Deep Fried Tofu and Scallion Udon with Yuzu zest

Udon and Soba are Japanese popular noodles. Normally I prefer eating Soba instead of Udon but I made Udon this time. I used dried udon noodle which I had in my pantry.

Basically, you can add whatever you want in your Udon. I didn't have too many stuff in my fridge so I just added some fried tofu, scallions, bits of fried tempura batter and Yuzu zest.

Right before I eat, I added Yuzu zest and Japanese chili powder (shichimi tougarashi).
Can you see some green bits on top? That's Yuzu zest.

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus which we use often especially in winter. I found Yuzu in a Japanese super market the other day but it was too expensive so I was not sure if I should buy it or not.

My husband tried Yuzu for the first time the other day when we went to this fancy restaurant "Eleven Madison Park" (Click here for that post) and loved the taste so he encouraged me to buy it. So I did.

I realized that the yuzu taste is much stronger in zest than in its juice. I really like yuzu.

By the way, this is the tool I use when I zest something or grate some ginger. This was a gift from my friend. I love this tool and I use it quite often.















The smell of yuzu reminds me of Japan. Growing up, we used to have Yuzu bath in winter. We put yuzu in a cloth bag and put it in a hot bath. The aroma of yuzu relax your body and mind.

The Udon I made was pretty good despite the simplicity of ingredients. I don't really know why but it was always my father who was in charge of making Udon or Steak back home. When it comes to Udon or Steak, my dad was a better cook than my mom. Eating Udon at home reminded me of my dad and his Udon. My Udon is not as good as my dad's but I am happy that it came out pretty good. I am sure that my dad will be proud of me if he ate this one!

I think adding Yuzu at the end made it a lot better than it actually was. I wish I could buy yuzu in a regular super market. Well, since yuzu is getting pretty popular among many chefs so maybe I will see yuzu in my local supermarket sometime soon.

Shrimp and Asparagus Salad

I ate a lot while our friends were here so I decided to make something light. It is a Shrimp and Asparagus Salad. Well, since this was a dinner and I didn't want to be too starving when I go sleep, I volumed up with lots of shrimp and vegetables. 

First, I just cut asparagus into smaller peaces and sauteed in a pan. Then I took them out and in a same pan, add some butter and chopped garlic and sauteed shrimp. When shrimp is almost done, I add the asparagus back to the pan and add some sweet chili sauce for flavor. (I also add some salt and pepper) 

I used this sweet chili sauce.   

For the salad part, I used romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, radish, corn and avocado. I made maple syrup dressing (Click here for the recipe) and tossed the salad with it. 

Then, added cooked shrimp and asparagus on top and done! 

Since the portion is pretty big, even though it was just this salad for dinner, it was very satisfying and I didn't get hungry late at night. 

I think lots of people ate a lot during the holiday season so I think this will be a perfect dinner to balance your body. It is yummy and satisfying yet pretty healthy. Hope you enjoy it. 

A few things which I made at the end of last year

There are a few things which I made at the end of last year and didn't have a chance to post so I would like to share them with you here today.

First, I made Bulgogi which is a Korean beef dish.

I marinade thinly sliced beef with some soy sauce, sesame oil, sake, chili paste, garlic and ginger.

Then, cut some vegetables. I used garlic chives and onion and bean sprouts.

Then, just saute them all in a pan. Easy and tasty.

With bulgogi, I also made Banbanji which is kind of like a salad. Steamed chicken with vegetables and sesame sauce.

First, I microwaved chicken thigh with green onion and garlic. Then also microwave some bean sprout. Also, I cut some cucumber into think slices. For the sauce, I mixed garlic, white sesame paste, sake, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and stuff. Pour them over and serve cold.

On some other day, I was craving for crepe so I made crepes with my husband. In the beginning, the crepe dough was too thick and the crepe came out thinker than I like so I added some more milk into the dough and made it perfect consistency. The second crepe came out perfectly. Maybe I can open a crepe store :-) My favorite crepe is with banana, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and almond slices.

My husband was adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of this. Crepes were much easier than I thought. This is a great and elegant looking snack. You can also make crepe with some savory ingredients and make it as lunch.

Some other day, I made Japanese hamburg. This is a very popular dish in Japan. It is like a hamburger patty but you don't eat it with buns. We add some vegetables such as onions and stuff and eat it with rice. For this one, I added onion, Japanese basil and tofu. I steam fried in a pan and it came out really juicy and tasty. For sauce, I mixed butter and mirin and soy sauce in the frying pan after I made hamburg and pour it over with some grated daikon radish.

My husband also cooked for me during the holiday. He made this wonderful curry chicken salad. He sautéed chicken with curry powder and added on top of salad. It was very tasty and satisfying salad.

This holiday season was wonderful for both my husband and I. We didn't travel anywhere this time but we were able to relax, cook together, go shopping together, go to movies and stuff like that. We really had a great alone times together.