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Look here for a collection of favorite recipes and
what we've made recently...
Japanese Recipes
Rice with Furikake
Cook short grain white rice according to the directions. If you don't have a Japanese rice cooker consider trying one!
Serve rice in small bowls with chopsticks and top with your choice of Furikake.
Furikake are Japanese seasonings that your can buy at Uwajimaya. They come in a wide variety of flavors:
Nori Fumi-nori, sesame seeds, salt and sugar
Shiso Fumi-shiso leaves, salt and sugar
and many more. The kids liked the Nori Fumi best so far.
Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
cooked white rice
fillings of your choice
Note: try corn, cabocha (Japanese Pumpkin), cheese (not very Japanese), vegetables, tuna salad, improvise your own
Furikake sprinkled on a plate
You will need a bowl of warm water because the rice is sticky!
Pick up 1/2 cup of rice. Flatten in your hand.
Place the filling in the middle. Roll up the rice around the filling and compact into a ball.
Roll in Furikake if you like it and eat.
You can also buy onigiri makers that press the rice into cute shapes like triangles, hearts, Hello Kitties and more!
Sushi
The most difficult part of making sushi is finding the ingredients. After that you can improvise, adjust and add or subtract
anything you like!
1 cucumber
1 carrot
4 T rice vinegar
3 green onions
4 c steamed white rice
1 T sugar
2 T rice vinegar
20 nori sheets
Peel and slice the cucumber the long way. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon then slice thinly the long way.
Cut off the ends of the carrot. Slice the long way and steam for a few minutes. Cool and marinate in 4 T of vinegar.
Trim the green onions and slice thinly the long way.
Mix the rice with sugar and vinegar in a large bowl.
Lay a sheet of nori down on a sushi roller or clean dish towel.
Cover about 3/4 of the nori with a thin layer of rice. Get your hands a little damp if the rice sticks to them.
Place in a slice of carrot, cucumber and a few green onions.
Roll tightly starting with the rice-covered edge. Roll inside the mat or towel to compact a little.
Slice carefully with a sharp, clean knife.
Try other fillings your family likes like avocado, tuna salad, smoked salmon or cream cheese.
Miso Soup
Miso soup is a Japanese staple and can be found at any meal or at any time of the day.
Here are the basic ingredients and process we used. As with any recipe you can improvise, add or subtract as you like.
I also noticed the Paul Motoyoshi is now serving Miso Soup at the Saturday market...
For a big pot of soup-
8 c of water
2 T bonito flakes
2 T White Miso Paste
1/2 lb Tofu cut in cubes
4 green onions, sliced thinly
Heat the water to very hot.
Steep the bonito flakes for a few minutes. You can use a strainer or a tea ball or another method.
Take out the flakes. They are little to fishy for most Americans.
Note: The extras make great cat treats and if you bought them at the asian grocery store are much less expensive than
the ones you can buy just for cats!
Stir in the miso paste and cook for a few minutes.
Add the tofu and green onions just before serving.
Yakisoba
We made a very simple version in class. You can add almost any vegetable, tofu, meat or seafood to this recipe for your family.
1 yellow onion
2 large carrots
3 T canola oil, plus more as needed
1 package fresh or frozen yakisoba noodles
(You can use dry noodles but cook and cool ahead of time)
1/2 c Yakisoba sauce or Stir Fry sauce
1 c water, plus more as needed
Dice the onion very small.
Slice up the carrot very small.
Heat 3 T canola oil in a wok or electric skillet or frying pan to medium hot.
Add the onions and carrots and sauté until soft and golden (about 10 minutes).
Add the noodles with sauce and water.
Cover and let steam to unglue the noodles.
Stir occasionally until the noodles, sauce and veggies are combined.
Enjoy.
Stir Fried Tofu and Spinach with Rice
Marinade: 1/4 c. hoisin sauce 2 T soy sauce 1 T water 2 t sesame oil 2
large cloves garlic, minced 1 T minced ginger
8 oz extra firm tofu2 T canola
oil 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and slivered
10 oz package of fresh spinach, stems
removed
5 green onions, sliced Steamed rice for serving
Mix together the
marinade ingredients in a bowl. Slice the tofu into bite-sized pieces and stir into the marinade. Cover and marinate
for 10 minutes or more. Cook rice and keep warm. Heat the oil in a large wok or non-stick skillet until
hot on medium-high. Scoop the tofu out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and add to the oil. Stir fry until crispy
at the edges. Add the water chestnuts and the marinade and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the green onions and spinach and
mix until heated through and spinach is wilted. Serve over rice.
1 lb ground turkey3 t dark soy sauce 2
T oyster sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 1 c finely chopped napa cabbage Secret Seasoning Wonton
Wrappers 8 c chicken stock 1 c shredded napa cabbage 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Combine the turkey, soy sauce, oyster
sauce, garlic and cabbage. Lay a wonton wrapper
in square shape in front of you. Place 1 t filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half lengthwise, making
sure the ends meet. Roll over again, being sure to keep the filling centered. Wet the ends. Bring corners together so that
one overlaps the other, and seal. Continue with the rest of the wontons. Boil a large pot of water. Add a few wontons at a time and boil about five minutes until they rise to the surface
and the filling is cooked. Remove and set aside. Bring
the stock to a boil. Add cabbage and cook until tender. Season with Secret Seasoning. Add cooked wontons and bring soup back
to a boil. Remove pot from heat and add green onion.
Chow
Mein
1 lb dried Chinese noodles (you can use spaghetti in a pinch)
2 t sesame oil (the flavoring
kind not the cooking kind) 1 big carrot 2 stalks celery 1/4 yellow onion
1/2 yellow
pepper 1 baby bok choy
Secret Seasoning 1/4 c water 1 t corn starch 4
t oyster sauce 4 T canola oil Chopped green onions
Cook noodles. Cool, drain
and toss with sesame oil. Blend the water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir in the oyster sauce. Heat
2 T oil in a wok on medium-high. Chop all of the vegetables into small pieces. Invite Duncan over to help if you'd
like tiny, perfectly even pieces! Add the celery, carrots and onion to the wok and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add
the pepper and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the bok choy and stir-fry 2 minutes. Season with
pinches of Secret Seasoning. Add the noodles and 2 T more oil if desired or needed. Stir-fry a few minutes then
add the oyster sauce mixture. Stir-fry until noodles are hot (or longer if you like crispy bits). Top with chopped
green onions if you like them. You can easily add chicken, shrimp, pork or beef to this recipe if you'd like or
use any vegetables you like or want to use up.
3 eggs2 1/2 T Oyster Sauce Several pinches Secret
Seasoning 4 T oil for frying 4 c cold cooked rice
Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl with
1 T of the oyster sauce and a pinch of the secret seasoning.
Add 2 T of oil to a preheated wok and
turn heat to high. When oil is hot add the egg mixture. Scramble gently until the eggs are cooked but still a little moist. Remove from wok to a plate and wipe the wok clean. Add 2 T oil. When oil is hot add the rice, stirring to seperate the grains.
If really sticky add a little water. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 T oyster sauce and several pinches of secret seasoning.
Add eggs and mix together. Serve hot.
Okay,
we’ll tell you the Secret Seasoning but, shhhh!
2 T Szechwan peppercorns1 t black peppercorns 1/2 t white peppercorns 1/4 k kosher salt
Brown
the peppercorns and salt in a heavy skillet on medium to medium-low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the Szechwan
peppercorns are fragrant and the salt turns light tan color. Grind the cooled mixture in a small cuisinart or blender.
Add to any dish for authentic Chinese flavor.
Coconut
Pumpkin Curry over Rice
2 T extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced2 c pumpkin, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2
t Indian curry powder 1/4 t garam masala Salt 1 can coconut milk Cooked rice
Heat
the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onion until it's fragrant and a little bit see through. Add the pumpkin and
saute until it's a little bit browned and tender. Add the garlic and spices and cook for two minutes. Sprinkle
in a little salt. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Serve over your favorite kind
of rice.
Grace's Dad's French Onion Soup
We found a bunch of onions in the garden this fall. Grace said her dad makes the best french onion soup and she's bring the
recipe and ingredients! So here is how we made it at school.
1 1/2 c thinly sliced onions 3
T butter 6 c stock or broth (we used vegetable) 1/4 t pepper Slices of french bread Grated
parmesan cheese
Saute the onions in butter in a soup pot until browned but not burned. Add
the stock and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes. Lay the slices of french bread on a cookie sheet. Top with cheese then
bake until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melty. Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheesy bread.
Spider
Cookies
This is an easy and fun recipe.
1 12 oz package chocolate chips 2 small bags crispy
chow mein noodles
Carefully melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Stir every now and then. When
the chocolate is melted stir in the chow mein noodles until all of the noodles are coated. When the mixture is cooled
enough to touch plop spidery looking bunches on a cookie sheet. Let cool and harden. Eat up!
Gluten-Free and Flavor-Full Apple Crisp
We made this from organically grown apples carefully tended by indigenous pigmies of Vashon.
8 crisp, fresh apples
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 c oatmeal (read the lable to be sure it has no gluten)
Peel the apples. Slice into small pieces and spread into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Melt the butter in the microwave.
Add the sugar, spices and oatmeal and stir well.
Spread over the apples then bake at 375 degrees until golden and crispy on top-about 20 minutes.
International Recipes
In 2007-2008 we tried out recipes from many countries who participated in building the international space
station.
Those nations include:
The United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
United Kingdom, Japan, Russia, and Brazil.
Honey-Mustard Dressing
honey
olive oil
champagne vinegar
1 clove garlic
salt
Put some honey in a bowl. Stir in or whisk in olive a little at a time mixing as you go. Add in a little champagne vinegar.
Cut the clove of garlic into a few big pieces and stir it around in the dressing but remove before serving.
Taste it. Add more of whatever you think it needs.
Season with a little salt.
Serve tossed with your nice, fresh greens out of your garden or from the Farmer's Market.
Risen Grot
Thanks to Lars' mom's generosity we got to try Risen Grøt, or Norwegian rice porridge and it was delicious!
Here is what we did-
2 packets of Toro brand Risen Grøt
24 dl milk (10 c)
4 dl water (1 1/2 c)
Butter
Cinnamon and sugar
Pour the packets into a large pot.
Add the milk and water.
Bring to a boil while stirring and let the porridge simmer without a lid for 15 minutes.
You can add more milk if the porridge gets too thick.
Serve with a little butter in the center and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
Mix the leftovers with whipped cream and orange sections-a great dessert!
This website has Risen Grøt for sale.
http://www.scandiaimports.com
Japanese Curry
We made Japanese Curry for the Japanese feast celebrating my trip to Japan.
It is really easy and you just need to buy the curry. Below this recipe there is a picture of one kind but there a lot
of brands available at Uwajimaya. Just look for the flavor level you like (mild, med-hot, hot...)
You can follow the directions on the box but here is what I recommend:
Saute any meat and vetables that you like.
Add water and the curry squares and cook until it's thick and delicious.
It's that easy. It refrigerates for a long time and is even better reheated.
Indian Fry Bread
This bread was invented by the Navajo people after the
Europeans arrived with their wheat flour but is now enjoyed by tribes all over the United States and in Washington.
It is now enjoyed by the multi-age kids too.
2 c flour
1 t salt
3 t baking powder
1 c water
Lots of canola oil for frying
Heat the canola oil in an electric skillet or in a heavy skillet on the stove.
Mix together the other ingredients and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Break off a ball about golf ball size and pat out no thicker than 14 inches.
Fry in the hot oil until light golden brown, turning to brown both sides. Drain well on paper towels. Keep covered in
a bowl while cooking more to keep warm.
(A good experiment-try a little without the baking powder. That really gets the point across about what baking powder
does.)
This is usually served with soup, stew or pozole.
You can also drizzle with honey, or spinkle on powdered sugar or cinnamon.
Send in your family's favorite simple recipe for this year's cookbook! If you send in the ingredients we'll cook the recipe
in class.
Spätzle
This is an easy recipe for German-style pasta.
2 eggs
1/2 c water
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
2 T butter
1/2 c grated parmesan-reggiano
1/4 c chopped parsley
Mix together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and water and stir until a sticky dough forms.
Heat a large pot of salted water until boiling.
Squish the dough through a spätzle maker, a colander, a pastry bag with a large, round tip or any way you can get the
dough into long, round strings.
When the spätzle rises to the surface of the water it's done.
While it's cooking melt the butter in a large skillet.
Add the finished spätzle to the pan and sauté. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley and serve right away.
Other
Favorites
Peanut Butter Banana Bread
1/2 c (1 stick butter), melted in microwave
1 c mashed, squishy banana (about 1 banana)
1 c brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c peanut butter
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
Smoosh the butter, banana, sugar, eggs, peanut butter and vanilla together in a mixing bowl.
In another bowl stir the flour and baking soda together.
Add the flour to the other bowl and stir just enough to combine.
Pour into a greased 9 inch by 9 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Enjoy warm like we did Friday morning thanks to Emma's squishy banana!
Pumpkin Bars
1/2 c soft butter
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 can of pumpkin puree
1 t vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
Cream the butter with the sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla and mix well. In a seperate bowl mix all the dry ingredients.
Add to wet ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until firm-30 to 35 minutes.
Cool and top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Parsley Pesto Pasta
1 big bunch parsley
1 clove garlic
1 c walnuts
Lots of olive oil
1 pound pasta
Pick a big bunch of parsley out of your garden. Wash and dry the parsley carefully. Carefully remove all of the stems.
Chop the rest.
Put the clove of garlic in your blender or food processor. Chop it up into tiny pieces.
Add the walnuts and parsley. Add a bunch of olive oil. If it does not look saucy enough or will not blend together add
more olive oil. You will not believe the color!
Taste it and add more of anything you think it should have.
Serve over hot pasta of your choice.
Sauteed Cabbage with Rice
Here is a great way to get your kids to eat cabbage...
First grow the cabbage yourself in the garden.
Then dice up the cabbage into little pieces. Next sauté the cabbage in a frying pan with some oil, a pinch of salt and
a splash of soy sauce.
Serve over your favorite kind of rice.
Let the kids help make it.
You will not believe it!
Cinderella Pumpkin Pie
½ bag of gingersnaps
1 brick of graham crackers
2 T sugar
1 stick butter, melted
4 c roasted pumpkin flesh* (we prefer Cinderella Pumpkins grown in our garden!)
½ can of sweetened condensed milk
½ pint of heavy cream
2 t cinnamon
Crush the gingersnaps and graham crackers to crumbs by hand or in a blender or food processor. Place in a bowl. Mix
with the sugar then melted butter. Press into a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan.
Mix the pumpkin with the milk, cream and cinnamon. You can add other spices that you like-ginger or cloves are good if
you have them.
Pour over the crust.
Bake at 350 degrees until browned and not jiggly in the center. That should be for about 40 or 50 minutes.
*Just cut open the pumpkin, scrape out the seeds and save for roasting or planting, cut the pumpkin into chunks if it
is big and roast, skin side up, in a 400 degree oven until it is soft.
Then scoop out of the skin into a bowl and measure. Use the rest for another pie or some pumpkin bread or pumpkin pudding.
Apple Crisp
6 freshly picked apples
2 T sugar
1 stick butter
1 c brown sugar
2 c oatmeal
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Peel, core and slice the apples. Spread them into your baking dish and sprinkle with sugar.
Melt the butter in the microwave in a glass bowl.
Stir in the brown sugar and oatmeal.
Spoon on top of the apples.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until crispy on top and bubbly underneath.
Ryan says his mom would add a little lemon zest to the apples which sounds delicious.
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