Her method is to microwave the carrots, onion, garlic, and oil in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for about a minute and a half. Since I don’t have a microwave, I did this in a pan and it worked out great. The tangy dressing goes well with the sweetness of the carrots and the addition of tuna makes it feel substantial. It’s really my kind of salad—great texture and a good amount of protein. I know it’s only January, but with LA weather in the 80s, I’m already thinking this would be perfect to take on a picnic.

Carrot and Tuna Salad
Adapted from Your Japanese Kitchen 2
Makes 4 servings

4 medium carrots (about 7 oz./200g), cut into matchsticks
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can solid white tuna, drained

1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp shoyu
ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, shoyu, and ground pepper. Mix well and set aside.

In a pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and stir well. Cook until the carrots are “al dente”—soft, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the tuna and the dressing to the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors meld before eating.

For me, oshiruko is firmly associated with New Year’s at my aunt Midori’s house in Hiratsuka. My family had a tradition of watching Kouhaku and then, when it struck midnight, we’d walk to the nearby shrine. The whole neighborhood would gather, waiting in line for the first prayer of the new year. As we waited in the cold, volunteers would hand out small portions of oshiruko to everyone. It’s the Japanese equivalent of hot cocoa—sweet, warm, and more importantly, comforting.

This recipe is easy to prepare, but even easier if you have a microwave and blender (I used neither and it was still a breeze). Aside from locating the ingredients, the hardest—and most dangerous—part is cutting into the kabocha. The original recipe says to top with sweetened azuki beans, but I don’t think it needs it.

Entertaining over the holidays? You can make this in advance and warm when you’re ready to serve. It might be a nice surprise ending to an otherwise predictable meal.

Kabocha Shiruko
かぼちゃ汁粉
Adapted from わたしの味びに選んだ80のレシピ
Makes 4 servings

1/8 kabocha (about 8.75 oz / 250 g)
scant 1 cup (200 ml) coconut milk
scant 1/2 cup (100 ml) condensed milk
pinch of salt
7 oz (200 g) shiratamako
1 Tbsp sugar
approximately 1/2 cup (100 ml) water
boiled azuki beans (optional)

Peel the skin off the kabocha with a sharp vegetable peeler and cut into small bite-sized pieces (watch those fingers!). Steam for 4–6 mins OR line a microwave-safe bowl with paper towel, place the kabocha inside, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 4 mins. Test doneness by piercing the kabocha with a toothpick or skewer. If firm, cover again and steam/microwave.

If using a blender, put the kabocha in a blender with the coconut milk and condensed milk and blend until smooth.

If doing this by hand, mash the kabocha in a bowl (if you used the microwave, just remove the paper towel). I then passed it through a sieve, but if you have a nice consistency, I don’t think you need this step.

Whisk together the kabocha, coconut milk, and condensed milk in a pan over low heat. Add a pinch of salt. While this is warming, prepare the shiratamako by placing it in a bowl with the sugar and adding water very slowly. Once it forms a dough about the softness of your earlobe, divide into 12 pieces and roll to form a ball.

Bring a pot to boil and cook the shiratama until they float to the surface. This indicates they are done. Strain excess water and serve in a small bowl with the kabocha soup. Top with azuki beans, if using.

Part of the draw was because I was surprised to see this recipe in a widely circulated Japanese cooking magazine. While visiting my relatives in Hiratsuka back in the early to mid-90s, my mom made California rolls for the family. Avocados had not yet been introduced to Japan and everyone seemed to agree that avocados were a bit… strange and not to their liking. This particular American invention didn’t do well then, but avocados has since been widely used and accepted.

This dish is assembles fast so it’s perfect when you need a simple, but unique and tasty side dish. I think a tomato on the sweet side would be good to balance the saltiness of the sauce and the creamy avocado. I loved the hint of wasabi, but feel free to omit. Eat it topped on a slice of toast or over hot rice.

Avocado and Tomato Bake
アボカドとトマトの和風マヨ焼き
Adapted from オレンジページ 2010年5月17日
Makes 2 servings

1 avocado
squeeze of lemon
1 tomato
1 Tbsp panko

Sauce
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1½ tsp shoyu
½ tsp neri wasabi (in a tube)

Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and cut lengthwise into 6–7mm thick slices. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut the tomato in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into 6–7mm thick slices.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.

In a small baking dish (I used 2 small gratin dishes), alternate the avocado and tomato slices. Top with sauce and sprinkle with panko. Bake at 500ºF for about 10–15 mins. I used a toaster oven, so times may vary. Keep a close eye and remove from the oven when the panko turns golden brown.

It’s important to buy the thick udon noodles because it’ll stand up to the rich curry. Think of it like you would pasta—thin noodles would call for a light sauce and thick noodles would call for a robust, hearty sauce. Same logic. I always buy the dried noodles when making the typical udon, but get the fresh noodles for this. My friend Christy happened to mention her favorite frozen udon brand and that’s what I used here. If you can find it, use Sanukiya Udon (distributed by Shirakiku). It’s chewy and has a great firmness and isn’t soft or mushy.

Tomato Keema Curry Udon
トマトキーマカレーうどん
Adapted from オレンジページ2010年1月7日
Makes 2 servings

1 Tbsp canola oil
½ onion, slice into 4 sections crosswise, then thinly slice lengthwise
1 garlic clove, grated finely (with a microplane grater)
1/3 piece ginger, grated
2 tomatoes, 2 center-sliced sections (1 cm thick) and the rest diced
150 g ground beef
1 pack savory chicken broth, dissolved in 600 ml boiling water (you could also use a bouillon cube)
1/2 package curry roux (I used S&B brand’s Torokeru Curry)
2 packages frozen udon noodles
1 stalk green onion (optional)

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high. Once it begins to shimmer, add the onion. Cook for 6 to 7 mins, stirring frequently. Measure 100 ml water and set aside. When the onion starts to brown, add 1/5 of the water. Continue to stir and cook until the liquid is gone and add 1/5 more water. Repeat until with the remaining water. Once the onion turns a golden brown color, add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add the diced tomato with juices and stir. Cook until the tomato breaks down and thickens, about 5 mins. Add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once no longer pink, add the soup. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 mins.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat to the pot with the onions, tomato, and beef. Add the curry and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon, making sure the curry has completely dissolved into the pot. Turn the heat back on to medium. Bring to a boil, then cook for 3 mins to thicken.

In a small frying pan over high heat, cook the 2 tomato slices (without oil) until browned around the edges, about 2 mins each.

Once the large pot comes to a boil, add the frozen udon and cook according to package instructions. Drain well. Divide among 2 large bowls, ladle the curry over the noodles. Top with tomato and green onions, if using.

Yes, it would be. So I tried it at home and can confirm my suspicions to be true! The nori takes it to the next level. Perhaps the umami factor is at play here? Whatever the case, I love, love, love it! I also did another version with shiso. I know, I know… enough with the shiso. It was good, for sure, but I think just the nori keeps things simple, as they should be.

When I’m lazy, I use the Trader Joe’s ball of pizza dough. When I’m up for it, I use the recipe from The New Best Recipe. It’s considerably better to make it at home, but sometimes I just don’t have the time. I’ve also added ricotta in my version, but not entirely necessary.

Nasu Pizza
Makes 2 to 3 servings

2 small Japanese eggplant
olive oil
salt
pepper
pizza dough (when I’m lazy I use the Trader Joe’s pizza dough. When I’m feeling up to it, I use The New Best Recipe pizza dough recipe)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly slice into rounds
fresh ricotta
nori

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the top of the eggplant and slice thinly lengthwise. Place in a bowl and add a generous amount of olive oil, a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, and toss with your hands, making sure the eggplant is evenly and well coated. Lay the eggplant flat on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 mins. Keep an eye on them—cooking times will vary depending on their thickness. Once soft and just starting to brown, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Increase the oven to 500 degrees. Roll or stretch out the pizza dough and place on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the toppings—first the mozzarella, then garlic, eggplant, and dot with spoonfuls of ricotta. Bake for 8–10 mins, keeping a close eye. When the cheese is bubbly and the crust is starting to brown, remove from the oven. Sprinkle with nori, cut into slices, and serve.

Now, what to do with the simple syrup? After a quick survey on Facebook (out of which came some fantastic ideas like strawberry shiso sorbet!), I went with my friend Gena’s suggestion of shiso lemonade. Using lemons is brilliant because it brings back some of the brightness the steeped shiso had lost.

An interesting fact I learned about shiso is most of the flavor and fragrance comes from the back side of the leaf. Be careful when handling and washing—don’t wipe the scent off before using!

Shiso Infused Simple Syrup
Adapted from Spilled Milk
Makes about 2 cups

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
20 large green Japanese shiso leaves, roughly sliced into medium strips

Bring the water and sugar to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil for 10 mins. Add the shiso, gently stir, cover, and let sit for an additional 10 mins. Fish out any shiso bits and chill in a container.

Shiso Lemonade
Adapted from Spilled Milk
Makes about 2 quarts

1.5 cups shiso infused simple syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups ice cubes
4 cups sparkling water, plus more to taste

Mix together all ingredients, taste and adjust, then pour over ice (a splash of vodka also wouldn’t hurt).

Recently my mom sent me this simple recipe for sesame dressing. She suggested mixing it with steamed broccoli, but you could also use it as a dip for sliced cucumbers, or as a dressing for a simple green salad or tofu salad. I like it with the broccoli, though, because the sweet, slightly tangy dressing gets caught in the florets and goes great with the crunchy texture. Did I mention the kick of wasabi? Yes, it has a nice punch. You can also vary it by substituting the wasabi for karashi (Japanese hot mustard) or even miso. If you don’t like it spicy, you could omit the wasabi altogether and it will still be delicious.

The ingredients are few, but one thing you need to have is a suribachi and surikogi (Japanese mortar and pestle). This might work in a small food processor, but mine wiped out recently so I can’t give it a whirl. Maybe even a coffee grinder will pulverize the sesame seeds, which you could then transfer to another bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. If you try either method, let me know if it works!

Yoko’s Sesame Dressing

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)
1 tsp. wasabi (adjust this according to your preference)

Grind the sesame seeds in the suribachi well. They might get stuck in between the grooves, but don’t worry about trying to get them out. Proceed by adding the sugar and vinegar and grind into a paste. Finally add the mayonnaise and wasabi and mix until incorporated well.

If you are using broccoli, cut florets and stem and steam for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before mixing in the dressing or it will turn watery. Top with ground sesame, if you like, and serve immediately.

I like that the ingredients for this recipe are accessible to those of us outside Japan, but I have to admit it was strange to eat somen this way. I’m used to eating it with a dashi-based soup so the basil and garlic really threw me. But after a few bites I found the flavors to be spot on. It had just the right amount of saltiness and the perfect hint of garlic. The sweetness of the tomatoes and the fragrant basil melded together beautifully. A simple, refreshing meal on an unusually hot autumn night!

On another note, I want to thank everyone who voted for me for the first round of Project Food Blog! Unfortunately, I didn’t make the cut, but hope you continue to check out all the amazing bloggers and vote for your favorites! This week’s voting ends September 30.

Chilled Tomato Somen
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple
Makes 4 servings

3 medium-sized tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. shoyu
3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 bunches somen
freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil, chiffonade

Make and “X” incision on the bottom of the tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, or until the skin begins to peel. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain, then peel the skin off the tomatoes. Slice in half, remove all the seeds, chop, then transfer to a medium bowl. Add the grated garlic, salt, shoyu, and olive oil and mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Cook the somen in a pot of boiling water according to the package directions. After it’s cooked, drain, rinse under cold running water until cool, drain again, and put in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and toss. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with basil.

The onions are soaked in water for 5 minutes and will mellow out wonderfully. I made this twice in the last couple of days and the onions taste better and soak up more of the dressing if they are finely chopped (more than in the photo). The shiso… well, what can I say about it that I haven’t already said. I love it. The dressing is salty and tart and goes perfectly with a slice of the juicy, sweet tomato. Hope you give it a try.

Tomato and Shiso Salad
Inspired by オレンジテーブル３おつまみになるおかず
Makes 2 servings

1 tomato
1/2 small onion
3 shiso leaves
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 Tbsp. shoyu
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
fresh ground pepper

Remove the stem from the tomato and slice 3/8″ thick. Finely chop the onion and shiso and place in separate bowls of water and let soak for 5 minutes.

Combine the sesame oil, shoyu, vinegar, and ground pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain the onion and shiso separately and pat dry. Put the tomato on a plate, top with onion, then shiso, and drizzle dressing.

Sometimes it’s hard to modernize traditional dishes successfully, but this is a good example of it. Even though this isn’t a typical chirashi, it manages to keep the essence and spirit of the original dish. I picked this recipe only because the ingredients were accessible, so I was surprised at how much I liked it. This dish would go well with miso soup and a simple nimono (stewed or braised dish). I hope you have a chance to make it!

Tuna Chirashi with Snow Peas | Tsuna Soboro to Kinusaya no Chirashizushi
Adapted from きょうの料理ビギナーズ（2010年３月号）
Makes 2 servings

15 snow peas
1 can solid tuna packed in oil, drained
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. shoyu
pinch of salt
pinch of finely ground pepper
14 oz. sushi rice (recipe below)

Blanch the snow peas by cooking in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, then shock them in a bowl of ice water. Drain well and pat dry with a paper towel. Trim ends and cut diagonally into 1/2″ pieces.

In a small pan, cook the tuna over medium heat. With the back of a wooden spoon, break up the pieces of tuna into small flakes. Add the curry powder, shoyu, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined and then turn the heat off and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the sushi rice (you can use the bowl you were using to mix and cool the vinegared rice) and the tuna. Mix until well incorporated, then add the snow peas and fold in.

Sushi Rice
14 oz. cooked short-grain rice
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 2/3 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt

Heat the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pan over low heat and whisk until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Put the hot rice in a large bowl. Take the rice scoop and hold it over the bowl with the flat side parallel to the counter. Slowly pour the vinegar mixture onto the scoop and rotate around so the vinegar mixture pours evenly around the rice. Mix the rice quickly to combine, then fan the rice to cool. Don’t mix the rice too much at this point, otherwise the rice will become mushy. I mixed the rice a total of 2-3 times when fanning, just to make sure the rice was completely cool. When you mix, do it in a folding/cutting motion, being careful not to crush the rice. The rice is ready once it has completely cooled.