Yakiniku Gyoza - Video Recipe

Perfect for those who want to eat both Yakiniku and Gyoza ;) One of my Easy Lifesaver recipe!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIXkgmfHw_Y

I used "Yakiniku no Tare (焼肉のたれ)", which is a sweet and tasty soy sauce based Japanese barbecue sauce for Yakiniku (grilled meat), to season the gyoza filling. In this way, you can make tasty gyoza (dumplings) in a second ;D



Simple yet delicious!!! You can't stop eating them XD

---------------------------------
Yakiniku Gyoza

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20min
Number of servings: 18 pieces

Ingredients:
A
* 140g (5oz.) ground beef and pork mixture
* 2 tbsp. Panko (bread crumbs)
* 2 tbsp. chopped long onion
* 3 tbsp. Ebara Ougon No Aji Chu Kara (Ebara Yakiniku Sauce Medium Hot) : you can use any kind of Japanese Yakiniku Sauce
18 Gyoza wrappers
cooking oil
lemon wedge (makes the Gyoza tasty!)

Directions:
1. Put A in a bowl and mix well by hand (hand is better but using a spoon is okay) until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth.
2. Lay a Gyoza wrapper in your palm and place a spoonful of filling in the center. Put water along the edge of the wrapper with your fingers, fold in half, make small folds in the front side of the wrapper and seal.
3. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan, put the Gyoza in, and cook on high until the bottoms become brown.
4. Turn down to medium, add water about 1/3 of the height of Gyoza, cover, and steam on med-high until done. Uncover and cook on high until the water is gone and the bottoms are crisp.
5. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Of course, it goes great with white rice! Perfect for Bento lunch box, too!

レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post_20.html
---------------------------------

Enjoy :D

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Okinawan Recipe Contest - Vote for me ;D

I am joining the Okinawan Recipe Contest!

My recipe is "Goya Gapao" and it turned out really great!!!
(Goya is a local vegetable and tastes bitter.)



I know my recipe is in Japanese, but please "Like" for the pic ;) hehe
You can "Like" my recipe on the page :D

http://www.okireci.net/recipe/2564/

BTW,「じょーとー」which we read "jyo-to-" means "Like" in Okinawan dialect.

Thank you!!!

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Silver Glitter Gradation Nails

This weekend, I'm going to attend my friend's wedding, so I did calgel nails (which lasts for a month) at the salon.

I have to make cooking videos, so I kept my nails short and chose very simple yet glittering color ;) They were 30 bucks! How do you like them?! hehe



As you know by now, last time I did my nails was a year ago on my wedding! I matched my nails to our wedding theme "Heart Full NY Central Park".

Brings back some memories ♥

I am also going to the Aromatherapy Salon this evening to dress up nicely as a guest. hehe

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Hawaiian Dinner Show

Yesterday, my darling and I've been to Hawaiian restaurant called "LOCO'S TABLE MAHANA" in Ebisu (Tokyo). My favorite hula teacher (team Makani Lua'Ole) dances here, so we go there once in a while. I enjoyed a lot♥



BTW, hula dancing is my hobby for 2 years since there is a FREE class at the gym I go. I don't think I want to pay to learn. LoL I share my hula dancing videos on YouTube with my blog buddies or Tipness (gym) members ;D Not professional, so I just share with limited people. hehe

Anyways, I changed my hair color yesterday since I have to attend a wedding reception this weekend. Of course I used "KAO Prettia Bubble Hair Coloring: Natural Ash"!



Have a good day!!!

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Kawaii Bite-Sized Melonpan | Japanese Cooking Video Recipe

Here is the easy Kawaii (cute) Melonpan recipe that requires no rising.

I received a lot of requests for melonpan, but to tell the truth, I don't like to spend too much time on cooking, so I always try to cut corners. hehe

Bite-Sized Melonpan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3TjFaOSvZA

Btw, you can make this Melonpan as big as you want, or as small as you want. I made it small and cute (Kawaii)♥



---------------------------------

Kawaii Melonpan

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 60min
Number of servings: 12 bite-size mini Melonpan

Ingredients:
1 hot dog bun (or any kind of fluffy bun)
40g (1.4oz.) butter (softened)
40g (1.4oz.) granulated sugar
40g (1.4oz.) egg
A
* 100g (3.5oz.) all-purpose flour
* a pinch of baking powder
granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, add egg little by little and mix well.
2. Sift A in 1. and mix well.
3. Place the cookie dough on the plastic wrap and shape it into a log and wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes until firm.
4. Preheat oven to 350F (180C) when you think you are ready.
5. Cut the hot dog bun into 12 pieces. *
6. Cut the cookie dough into 12 pieces and shape them into balls. *
7. One at a time, roll out the cookie dough between two layers of plastic wrap, place the bun in the center and enclose it in the cookie dough.
8. Roll in the granulated sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet about an inch apart. With a scraper or knife, score the cookie dough in a criss-cross pattern.
9. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10 minutes. (Depending on the heat of the oven, cooking time may differ, so please watch out.)

* All you want to do is coat the bread with the cookie topping, so you can make it as big as you want, or as small as you want :D

↓レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post_14.html
---------------------------------

I love the cookie part of Melonpan, so I'm not that interested in baking the bread part :P

Have fun!!!

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Zoku Quick Pop Maker

I know it is now September but one thing I found popular this summer was "Zoku Quick Pop Maker"! I saw it in NY and on TV here in Japan. Did you get it?!



I'm not a person who buys a new stuff in a second, so I didn't get it. hehe

Anyways our weather here in Tokyo is still hot like summer at 30C (86F) but yesterday was a day for "otsukimi" (お月見) - we call the day "chushu no meigetsu" (中秋の名月) - the day we enjoy viewing the full moon (harvest moon).

It's autumn already!

I gotta think a video tutorial for Halloween ;D

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Yakiniku

Once in a while, we go out to eat Yakiniku (grilled meat).

I love vegetables and well done lean beef and chicken, while most Japanese can eat offal meats. Ew X(



We didn't have the Korean-style Yakiniku, but many Japanese Yakiniku restaurants have Bibimbap on their menu. We love to finish with it. hehe



Why we've been to Yakiniku resutaurant?! You'll know why soon ;D

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10 years after 911

Time flies.

It's been already 10 years since 911.
And also it's been 6 months since 311.

Both were tragic while 911 was preventable.

I will never forget.

And I appreciate every day of my life.

Peace!

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Simmered Chicken in Grated Potato - Video Recipe

This is another favorite food that my mom cooks at home. Very easy and uses very simple ingredients available anywhere. It goes great with white rice and also a great recipe for bento!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DZckZdxQe0

Originally, my mom uses thinly sliced pork, but I know thinly sliced meats are not available in some countries, so I sliced the lean chicken breast! And it came out really yummy!!!



BTW, I never cooked or helped my mom when I lived with her, so actually, when I cooked for the first time was over 20! haha

Anyways, enjoy ;D

---------------------------------
Simmered Chicken in Grated Potato

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
300g (10.5oz.) lean chicken breast (no skin)
100g (3.5oz.) potato
1 tbsp. sake
200cc water
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
salt
cooking oil
Shiraga Negi (thin stripped long onion: Cut the white part of long onion into 2-inch length. Cut lengthwise and remove the soft green core. Cut the white part into julienne strips. Soak them in cold water for a few minutes (or wash) and drain well.)

Directions:
1. Remove the skin from the chicken and slice it diagonally into bite-size pieces. Grate the potato.
2. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan cook chicken until no longer pink.
3. Add sake and water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then Add sugar, soy sauce and a little bit of salt.
4. Add the grated potato into 3. and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened.
5. Serve with Shiraga Negi.

↓レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2008/10/blog-post_09.html
---------------------------------

I think everyone likes the next recipe!!!

Please stay tuned ;D

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SAKE HALL HIBIYA BAR

On Saturday, my darling and I've been to SAKE HALL HIBIYA BAR in Ginza (after the Hello Kitty Art Exhibition).

My darling said he found the restaurant on the newspaper. His choice was perfect. I really loved the idea of enjoying sake in many ways :)

Not only the cocktails but also their foods are made from sake (sake lees)!

SAKE HALL No.1 Herb Sonic (with rosemary)


Their recommended refreshing sake: Oniwaka (鬼若) and Gokujyo Yoshinogawa (極上 吉乃川)


Carpaccio Salad with Italian Sake Dressing


Sake Lees Quiche with Mushrooms


Sake Lees and Miso Stir-Fried Pork and Cabbage on top of Squid Ink Daikon


Fried Avocado with Sake Lees Tartar Sauce


Sake Lees Ochazuke


I enjoyed a lot :D

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Enoki Bacon - Video Recipe

This is my favorite food that my mom cooks at home. At my home, we eat it with ponzu sauce which is a citrus-based sauce. It is very tasty and refreshing, so please try it out in this way if you have never tried it! It's a great recipe for bento, too :D


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq1ASXYj81U

In this tutorial, I use Lékué (pronounced LAY-KWAY) Silicone Steam Case. Lékué is unique because it is made from 100% pure food-grade platinum silicone, built to exceed FDA standards. It's microwave, freezer, dishwasher and oven safe up to 260C (500F) degrees.　It costs about 50 bucks in Japan but becoming very popular these days.

Another popular product released this year (in 2011) is jelly ponzu (ハウス のっけてジュレ ぽん酢). Jelly ponzu can be spread on anything while traditional ponzu runs over.

Of course you can use ready-made ponzu, or I will show you how to make ponzu sauce from scratch.



---------------------------------
Enoki Bacon

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 10min
Number of servings: 2-4

Necessary Equipment:
microwavable cookware OR oven safe cookware

Ingredients:
200g (7oz.) enokitake (enoki mushrooms)
4 bacon strips
A
* 1 tbsp. lemon juice
* 1 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:
1. Cut off the roots of the enoki mushrooms and separate them into 8 bundles.
2. Cut bacon strips in half and wrap enoki mushrooms.
3. Place the enoki bacon seam-side down, microwave for 3 minutes at 500w OR bake for about 10 minutes at 200C (390F). When it's done, let it steam for about 3 minutes.
4. Mix A and make ponzu sauce.
5. Pour the ponzu sauce over the enoki bacon just before serving.

↓レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post_1990.html
---------------------------------

Enjoy :D

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Microwave Cooking Safety

Do you think microwave cooking is unsafe?!
Do you think microwaving food in plastic wrap or container is dangerous?!

Long time ago, I once heard it is unsafe but nowadays I don't. Microwave cooking is very popular in Japan, and I think we don't care about it. So, I was very surprised to receive a lot of comments regarding the safety of it (after posting my microwave cooking videos).

Therefore, I contacted my microwave manufacturer (National / Panasonic) and my plastic wrap manufacturer (Asahi Kasei) to hear what they would respond.

Microwave Safety:
- The radio waves would never leak from microwave and of course it is not visible. (The light in the microwave is to check if the food is done or not.)
- It would never cause chemical transformation into toxic forms. Microwave is out for more than 40 years and there is no such an issue.
- The major drawback of the microwave oven is that food doesn’t heat evenly, which means bacteria and other micro-organisms can thrive in the cold spots. Therefore, microwave oven can be dangerous if foods are cooked unevenly.

Plastic Wrap Safety:
- They don't use harmful substance.
- Just make sure the upper temperature limit before you use microwavable plastic products. However, even if it melts, the food is edible.

These are the answers I received for the products I use, so just make sure with your manufacturers to ensure the safety.

My Conclusion:
Overall, it seems safe if you cook foods thoroughly using microwave.

But who knows what would be said after many years. Therefore, I would say it is better not used for the main source of cooking if you are skeptical about the chemical transformation on foods cooked in microwaves. Since microwave is very popular, I believe our government (in Japan) would never drill down on issues related to it.

Everyone has their own ideas on this issue... What do you think?!

(I feel like doing a summer vacations homework. LoL)

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Hello Kitty Art Exhibition

My mom gave me free tickets for Hello Kitty Art Exhibition (ハローキティ アート展) held in Ginza, so my darling and I've been there while typhoon is approaching. haha Luckily it didn't rain :D

The exhibition was a display of some modern Hello Kitty artwork by Yamaguchi Yuko (3rd Hello Kitty designer), history of Hello Kitty designs since it was born in 1974, and some local Hello Kitty collections nationwide. It was interesting but what I thought was not worth paying 10 bucks per person. haha

We were not allowed to take pictures at the exhibition, so I have only one pic to share, which I took at the entrance.



Of course, I headed to the huge sanrio shop in Ginza after this and enjoyed Hello Kitty there again. hehe

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Healthy Microwave Meatloaf - Video Recipe

I know I have a delay posting this here, so whomever already watched, thanks ;D

This is my favorite healthy meatloaf! I always want to eat something really healthy that you don't have to care much about calories, so I came up with this idea.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCW5r30BJuY

Kanikama (imitation crab meat) makes it tasty, fluffy, and delicious :)

Great for bento, too ;D



---------------------------------
Healthy Microwave Meatloaf

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 25min
Number of servings: 4

Necessary Equipment:
microwave
microwavable glass loaf pan

Ingredients:
1/4 cup panko (bread crumbs)
1 tbsp. milk
Ａ
* 200g (7oz.) minced chicken breast
* 50g (1.7oz.) minced onion
* 1 small egg
* 1 tbsp. sake (or white wine)
* salt & black pepper
Ｂ
* 50g (1.7oz.) mixed vegetables
* 120g (4.2oz.) kanikama (imitation crab meat/crab sticks)
* 30g (1oz.) shredded pizza cheese
Ｃ
* 3 tbsp. ketchup
* 2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
cooking oil

Directions:
1. With hands, tear kanikama (crab meat) into shreds.
2. In a large bowl, soak panko (bread crumbs) in milk. Add A and mix well with your hands. Add B and mix well with your hands.
3. Place 2 in a plastic wrap, place in a microwavable glass loaf pan, and wrap up securely.
4. Microwave for 5 minutes at 500 watts. *Depending on the heat of the microwave, cooking time may differ.
5. Remove from the pan and remove the plastic wrap, heat cooking oil in a pan, and cook until the surface is browned.
6. Mix C and make a sauce.
7. Slice the meatloaf and serve with the sauce!

↓レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2011/09/blog-post.html
---------------------------------

Enjoy :D

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