JAPANESE KALE DONBURI RECIPE

If you feel like you've had enough burgers and sausages on the BBQ and need a break from meat here is the perfect recipe that will help you detox. Kale is growing in popularity and is a well known superfood with detox properties. I eat meat but there are times when I like to take a break from it and eat vegetarian dishes like this.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
2 x portions of boiled rice 
100g kale, washed
2 cloves of garlic (peeled and finely diced)
Juice of half a lemon
Vegetable oil and olive oil (to fry)
Salt & pepper (to season)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the thick part of the stem from the leaves.
2. Roll the leaves into a bunch and cut into thin ribbons.
3. Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto a frying pan.
4. Turn the heat to medium and toss the garlic on the pan cooking until you start to get a nice aroma from the garlic (do not brown). 
5. Season the garlic infused oil with salt and pepper.
6. Add the chopped kale and reduce the heat to medium-low.
7. Pour the lemon juice over the kale.
8. Stir and fry until the kale is bright green all over. 
9. At this point, take the kale off the hot pan as it will continue to cook. 
10. Serve on top of a bowl of rice or as a side to a main dish.

NUTRITIONAL INFO ABOUT KALE:

• Strong cancer protection properties. 
• Helps the body detox and lower cholesterol.
• Contains high levels of vitamin A, C, K & B6.
• Also contains high levels of calcium, magnesium, fibre & iron.

TIPS:

• Do not overcook the kale in order to retain the nutritional value.
• Adding lemon juice to the kale enhances its nutritional value.
• Garnish with pine nuts or almonds.
• Serve with a fried egg, bacon or frozen prawns. 

BASIC JAPANESE COOKING: HOW TO MAKE SUSHI RICE (SHARI OR SUSHI-MESHI)



STEP 1 - HOW TO WASH AND COOK THE RICE:

1. Measure 2 cups of Japanese white rice (using a rice cup this weighs 320g).   
2. Place the rice in a medium sized bowl and add cold water.
3. Wash the rice using your hand to gently rub the rice grains against each other. The water will become cloudy from the starch.
4. Drain the rice and add more water. Continue to do this a few times until the water runs almost clear.
5. Add the rice to a heavy based saucepan if you don't have a rice cooker.  
6. Add 2 cups of cold water to the rice in the saucepan (always add the same amount of water as rice).  
7. Put the lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to maximum (it's best to use a tight lid to prevent the water escaping).
8. When the water starts to boil reduce the heat and leave the rice cooking for about 10 minutes (try not to remove the lid).
9. Then, turn off the heat and leave the rice standing for another 10 minutes.

STEP 2 - HOW TO PREPARE THE SUSHI RICE VINEGAR (AWASE-ZU):

1. Pour 100ml of rice vinegar and 2 tbsp of sugar into a non-aluminium saucepan.
2. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and then add half tsp of salt
3. Set aside and allow to cool.

STEP 3 - HOW TO MAKE THE SUSHI RICE:

1. Transfer the hot rice to a shallow non-metallic baking tray using a rice spatula or wooden spoon.
2. Sprinkle 100ml of the sushi rice seasoning evenly over the rice and then gently turn and fold the rice with the spatula (try not to break the rice grains).
3. At the same time, fan the rice using a fan (uchiwa) or a piece of cardboard to help cool the rice to room temperature and absorb the excess sushi rice seasoning.
4. Try to use the rice as soon as possible and avoid putting in the fridge as this will harden the rice. You can cover the rice with a damp tea towel for a few hours if necessary. 

 NOTES/TIPS:

• You have to use Japanese short grain rice to make sushi.
• Sushi is best served at room temperature.
• You can use bottled sushi vinegar instead of making your own. However I prefer to make my own as I can control the amount of sugar and salt that I add to the sushi vinegar.
• When preparing sushi rice ideally you should use an untreated wooden bowl to help absorb excess moisture from the rice. A hangiri (large flat wooden bowl ) is used for this purpose. This can be bought online these days.
• Below is a picture of the rice that I use. It's called Shinode sushi rice from Italy which is sold in Superquinn and Asian Market in Dublin, Ireland.

PUMPKIN (KABOCHA) & PEA RICE

Prep time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

320g Japanese rice (or other type of rice), uncooked
Sesame oil, for frying
Thumb size piece of fresh ginger, finely diced
2 x garlic cloves, finely diced

200g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2cm cubes

100g fresh or frozen peas

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook rice (please click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice).

2. Pour 1-2 tsp of sesame oil on a frying pan and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot add the garlic and ginger. Slowly cook for a few minutes on low/ medium heat.

3. Add the pumpkin cubes and continue to cook for another few minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper. 

5. Turn the heat to medium/ high and add a few tbsp of water to allow the pumpkin to cook faster. When the water has almost reduced turn the heat to low/medium.

6. Add the peas, stir and continue to fry for a few more minutes.

7. In a large saucepan mix the hot cooked rice and pumpkin mix together and drizzle 1-2 tbsp of soya sauce evenly over the rice.

HOW TO EAT:

You can eat this dish as a main course or a side dish served with other dishes.

TIPS:

Try not to add too much soya sauce as it will over power the rest of the flavours.

WHY NOT:

Add king prawn or shrimp to this dish.

Japanese Style Fried Rice Recipe

Although fried rice is traditionally a Chinese dish it is extremely popular in Japan. If you want to use leftovers in the fridge this is a great way to do just that. This is a basic fried rice recipe adding just egg and spring onion, however you can add a cup of your favourite seafood, meat or vegetables cut into small pieces.

Prep time 5mins
Cooking time 5mins
Serves 4 

Ingredients: 
Japanese rice 320g (uncooked)
Rapeseed oil (for frying)
2 eggs (beaten) 
Spring onion (two stalks cut finely)
Salt (to taste)
Soya sauce (to taste)
Sesame oil (to taste)

Instructions: 
Most of the time I use leftover rice to prepare this recipe. Please click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice if you need to make the rice from scratch. You can use other types of rice apart from Japanese rice for this recipe. However, my instructions on how to cook rice apply to Japanese rice only.
1. Add rapeseed oil to a heavy based saucepan on medium heat. To check if the oil is hot enough scrap a thin line of beaten egg across the saucepan using chopsticks or a spatula. If the egg cooks straightaway then the saucepan is hot enough.
2. Pour the beaten egg into the saucepan and using a spatula cook in the same way as scrambled egg. Once the egg is cooked (try not to overcook the egg) remove from the saucepan and transfer to a small clean bowl. If there is some egg stuck to the saucepan then wash or wipe clean.
3. Pour more rapeseed oil into the saucepan and return the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot add the spring onion and cook quickly for a minute and then add the rice. Use a spatula to turn the rice getting rid of any lumps.
4. Toss the cooked egg into the saucepan and mix with the rice and spring onion.
5. Season with salt and soya sauce and continue to stir for less than a minute.
6. Finally, sprinkle sesame oil over the dish and stir again for a minute or less making sure not to overcook as this can easily happen. 

How to serve: 
The rice is now ready to serve as a main dish or as a side dish with other dishes. 

Tips:
Add a cup of your favourite seafood, meat or vegetables cut into small pieces to
turn this dish into a main course.

Why not:
Cook this dish when you have leftover rice to avoid waste!

How to prepare and cook Japanese Rice

Click here to see the Japanese rice that I buy in Superquinn and the Asian market on Drury St in Dublin (they also have another store in Merrywell Business park, Ballymount, Dublin 22).

Instructions:

1. Measure 2 cups of Japanese white rice.   
2. Place the rice in a medium sized bowl and add cold water. To wash the rice use your hand to gently rub the rice grains against each other.
3. Drain the rice and add more water. Continue to clean the rice and replace the water until the water runs almost clear.  
4. Add the rice to a heavy based saucepan if you don't have a rice cooker.  
5. Add 2 cups of cold water to the rice in the saucepan (always add the same amount of water as rice).  
6. Put the lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to maximum. When the water starts to boil reduce the heat and leave the rice cooking for about 10 minutes (try not to remove the lid).
7. Then, turn off the heat and leave the rice standing for another 10 minutes. Now, remove the lid and using a rice spatula turn the rice from the wall of the saucepan towards the middle to get a nice fluffy and sticky white rice. 

How to eat:
Serve in individual bowls if you're having a traditional style Japanese meal. Since Japanese rice is sticky it's easy to eat with chopsticks compared to other types of rice.

Tips:  

1. To make the rice tastier leave the drained washed rice sitting for about 10 minutes before cooking. Or my Japanese homestay mother use to leave the rice and water sitting in the rice cooker for about an hour before cooking.
2. Make sure to wash the rice properly using your hand. How you wash the rice is just as important as how you cook the rice to get the perfect bowl of sticky Japanese rice! 

Why not: 

Add your favourite vegetable and some sake to the rice (tiny pieces of carrots or peas go very well).