Snowy January

Our day started when I opened the curtain and saw this through our window. It is one to zero degree (Celcius) here and we`re having a freezing snowy holiday.

I don`t usually get excited when the snow falls, but since it seems like we won`t have snowy winter this much again (or probably, at all) in Shizuoka, I quickly changed, grabbed my point-and-shoot, wore my rain boots (yes, those are all I`ve got) and headed outside to the winter wonderland enjoying every steps on the fresh layers of snow flakes.

This is where we usually get our daily groceries.

This lady was not the only person who was brave and skillful enough to ride a bicycle under this kind of weather. I barely could walk straight with the snow going inside my eyes, let alone riding something!

When I walked home thinking about making soup for dinner, I realized that I wanted to share a list of dishes I`ve made that might be good for cold days, although you can find them through my Recipe list. Some of the recipes, especially the old ones, don`t have measurements for the ingredients (yet I still call them "recipes"), but hopefully the images can still give you the ideas for making your own version of soup.

Here they are!

Chicken braised with miso and tomato

Kimchi soup

Spicy miso soup

Cabbage and egg soup

Turmeric beef soup

Fish head soup

Gyoza soup

Spicy vegetable soup with rice cake

Spiced chicken stew

Oxtail soup

Green curry with chicken meatballs

Tomato hotpot

Mushroom pot pie

 

 Onion soup

Now get your spoon and have a happy slurpy soup day!

Spicy vegetable soup with grilled turmeric shishamo

I think March is probably the most memorable month in a year for me and my husband as it reminds us of many important episodes of our lives. For now I`m not going to talk further about the personal sides, but Japanese academic and fiscal years start in April and end in March, so March is kind of the year-end month where people usually get busier to finish their works and anticipate the upcoming schedules for April as the New Year. And climately speaking, March is also the month when people prepare to welcome the beginning of spring where the snow melts quicker and the trees start to seem alive again. 

Now, to celebrate the end of the frosty winter, I`m going to share one Indonesian-ish dish that I usually cook when I feel the urge to consume fibrous meal and one fish dish to make them as a beautiful set.

Let`s start with the soup first.

Heat a bit of oil on medium heat and saute onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, chili, and chili powder until fragrant.

Stir in shrimp paste. For whatever reason you have, you can substitute it for dried shrimp or anchovies (I sometimes do this) or omit it (sometimes I do this too), although it will slightly alter the final taste.

Pour in water-preferably hot-, stir in coconut powder until completely dissolved, and let it simmer. 

If you use liquid coconut milk, pour in the coconut milk first, and add water until the liquid volume reach about 2 cups in total. You can even add water in the last step instead. We are going to add quite a lot of stuff to the pot after this, so you don`t want to overfill the pot with liquid right now.

 I believe I don`t have many recipes here that include this bamboo shoot despite how frequent I use it. The only bamboo shoots sold in the our nearest store is the one that is ready to use packed in bag filled with water. According to the pack, that white powdery stuff sticking on the bamboo shoots is a kind of amino acid and thus no need to remove it. I hope you can find this bamboo shoots at the stores in your area. Too bad that I never buy fresh bamboo shoots so I have no idea how to handle it.

Anyway, cut the bamboo shoots-in random shapes, as you can see- and add to the simmering liquid in the pot.

Have you met nameko? My husband dislikes this mushroom for its sliminess, but I LOVE it for the same reason. The mushroom is covered with a slimy gelatinous layer, but crunchiness stays even after cooking. It kind of has a distinctive smell that some people probably are not fond of, so you might want to check it first before adding to the whole dish. I usually quickly rinse them with hot water and add them to whatever I`m cooking. Nameko work nicely in stir-fried dishes, but when you add them to soups, they will make the liquid thicker.

So, here is the soup already with nameko and bamboo shoots in it. Oh, I added shimeji mushrooms too but I didn`t have the picture.

Next is konnyaku. If you`ve been following my blog, you probably noticed how I often have konnyaku in my soups. It is recommended to blanch the konnyaku in hot water for a few minutes to remove unpleasant odor, but I usually dice it up, rinse under hot water, and add the cubes to the pot.

Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar while keeping the soup simmering.

When you`re done with the seasoning, put frozen long beans on top, remove from heat, and cover with lid for 5-10 mins until the green beans are softened.If you are using fresh long beans, cook it on low heat with the lid on for 5-10 mins depending on your liking of mushiness or crunchiness.

The soup is done! If you have omitted the shrimp paste or dried shrimp, it means your soup is a vegan version. But if you`re like me who still can`t fully commit to 100% vegan lifestyle, you can continue prepare this side dish. 

I used shishamo fish, but you can use your own choice of fish. I use this turmeric seasoning recipe for many kinds of fish, or even chicken, and it always worked in our house. My husband especially is a fan of this turmeric seasoning. It`s quick and simple, but the result is very rewarding.

Wash whatever fish you use and pat dry before starting the seasoning. 

Then, if you use small fish like these shishamo, just dump them in a bowl, add olive oil, turmeric, ginger powder-or grated ginger, even better!- pepper, and salt. Mix together everything until each fish is evenly coated with the seasoning.

Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and arrange the turmeric-coated fish onto it. Grill it for 20-30 mins or until the skin has crisped up.

Ah, look at this pair. If you`re an Indonesian, I`m 200% sure you`ll remember about sayur lodeh and ikan asin. But if you`re not, it means you need to give these dishes a try and see if you enjoy them as much as we do.

Happy Sunday!

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SPICY VEGETABLE SOUP

Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic, minced/chopped

1/2 cut onion, chopped

2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp coriander, minced/milled

3 chilies (remove seeds for milder heat)

1 Tbs chili powder

1 tsp shrimp paste

2 cups hot water*

1/2 cup coconut milk powder*

150 g bamboo shoot, chopped

100 g shimeji mushroom

80 g nameko mushroom

100 g konnyaku, diced

100 g frozen long beans

Salt

Pepper

A pinch of sugar

*Note: If using liquid coconut milk instead of powder, adjust the volume into 2 cups

Method:

1. Heat a bit of oil on medium heat and saute onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, chili, and chili powder until fragrant.

2. Stir in shrimp paste.

3. Pour in water and stir in coconut powder until completely dissolved.

4. Stir in the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and konnyaku.

5. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar while simmering.

6. When finished with seasoning, put green beans on top, remove from heat, and cover with lid for 5-10 mins until the green beans has softened.

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GRILLED TURMERIC SHISHAMO

Makes 12 grilled shishamo

Ingredients:

12 shishamo, washed and patted dry

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix together shishamo with the remaining ingredients until the fish is evenly coated.

2. Grill for 20 mins or until the skin has crisped up.

Onion soup

This onion soup was actually one of the realization of my food-dreaming moment during my way home in a freezing snowy evening. Walking. This time I didn`t ride my bike because I`ve learned in a hard way. I still got that bruise as a reminder. Anyway, that day was unbelievably cold that it wouldn`t be surprising at all if a bowl of hot soup was what everyone on the street was thinking about.

And speaking of onion, I always have this love-hate relationship with onion because eating it raw is the least thing I want to do-you`ll find me frowning and sighing every time my burger or sandwich has raw onion in it-, but using it for cooking is kind of a sacred ritual in my kitchen. First time I`ve tried onion soup was at a restaurant and I was utterly impressed on how onion can turn into such a wonderful soup. So, I had been meaning to recreate the soup at home and I finally made it based on Julia Child`s Soupe a l`oignon, but without the wine and cognac. And without the Swiss cheese either. I found the Gruyere cheese sold in the stores to be quite expensive, so I just keep my curiosity inside and moved on with the more affordable cheese. If you think you can handle my butterless, wineless, and Gruyereless onion soup, which I really hope you can, please move along with me. Believe me, it wasn`t bad at all. In fact, I think this was really really good!

Thinly slice 2 onions (which will give you approximately 2 cups of sliced onions) and cook them in a saucepan with 3 Tbs of olive oil on low heat.
The original recipe calls for butter and oil, which you might want to try, but I`m perfectly happy with my olive oil.

During this stage, cover the saucepan and let the onions slowly cook for about 15 mins.
With the low heat, I think the onions should not easily scorch. But since I`m a worrier (not warrior), I sometimes stirred them around to make sure nothing disastrous going on inside there.

After 15 mins, the onions should be all wilted and slightly browned.

Open the cover, raise the heat to moderate, and stir in salt and sugar. From here, all you need to do is stir, stir, and stir. Not every second, but frequent enough to prevent them from burning.

Cook them for like 30-40 mins or until the onions have greatly reduced their volumes-like one fifth of the initial volume- and have evenly caramelized.

Julia wrote, "...until the onions have turned an even deep golden brown". Now I really wish I could see how deep is deep in her kitchen, but I think this one is deep enough for me.

Stir in 1 Tbs of flour to the caramelized onions and let cook for 3 mins.

I`m not proud showing you this, but I had prepared beef stock and stored in my fridge the day before. By stock I mean the boiling water of beef that I`ve used for my pan-fried buns filling. I didn`t add anything to it, so it`s simply water with the beef flavor, although sadly, fat as well. That`s why I fished out the solidified fat with my skimmer in the picture above.

Pour in the beef stock or any stock you want or even water to the onions, lower the heat, and stir to combine. Simmer the soup for about 30 mins and adjust the seasoning.
Julia`s method is to remove the pan from heat while blending in the stock and dry white wine before simmering it again.


Now here`s for extra oomph factor.

Place toasted bread in an oven-proof ramekin.

Ladle in the onion soup until 4/5 full. Hold your self, we`re not done yet.

Place another toasted bread on top.

 Top with your choice of cheese and bake at 210 C for 20 mins or until everything looks yummier!

I`m not too happy with the final photos, but I couldn`t wait any longer. So after giving it merely several shots, my spoon got busy digging in all the soul-warming goodness. My husband was about to sleep when I fed him a spoon of the soup. The soup seemed to be effective enough to wake him up, because he sat up straight and finished the whole ramekin.

The soup is rich, sweet, and savory and the addition of bread and cheese make the whole set even harder to resist. If I were the one to decide what Seven Wonders are, this onion soup would definitely be in the list.

Bon appetite!

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ONION SOUP 

Makes about 2 cups or 3-4 individual ramekins

Ingredients:

2 onions or approximately 2 cups of sliced onions

3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Pepper

400 ml beef stock

Toasted bread

Cheese for topping

Method:
1. Thinly slice onions and cook them in a saucepan with 3 Tbs of olive oil on low heat.
2. Cover the saucepan and let the onions slowly cook for about 15 mins.
3. Open the cover, raise the heat to moderate, and stir in salt and sugar. Stir it frequently to prevent the onions from burning.
4. Cook them for like 30-40 mins or until the onions have greatly reduced their volumes and have evenly caramelized or turned deep brown.
5. Stir in 1 Tbs of flour to the caramelized onions and let cook for 3 mins.
6. Pour in the beef stock or any stock you want or water, stir to combine, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 mins.
7. Simmer for 30 mins and adjust the seasoning.

For serving
1. Place toasted bread in an oven-proof ramekin.
2. Ladle in the onion soup until 4/5 full.
3. Place another toasted bread on top.
4. Top with your choice of cheese and bake at 210 C for 20 mins

Gyoza soup

Winter hasn`t officially come yet, but I`ve been starting making soups these days. One of them is this gyoza (Japanese dumpling) soup and this was my first time making it because I usually pan-fry them. Ever heard this?

"Who doesn`t love dumplings?"

For the soup, I prepared a very simple dashi (Japanese stock) using dried shiitake mushroom and dried kombu (sea kelp). Unlike the shiitake mushrooms, kombu can be used readily during the boiling, so it will appear later in the process.

According to the instruction, the mushrooms have to be rehydrated for at least 3 hours (overnight in the fridge works best) to help release the umami and soften the mushrooms. What I usually do is I immerse 4 or 5 dried mushrooms in 2-3 cups of water, place a mug or this Rilakkuma tea cup atop to keep them under the water level and let it sit while I prepare the other ingredients or go out for shopping. Or check out your new posts. Or sleep. 

Now let`s work on the filling. When I prepare pan-fried gyoza, I want the filling to be flavorful so I used more ingredients in it. But, since this one comes with soup, I liked the filling to be simpler and lighter in taste and let the soup enrich them.

Chopping time, everyone. Chop up this maitake mushrooms....

...cabbage (in the bowl-forgot to take the picture)...and this garlic chives (nira in Japanese). If you asked me like 7 years ago what that was in my hand, I would super confidently answer, "Grass.". Lesson for me: Sometimes it`s good to look back and see how much we`ve learned all these years.

Back to the filling where we need one more thing, konnyaku noodles. Usually konnyaku needs to be blanched in hot water for a few minutes, but I just go with hot water from my tap. You don`t have to be like me, you know that. 

And to make life easier, use a kitchen scissors and snip the noodles up.

Combine all those ingredients in a bowl and lightly season the mixture with salt and pepper, if you want to.

The wrapping is my least favorite part, but I know it`s worth the effort. For the wrapping steps, please see here.

This time I didn`t bother pleating the edge. Next time I will...I think.

Alright, the wrapped gyoza is done and let`s move on to the soup.

Heat a bit of oil over medium heat and saute garlic and chili until they are fragrant.

Pour in the mushroom stock, chop up the mushrooms, and throw them in the soup.

Add dried kombu to the soup, red chili flakes (if you want it to be red and spicy), chopped carrot to enhance the aroma (no picture here, sorry), and season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a while. 

My soup was so frothy I almost thought I added soap too! But I believe I didn`t (I didn`t!), so I just used my skimmer to make the soup clearer.

By the way, this stage is where you should be done with the seasoning and stirring, because after this....

...we need to add the dumpling and stirring the soup with the dumplings in is not a very good idea, unless you are fine with having a bowl of soup with your dumplings torn apart. Also, you can not keep leftover because the dumplings will absorb the soup while getting mushier and mushier. I learned these lessons in a hard way.

But, I had nothing to complain about because I was too busy slurping and chewing all the goodness in this bowl. The gyoza were so soft that it kept slipped away from my chopsticks and obviously I should have used a spoon instead. But even so, I finished this soup in my bowl within seconds! And just for an idea, I think adding the pan-fried gyoza in the soup will work fantastic too!

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GYOZA SOUP

Makes 2-3 cup soup

Ingredients:

#For soup

5 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 dried kombu (sea kelp)

2-3 cups water

1 tbs olive oil 

4 cloves garlic

2-3 dried chili (remove seeds for milder heat)

1 tbs red chili flake

1 carrot

Salt and pepper to taste

#For gyoza

Gyoza wrappers

Cabbage

Maitake mushrooms

Garlic chives

Konnyaku noodles

Salt and pepper (optional)

Method:

1. Rehydrate 4 or 5 dried mushrooms in 2-3 cups of water and let it sit for several hours while preparing the other ingredients.

2. For the filling, mix chopped cabbage, garlic chives, and konnyaku noodles in a bowl. Lightly season with salt and pepper if necessary.

3. Place 1-2 tsp of the filling on a gyoza wrapper, wrap into half-moon shape, and seal the edges with water.

4. Heat a bit of oil over medium heat and saute garlic and chili until they are fragrant. 

5. Pour in the mushroom stock, chop up the mushrooms, and throw them in the soup.

6. Add dried kombu to the soup, red chili flakes, chopped carrot, and season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a while.

7. Carefully add the gyoza to the soup and let it cook until the skin has turned translucent and soft.

8. Ready to serve.