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Appetizers

Appetizers, Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes

Smash Gyoza

October 17, 2024

These open-faced gyozas are ingenious as well as delicious. The dumpling wraps become crispy around the edges and the filling has a superb savory flavor. They are reminiscent of mini tostadas and can be served with a drizzle of sauce or with additional toppings such as chopped kimchi, green onions and sesame seeds.

Gyoza wraps are readily available at most markets either in the frozen or chilled foods section. If you don’t use them all, freeze the leftover wraps for your next round of smash gyoza. They will keep well for several months.

I used green cabbage in my gyoza but you can certainly used Napa cabbage. I love how green cabbage retains its crunchy texture even after being salted and drained.

Ground pork is typically used when making gyoza. If pork is not your thing, use ground chicken (dark meat or a combination of dark and light) or pressed and crumbled extra firm tofu.

Little scoops of pork are placed in a skillet then topped with a gyoza wrapper and smashed gently with the bottom of a small bowl (I use a Pyrex bowl) or firm spatula.

The gyoza are flipped once during the cooking time which crisps up the wrapper. I like to get a little color on the filling because it adds a lot of flavor making the gyoza extra tasty.

If you are making the gyoza as a main dish, serve it with crunchy sliced cucumbers, kimchi and onigiri (Japanese rice balls) dusted in furikake.

Smash Gyoza
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Smash Gyoza

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

4-6

servings

Delicious crispy smash gyoza makes the best appetizer or dinner!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound green cabbage, finely chopped (about 2 cups) or 1 pound Napa cabbage (about 4 cups)

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • 1/3 cup finely grated carrot, chopped into short pieces

  • 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped (reserve 2 teaspoons for serving)

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced or grated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced or grated ginger

  • 1 pound ground pork (or substitute with ground chicken)

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper (white if available)

  • 22-26 gyoza wrappers

  • vegetable oil for frying

  • Serve with: roasted sesame seeds, kimchi, onigiri, sliced cucumbers (optional)

  • Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (such as Kikkoman)

  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 teaspoon sriracha or chili oil (add more to increase spice level)

Directions

  • Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use, or refrigerate if making well in advance.
  • Toss finely chopped green cabbage with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Let drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Squeeze out moisture then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and wring out additional liquid so the cabbage is quite dry.
  • In a large bowl, combine cabbage with carrots, green onions, garlic, ginger and pork. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and reserved 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Knead the mixture until thoroughly combined and smooth.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add tablespoon sized mounds of pork filling in the skillet, leaving space between each for the gyoza wrappers. Place gyoza wrapper on top of each mound of filling and gently smash (not completely flat) with the bottom of a small glass bowl (I use a Pyrex bowl) or firm spatula. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 minutes or until nicely browned and the meat is cooked through (160 degrees). Flip gyoza and cook uncovered for another minute or so, until the gyoza wrapper is a little crispy around the edges. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining filling, adding extra oil as needed.
  • To serve, sprinkle reserved green onions and roasted sesame seeds over the gyoza and drizzle with dipping sauce.
Appetizers, Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Chili Sauce

August 19, 2024

A couple of cucumber plants can easily produce a basket load of cucumbers, much more than the two of us can consume in a couple of days. When this happens, we pass out cucumbers to friends and neighbors so they can enjoy them while they are fresh and crunchy (like apples). I’m always on the lookout for ways to use these beautiful Japanese cucumbers, and pickles are usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, I discovered an alternative to pickles. This is a quick and easy recipe that can be served right away. The sweetness from honey and spiciness from the chili oil makes this salad exceptionally tasty.

You’ll only need a small amount of chili crunch to flavor the sauce. If you don’t have any on hand you can swap it out with plain chili oil or simply add a dash of crushed red pepper flakes.

Japanese cucumbers don’t need to be peeled since their skins are quite tender. Leaving the skins on will ensure an extra crunchy and colorful salad.

This refreshing cucumber salad has all the flavors and textures that make a delightfully cool summery side dish. Japanese cucumbers, crunchy-salty peanuts, sweet and spicy sauce. Serve with one of these and you have the perfect meal: teriyaki meat sticks, seared ahi, tofu, along with a side of rice.

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Chili Sauce
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Cucumber Salad with Peanuts & Chili Sauce

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

4

servings

Ingredients

  • 2 Japanese cucumbers (about 12 ounces), diced

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 small green onions, finely sliced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted and salted peanuts

  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon chili crunch or chili oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic

Directions

  • Slice cucumbers lengthwise into quarters. Cut away areas with seeds. Chop each quarter into 1-inch pieces. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and leave to drain in a colander for about 20-30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, chili crunch or chili oil, and garlic. Set aside.
  • Give the salted cucumbers a quick rinse to remove most of the salt. Pat dry with a clean towel.
  • Transfer the cucumbers to a low sided bowl and drizzle with the reserved sauce. Top with chopped peanuts and sliced green onions. Serve right away.

Notes

  • You may chill the cucumbers in the sauce for an hour or so if you prefer a colder salad. Sprinkle peanuts and green onions on just before serving.
Appetizers, Bread, Italian, Lactose Free, Recipes, Sandwiches, Side Dishes, Summertime Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers & Tomatoes

August 11, 2024

Bruschetta! If there’s a simple way to enjoy juicy summer tomatoes this is it. This is a jazzed up version of the classic tomato and basil bruschetta with savory olives, capers and artichoke hearts. It’s one of the easiest and most delicious appetizers you can serve at your next summer gathering.

Use ripe and juicy tomatoes either cherry or larger ones diced into bite-size pieces. The key is to use good tomatoes and avoid those with mealy interiors.

All the ingredients are tossed in a bowl. Easy!

I highly recommend using good country bread and grilling it with a bit of olive oil. Grilled bread has a slightly smoky flavor and crispy browned edges that deliver the most delicious flavor.

These are seriously yummy toasts.

Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers & Cherry Tomatoes
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Artichoke Bruschetta with Capers & Cherry Tomatoes

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

2-4

servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped drained oil-packed artichoke hearts (such as Cara Mia Marinated Artichoke Hearts)

  • 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes, chopped

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (or to taste)

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil

  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley

  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped green olives

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

  • 1 tablespoon brined capers, drained (coarsely chopped if capers are large)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 slices sourdough or ciabatta, lightly brushed with olive oil, grilled or pan fried with olive oil until golden and crunchy

  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

  • Toss together the artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, parsley, olives, onion, and capers in a medium bowl. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside while you grill the bread.
  • Turn your gas grill to high heat and allow to preheat for about 10 minutes. Brush olive oil on both sides of bread and grill, turning a few times until you have the desired grill marks and bread has a few charred marks. Remove bread to a plate and season with a few pinches of Maldon salt (if grilling is not an option, pan fry the bread brushed with olive oil, on both sides until golden and crunchy). Top with artichoke bruschetta and serve.

Notes

  • The artichoke bruschetta is equally delicious tossed with your favorite short pasta (farfalle, fusilli, cavatappi, penne) and served cold or at room temperature as a side dish.
Appetizers, Lactose Free, Pickles, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Refrigerator Pickled Beets

June 30, 2024

We often sous vide and water bath can pickles and peppers at home. These cooking methods are great for longer storage. But sometimes a quick refrigerator pickle recipe is more convenient. Not only are they a breeze to prepare, the end result is always enjoyable. These pickled beets are so easy to make and they are utterly delicious.

Select beets that are similar in size so they cook evenly.

There’s not much to it. A couple of pantry ingredients will turn these beauties into a scrumptious snack or side dish.

A little tart, a hint of sweetness, and earthy goodness from the herbs, you can serve the beets in multiple ways. Sometimes I like to eat them simply with a dab of mayonnaise. Other times they become part of a salad (Salad Niçoise), a side dish for a sandwich, or served with little cubes of avocados and Green Goddess dressing (which makes for a gorgeous presentation).

Pickled Beets
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Pickled Beets

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

8

servings

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cooked beets, peeled, cut into large chunks or slices (select beets that are approximately the same size for even cooking)

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 large garlic clove, quartered

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole peppercorns

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 small bay leaf or half of a large bay leaf

Directions

  • Wash beets well. Trim off all but 1 inch of the beet greens and the long root. Place beets in a large, deep saucepan with enough water to cover by at least 2 inches (you may need to add more boiling water during cooking time). Bring to a boil then adjust heat to a lively simmer. Cook for 25+ minutes until just tender. The cooking time will depend on the size of your beets. Large beets may take up to 40 minutes. Check doneness by piercing the beet with a thin knife. Allow cooked beets to cool slightly until you are able to handle them. Trim off tops and bottoms and peel beets. Cut into large chunks or slices if you prefer.
  • While beets are cooking, combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, mustard seeds, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaf in a medium pot. Bring to a lively simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from the heat.
  • Place beets in a clean glass jar (or two jars if needed) with a tight fitting lid. Pour liquid over the beets. Cover and let cool for about 1 hour. Transfer jars to the refrigerator to cool completely before serving.

Notes

  • Consume beets within 4 weeks
Appetizers, Dinner, Fish, Japanese, Lactose Free, Pickles, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Maki Sushi Rolls

April 28, 2024

Fresh homemade sushi is hard to beat and not as difficult to make as you might think. It’s pretty cool to be able to customize your rolls by using your favorite ingredients. Once your sushi ingredients are ready to go, the rolling happens quickly. Before you know it, you’ll have tasty maki sushi rolls ready for lunch or dinner.

There’s really no rule when it comes to the ingredients you can use in Maui-style maki sushi. Common ones include spicy tuna (canned), avocado, cucumber, sushi grade tuna, crab, salmon, tamago (egg) and other vegetables such as watercress, carrots, takuan (pickled radish). Shown above are tuna, smoked salmon, and takuan hosomaki (thinner rolls).

If you don’t have a tamagoyaki pan like the one above, use a small non-stick fry pan to cook the eggs.

Prepare the fillings for the sushi while the rice is cooking then refrigerate until ready to use. Wrap your sushi mat in plastic wrap. The mat will stay clean and won’t pick up any scents or oil from the sushi ingredients.

On most occasions I make spicy tuna but sometimes I make a sweet/salty version with soy sauce. This is the type you might find at local okazuya and bento stores. Besides adding flavor, crispy cucumbers, carrots and tamago add color and texture.

The first step is to place a sheet of nori shiny side down on your sushi mat. Spread rice over the nori leaving a 1-inch border free of rice. The amount of rice you use will determine the size of your roll and the amount of rolls you can make with the 2 cups of rice that you cook. My rolls are medium-sized since I don’t use too much rice. I usually end up with 3 medium rolls and 2 thinner (hosomaki) rolls. If you’re using wasabi paste dab it on the rice before adding the other ingredients.

Shaping the rolls will take a little practice but you’ll get the hang of it after your first roll. And it won’t matter much if the first few rolls don’t turn out perfectly. They will still be delicious.

Layer on your ingredients then begin rolling them up. You can choose your own fillings and make vegetarian rolls if you prefer.

Once you have the ingredients tucked into the roll, continue to roll while lifting the top portion of the mat up as you roll.

I packed a sushi bento for a friend and delivered it to his work place for a surprise snack.

I thought I would try an inside-out roll with avocado. To my surprise I didn’t botch the roll! We have lots of avocados now so I’ll give this another go very soon.

Maki Sushi Rolls
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Maki Sushi Rolls

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

4

servings

Depending on the amount of rice you use in each roll, this recipe will make 3 medium and 2 small rolls (hosomaki) or 4 medium rolls

Ingredients

  • Sushi Rice

  • 2 rice cooker cups short grain white rice

  • 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

  • Filling Ingredients

  • 1 small carrot, julienned (blanch 1 minute in 1 cup water mixed with 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon mirin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt)

  • 1 small Japanese cucumber, cut into wide strips (remove any seeds with your knife)

  • 1 avocado, sliced

  • 1 (5 ounce) can tuna in water, drained (mixed with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha + 1/4 teaspoon of shichimi togarashi, optional)

  • 3 eggs, whisked (mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon mirin, 1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce) cooked over medium-low heat in a small pan to form a thick layer and sliced into 1/2-inch wide strips

  • 3/4 cup takuan (pickled radish) thinly sliced

  • wasabi paste

  • roasted sesame seeds

  • 5 sheets sushi nori

Directions

  • Cook rice according to rice cooker directions for sushi rice. While rice is cooking, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a 1-cup glass measuring cup and give it a stir. Microwave for 20-25 seconds. Remove and stir until the mixture turns clear, about 2 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Place hot rice in a large shallow bowl or dish, such as a 9×13 glass baking dish. Immediately drizzle the prepared sushi vinegar over the warm rice and fold in gently to evenly season the rice. Using swift cutting motions gently break up the rice while fanning as you go (do not stir the rice or it will become clumpy and mushy). Fanning the rice helps to remove excess moisture and also gives the rice a shiny appearance. Cover rice with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to come to room temperature before using, about 1 hour. (Rice should not be left out for more than 2 hours for food safety reasons. Refrigerate sushi rolls if not eating within 2 hours).
  • Cover sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place a piece of nori shiny side down on the mat. Distribute rice evenly over the nori leaving 1-inch free of rice at the bottom portion. Begin placing your fillings onto the rice (upper third area). Lift the bottom edge (closest to you) of the sushi mat while also holding the fillings in place with your fingers and quickly fold over securing them in the first fold tucking in any ingredients that may have fallen out. Continue rolling the sushi away from you gently squeezing the mat to form a uniform sushi roll while lifting and moving the mat forward until the entire sheet of nori is rolled up. Slice and serve rolls with wasabi and soy sauce.

Notes

  • Though the rice may not be quite as soft, leftover sushi rolls can be refrigerated and eaten the following day. Double wrap them in plastic wrap then place in a freezer zip top bag. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to slicing and serving.
Appetizers, Dinner, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Sauces, Summertime Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

February 14, 2024

This beautiful salsa is so refreshing and very easy to put together. It compliments a wide range of dishes: tacos, scrambled eggs, burritos, quesadillas, tortilla chips and grilled chicken. And since you do not need to cook any of the ingredients you can make this in a jiffy.

This recipe comes from Fermin Nunez, voted best new chef in 2021 by Food & Wine magazine. It caught my attention not only because I love Mexican cuisine, but also because it seemed easy to make. I knew it would be delicious served with tacos I planned for dinner. A little tart from the tomatillos and lime juice, a little spicy from the chiles, this salsa cruda (raw sauce) is delightful.

After a little chopping, everything goes into the food processor for a quick whirl. Lime juice, olive oil and salt are stirred in to balance the flavors. That’s it. The salsa is ready to be served.

Tomatillo based salsas go hand in hand with braised pork tacos and any style of tortilla chips.

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda
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Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

Recipe by Kiyo
Servings

8

servings

Adapted from Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) fresh tomatillos, husked, washed and roughly chopped

  • 4 ounces (about 3/4 cup) red onion, roughly chopped

  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro (from 1 medium bunch)

  • 2 ounces (2 medium) jalapeños, stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 1 ounce (2) scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

  • 1/8 ounce (1 medium or 1 1/2 tablespoons) serrano chile, stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Directions

  • Pulse tomatillos, onion, cilantro, jalapeños, scallions, and serrano chile in a food processor until finely chopped, 12-16 pulses, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Season with additional salt to taste.

Notes

  • For a milder salsa, remove the pith from the chiles. Salsa will keep well for up to 3 days stored in the refrigerator.
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