"Soup can become a meal by itself."

"Soup can become a meal by itself."
~ Anonymous


Cream of Broccoli Soup &
enjoying lunch with friends...


Thanks for stopping by
and God Bless,
hugs, Chris



more later...

Japanese Dashi / Japanese Soup Base

For those who have an allergy to MSG, it is better to make 
my recipes from scratch. 



Below are 3 different versions:

Version 1:
Soak dried konbu (seaweed) in warm water until it expands (this makes a nice starter for a
simple clear soup with fu (dried bread) in it)
  
Version 2:
Soak katsuoboshi (dried fish flakes) in hot (boiling) water; turn off burner; let cool; drain (this makes a nice starter for a simple miso soup)

Version 3:
Soak katsuoboshi i(dried fish flakes) in hot (boiling) water; turn off burner; during cooling add konbu;
drain (this makes a delicious base for Nabe (One pot Japanese dishes, as well as, other places
where you need a soup base)






Note #1:

I use all three types of dashi mentioned above in different recipes. I took many cooking classes from different famous chefs before coming to Japan.

To make your rice taste better, add a couple small pieces of dried konbu to your rice steamer before pushing the start button. This makes delicious rice for sushi types recipes.




Note #2:

As I mentioned in my earlier posting, I often make lots of dashi at one time. I have purchased ice cube
 trays for the freezing dashi purpose. I do not cover them in the freezer, however, I watch them and
 transfer them to self-sealing bags to keep the dashi "fresher".

If you are concerned that your freezer might acquire an odor, put an opened box of baking soda in it.
 I change the box every 3-4 months with a new one and use the old box for cleaning tough stains in the
 kitchen or bath areas.

If you have some nice porcelain china cups that have stains in them, baking soda as a paste works to
 remove the stain by rubbing it softly with your finger. Another safe china bleach is cream of tartar as a
 paste and softly rubbing it with your finger. If you can catch the coffee/tea stains when it is fresh, sprinkle
 salt on it and gently rub it with your finger. Rinse your dishes and your dishes will be sparkle clean.
 These will not scratch the finish.

GREEN PEA SOUP

from a friend...

Ingredients:

2 cups dried green peas (wash & drain)
7 cups water
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, optional, diced
100-150g bacon
salt & pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients.

Bring to boil & simmer 3 hours or more till peas soften.

Add more water as it becomes too thick.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

to serve:

Serve hot or cool (if cool remember water has been added before cooling) with crackers, bread crumbs, etc.

Yogurt-Blue Cheese Dressing

1 cup yogurt
3 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp onion, minced
salt and pepper


Drain yogurt to remove water. Add blue cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Chill.

Note: This makes a delicious dip for cut vegetables, too.

Dandelion Spring Soup

From the kitchen of a friend


The flavor of dandelion leaves is mild until the plant begins to flower. Like spinach, it is a good source of calcium and iron.

Collect your leaves with roots attached and refrigerate to keep fresh. Preparing your dandelions: Clean them by removing the leaves from the root and soaking the leaves in cold water. Agitate the water to loosen dirt, then drain the leaves in a colander. Repeat if necessary, especially if the dandelions were harvested after a recent rainfall. Spin-dry the leaves.

Dandelion Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta or raw bacon (optional, for garnish)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Spanish onions, peeled, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium leek, cleaned, green part trimmed and white part diced

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 quarts vegetable stock
3/4 pound spinach leaves, cleaned well

1/2 pound fresh young dandelion greens, cleaned, excess stem removed and cut into 1/8-inch-wide pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup low-fat sour cream
Perfect dandelion leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup red radishes, stem trimmed, diced, for garnish
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, for garnish

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until it's golden, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Remove it to paper toweling and reserve it for garnish.

Add the garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and the leek, cooking until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes.

Cover with cold vegetable stock, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, and add the spinach and 3/4 of the dandelion greens.

Transfer to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into another large pot, and keep it warm over medium heat.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and a generous dose of black pepper.

Place the sour cream into a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the hot soup to the sour cream while whisking until smooth. Whisk in another cup of the hot soup. Pour the sour cream-soup mix into the soup and stir until smooth. Do not allow the soup to boil.

Add the remaining dandelion pieces. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper as necessary.

To serve: Arrange the dandelion leaves, diced radish, pancetta, chives and a pinch of black pepper in the center of warm bowls. Serve the hot soup in a tureen. Ladle the soup into each bowl after presenting. Makes 3 quarts of soup. Serves 12.

BAKED POTATO SOUP

From the kitchen of a friend


1 lb. butter or margarine
1 qt. diced onions
Saute these on low heat until onions are tender (about 10-15 minutes) but do not brown.

1 cup flour
Add flour to above, mix well and cook 4-5 minutes, do not brown.

2 qt. chicken stock
Add slowly to roux while stirring with a whip; bring to a boil.

1-1/4 cups instant mashed potato [can substitute regular mashed potatoes]
Add slowly while stirring with whip, lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.

1 qt. half & half cream
Whip in and cook 10 more minutes. Do not boil.

1 cup cooked diced potatoes
Add to above.

1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp seasoning salt (such as Mrs. Dash’s seasoning)
dash tobasco
Just before serving, season with these.

shredded cheddar cheese
diced green onion
bacon bits
After placing soup in cup or bowl, top with these.

SUMMER EGGPLANT SALAD

from the kitchen of a friend


4-5 eggplant med size (grilled, peeled, & sectioned)
2 tomatoes cut into pieces

salad dressing:
2 tsp capers
3 thin green onions (sliced thin)
1 tsp sesame oil
hot pepper sauce (to taste)
3 tbs vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 1/3 tbs sugar

grill eggplant and cool; add cut-up tomatoes; mix ingredients for salad dressing and pour over eggplants and tomatoes; serve

Supa de rosii (Tomato soup)

From the kitchen of Dorina

1.5 L water
1 kg tomatoes
1 big carrot
1 onion
2 green peppers
1 tbsp chopped dill
parsley
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp flour
2 tsp oil
2 tbsp rice
salt


Wash the tomatoes and set to boil with 1pint (500 mL) water. When the tomatoes have softened, strain. Grate the carrot, parsley root and onion and set to boil with 1 qt (1 L) water until all vegetables are tender. Then strain and add the tomato liquid to the vegetable liquid.

Add rice, quartered green peppers, salt and sugar, letting everything boil, covered until the rice is half done. Add the flour fried in oil and let boil until the rice is done. Add chopped dill and parsley.

Note: This soup is also delicious served cold.

Creamy herb dressing

From the kitchen of a friend

1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup olive oil

In blender, place mustard, sugar, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cover, remove center of cover, blend on high and pour water. Blend 30-60 seconds. Add vinegar and wine; blend 30 seconds more. With blender on high spread, slowly pour in oil. Blend 1 minute or until thick.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir before serving.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

from the kitchen of Beth

* 1 Quart (4 cups) Real Maple Syrup; do NOT use Fake

* 3 tbsp. soy sauce

* 4 tbsp. garlic powder

* 6 tbsp. black pepper (ground)

* 1/2 Quart (2 cups) olive oil

* 1/2 Quart (2 cups) balsamic vinegar

In a Blender place the 1 quart maple syrup. Then place the soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Place the balsamic vinegar in the blender. Place approximately 1/2 Quart of Olive Oil into blender. Mix well.

Before serving you might have to blend it again because it might have separated, which in normal with vinaigrettes.

Note: This original recipe is for about 8 cups of the dressing. However, if you would like, it can be made as a smaller amount... be sure to keep the ratio of ingredients the same amount.

Caprese Salad

from the kitchen of Beth

* Fresh Mescalin Salad Greens
* Fresh Mozzarella Balls; sliced thin
* Fresh Tomato; sliced thin
* Fresh Basil leaves; Diced

Directions:
Place the Greens in the bowl you wish to use. On top of the Greens make rows of mozzarella and tomato, alternating between the two. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately.

Black Rice and Garlic Salad

from the kitchen of MaryJo

1 cup Black Rice
1 1/2 cups water
12 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup jicama, peeled and diced small
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Place the rice and water in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil and immediately reduce to the slowest simmer. Cover and simmer until the water is all absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool. Boil the garlic cloves in a small saucepan of water for just two minutes. Then change the water and boil the garlic two more times. Drain and set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir black rice, bell pepper, onion, jicama, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour into a serving bowl and decorate the top with garlic cloves.

Yields: 4-5 cups

Bacon & Corn Chowder

from the kitchen of MaryJo


6 med. Ears of corn (cooked or uncooked) cut kernels off cobs
Save 3 cobs
Brown 4 slices of chopped bacon
Remove and add 1 med, chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Saute all till tender.
Whisk in 2 tbsp flour,
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Stir in about a pound of cubed potatoes, red or white

Add 2 can chicken broth or more if needed
3 corn cobs
Cook 10 to 15 min. Discard cobs.
Stir in corn kernels.

Top with chopped tomatoes and fresh basil leaves

Cucumber Salad

from the kitchen of a Japanese friend

4-5 cucumbers
1 tbsp salt
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp water
1/2 lemon (juiced with zest thin sliced)
a dash of pepper

Wash cucumbers; slice thin into a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Gently mix, place a small plate with a weight (like a coffee mug) on top of the plate into the refrigerator for a 2 hours.

Drain accumulated liquid, rinse to remove salt, and gently squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

Mix dressing and pour over the sliced cucumbers. Add zest and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Clear soup with eggplant and egg

from the kitchen of a Japanese friend

2 small eggplants
1 egg
3 cup Japanese soup base (clear dashi soup)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sake
1 tsp soy sauce

Cut eggplants into long thin slices. Soak them in water to remove bitterness and drain. Heat dashi soup, add eggplant, simmer until tender, and season with salt and sake. At the end of cooking, add soy sauce.

Beat egg and stir into soup at the very end of cooking.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Potato salad

From the kitchen of a friend

10 small new potatoes
1 small onion (peeled, thinly sliced)
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (your choice)
1 cucumber (thinly sliced)
1/2 carrot (peeled, thinly sliced)
1 tbsp dried dill
Chopped fresh parsley (garnish)

Scrub and rinse potatoes and cook in lightly salted boiling water. When almost done, add carrot. Cook until just tender and slice potatoes (skins can be removed, but it is OK to leave them on).

Place onion slices in water to remove strong taste and smell for 3 minutes. Drain and remove excess moisture

Cover and refrigerate until cool.

Next, in a mixing bowl, arrange potatoes and carrots sprinkle with onion slices and add sliced cucumber. Sprinkle salad with dry dill. Set aside.

Just before serving, add Italian dressing to the salad. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.