Tag: healthyfood

A twisted “nimono” recipe

I love nimono, that is not new… I learned how to make them right with Japanese cookbooks and when I was going to cha-kaiseki classes, but for some reasons, I often wrongly thought that it takes time to make a nimono dish, and so not cook some as often as I should. But as my cooking evolves with time and changes subtly every month, every year, nimono has been more and more often on the menu. Enough often for me to test twisted versions of nimono, using different ingredients for flavouring and always managing to get it right. I also understood clearly that it can be really quick to make depending on the ingredients chosen. One ingredient that goes really well with nimono is green bell peppers. They fit perfectly the recipe and also are a good match with any white fish. And for white fish, we are lucky, in Ohara it is easy to find delicious local fresh ones: snappers of all sorts, sea bass, flounder…
As I don’t often cook with sake, I recently replaced the sake in the classic recipe by my ume-dashi pickled soya sauce. It adds a bit of sourness and a delicious flavour and when in season I love to add a few slices of lime, or of green yuzu, or any other green citrus fruit. So here is my twisted nimono recipe for a simple Japanese preparation that everyone can make!

Twisted nimono recipe (for 2 servings)

  • a nice piece of fresh white fish
  • 4~6 green bell peppers depending on size (red, yellow, orange can work as well but not as good…)
  • 1/2 lime or 1 green yuzu…
  • 2tbs of soya sauce, better ume pickled in soya sauce
  • 1tsp of cooking oil
  • 1/2 cup of water

Wash and cut in rough pieces the bell peppers. Cut the citrus fruit in large pieces. Clean the fish and cut in large byte size. In a wok or pan, heat the cooking oil, add the fish and wait until half cooked, add the bell peppers. stir gently. Add the soya sauce, the water and the citrus fruit. Cook at medium-high heat until the liquid starts to reduce significantly and thicken a bit. Stop here the cooking and serve not too hot, with some white rice ideally.

Chestnut rice – 栗ご飯

We are lucky to have a chestnut tree in the garden, but for the past 5 years I never managed to harvest any chestnut because it was too late once they’ve fallen and bugs git them, they were falling to early with typhoons… This year I miraculously managed to harvest about half a dozen of beautiful ones. Nothing much, but enough to make a classic Japanese recipe: chestnut rice. It os a simple autumn delight and it is very easy to prepare. First boil the chestnut for about 30min to 45min. Then peel them completely. In a pan, or a rice cooker, wash the desired quantity of rice (I usually cook 1cup for 2), add 3 boiled and peeled chestnut per serving. You can keep them entire or break them in smaller pieces. Cook the rice as usual. Once cooked stir and add a bit of salt. That’s it!

Tiny new potatoes

When I was a kid my grandfather had a terraced kitchen garden where he would grow in the summer green beans, tomatoes, salads, radishes, strawberries, raspberries, red currants, herbs, there was also a fig tree, a verbena tree etc… I have vivid memories of eating the tomatoes on the plant while warm from the sun and full of the smells of the tomato leaves, of picking red currants and eating half of them before they even reach the basket… one thing that I really loved was picking potatoes with him, not only because it was fun picking them, but because of the promise of one of my favorite dish at that time: new potatoes sautéed. The main difference with new potatoes you can find on the farmers market is the size pf the potatoes. My grandfather never waited until the potatoes where big to harvest them, he harvested them whem most where still very tiny, and the tiniest was always in my plate. Today, I went to visit our old neighbor. Since her dog has passed she doesn’t come mear our place as often as she used too so I meet her much less. And she was in her kitchen garden harvesting potatoes. She offered to give me some and while discussing she told me that most people criticize her for harvesting also tiny potatoes but I told they were my favorite so she gave me plenty and I was very happy. It is rare to find tiny new potatoes and they are really delicious. I washed and brushed them and cooked them with some pork belly slices and rosemary. A very simple meal, very nostalgic. Thanks Mrs. K. For the tiny potatoes!!!!

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