Need to Catch Up!

I just need to defend myself by saying that I have still been making yummy food at home and taking pictures, I just couldn't really find the time to write down the recipes. But I am going to take advantage of this lazy conference weekend to get things done finally! I've been really into making Japanese or Chinese dishes lately, so most of these are related. You should really try making Japanese food at home and see how you feel. I bet you'll feel better. I get in these moods especially when I'm feeling particularly fat or unhealthy. It puts me back to where I want to be pretty fast. And I just feel cleaner inside! (not in a gross way ...) Anyway, that's why a lot of these have similar ingredients. I think the Yaki Udon, the stir fry, and the obento were all within a couple of days of each other. And I didn't feel like buying a ton of different vegetables everyday.

Ton-Katsu
(And Katsu-curry)
serves 2
1 pork chop, sliced into 2 thin pieces
1 C flour
1 C panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 eggs
3 C oil

For Curry:
1 package of curry (I recommend "Vermont Curry")
potatoes
carrots
onion

1 C cooked white Japanese rice

1. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan on medium-high to 350°F.
2. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Put the flour, panko, and stirred egg in 3 separate shallow bowls.
3. Dip the first pork chop into the flour and make sure it is completely covered in flour. Pat the excess off or the breading will just fall off. Then dip in egg. Again, get as much excess off as you can, and dip in panko. Cover the whole pork chop in panko and set aside on a wire rack. Repeat with second pork chop.
4. Follow directions on box to make the curry.
5. Carefully place the breaded pork chops in the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. Pull out and let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
6. Place rice on one half of a bowl or plate. Cut the pork chop into strips width-wise. Pour curry on top and serve while hot.
   

Baby Bok Choy and Mushroom Stir Fry
serves 2

5 baby bok choy or bok choy jr.
6-7 Chinese mushrooms
1/2 medium onion
3 large shallots
2 cloves garlic
3-4 T Tsuyu (also called "memmi". You can find it in the Asian section with all the different Asian sauces)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat some oil in a wok on medium-high and add onions and shallots. Cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 10-15 seconds. Add bok choy and mushrooms. Cook until bok choy stems are tender. You may want to add some water to the wok to steam the bok choy stems. This will help speed up the process.
2. Add tsuyu and salt and pepper. Serve.

Simple Obento
serves 1
This one's really really simple. I usually make lunch for the next day (at least for Blake) right after dinner. And by then I'm too tired to think of something creative or time consuming, so I'll make one-pot meals like this. But I promise they are TASTY! And you feel so good after eating it:)

1 small handful of soy bean sprouts (can substitute normal bean sprouts)
2 Chinese mushrooms or Shiitake (I like to cut an "x" into the top, just for looks)
2-3 Baby Bok Choy or Bok Choy Jr
1/2 C cooked white Japanese rice
2 C "dashi"*
1 T soy sauce
salt and white pepper to taste
tsuyu to taste (about 2 t)

1. In a small pot, add dashi and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms and bok choy. Cover and let cook until Bok choy stems are tender. remove and set aside.
2. In a small frying pan add a little oil and heat to medium-high. Add soy bean sprouts and season with salt and pepper (and a little soy sauce if you like). fry until tender.
3. Put rice in the bottom of a Japanese bento box or a small tupperware. Add veggies on top in a pretty arrangement. Pour on tsuyu to taste.

*dashi is a Japanese broth made of konbu (type of seaweed) and bonito flakes. You can substitue Chicken broth or vegetable broth if you want, but it will not taste very Japanese. I just use an instant powder that I add to the hot water and it makes the hot broth for me:)

Meatless Breakfast Sandwiches
serves 2
*these are just meatless because we didn't have any breakfast meat on hand ... so you can totally add bacon or ham or something to it. It would probably taste better that way:) AND the white part you see in the picture is the melted mozzarella, not the egg whites!
2 tasty rolls
3 eggs
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese
1/4 C grated mozzarella cheese
2 small tomatoes, sliced
couple sprigs parsley
butter for the rolls
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the rolls in half so they have a top and bottom half. Toast with cut side up. Butter when done.
2. While bread is toasting, break eggs into a small bowl and take out the white stringy part. Add cheddar cheese and stirr until well blended. Add a little bit of salt and pepper for taste.
   
3. put in a small frying pan on medium-low heat and stir constantly until custardy texture. Add mozzarella on top and turn off the heat and put the lid on until the cheese on top is melted.
4. Put eggs on rolls, then tomatoes, and a little parsley and serve while hot.