Sunday, December 27, 2015

EASY JAPANESE COOKING! [Vegan]


Vegan Miso Soup

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

4 cups water
3 pieces of konbu
3 tbsp miso paste
Whichever other ingredients you want to add

* Miso soup comes in endless varieties. You can try adding mushrooms, tofu, green onions, just to name a few!

[How to Cook]

1. Put water and konbu in a saucepan and let the konbu soak for an hour
2. Turn the heat on medium
3. Remove the konbu just before the water reaches a boil, turn off heat. This broth is called dashi stock.
4. Cut the ingredients into bite size pieces
5. Reheat the dashi stock on high and bring to a boil
6. Add ingredients and cook until soft
7. Reduce the heat to low and dissolve miso into the dashi stock. Turn off the heat just before it comes to a boil.

Tofu Teriyaki with Tomato

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

3 pieces of freeze dried tofu
1 tomato
* 4 tbsp soy sauce
* 4 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
* 4 tbsp water
* 1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp potato starch
1 shiso leaf
sesame oil

[How to Cook]

1. Soak the freeze dried tofu in water for 15 minutes, then squeeze to remove water.
2. Cut the tofu into bite sized cubes and coat with potato starch.
3. Cut the tomato into cubes.
4. Combine all * ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and cook tofu for 3 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. Eliminate extra oil.
6. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes and * sauce.
7. Cook until tomatoes are fully cooked and some of the sauce has been absorbed into the tofu.
8. Arrange the tofu and sauce on plates and garnish with thinly sliced shiso leaves.

Grilled Eggplant with Sweet Miso Paste

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

3 small eggplants
* 1 tbsp miso
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
sesame oil
sesame seeds

[How to Cook]

1. Peel the eggplants in alternating strips, then cut into 1.5cm which slices.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a pan and saute the eggplant until it changes to a golden brown colour.
3. Mix the * ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
4. Arrange the sauted eggplants on plates and top with * sauce. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top.

Spinach Tofu Salad

Serves 4

[Ingredients]

1/2 bunch of spinach
1/3 of a carrot
50g of edamame
150g firm tofu
* 1/2 tbsp miso
* 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 tbsp sugar
* 1/2 tbsp sweet sake (mirin)
* 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

[How to Cook]

1. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and place on a tray. Place a plate on top as a weight and wait for 30 minutes to remove excess water.
2. Boil spinach in a pot. Squeeze out extra water and chop into 3cm long pieces.
3. Cut carrot into thin strips. Boil in a pot. 
4. Boil edamame and remove from pods.
5. Combine * ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add tofu and blend until smooth.
6. Add spinach, carrot and edamame and blend gently.