This is a quick recipe to make, and is great for cold weather, paired with a Sapporo or even some sake for a comfortable night at home.

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.

This recipe is uses ground chicken and tofu, so it is very light and low in calories. Tofu is much cheaper than meat in Japan, so I use that often to save money on food.

This recipe is also called “tori nanban”. You can order it at any soba restaurant in Japan (it’s very popular recipe). It is getting cold out now, so stay warm and eat hot soba!

“Nimono” is the Japanese word for food that is boiled and seasoned. The taste is very mild and the aroma reminds me of the way my childhood home used to smell when I got home from school. Enjoy!

This is a very simple grilled chicken recipe. I often put it in my lunch box. It is also good for larger pieces of chicken on the BBQ!

Yakitori is skewered chicken, a popular Japanese dish dating back over 400 years. “Yaki” means grilled and “tori” is chicken. There are many yakitori bars in Japan which serve many versions of the recipe. Your basic yakitori bar is small and usually has only one person grilling the food at the counter. It is really fun to go there with friends or co-workers after work. This is a simple yakitori recipe, and you can add vegitables, seafood, beef of pork and use same sauce or even salt to grill it with. It definitely tastes better if you make it on your BBQ! Have fun!

Pizza is a popular food to order in Japan, but we have some original recipes as well. This recipe is for a teriyaki chicken pizza. Perhaps it’s very different than the pizza that you may be used to, but it’s unique and tastes great!!

“Nabe” is the Japanese word for everything in one pot. There are many kinds of Nabe—it’s simple and great party food. It is also popular to eat in winter to make the body warm. I used chicken in this recipe but you can use beef, pork, seafood, and of course your favorite vegetables.

Chicken breast becomes dry and hard when you stir fry (compared to thigh meat) but this recipe shows you how to make chicken breast soft and tasty.

Chicken Karaage is a very common Japanese home cooking recipe and many Japanese restaurants in countries all over the world have it on the menu.
Very simple and tasty!!

“Tori Dango” means chicken meatballs, and “Zōsui” means rice soup. My family loves zōsui, and this was one of my favorites as a child. Loved the chicken meatballs! Zōsui is very easy to make and perfect for a low calorie diet. Also check out Kaki Zōsui and Tamago Zōsui!

Nitamago is a very tasty boiled egg. It is a very common ingredient in Japanese Ramen noodles. Even if you’re only making instant ramen noodles, the addition of a nitamago can really spice up your meal. Thanks to Udom for the suggestion!

Japanese: Guratan.
Gratan is originally comes from French cuisine and is very popular food in Japan. Most common gratan is baked macaroni, chicken and vegetables in a white sauce with cheese, but there are many kinds and sometimes we make original Japanese styles like tofu gratin!

Chawanmushi is a Japanese traditional steamed egg and dashi custard dish with mushroom, kamaboko, shrimp, and chicken. Chawan means tea cup and mushi is steam, so this is literally called “tea cup steam”. If you can not find some of the ingredients you may omit them and the dish will still be delicious! This dish is great for your diet.

Japanese: Renkon to Tori no Nimono.
Nimono is the Japanese word for food that is boiled and seasoned. Tori means chicken and renkon is a lotus root. You can find this in any Asian grocery store. I like the lotus root’s texture, and it is still crispy after boil.

Oden is a popular wintertime stew. So popular, in fact, that convenience stores have open pots during the cold months and my friends and I often go there for a warm bowl when we get hungry. There are many ingredients in oden: eggs, daikon, potato, konnyaku, tofu fish cake, meat ball, chicken, pork, and beef. Each family has its own special recipe, so it is fun to try at your friend’s house.

Omurice is rice dish covered in egg and ketchup. The name came from “omelette rice’. You can write letters or hearts on the egg for fun! There are omurice restaurants in Japan that have many different kinds of omurice.

Japanese: Atsuage to Jyagaimo no Nimono.
Atsuage is different than Aburaage, which you might have seen in previous recipes. Aburaage is very thin, basically tofu “skin”, but atsuage is very thick, so the inside is soft. Atsuage is good boiled or grilled, then eaten with soy sauce. “Nimono” (boiled and seasoned) is the common way to make it at home.

Japanese: Toriniku to Ebi no Ketchup Itame. “Toriniku” is Japanese for chicken and “ebi” is shrimp. “Itame” means stir fry. This dish is a little sweet and a little sour. Kids like it, and you can even cook it with pineapple if you want it to be a little sweeter. I prefer savory tastes, as most Japanese do, so I’ve omitted the pineapple here.

Japanese: Takikomigohan (literally, dish served with rice). This is a rice dish seasoned with dashi and soy sauce, and often includes mushrooms, vegetables, meat, or fish. I made chicken (tori) and mushroom (kinoko) takikomigohan for this recipe. This is very easy to make if you have a rice steamer, though you can still make it if you don’t. Many traditional Japanese restaurants serve takikomigohan with seasonal ingredients.

Japanese: Osu Curry. We call curry “kare rice” and it is a very popular home cooked meal. Studies have shown that an ingredient found in curry, curcumin, boosts brain activity in elderly people and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Usually we use curry roux to make curry rice, but I recently saw this vinegar curry recipe on a Japanese TV show called “Omoikkiri Don”. I recommend that you make it this way occasionally—the vinegar re-energizes you and improves your metabolism.

“Nimono” means food that is boiled and seasoned. Many Japanese home cooked meals are prepared in this fashion. There are many kinds of nimono recipes. This one is chicken (tori) and potato (jyagaimo).

Katsu means cutlet, and chicken katsu is deep fried chicken with bread crumbs. It’s commonly served in family restaurants or Teishoku-ya (similar to an American diner).
Basic chicken katsu doesn’t usually contain a filling, but I am going to show you my favorite way to cook.

In Japanese oyako literally means “parents and children” and don is short for “donburi,” which is food served on top of rice in a bowl. This recipe calls for boiled chicken covered with beaten egg (hence the “parent/child” metaphor). Many udon restaurants serve Oyakodon in Japan.

Domburi means bowl and also means food served on rice in a bowl. Japanese have many kinds of Domburi. Some Izakaya (a Japanese drinking establishment) and Udon restaurants serve this popular dish. It is easy to make and very filling.

Teriyaki is a little hard to translate, and a little humorous, but literally means shiny grilled meat. It’s the sugar that makes it glisten. It’s popular in both Japan and America, but in my country you can get a teriyaki burger at McDonalds! You should try it if you come to visit (though this recipe is naturally much better!)