Udon noodle with fresh vegetables

On a scorching hot day, I crave this dish... really spicy, cold noodle with lots of fresh green vegetables! Korean miso is a main ingredient for the sauce, which gives you both spiciness and sweetness. It's quick and easy steps: make sauce, cook udon noodles and mix them up! Add meat, seafood or eggs in this dish to create your favourite taste!

What you need today.....     (serves 2)
  180g-200g Udon noodle
  1.5 tbsp Korean miso (Gochujang)
  1 tsp soy sauce
  1.5 tbsp white sugar
  1 tsp white vinegar
  2 tbsp mirin
  0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  Green vegetables (lettuce, spinach etc)
  Mayonnaise to serve with


     1. Combine Korean miso, sugar, soy sauce, mirin and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Cook udon in boiling water(follow the instruction on a package). Cool them down with cold water. Drain well.

     3. Mix the sauce and udon well in a big bowl. Serve them in a dish with fresh vegetables and meat or seafood on top. Finish with mayonnaise.

     4. Mix everything together when you eat.

There are several varieties of udon in Asian section in a local supermarket.

Sauted salmon and vegies with miso sauce

Although I have a healthy food lifestyle here in Australia, one thing I really miss about Japan is to eat fresh fish. Unfortunately, in the place where I currently live it is really hard to get fresh fish and seafood. That's why I cook fish in the Japanese way with lots of healthy vegetables when I find nice ones! This is one of the yummy fish recipes my mom often cooks and I'll share with you today. Enjoy it!

What you need today.....     (serves 2)
  2 pieces of salmon fillet
  Vegetables (mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, capsicums, onions etc), sliced or cut into small pieces
  10g butter
  3 tbsp miso
  2 tbsp white sugar
  2 tbsp sake
  1 tbsp mirin
  1 tsp soy sauce
  2 cloves garlic, grated
  Salt / pepper to season


     1. Mix miso, sugar, sake, mirin and soy sauce into a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook salmon both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

     3. When the outside of salmon is cooked, add all the vegetables cook them until they get soft.

     4. Add the sauce (discard the water from the vegetables if you have) and mix everything well. Cook for another 1 min and it's ready to eat!


Additional note: I used mixed miso(red and white) this time. The taste would be different depending on what type of miso you use. If you have only red miso, use less as it has strong flavour. Taste the sauce first before you add into a pan.

Sliced pork grill with ginger sauce

This recipe is known as 'Shouga-yaki' in Japan. 'Shouga' means ginger and 'Yaki' means grill. We don't usually use corn flour to coat pork in this dish. However, I like using it as it makes meat soft and juicy. In the whole process, pork should be cooked quickly in high heat in order to avoid it getting hard and chewy. Prepare lettuce, cabbage or some greens with this dish, which matches well with the rich taste of meat. You can also grill some vegetables to enjoy a healthy meal!

What you need today.....     (serves: 2)
  300g-350g pork shoulder, sliced 4-5mm thick
  Corn flour for coating
  1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  4 tbsp soy sauce
  2 tbsp white sugar, sake and mirin
  1.5 tsp ginger, grated
  2 eggs, poached
  Some greens to garnish


     1. Mix soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake and ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Coat pork with corn flour lightly. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan in high heat and cook pork quickly both side.

     3. Add the sauce in the pan and cook until the sauce gets thick and coat the meat.

     4. Turn off the heat and serve it with some salad, steamed rice and poached eggs if you want.

Spicy vegetable saute

I cook this dish when I feel tired and want to cook something quickly or want to clean the fridge. Almost any type of vegetables can be used for this recipe and you can add some meat or seafood as well! Korean miso is the key in this recipe, which is well-balanced between spicy and sweet. I usually add Japanese soy sauce, sake, tomato ketchup and honey in it to make the sauce a little milder. Here is a great fusion of Korea and Japan!

What you need today.....     (serves: 2)
  Any type of vegetables (However, I don't recommend tomatoes. they're too watery for this dish.), chopped in small pieces
  1 clove of garlic, chopped
  1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
  2 tbsp Korean miso(Gochujang)
  2 tsp soy sauce
  1 tbsp sake
  1 tbsp tomato ketchup
  1 tbsp honey
  1 tbsp sesame oil


     1. Firstly, mix Korean miso, soy sauce, sake, tomato ketchup, honey and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Then, put vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook garlic until fragrant.

     3. Add vegetables and saute until they get cooked (when you add meat, cook meat first and then add vegetables).

     4. Add the sauce and cook another 1 min.

     5. It goes well with steamed rice. If you have fresh eggs, put egg yolk on top or make poached eggs. Mix all together when you eat!

Left picture: Korean miso

Right picture: Vegetables I used

Fluffy egg and seafood omelet

My grandmother used to make this dish for me when I was little. As I didn't like seafood very much, she made a really yummy sauce to pour over it. This sauce makes a regular omelet very special and if you always make omelet in Western style, you can enjoy this new recipe! An important thing is to cook eggs really quickly with a generous amount of oil in high heat. It takes just a few seconds to cook and slide it onto a plate. At the dinner table, you can enjoy the omelet itself or on steamed rice as a main dish.

What you need today.....     (serve: 1)
  2 eggs
  4-5 frozen shrimps
  1/2 frozen seafood stick
  15ml vegetable oil
  2 tsp soy sauce
  1/2 tbsp white sugar and corn flour
  1/2 tsp chicken powder, sake and rice vinegar
  120ml water
  1/2 tsp sesame oil
  Salt to taste
  Green peas for garnish


     1. Mix soy sauce, sugar, corn flour, chicken powder, sake, vinegar and water in a small pan. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the sauce gets thick. Turn off the heat and add sesame oil for flavour.

     2. Crack eggs in a small bowl. Add seafood and a little salt and mix roughly (Don't mix too much).

     3. Prepare a small-size frying pan. Heat 15ml vegetable oil in high heat. When the oil gets hot, pour the egg mixture into the frying pan. Stir the egg with a fork a little bit and cook it until your liking (I recommend the bottom part is set and the top part is still soft).

     4. Slide the egg onto already cooked rice and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with some green peas.


Additional note: If you don't have Japanese or Chinese chicken powder, regular chicken stock powder or cubes can be used as a substitution. When you use cube ones, break it into powder and use it.

Mince and cabbage saute

This is an another super easy recipe. It can be either a main or side dish. Although I used only cabbage and spring onions for vegetables this time, you can also add carrots, onions etc. Make sure to boil the sauce down until it has evaporated down to half its original volume, which concentrates the taste.

What you need today.....     (serves: 2)
  300g minced beef or pork
  1/6 cabbage, cut into 1cm thick
  2 cloves of garlic, grated
  2 cm ginger, grated
  1 spring onion, sliced roughly
  240ml water
  60ml soy sauce
  2 tbsp sake, mirin and white sugar
  Salt and black pepper to taste


     1. Mix water, sake, mirin and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Heat 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan in medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and spring onions and cook until fragrant.

     3. Add mince and cook thoroughly in high heat. After that, add cabbage in the pan and cook for 30sec.

     4. Add the sauce and turn down the heat to low. Boil the sauce down until it's evaporated to half the volume (it takes a while).

Tofu steak

When I came to Australia, most of my Aussie friends said that they really didn't like tofu. Some said it tastes like nothing. Some said it tastes like lard (That really surprised me! It's made with soy beans!) Well, I'm sure these people haven't tried this tasty dish! My friends now enjoy cooking and eating healthy tofu dishes:-)

What you need today.....     (serve: 2)
  1 firm tofu (300g)
  1 spring onion, chopped (I didn't have them, so I used green peas instead)
  Some corn flour for coating
  60ml vegetable oil
  2 tbsp white sugar, soy sauce, sake and mirin
  1.5 tbsp mayonnaise
  400g medium grain rice
  2 eggs, poached


     1. Heat tofu in microwave for about 3 min to get rid of water. After that, cover tofu with a clean kitchen towel and put some weight on it. Leave it to let it cook.

     2. Mix sugar, soy sauce, sake and mirin in a small bowl. Set aside.

     3. Cut tofu into a big-bite size (I cut in 12) and coat heavily with corn flour. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan in high heat and shallow fry the tofu every surface until they get golden colour.

     4. Turn off the heat once and get rid of all the excess oil from the pan.

     5. Add the sauce and mayonnaise in the pan and then turn on the heat again (medium heat). Mix tofu and the sauce well (be careful not to break them!). Add chopped spring onions and cook for a further 30 sec.

     6. Put cooked rice in a serving bowl. Serve tofu steak on the rice with a soft poached egg.


Additional note 1: Have you tried Japanese mayonnaise yet? If you haven't, go get it now! You can find it in Asian section of local supermarkets. It tastes less sweet compared to Australian ones and I like using it for cooking. The brand name is 'Kewpie'. My friends are all addicted to it and I'm sure you will be, too!

Additional note 2: If you like spicy dish like me, add a little bit of chilli paste in the sauce. This time, I used Chinese chilli garlic sauce I got in a local supermarket.

Hayashi rice (Hashed beef with rice)

Today, I'll introduce you to this healthy and easy-to-cook recipe! It takes only 30 min from preparation to serving. Most importantly, this yummy dish is popular among people of all ages! if you like fresh tomatoes, you can cut some into wedges and add them at the last minute.

What you need today.....     (serves: 2)
  200g beef (any parts you like, but tender cuts are favoured), sliced thinly
  100g brown mushrooms, sliced
  1 small size brown onion, sliced thinly
  1 can chopped tomatoes
  2 tbsp plain flour
  25g butter
  50ml sake
  3 tbsp Japanese veg & fruit sauce (See Note 1)
  2 tbsp tomato ketchup
  1 tbsp soy sauce
  1 chicken, beef or vegetable stock cube
  1 tsp white sugar
  400g cooked rice (white medium grain is my favourite)
  1 small bunch of Italian parsley, chopped


     1. Add chopped parsley in already cooked rice. Keep it warm and set aside.

     2. Coat onions with plain flour. Melt butter in a pan in medium heat, and then add the onions(excess flour as well). Add sliced beef in the pan when the onions are coated with butter and cook them until the beef colour slightly changed. Add mushrooms and mix everything well.

     3. Add the can of chopped tomato and 50ml sake in the pan and mix together. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 min in low heat (don't use a lid). After that, add Japanese sauce, ketchup, stock cube, soy sauce and white sugar and cook for about 8 min.

     4. Pour the mixture onto the rice.

Note1: This Bull-Dog sauce contains lots of vegetables, fruits and spices. I'll introduce some other yummy dishes using this sauce, so it's worth buying when you find it! Although this sauce is a little sweeter and much thicker than Worcester sauce, you can still use it for the substitution.

Before you start....

So, are you ready to cook some tasty dishes? Well, firstly let me introduce the main seasonings I use in my kitchen. Most of them are readily available in local supermarkets, but if you cannot find them, just go to Asian shops where you will definitely be able to get them.

Okay, now I'll explain briefly about these seasonings:

Sake: We use sake in most of Japanese dishes. We add it to remove the strong smell of seafood, to tender meat and to give sauces extra flavour and richness.

You might be confused about which one you should buy because there's such a wide range of them. But you don't have to buy an expensive one, just get cooking with one that's relatively cheap - remembering that the expensive ones are for drinking!

Mirin: Is used in lots of Japanese dishes. One of the most popular dishes is probably 'Teriyaki Chicken'. 'Teri' means 'Glaze'. Mirin gives sauce a glaze with a bit of sweetness and thickness.

Miso: There are several kinds of miso in a shop. You'll often find 'Aka(Red) miso', 'Shiro(White) miso' and 'Awase(Mixed)'. Aka miso is aged for a long time, therefore it has stronger flavour and taste. Compared to Aka miso, Shiro miso has sweet and soft taste. I usually buy Awase miso which is s mixture of aka and Shiro miso. Some people say that the taste is much better when you mix both of them by yourself. But I always like the easy and time-saving way! Someone has already mixed them for you! Why not?!

Soy sauce: This condiment is the most important in my kitchen. I use it in almost every dish. Shops usually have Japanese and Chinese ones. Because their tastes are quite different, make sure to buy the Japanese one. Mine is 'Kikkoman Soy Sauce' and it's available in local supermarkets.

Dashi: Dashi is cooking stock and essential to make the truly authentic flavour of Japanese dishes. It mainly contains bonito, kelp or shiitake mushroom. However, even in Japan these days, it's rare to make it from scratch. Most people (including me) use granulated or liquid instant substitutes, which you can find in a supermarket.

Vinegar: I mainly use Japanese rice vinegar. Each Asian country produces their own rice vinegar, but due to different tastes and flavours, I stick I stick to Japanese one when I cook Japanese dishes.