Japanese Cuisine

Rice and Noodles

Rice and Noodles are a large part of basic Japanese cuisine. As our way of eating precludes eating both products, some Japanese recipes can be quite hard to convert. Fortunately, the range of Japanese dishes is so large that we can find quite a wide variety that suit us.

Fish

It would be impossible to imagine Japanese cuisine without fish. Fortunately, seafood fits in very well with our low carbohydrate lifestyle.

As an island nation, Japan has come to rely on its oceans for a large part of its food supply. If a species of fish lives within close proximity to Japan, then it is fished by thousands of small fisherman. Large factory ships go further afield for their catches.

This availability of raw material has led to a remarkable diversity of dishes. Sushi and sashimi are just the beginning; in the Japanese kitchen, anything from the sea can be cooked so as to make it taste fresh and new. And very delicious!

Here are some examples of Japanese seafood dishes which have been converted to low carb.

Grilled Salmon (Sake no Miso Yaki)

• 4 salmon steaks
• 1/4 cup white soybean paste, miso
• 1/2 teaspoon Splenda
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 chopped green onions

Grill the salmon steaks on each side until done, about six minutes per side. (The salmon will be underdone at this point.)

Combine and mix the white soybean paste (miso), Splenda, and soy sauce. Use one half of the mixture and spread it on one side of each salmon steak. Return the salmon steaks to the broiler until they are lightly browned.

Turn the salmon steaks over, and spread the remaining sauce on flip side, and return to the broiler again until the second side is also lightly browned.

Garnish the cooked salmon steaks with the chopped green onions.

Serves 4.

Swordfish Teriyaki

• 4 swordfish steaks
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine – mirin (sweet rice wine)

Combine the soy sauce and mirin, and marinate fish in mixture for 1/2 an hour or more. Save marinade.

You may either broil fish, or cook it on outdoor barbecue for about five minutes on each side. (Be careful not to overcook.)

Pour the reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and cook it over medium high heat until it is reduced in volumn by 1/3 to 1/2. Brush the reduced marinade on the steaks before serving.

Serves 4.

UN-Fried Fried Red Snapper

• 4 red snapper fillets
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 chopped scallions (green onions)
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup sesame oil, or other vegetable oil

Boil lightly salted water in a sauce pan. Boil each fillet until tender, being careful not to overcook. Drain, arrange the snapper fillets on serving plate. Sprinkle with soy sauce, scallions, and ginger.

Heat the oil carefully until boiling, then pour over fish so that it sizzles. Serve quickly.

Serves 4

Seafood Stew (Yosenabe)

• 12 clams
• 1 pound sea bass, cubed (500gr)
• 1 piece dried kelp
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin, (sweet rice wine)
• 12 shrimp
• 1 fish cake, cut into cubes
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms
• 2 heads lettuce
• 1 tofu cake, cubed

Clean and steam clams. Discard any clams whose shells do not open. Remove the clams from the broth.

Save the broth and add enough water to make 1 quart of liquid. Pour the broth into a large pot and add all ingredients. Boil gently until lightly cooked. Serve in four individual bowls.

Serves 8.

MEAT

Meat is a late introduction to Japanese cuisine. Considered a Western aberration, it started to appear on Japanese tables in the 1500’s. Introduced by Portuguese and Dutch explorers, the consumption of meat spread inland from the coastal towns and gradually filtered throughout all the islands.

The modern Japanese beef animal is raised with great care and careful attention to its diet. It produces the finest beef in the world. Cooked with great care to preserve its primordial flavor, Japanese beef is also the most expensive meat dish in the world.

Grilled Meat (Teppan Yaki)

• 1 1/2 pounds cubed beef (750g)
• 12 large shrimp (prawns)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, cut into cubes (capsicum)
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 dozen mushrooms, cut in half
• cooking oil

Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 cup grated daikon radish (Japanese radish)
• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted

Using a griddle, or an outdoor barbecue, grill well-oiled beef, shrimp and vegetables until they are just done. Sprinkle the beef, shrimp, and vegetables with salt and pepper with a flourish. Eat with the dipping sauce

Dipping Sauce: Mix all ingredients together thoroughly with a whisk. Pour the sauce into individual cups, and dip the beef cubes, shrimp, and vegetables as you wish.

Serves 8.

Teriyaki Spareribs

• 3 pounds pork spareribs (1.5kg)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1/2 cup low carb ketchup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger root

Boil the spareribs in a large covered pot over low heat for 30 minutes. Drain.

Combine the rest of ingredients, and pour the marinade over the spareribs. Marinate the spareribs overnight in the refrigerator.

Grill over charcoal or cook under the broiler until nicely browned – be careful; they brown quickly.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Grilled Beef (Yakiniku)

• 2 pounds of cubed beef (1kg)
• 1/2 head sliced cabbage
• 6 scallions, cut into 1/2″ (12mm) slices
• 2 bell peppers, quartered (capsicums)
• 8 ounces of small mushrooms (250gr)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Combine the sesame seeds, pepper, garlic, soy sauce, Splenda, and rice vinegar and whisk to mix thoroughly. Place the meat in a glass baking dish and pour the marinade over it. Marinate the meat for 1 hour.

Cook over charcoal, on a griddle, or under a broiler. Dip the vegetables in the marinade and grill.

Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Sukiyaki – Without Noodles

• 2 pounds thinly sliced beef, 1kg
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 1″ (25mm) sections
• 12 mushrooms
• 2 tofu cakes, cut into cubes
• 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced

Sauce:

• 1 cup dashi
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup sake
• 1/2 cup splenda

Blanche the onions. Combine the sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

On a well-oiled griddle, cook the beef and green onions, moistened with the sauce. As they cook, add the mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoot, slowly heating them without overcooking.

Serve immediately with a salad.

Serves 6.

Shabu Shabu

• 2 pounds thinly sliced beef (1kg)
• 1 nappa cabbage, sliced
• 1 can bamboo shoots, sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 2″ (50mm) pieces
• 1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
• 12 dried shiitake mushrooms, softened in warm water
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tofu cake, cubed

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup soybean paste (miso)
• 1 cup dashi
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Arrange a large pot with stock on the table over a heating element. Add ingredients as you wish, swishing them about with chopsticks, making the sound that gives this dish its name. Dip in sauce.

Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients until smoothly blended.

Serves 10.

PICKLES

Eaten at the conclusion of a meal in lieu of a heavy dessert. The Asian markets have a large range of pickles, but it’s fun to make your own. Anything can be pickled: fish, meat or vegetables.

Pickled Cabbage and Cucumbers

• 1 head cabbage, cut into small pieces
• 1 cucumber, thickly sliced
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a jar, cover tightly, and store in the back of the refrigerator for several days until ready to eat.

Serves 4.

FISH Sashimi

• Preparing Sashimi requires very fresh fish and razor sharp knives. A true sashimi chef is a master of the knife, long before he (or she) cuts his (or her) first slice of tuna.

Cutting the Fish:

Straight Cut: Used for tuna and other oily fish. The knife is held at 90 degree angle to the fish and cleanly sliced through.

Slant Cut: Used for firmer, less oily fish like sea bass. Turn the knife at a slight angle and cut like smoked salmon.

Sashimi Dipping Sauces:

Combine wasabi (Japanese green horseradish powder) with water and soy sauce. Or you may combine wasabi with water, soy sauce and grated daikon (Japanese radish). Soy sauce and lemon juice is also good.

SOUP

Soup in its many forms is very basic to Japanese cuisine. Most meals start with a soup or light broth. The most basic soup is dashi, a mixture of kelp and bonita shavings. Most other soups are based on this mix with meat, fish and poultry additions.

TEMPURA

Tempura, derived from the Latin, means a day of abstinence from meat. It was a day when Catholic Portuguese traders in Japan ate fish dishes. These evolved to the traditional shrimp and vegetable tempura. When it is prepared, you must eat it as quickly as possible – nothing tastes worse than cold tempura.

TOFU

Tofu is one of the healthiest products you can eat. Unfortunately, it is a taste not easily acquired. It is made by grinding soybeans, draining the soy milk and pressing the remaining solids into blocks.

Tofu is high in protein, calcium and B vitamins, yet low in fat. All you have to do is cut it into small cubes, and sprinkle it with any number of basic sauces.

Tofu takes on the taste of the other ingredients in the dishes it is used in.

Cold Tofu Appetizer

• 1 package tofu, cubed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)

Divide the tofu into four cups. Mix together the sauce ingredients and sprinkle them on top of the cubed tofu. You can add additional lavor with chili pepper flakes, if desired, or you can also sprinkle the tofu with dried bonita flakes.

Serves 2.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

• Nutritional facts: http://www.silvertriad.com
• Mitsubishi Electrical
• Foods That Harm Foods That Heal
• The Around The World Cook Book