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.

Sesame Green Beans | さやいんげんのごまおえ
Adapted from ぜひ覚えたいおかず
Makes 2 servings

2 oz. green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 Tbsp. shoyu

Place the toasted sesame seeds in a Japanese mortar and grind. Add the sugar and shoyu and grind. Set aside.

Boil the green beans over moderately high heat in 3/4 cups of water for 2 minutes. Strain, then put the green beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Strain again and cut the green beans in half, roughly into 2 inch pieces. It’s better to cut the green beans after cooking so they don’t get watery. Put them in the mortar with the ground sesame and mix well.

What I love about this recipe is the addition of katakuriko (potato starch) at the end to thicken the sauce—perfect for spooning over hot rice. If daikon is not available in your area, try using a different kind of radish.

I also want to thank everyone who has purchased the recipe booklet to benefit the victims of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster! I was surprised to find out I have readers in Canada, Australia, and the UK. I still have a few left, so will keep them up on my Etsy shop until they all sell. A special thanks to Mary, The Food Librarian for mentioning it on her blog. If you haven’t visited her site yet, please do. She is amazing and my personal blogger role model!

Braised Daikon with Beef | 大根とひき肉のとろみ炒め
Adapted from ラクラクおかずレシピ（2001年冬）
Makes 4 servings

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped with light and dark green parts separated
1/2 large daikon, cut into quarters lengthwise, then into 1.5 inch pieces
4 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. shoyu
pinch ground white pepper
1 Tbsp. katakuriko (potato starch)
2 tsp. sesame oil

In a wok or large pan with lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break up into pieces as it cooks. When the meat is no longer pink, add the garlic, white parts of the green onion, and daikon. Stir well to make sure the daikon is coated in oil. Next, add the sake and a scant 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

Add sugar, shoyu, and white pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover again, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes more. Meanwhile dissolve the katakuriko in 2 Tbsp. of water.

Drizzle the katakuriko mixture to the daikon and quickly stir until the sauce will thickens. Turn off the heat, add the sesame oil, toss, top with green onions and serve.

What’s interesting about this recipe is the seasoning is added to the batter so you don’t have to make the tsuyu, or tempura sauce, to accompany it. Once you get through making the gobo shavings (illustrated in this video here), the rest is a breeze.

As the video shows, the easiest way to cut the gobo is to make 3 to 4 vertical incisions lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through. Then, like sharpening a pencil with a knife, you shave off the gobo while rotating it. The easiest way to do this is with a vegetable peeler. You will get thin and even pieces and it will go much quicker.

Is burdock root difficult to get in your area? You could also use carrots and onions and make a more traditional kakiage. Have this with a bowl of rice and a side of miso soup and pickles for a simple, delicious meal. Or, make small batches and serve as an appetizer.

Burdock Root Tempura | ごぼうのかき揚
Adapted from みんなのきょうのお料理
Makes 4 servings

7 oz. burdock root (about 1-2 pieces)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. shoyu
oil for frying (I used canola)
shichimi (optional)

Peel the skin of the burdock root. I use the back of a kitchen knife and scrape off the skin under running water. Fill a medium bowl with water and set aside. Make 3 or 4 long incisions lengthwise, but do not cut through (video here). Shave the gobo into a sharp point with a knife or vegetable peeler (like sharpening a pencil with a blade), letting the shavings fly off into the water. Soak for 5 minutes and drain.

Meanwhile, fill your fryer/pan with 1.5 inches of oil and place over medium heat. You will want to start frying when the temperature level reaches between 325–350 degrees, so keep an eye on it.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, water, and shoyu and whisk with broad strokes. It’s fine if some of the flour isn’t incorporated. Next, briefly dry off with a paper towel any excess moisture from the burdock root and add to the flour mixture. Mix to incorporate.

When the oil has reached the appropriate temperature, slide a flat wood paddle or stainless spatula in the oil to coat. Then, place a small amount of the burdock root mixture onto your spatula and flatten out for even cooking. Carefully lower the spatula into the oil and slide the burdock off. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, flip, and fry for another 1-2 minutes. It’s easy to over cook, so be sure to check and see if the burdock root has turned a nice golden color.

Place on paper towels to drain and serve with a small sprinkle of shichimi.

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.

Hijiki is a good source of fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium. Seems like it should be eaten in moderation, though, since some scientists say it contains quantities of inorganic arsenic. This is meant as an accompaniment to other side dishes, so I’ve never worried about over consumption.

I’ve married two recipes here (adding more ingredients to the dish), but if you don’t have access to some of them, using what you have on hand will work just fine. I love the mild mineral flavor, the slight sweetness from the mirin and sugar, the distinctive crunch of the lotus root, and the soft chikuwa. Perfect with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

Stewed Hijiki | Hijiki no Nimono
Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 oz. dried hijiki
2 dried shiitake
1 carrot
6 green beans
1 chikuwa
1 aburaage
3.5 oz. lotus root
1 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/4 cups dashi
2 Tbsp. sake
1 Tbsp. mirin
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. shoyu

Let hijiki sit in a bowl of ample water for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, reconstitute the shiitake in water and set aside. Meanwhile, blanch the aburaage. Let cool, then cut in half and slice into narrow strips crosswise. Blanch the green beans, then slice diagonally into 2 to 3 pieces, depending on the length. Peel the lotus root, cut in quarters lengthwise. Then, slice the lotus root thinly and let sit in water. Peel the carrot and cut into a fine julienne. Slice the chikuwa in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal into 6 to 8 pieces each.

Strain the hijiki and quickly blanch and strain again. Take the shiitake out of the water and lightly squeeze the water out of it. Slice the shiitake in half, then slice thinly crosswise. Strain the lotus root and set aside.

In a medium pot over medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add the carrots, lotus root, and shiitake and stir to coat evenly with oil. Add the aburaage and hijiki and mix well. Add the dashi, then the sake and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Next, add the shoyu and mirin and boil until there is only some liquid left, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the chikuwa and green beans and let cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Cool to room temperature to let the flavors meld and serve with rice.

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.

But before I get into that, I have to mention I’ve fallen into a slump. I was home alone, which means I usually revert to eating like a college student. Mac and cheese with a squeeze of sriracha, instant ramen topped with kimchee, and rice with fried egg drizzled with shoyu… you get the idea. Since the most rewarding part of cooking is sharing the meal with others, the process of cooking now felt laborious. Without mouths to feed, my motivation dissipated.

But I decided to cook at least one meal for myself during this time alone. I’d been eyeing this curry for a long time, and now that the weather demanded something hearty and warm I made up my mind to make it. I could freeze a portion for later and still the remainder would feed me for days.

The kabocha, green beans, renkon, and eggplant are deep fried before going into the pot. The recipe called for a small portion of sliced beef and a bouillon cube so it’s not a vegetarian recipe, but it could be very easily adapted. The key is to taste along the way and modify as you see fit. I tend to like my curry very spicy and on the watery side. I could’ve used more heat, so I’ll have to remember that for next time.

Vegetable Curry
Adapted from きょうの料理 (June 2000)
Makes 6 generous servings

Like many dishes of this kind, the flavors are better on the second day. The eggplant and tomato will have melted into the curry by this time, so add more to the pot, if you like.

7 oz. kabocha, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 renkon (lotus root), peeled then cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Japanese eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
10 green beans, cut in half crosswise
1 large tomato, cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 package shimeji mushrooms, trimmed
1/4 lb. beef, sliced thin
1 tsp. ground cumin
ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
bouillon cube
3 1/2 cups water
6.5 oz. curry flakes
2 Tbsp. tonkatsu sauce
canola oil

Start by deep frying the kabocha, eggplant, renkon, and green beans. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry until light brown (the eggplant is quick, so keep a watchful eye!) and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Next, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large pot over low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and cumin. Cook until fragrant, about a minute. Turn the heat to medium low and add the onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced beef into the pot and cook until no longer red. Add the wine, bouillon cube, and water to the pot and stir. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Carefully ladle out any impurities.

Turn off the heat and add the curry flakes, fried vegetables, tomatoes, shimeji, tonkatsu sauce, and 1 cup of hot water. You could add 1/2 cup at a time, if you like, to get the desired consistency. I tend to add more than enough water, then cook down. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with steamed rice, fukujinzuke, and hard boiled egg.

My grandmother is big on kabocha, saying it prevents cancer. She’s from Hiroshima, which means she calls kabocha “nankin” and says other endearing words in the Hiroshima dialect like “houjyaken no” and “sou desu waine.” She practically lived in the kitchen and made real down-home Japanese food. She cooked for us daily, but she always ate yesterday’s leftovers. My grandmother’s generation, having lived through the difficult post-war years, didn’t waste a thing. She’s the kind of person who put everyone else first as she scraped the cold rice to eat for herself.

I was young and not yet interested in cooking, but I wish I had stuck by her side to watch her work her magic. I still learned a lot from her by way of eating and this is one dish I cannot make without thinking of her.

Stewed Kabocha
Adapted from ぜひ覚えたいおかず
Makes 4 servings

21.25 oz. kabocha
1 cup dashi
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. shoyu

Wash and seed the kabocha and cut into large bite-sized pieces. With a vegetable peeler, swipe the edge off the corners where the skin meets the flesh, on all 4 sides (if your kabocha is cut roughly into cubes). With a knife, peel off parts of the skin—not completely, just in some places so the skin isn’t too tough when cooked.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the kabocha and mix to coat with the oil. The kabocha will begin to change color, becoming a brighter orange. At this point, add the dashi, bring to a boil and carefully remove any impurities that rise to the surface. Since pot sizes vary, be sure there’s enough dashi so the kabocha barely peek out and adjust the other seasonings accordingly. Add the sugar and mirin and fit a plate inside the pot—upside down on top of the kabocha—and let cook for 4–5 minutes. Add shoyu, lower the heat, and cook for another 10 minutes. Occasionally swirl the pot around so the dashi mixture coats the kabocha. Taste the dashi and add more shoyu or mirin if necessary. Insert a toothpick into a piece of kabocha and if it slides easily, it’s done!

This will keep for a few of days and the flavors will meld nicely. The stewed kabocha is also delicious eaten cold.

No, something was missing. The recipe was on the right track, but the flavors didn’t come through like I had expected. I was hoping for something close to the American version, but it was nothing like it. But I’m not giving up on it! Maybe next time I’ll take a cue from the Germans and let the hot potatoes soak up some vinegar and shoyu to give it more flavor. Or I’ll use mayonnaise instead of the tofu. Health-wise, cutting out the mayo was a great idea, but who are we kidding? Tofu is never a sufficient substitute for mayo.

Japanese New Potato Salad
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple
Makes 4 servings

14 oz. new potatoes, washed and scrubbed
10.5 oz. silken tofu
1/2 Tbsp. sesame paste (or smooth peanut butter)
1 1/2 Tbsp. white miso
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. light shoyu
1 tsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 stalk green onion, chopped

Double up 2 paper towel sheets (or use a kitchen towel) and carefully wrap the tofu. Set in a strainer and let sit for a couple of hours to drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, miso, sugar, shoyu, mirin, vinegar. Add the tofu and with a fork or a whisk, break up the tofu and mix until well incorporated.

Boil the potatoes until a knife easily passes through, about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain and once cool to touch, peel the skin off with your fingers by pinching the skin and slipping off in pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl and add 5-6 tablespoons of the tofu mixture, sprinkle with green onions and serve.

The tofu mixture is best eaten the day it’s made, but can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also serve this as a dip for vegetables.