Japan Food Addict » Appetizer http://www.japanfoodaddict.com Hello! My name is Mai. I'm from Kyoto, Japan. These are some of the most popular recipes in Japan. They are healthy and easy to make. Most of them take 20 minutes or less to prepare. Itadakimasu! (Let's eat!) Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:12:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Hourensou no Ohitashi http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-ohitashi/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-ohitashi/#comments Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:18:22 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=2279

“Hourensou” is the Japanese word for spinach. This is a quick, healthy side dish or appetizer. The dashi gives it a unique Japanese flavor. Enjoy!
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of spinach (hourensou)
Spices
  • 3/4 cup Dashi soup or 3/4 cup hot water mixed with 1 tsp hon-dashi (soup stock powder)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • One pinch of katsuobushi
Preparation
  1. Boil spinach for 3 minutes (until slightly wilted)
  2. Submerge in cold water then wring out with a paper towel
  3. Chop spinach into 2″ pieces
  4. Mix dashi soup and soy sauce in a bowl
  5. Add spinach and refrigerate for 10 minutes
  6. Transfer the spinach to a serving dish, discard the liquid, and top with katsuobushi
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-ohitashi/feed/ 0 Tender Chicken Salad http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/chicken/tender-chicken-salad/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/chicken/tender-chicken-salad/#comments Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:27:52 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=2379

Chicken is low in calories so it’s very good if you’re on a diet. Also, vinegar is a great antidote for fatigue, so this recipe is a perfect cool, summer appetizer.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 chicken breast fillets
  • 4 cucumbers (julienne-cut)
  • 2 celery sticks (julienne-cut)
  • 1 carrot (julienne-cut)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
Spices
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground sesame
  • 2 tbsp sake (for chicken)
Preparation
  1. Separate the stringy, white tendon from the chicken fillets
  2. Combine the chicken and sake in a small microwave-safe container and cover with plastic wrap
  3. Microwave chicken for 2 minutes then remove and pull apart
  4. Mix spices (soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and sesame) in a small bowl
  5. Pat cucumber dry with a paper towel, then add it and the rest of the vegetables to the separated chicken. Add spices and mix well.
  6. Cool the salad in your refrigerator then serve and enjoy!
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/chicken/tender-chicken-salad/feed/ 1 Hourensou no Gomaae http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-gomaae/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-gomaae/#comments Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:50:37 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=2274
Japanese: Spinach sesame salad. Spinach is loaded with calcium and iron, and is a great source of fiber. We like this recipe because spinach provides so many nutrients in a such a small package.
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of spinach (hourensou)
Spices
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp ground sesame seeds
Preparation
  1. Boil spinach for 3 minutes (until slightly wilted)
  2. Submerge in cold water then wring out the leaves inside a paper towel
  3. Chop spinach into 2″ pieces
  4. Mix sugar, soy sauce, and ground sesame in a bowl, then combine with spinach and mix
  5. Spinkle with whole sesame seeds
  6. Serve!
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/hourensou-no-gomaae/feed/ 0 Abekawa Mochi http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/abekawa-mochi/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/abekawa-mochi/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:40:53 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=1532
Abekawa Mochi
This is a very common way to eat mochi. It is also called kinako (soy powder) mochi. This may be an unusual taste for the Western palate, but I’m confident its muted sweetness and unique texture will win you over.
Yield: 5 mochi
Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 5 mochi
  • 2 tbsp kinako
  • 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation
  1. Submerge mochi in a bowl of water and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes (or until mochi gets soft)
  2. Mix kinako, sugar, and salt in a bowl
  3. Dredge mochi in mixture, one by one, covering thoroughly
  4. Serve and enjoy!
Abekawa Mochi Ingredients Abekawa Mochi Preparation
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/abekawa-mochi/feed/ 7 Cucumber Sesame Salad http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/cucumber-sesame-salad/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/cucumber-sesame-salad/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:07:17 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=1286
Cucumber Sesame Salad
Kyuuri is the Japanese word for cucumber, and goma is sesame. Japanese cucumbers are much thin and shorter than American cucumbers, and the taste little different, but you can use either. If you do not like skin or seeds, please remove them before adding salt.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3/4 lb cucumber (cut into 1/4″ slices)
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds (ground)
Spices
Preparation
  1. Massage salt into cucumber slices and chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove from fridge and drain water from the bowl
  3. Add sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds, mix and put it back the fridge for 3 minutes, or until you are ready to eat
Cucumber Sesame Salad Ingredients
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/cucumber-sesame-salad/feed/ 6 Jyaga Bata Yaki http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/jyaga-bata-yaki/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/jyaga-bata-yaki/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:01:39 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=1264
Jyaga Bata Yaki
Jyaga Bata Yaki means baked potatoes with butter soy sauce. This is an easy side dish recipe that goes well with miso steak.
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 big potato (1 lb, cut into 1 inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cup green onion (chopped)
Spices
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • dash of salt and pepper
Preparation
  1. Microwave potato for three minutes
  2. Put potato in a oven free dish, sprinkle salt and pepper, add soy sauce, mayonnaise and butter
  3. Put in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes
  4. Sprinkle green pepper on the potato and serve
jyaga bata yaki ingredients
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/vegetables/jyaga-bata-yaki/feed/ 2 Age Gyoza (Fried Dumplings) http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/pork/age-gyoza-fried-dumplings/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/pork/age-gyoza-fried-dumplings/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:52:53 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=1243
Gyoza
This recipe is for fried gyoza (dumplings). Many restaurants actually use frozen dumplings, but this is how you make them by hand. They taste the best right after you pull them out of the fryer.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 30 gyoza wrappers
  • 3/4 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 lb hakusai (Chinese cabbage)
  • 1 dried shiitake mushroom (soaked in water for 10 mins, then sliced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp ginger (minced)
Spices
Preparation
  1. Add pork, Chinese cabbage, shitake, garlic, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a bowl, and knead
  2. Put roughly 1 or 1.5 tsp pork in the middle of a gyoza wrapper. Dip your fingers in the water, and spread it around the edge of the gyoza wrapper. Fold in half and pinch softly around the edge
  3. Heat oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry gyoza for 3 minutes. (6-7 pieces at a time)
  4. Serve gyoza with soy sauce
Gyoza Ingredients Gyoza Prep 1 Gyoza Prep 2 Gyoza Prep 3
]]> http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/pork/age-gyoza-fried-dumplings/feed/ 6 Ebi Mayo http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/seafood/ebi-mayo/ http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/seafood/ebi-mayo/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:42:56 +0000 Mai http://www.japanfoodaddict.com/?p=396
Ebi Mayo is a fantastic appetizer that is extremely easy to make, delicious, but strangely, very hard to find in American cities I’ve visited. Considering that, this is a great dish to show off to friends who may have never heard of it before. Please let me know if you have seen or eaten it in your city!
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 12 ebi (shrimp or prawns), peeled and deveined
Spices
  • 1/4 cup Japanese sake
  • 5 tbsp katakuriko (or corn starch)
  • Cooking oil
Spices (for sauce)
  • 3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 2 tsp catsup
  • 2 tsp honey (or sugar)
Preparation
  1. Marinate peeled and deveined shrimp in sake for 2-3 minutes
  2. Dredge shrimp in katakuriko and fry in pan with about 1/4″ oil until cooked and golden brown (about 2 mins per side). Remove and transfer to paper towel. Pat to remove excess oil
  3. Mix spices for sauce together, coat shrimp with mixture and serve
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