Konnichiwa! Hubby and I have been in Japan for 6 days now, 3 of which we have had to spend inside, sequestered to our hotel room riding out Typhoon Muifa! What a welcome to Japan! We are awaiting base housing which has been delayed due to the typhoon, so I haven't been able to do much cooking yet. Thankfully our good friends took us shopping and invited us into their home (and kitchen) where I helped make goya chapuru. Shopping in an authentic Japanese market was an adventure in itself! Of course everything is in Japanese, so we relied on packaging and our friends pointing things out to understand what most items were.
After we found the items we needed, we checked out and headed home to start cooking. That night we made homemade sushi, miso soup, and goya champuru. I decided to share the goya champuru with you first, since it's not very different from scrambled eggs! Goya is a bitter melon and is a staple in the diet of Okinawans.
Champuru is an Okinawan term that means "mixture". After doing a little a research, I discovered there are many variations to goya champuru. Some call for garlic and onions, some use tofu, and all are probably very similar tasting. The similarity in all of the recipes are the incorporation of goya, eggs, soy sauce, and salt and pepper.
I am going to share with you the recipe that we created. Although I realize most of you will not be able to find goya, if you have an Asian market near you it is possible!
As for my blog, I would love your input on where to go from here. Are you interested in seeing more Japanese recipes even if that means you may not have access to the ingredients? Would you like to see a blending of both American and Japanese cuisines? Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Goya Champuru
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 large goya
2 tablespoons cooking oil
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper
Directions
Wash goya carefully, do not peel. Slice lengthwise and discard seeds and inside with a spoon.
Slice very thinly. Heat oil in a wok or saute pan and add goya, cooking until soft.
In a separate bowl, crack and whisk eggs.
Add into the wok along with the crumbled bacon.
Pour in the soy sauce. Scramble everything together, making sure not to overcook.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
It was blueberry season in Michigan while hubby and I were visiting our family this July.
So we decided to head to a blueberry farm one beautiful morning and to pick some fresh, plump blueberries ripened by the summer sun.
We were one of the only people picking at the farm, so we each grabbed a bucket and raced to find the biggest blueberries. It only took us 45 minutes to fill our buckets with these little lovelies.
We used the berries in pancakes, muffins, straight from the bowl, and in this Strawberry Blueberry Clafoutis. What is a clafoutis?? I had no idea either until I saw this post from Honest Fare. Gabrielle taught me that Clafouti (pronounced CLA-FOO-TEE) is a French rustic style dessert that traditionally is made with whole cherries. It can also be made with fresh berries and is a beautiful, simple recipe that ends up tasting like a mix between cake, custard and bread pudding. This is one of those great desserts that you can use any fruit or berry that you have on hand.
I made my Clafoutis for a send off party with my good friends. I didn't get a good picture of it after it came out of the oven, but it was pretty flat because I used a 9X13 pan. Next time I would use a deeper, pretty bowl for thicker Clafoutis and better presentation!
Strawberry Blueberry Clafoutis
From Honest Fare
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup strawberries, sliced into small pieces
1 cup blueberries
Whipped cream (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender blend the milk, 1/3 cup of the sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, lemon zest, cinnamon, and flour.
Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a lightly and evenly buttered fireproof baking dish. Place in the oven until the batter firms up a bit (a film will set in the pan) about 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and place the berries over the batter. Sprinkle on remaining sugar and pour on the rest of the batter evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Great served warm or room temperature with whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.
This recipe is really special, not only because my Mom and I whipped it together from memory, but because it is a recipe of my Grandma Walters. While making this with my Mom, and then tasting the creamy, peppery beans, potatoes, and sausage, I was flooded with memories and images of my Grandma and being in her kitchen.
This recipe is best with fresh green beans and red potatoes, but works well with frozen green beans too. It is a wonderful way to highlight some of the beautiful summer bounty that is so readily available this time of year!
Creamed Green Beans, Red Potatoes, and Sausage
From My Mom and Gram Walters
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 cups fresh green beans, with the ends snipped off
2 cups red potatoes, cleaned
1 package of sausage (we used chicken sausage)
2 cups milk
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a large heavy pot to boil and put in potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes and then add in green beans. Cook beans and potatoes about 10 minutes more, being sure to check both for desired tenderness.
Begin the roux by heating the butter in a small pan over low to medium heat. Slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. The roux will begin to have a thick consistency, like frosting. At this point, slowly add the milk, about half a cup at a time. Continue to whisk quickly and constantly, adding the milk and keeping the heat at medium.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. My family likes a lot of pepper in this, so we end up using about a teaspoon! Meanwhile slice sausage and saute in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil or cooking spray. Cook fully on both sides, about 5 minutes.
Drain the beans and potatoes and then add back to the large pot. Place the sausage in the pot as well and mix together. Pour the cream sauce over the entire pot and carefully combine. Serve immediately.
My husband and I just spent two glorious weeks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Hubby's family built a beautiful cabin on Lake Michigan in the U.P. (Michiganders know that U.P. is an abbreviation for Upper Peninsula) and just to make you all jealous here is a picture from the porch of the cabin, looking at Lake Michigan:
While at the cabin, I had the chance to cook a little bit with my lovely mother-in-law and her very dear friend Gail. I love cooking with other women in my family and learning from them. Gail showed me how to make a Panna Cotta with summer berries. Although the batch looks small, we made enough to feed about 10 people. The Panna Cotta was extremely creamy with wonderful vanilla flavoring. The blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries were a perfect addition and a great way to incorporate fresh Michigan berries.
Panna Cotta with Summer Berries
From Epicurious
Printable Version
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half (we ran out and used lowfat milk, which was a fine substitute)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups of fresh summer berries (we used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1/2 cup sweet dessert wine
Directions
In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.
In large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring.
Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla. Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2 cup ramekins and cool to room temperature (we placed the mixture in a large bowl instead). Chill ramekins, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile chop berries into bite size pieces. Place berries into a small bowl and pour the dessert wine over top.
Mix to cover berries in the wine and allow to marinate until serving time. If serving in ramekins, dip one at a time into a bowl of hot water for 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert onto a small plate. Garnish with fresh berries. If serving in cup like ours, scoop the mixture into serving cups and garnish with berries.
Technically, this is Alton Brown's modified French Toast, because I changed the ingredients a bit. I wanted to share this recipe anyway because of the method Alton uses in making his french toast. After dipping the bread in the egg/cream mixture, the french toast is placed on a wire rack where the excess liquid is allowed to drip off. Then it is cooked on a griddle or skillet, like traditional french toast, but the brilliant part of this recipe is that then you bake for just 5 minutes so that is slightly crunchy. I hate soggy french toast and this recipe guarantees that you will not have soggy french toast. I love Alton, don't you??
Alton Brown's Modified French Toast
From Alton Brown of course!
Serves 4
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 cup half and half (I used fat free but I'm pretty sure Alton would not approve of this)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds (I did not have honey, but I know this would be a wonderful addition)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (Alton did not call for this, but I think cinnamon in French Toast is a must!)
8 slices of day old bread
4 tablespoons butter
Directions
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the half and half, eggs, honey, salt, and cinnamon. You may do this the night before to save time. When ready to cook, pour the mixture in a pie pan and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375. Dip bread into mixture and allow to soak for 3o seconds on each side.
Then place the slice of bread on a wire rack that is sitting on a sheet pan. Allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
Over medium low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large nonstick saute pan or griddle iron. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan or griddle and place on a cookie sheet and put in the oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices of bread. Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream, or fruit.
