Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking

I've been wanting one of Kurihara Harumi's cookbooks for...over a year now. The pictures and presentations in it are stunning. I've been just reading the recipes as I eat my breakfast for the past two days. (Does anyone else read cookbooks for fun?)

I admit, I'm totally intimidated by this cookbook. Even with my rather extensive collection of Asian ingredients, there are a lot of ingredients I have never heard of. It's a fortune just to get what I need to make a recipe!

Nevertheless, I'm determined. With over 5 recipes for miso soup to try, I'm going to have a busy, busy summer.

Soba Noodle Salad

I'm sick of seeing soba recipes and not getting in on the action.



A little bit of lazy...



And a little bit of luscious.

= Yum. :)

Bento Noodle Salad:

4 oz soba noodles, boiled (4-6 minutes) and chilled
2 cup coleslaw mix
1 stalk celery, julienned
1/3 red bell pepper, julienned

Dressing:
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp honey

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Mix chilled noodles, coleslaw mix, celery, and bell pepper in large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together; pour over salad. Mix well. Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds!

Also made another bento today:


Top container: banana slices and chocolate chip cookies for dessert
Bottom tier: soba noodle salad with soy sauce penguin
Top tier: almonds, cheese star, sourdough bread, spinach

It was yummy!

Bento #1--Teriyaki Beef

Sometimes I'll be posting images of my bentos just for fun and recipes if they're relevant. My classes end after 1 this quarter so I usually just head home to eat and don't bother with a bento but tomorrow I'm donating blood on campus so fortifying bento it shall be!

Top tier: White rice with teriyaki beef mixed with celery and onions.
Bottom tier: Peach yogurt, cheddar cheese, mini-chocolate.
Side car: Cucumber slices mixed with lemon, salt, and pepper.

--Jirafa

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Donburi

Donburi is a type of Japanese dish referring to simmered ingredients served overtop in a large bowl. I debuted my “donburi bowl” in the previous post and I hadn’t planned on posting this recipe because it’s just so darned simple but I got a request so here it is.

I’m almost ashamed of how simple it is. I feel like I should be posting more complicated recipes. Or at least making my own teriyaki sauce like the talented
Soy and Pepper

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Donburi:

1 cup cooked short-grain rice
2 thin chicken breasts
1/3 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce
2 stalks green onions, chopped (optional)

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce for at least 2 hours.

Heat a medium frying pan. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve) and fry over medium heat until browned, about 2 minutes on either side. Mix leftover marinade with ½ cup of water and add over the chicken, cooking an additional 2 minutes.

Serve over rice. Drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce and garnish with green onions.

Serves two.

--Jirafa