find Alishan Organics quinoa in import shops.
• Health food stores will have medium sized bags.
• Amazon – here is a link to a search for キヌア
• Rakuten – here is a link to a search for キヌア
• Yoyo Market – they carry Alishan Organics quinoa

The last three months have been full of making lunches. I’ve had to up my game as the kiddo probably wouldn’t appreciate eating the previous night’s dinner for lunch every day. Or meal salads every day… I have a tiny freezer but I’ve been keeping as many bento fillers in there as possible. Because there are those days when all of the energy you have is to move things from the freezer to the bento box. Or those days when you want eight different things in your lunch. I am usually fine with two. Here are some things that work well from freezer to bento box. If you have access to a microwave where you are going to be eating the bento, you don’t even have to defrost. In summer you probably don’t have to defrost anything. If you don’t have microwave access at lunch, defrost your fillers when you are making your lunch.

Mini burger patties - they can be veggie, bean, beef, chicken, pork or any mixture you want but they are versatile

• top with salsa and cheese
• top with gravy
• top with bbq sauce and canned pineapple
• top with ponzu and grated daikon
• cut up over a salad
• add to a lettuce wrap

Daikon steaks – easy to make and they get soft after freezing (something I consider a good thing)

• eat as is
• mix in with simmered veggies (nimono)
• dice and mix with canned tuna and mizuna – no dressing needed

Steamed broccoli – or any veggie that freezes well

• eat as is or topped with dressing
• top with cheese
• cut up and mix in pasta

Grilled sausage – grill cocktail sausages and then freeze

• eat as is
• slice and serve over a salad
• top with bbq sauce, “sauce”, mustard or ketchup
• top with cheese
• roll in lettuce

Shumai/gyoza (dumplings) – just freeze leftovers anytime you have them

Sauces – have a little bit of leftover sauce from dinner? Freeze it in an ice-cube tray for quick bento toppings

Cheese – grated or cubed

• eat as is
• sprinkle over salad
• sprinkle over pasta
• sprinkle over Japanese curry

I love veggies wrapped in meat. My favorite is asparagus wrapped in pork but an honorable mention must go to eringi wrapped in beef. I tried something new the other day. I had some fast fry pork chops and some green peppers in the house so I search on Cookpad.com with those two ingredients and found a few pictures of sliced green pepper wrapped in pork. I was sold. I didn’t actually look at the recipes but I knew what I wanted  then and there.

Green pepper maki

4 shabushabu cut pork slices (thin fast fry pork chops) or the equivalent of shaved pork
2 green peppers (Japanese sized)
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon cooking sake
salt to taste

At least thirty minutes before you want to start cooking, mix the cooking sake and miso together and spread over both sides of the pork. Let sit until you are ready to cook. Cut the green peppers lengthwise into thin strips. Roll half of a green pepper’s worth of strips in each piece of pork. Cook in your fish grill for 7-10 minutes, or fry on medium, until the meat is brown and crispy. The green peppers will be cooked but still crispy. Sprinkle a bit of salt (keeping in mind miso is about 30% salt) and serve.

I think one of the first frozen foods I had in Japan was frozen onigiri. The hubby bought them one evening and I was skeptical. I don’t really like frozen food and these seemed to simple to be good. I loved them. Haven’t bought them since but they did inspire me to explore the world of yakionigiri. There have been terrible results in the past but now all is good. I haven’t perfected them but they are pretty good. I usually use the frying pan but I tried them in the riceball plates of my waffle iron and was pleased. It’s so easy. Since I need to have some food prepped in the freezer for work day breakfasts, lunches and dinners, freezing riceballs seemed to be perfect. You can just reheat with miso soup for a quick meal. They are best heated in a toaster oven so they don’t get too soggy. I use the grill setting in my microwave but keep the pan on a lower level than when actually grilling.

Basically, lightly salt the rice and make riceballs. If you need a tutorial, check out this one on Just Hungry. In a small bowl mix a bit of soy sauce and grated ginger. Lightly oil a frying pan and heat up the pan on medium. When the frying pan has heated up, place the rice balls and fry until they are just starting to turn golden. Turn over and either brush or sprinkle with a spoon the ginger soy sauce mixture on the cooked side. Just a little at a time so the riceball doesn’t fall apart. When the other side has started to change color turn over again and repeat with the sauce. Now you can fry them until they turn a deeper color. If you are freezing them, cool them completely before putting them in the freezer. Either thaw at room temperature or microwave for about 30 seconds and then put them in the toaster oven until they look nice and toasty.

So it has been a while. I decided to work out of the house again and have very little free time. Ironically I’ve been cooking more meals than usual because I have to make three meals for me and the resident toddler and two meals for the hubby every day. That’s two lunch bentos five days a week. Some people in this situation would sit down and plan meals at least a week in advance but I don’t really like planning down to the last meal. I’ve decided to map the options out and keep a well-stocked fridge. I’m more of  a look in the fridge and whip something up person than a find a recipe and then buy everything for that recipe person. I usually just keep the crisper stocked with lots of fruit and vegetables and keep a bit of meat and fish in the house.  I should mention that I keep a well stocked pantry (for Japanese sized kitchens).

I am a lover of mind mapping so this medium felt really natural. Everything is on one page and flows from the center. If you are unfamiliar with mind mapping go here and learn. I made this mind map on my iPad using Mindjet Maps.

Meal mind mapping

1. Brainstorm a list of the types of foods you can make (i.e. pasta, soups, grilled protein, etc.)
2. Brainstorm options for each list – don’t go in order just write what comes to you. If you need more ideas for your list, use the internet.  If you are not a cook keep the links to the food you find for easy reference. You can further organize categories into subcategories (i.e. blended soups, miso soups, broth soups, etc.).
3. Take a look at what you have brainstormed and make a general list of the dry goods you need to have in the house so your options are flexible. Buy these when you find them on  sale.
4. Make a second, more organized draft and put it on your fridge.
5. Use it as a reference for when you are busy or don’t know what to make.

Keep adding to and revising your mind map. It is alive. Your first mind map will be a mess. The pretty ones you see in a google image search are not first drafts. As you get used to mind mapping you will start to be able to organize your information well earlier in the process. After years of mind mapping, I usually get the categories right on the first draft but keep in mind that my mind loves organizing.

Always

• keep your fridge stocked with vegetables
• keep some protein in the fridge/freezer
• keep your dry goods stocked up

Anyhow, let’s talk hot wine. I make two kinds, one with citrus rind and one one with orange juice. The orange juice is easy to drink and is great for people who are not that into wine. I don’t add any hard liquor to mine as I don’t actually like the taste of alcohol all that much. Before I made hot wine the first time I did a bit of research and found out that cheap wine is best because it is sweet. This is great news because you can make it more often. I often use the 400 yen bottles of wine but sometimes splurge and use the 500 yen bottles.

I use cinnamon sticks ( シナモンスティック shinamon suthikku), cardamon pods (カルダモンホール karudamon hooru) and whole cloves (クローブホール kurobu hooru) in my hot wine. You can use powdered spices if you can’t find them whole but I like the whole spices. You can find all three of these spices in grocery stores that have good spice sections. They are usually less expensive in import shops that stock ingredients for Indian food. I usually bring cinnamon sticks back with me when I go back to Canada for a visit because I find them rather expensive here. One small pack of cloves and cardamon will last years but I could use a big bag of cinnamon sticks every winter.

Hot Wine I

1 bottle (750mL) cheap red wine
1 cup water
1/2-1 cup orange juice
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (one is okay if you are rationing them)
1 cardamon pod
5 cloves

Bring the wine and water to a boil and add the spices. Simmer until the room smells delightfully spicy. Add the orange juice and sugar to taste. Each wine will require a different amount of sugar so I add it slowly until it reaches the perfect sweetness. The same goes for the orange juice. Serve hot.

Hot Wine II

1 bottle (750mL) cheap red wine
1 cup water
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (one is okay if you are rationing them)
1 cardamon pod
5 cloves
half the zest of a citrus fruit of your choice

Peel the zest off of the citrus fruit – my favorites are orange, lemon or yuzu. Make sure you only get the colored part on the outside and none of the white part underneath as it is bitter. Bring the wine and water to a boil and add the spices and rind. Simmer until the room smells delightfully spicy. Add the sugar to taste. Each wine will require a different amount of sugar so I add it slowly until it reaches the perfect sweetness. Serve hot.

What’s your favorite way to make hot wine?

It’s December first so now I can officially talk about Christmas. I have a rule not to think about Christmas until December (Christmas presents for family in Canada aside). I did kind of break my rule two days ago when I suddenly remembered that I wanted to download a copy of the Huron Tale from Itunes. I kept forgetting to download it when my account was charged and had to settle with the youtube version. If you were wondering, I downloaded this one by Heather Dale. I’ve been perusing pinterest for some good looking Christmas recipes. I’m planning on having two Christmas parties at my house and will probably need a few more recipies than usual. All of the ingredients are relatively easy to source in Japan.

My goto recipes

I make this gingerbread (cake) recipe every Christmas dinner and at least a couple of times before that. While I make pumpkin pie the night before this baby goes in the oven just as we sit down to eat so the house smells amazing right when you are finishing up the turkey. Top with custard. You can sometimes find molasses and corn syrup at Kaldi Coffee or import stores. The one I buy is here on Amazon.

I make this pumpkin pie (with kabocha) every Christmas and Thanksgiving. It makes a great breakfast the next day. I always make two to ensure there is enough for breakfast. I kid you not.

Sweets

Strawberry tree brownie bites from Erica’s Sweet Tooth – these are sure to impress and I will be making them as soon as strawberries return to stores.

Holiday Spruce Cookies from Taste of Home – this would be great for kids and you could use vanilla extract and rice flakes if you can’t find corn flakes and almond extract.

Fill strawberries with cheesecake filling for a great snack (link is picture only) I would use this recipe for the filling.

These poinsettia cookies are a cute idea. Use that recipe or your favorite rolled white cookies.

These Christmas sugar cookies are a nice colorful addition to a cookie plate.

Savory

This stuffed Italian loaf looks amazing. Have it at home or assemble and bake right at a party you are attending. Poppy seeds can be found in stores with big spice selections (in a little spice bottle). You could easily skip them for this recipe.

This avocado humus looks divine. Serve with cherry tomatoes and you have a healthy Christmas party stack.

This snowman pizza would be great for a kids party.

These mini frittatas would be great on Christmas morning or at a party. I often make them with soy milk instead of cream.

Crispy edamame look like a great snack for Christmas movie night.

If you are on pinterest follow me, I pin a lot of Japan-friendly recipes there and my Christmas collection will continue to grow.

If you are having problems sourcing ingredients please let me know by leaving a comment here or my Facebook page. I’ll do my best to find a way to get what you are looking for.

I’ve had a couple of commenters ask for gluten-free Japanese recipes and a couple of people ask for soy-free recipes. I started looking into what basic seasonings you can get for those with allergies. The common allergies that would cause the most problems seem to be soy, rice and gluten. Those of you with MSG allergies can use the gluten allergy guide. I’ve heard from several people with gluten allergies that MSG in Japan is usually derived from wheat and that they have reactions to MSG. All of the local products I’ve included will also be MSG free. Before you get started read Ashley’s post on food labelling and my post on allergy labelling on Surviving in Japan. I should warn you that allergen-free food is rather expensive. Luckily most of these staples last a long time. Most of the links below are for Amazon as they are easy to order from. I have also used A-soken (see a guide to searching in my post on allergy labelling on Surviving in Japan) as they seem to have a really good selection. If you do not read Japanese and would like to order from A-soken you can probably use Ashley’s post on signing up for a veggie box as a reference when signing up. If you order your groceries from a delivery service take a moment to look and see if they have a allergen-free catalog. Allergen-free products are becoming more available as awareness grows.

無添加 mutenka additive-free

有機 (yuuki) or オーガニック (ooganikku) Organic, 無農薬 (munouyaku) pesticide free

Japanese pantry staples

• This mirin (味の母 ajino haha)  is made only from rice, malt rice and salt

soy sauce shouyu (醤油)

• This 白菊しょうゆ White Chrysanthemum soy  sauce has only three ingredients sake lees, salt and rice.
• This quinoa soy sauce キヌア醤油　(kinua shouyu) contains no rice, wheat or soy
• This millet (non) soy sauce is made from only millet and salt

miso (味噌)

• here is a link to the Amazon “additive free miso” (無添加味噌 mutenka miso) search results
• This quinoa miso キヌア味噌 (kinua miso) contains no rice, wheat or soy
• This millet miso きび味噌 (kibimiso) is soy, rice and wheat free

“sauce” as in as in they type used on tonkatsu and okonomiyaki (chuunou soosu 中濃) 

• This okonomiyaki sauce contains none of the big seven allergens

mayonnaise mayoneezu (マヨネーズ)

• This mayonnaise is egg and dairy free (also none of the 25 allergens)
• A reader pointed out that if you are gluten-free watch out for malt vinegar in mayonnaise as it can cause a reaction

mentsuyu (めんつゆ)(soup for soba/udon noodles)

• This mentsuyu contains only mirin, beet sugar and salt (no traces of any grains)

Online sources for allergen-free food