Tag Archives: Japanese

Jan 18 2014

Carrot-Ginger Dressing

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Carrot Ginger Dressing

Carrot Ginger Dressing

My favorite Japanese restaurant has the best salad dressing. They even sell it so people can take it home. I used to buy it until I found this recipe which is exactly like the restaurant dressing (after my tweaks).

Recipe: Carrot-Ginger Dressing

My Tweaks: I double the amount of carrots and quick steam about half of them in the microwave first – it makes the dressing a bit more orange and blends easier. I use half the amount of oil (I use olive oil) and double the ginger. I start in the mini prep (small food processor) to get the carrots, onion and ginger chopped into fine pieces, then I move to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and use my stick blender to get the right texture.

Apr 21 2013

Broccoli Goma-ae

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Broccoli Goma-ae

Broccoli Goma-ae

I love the spinach Goma-ae at my local Japanese restaurant and have just started trying to replicate their sesame dressing at home. This recipe isn’t exactly the same, but it’s still good. When I make Gomae-ae at home, I prefer to use steamed broccoli.

Japanese Sesame Dressing

My tweaks: I use sesame paste or plain tahini instead of grinding the sesame seeds myself. I add some roasted sesame seeds (whole) for texture.

Jan 6 2013

Grilled Shishito Peppers

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Grilled Shishitos

Grilled Shishitos

I became obsessed with Shishito peppers last Summer when I grew them in my garden. I had never heard of them before, but when I was buying plants at the farmer’s market I saw Shishito plants and bought them because they were something new. As they started producing these adorable little green peppers, I looked online for information about how to prepare them. They are a Japanese variety and are often served grilled or pan-fried at Izakaya bars. About one in 10 is hot and spicy, so it’s a fun game of pepper roulette!

You might be able to find Shishito peppers at Japanese grocery stores, or look for Twist Peppers at Korean grocery stores. (Twist are a variety of Shishito). Now that it is Winter and my garden is gone, I’ve had better luck finding them at the Korean stores.

Here’s the super simple recipe: Grilled Shishito Peppers Recipe

My Tweaks:  I use a hot frying pan with a little oil instead of the grill and toss the peppers every few minutes until they blister and start to char. At the end I sprinkle with togarashi, sea salt and some additional toasted black sesame seeds.

Shishito Pepper Plant in my garden

Shishito Pepper Plant in my garden