Tag: East Asian
Roasted Kabocha Squash
Roasted Kabocha Squash
I recently had kabocha squash, aka Japanese pumpkin, for the first time at a Japanese restaurant in Denver. It tastes like a cross between a butternut squash and a potato that is very buttery in flavor. The green skin is edible, so it doesn’t need to be peeled. You can find them at any Asian market for relatively cheap. They also have a 4 month shelf life. There’s nothing really not to like about it. Roasting kabocha squash couldn’t be easier. You will need a sharp knife to cut through the squash. It’s actually pretty difficult. First, cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and wash the entire squash. Then cut 1” slices from each half. Line them on a baking sheet lined in foil. Brush each side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes a side. Then brush the squash with a simple maple/soy/ginger sauce and toast gor 10 more minutes. The squash should be bubbly and caramelized. Garnish the squash with toasted sesame seeds.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 large kabocha squash seeded; cut into 1” slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sslt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Garnish
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Brush each side of the squash with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes a side.
- Mix together the maple syrup, soy sauce, and ginger.
- Brush the squash with the maple/soy/ginger sauce.
- Roast for 10 more minutes.
Takoyaki
Takoyaki
Takoyaki is one of my favorite Japanese appetizers. You can find them on just about every ramen and sushi menu that you read. They are kinda like little pancake balls, still slightly gooey inside, filled with octopus, green onions, and pickled ginger. They are then topped with takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, crushed seaweed, and bonito flakes. While you need to have a special takoyaki pan to make them, they are extremely easy to make. You can find the pans on Amazon for around $20. If you aren’t a fan of octopus, substitute shrimp, ham, or sausage.
Equipment
- Takoyaki pan
- Chopsticks
Ingredients
- 1 cup dashi stock
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour plus 2 tbsp
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp pickled ginger chopped
- 1/2 lb octopus
- vegetable oil
Toppings
- takoyaki sauce
- kewpie mayo
- dried crushed seaweed
- bonito flakes
Instructions
- Wash your octopus. Rub it with salt.
- Drop the octopus in salted boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Shock in ice water.
- Chop the octopus into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the dashi, soy sauce, salt, egg, and flour.
- Over medium high heat, lightly brush oil in each of the takoyaki pan holes. Fill up each hole with 2/3 of the takoyaki batter.
- Drop a few pieces of the octopus in the center of the batter in each hole.
- Cover the top of the pan with green onions and pickled ginger. Let the takoyaki cook for 3 minutes.
- Using a chopstick, push the edge of the takoyaki and turn each one half way. Start to tuck the green onions and pickled ginger inside of the takoyaki. Pour the remaining batter into the holes. Let cook for a minute.
- Completely turn the takoyaki upside down. Let cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the pan.
Oden
Oden
Oden is a Japanese fish cake soup with hard boiled eggs and daikon; all simmered in a dashi/soy sauce broth. Oden is mostly found at Japanese street carts, but can be found at many izakayas. What is great about this soup is that it is a one pot dish that comes together in 30 minutes. The oden is served with togarashi pepper sprinkled on top with a side of hot Japanese mustard to dip the fish cakes in.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups dashi
- 2 pieces kombu
- 12 oz assorted Japanese fish cakes and balls
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup daikon diced into cubes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- togarashi pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of dashi stock with kombu to a boil over medium high heat.
- Add in the daikon. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer until the daikon is cooked through; about 10 minutes.
- Rinse the excess oil off the fish cakes.
- Add in the fish cakes, hard boiled eggs, soy sauce, mirin, and sake.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
