Filet-O-Fish & Cold Wakame Udon Recipe ★★★

At Home Filet-O-Fish with Buttered Breadsticks. The Fried Fish Filet from Trader Joe's reminded me of Filet-O-Fish from McDonald's, so decided to give it a try. Just happened to have bread, tartar sauce, and lettuce at home. I skipped the cheese. It turned out amazing. Recipe below. For the Cold Wakame (Marine Seaweed) Udon, I had it with soba soy sauce, sliced seaweed, wasabi, spring onions, and ginger. Wakame is healthy.

Toasted Bread with Butter Spread
not wasting the edges – use as breadsticks

Wakame (Marine Seaweed) Udon from Japanese Supermarket

Filet-O-Fish with Breadsticks ★★★
Ingredients:
Fish Filet from Trader Joe's
Bread - 2 slices, can use breadends
Lettuce
Tartar Sauce
Cheese (optional)

Recipe:
1. Spread butter on bread, cut out the sides (keep them and toast together), and toast in oven
2. Bake Fish Filet
3. Spread tartar sauce on bottom sandwich layer (to keep crispiness on top of the fish)
4. Add cheese (optional), lettuce, then add fish, and finish with break end on top
5. Continue to toast breadsticks (cheese optional) until crisp. Serve as side.

Kraft Mac 'n Cheese

Take Spongebob Lightly or Join the Dark Side. Fun meal with fun shapes. While it's fun to eat and find the shapes of the characters, I think this serves better as a side rather than main dish. It's more about the fun shapes than the taste. Added real bacon pieces to enhance the dish.

The force is strong with this one.

Masago Salad & Miso Eggplant Recipe ★★★

Favorite Easy Side Dishes. I made the Masago (Smelt Egg) Salad based on the one I had in Hong Kong decades ago. I attempted a lazy version of Miso Eggplant a few days ago. This time I improved it with pre-mixing the marinade. It got bumped to wow, Japanese restaurant quality. Both recipes and masago tip below.

Frozen Masago from Korean Market
just scoop out what you need and put it back into the freezer

Hong Style Masago Salad ★★★
Ingredients:
Masago (frozen one got from Korean market)
Frozen Imitation Crab Meat – 1 stick, boiled, hand-shredded into strands and cut 1" lengthwise
Persian Cucumer – 1/2, sliced
Japanese Mayo

Directions:
Mix everything together and garnish with additional masago on top.

Masago Longevity Tip *Exclusive!
Masago is a trouble itself. When you get a frozen box, you have to thaw it in the refrigerator and use it within a week or so before it turned bad. Recently, I discovered a game-changer hack inspired by its 3-year shelf life:
• Buy a few boxes of them when they are on sale (I usually get it with $1 off each box)
• As instructed, keep it in freezer and never freeze it back after defrosting
• When you are ready to use it, before you cook, pull it from the freezer, use a thin spoon to only scoop out what you need. You will be surprised by how easy it is (put what you scooped in another container if needed and consume within a week)
• Put the frozen Masago back into the freezer
• Now your Masago will never go bad in the freezer and you will always have Masago on hand for any dishes you need! It also tastes great with California Roll, Japanese Tarako Mayo Spaghetti, or Kamameshi Steamed Rice Pot


Miso Eggplant ★★★
Ingredients:
Eggplant – 1, Sliced
Miso
Mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Mix Olive Oil, Miso, and Mirin (about 1 teaspoon each) in a mixing bowl with a spoon.
2. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat foil lightly with oil so that eggplant won't stick.
3. Coat sliced Eggplant in sauce (dip or brush, front and back) and bake at 425° until Eggplant turns golden brown.

Taiwanese Sliced Noodles with Sausage Recipe ★★

Taiwanese Comfort Food. The thick Taiwanese Sliced Noodles are available in the Chinese supermarkets. I added sautéed onions, sliced sausage, napa cabbage and spring onions to it (also goes well with cilantro, bean sprouts and spinach). For the sauce, I did Asian sesame sauce and Japanese chili oil with garlic (oyster sauce and soy sauce can be another option). I made Hong Kong style Masago Salad on the side. Recipe to follow in the next post.

Japanese Chili Oil with Garlic
secret seasoning that tastes good on almost anything
tip: get it on sale from the Japanese market

Uni Ramen ★★

Instant Ramen Enhanced. Bought this Uni Ramen when I was in Hokkaido. Added Real Uni, Mushroom, and Dried Shiso Leaf to it. Adding Spinach would be good too. The broth did not have a strong uni flavor, but it's still nice and fun to try. Need to get more of this next time I go to Hokkaido.

Tororo Soba Recipe ★★★

My All-Time Favorite Simple Vegetarian Dish. Tororo is made from grated Japanese Mountain Yam. Takes plain buckwheat soba to another level. I also topped the soba with sliced seaweed (pre-packaged and pre-sliced), chopping spring onions, sliced shiitake mushroom, and wasabi while dipping it into the soba soy sauce. I oven baked the Eggplant after mixing it with olive oil, mirin (Japanese cooking wine), and miso paste, but I think I will show a better version next time. Edamame beans and Hot Green Tea are great accompanies.

Yamaimo – Japanese Mountain Yam
Use peeler to peel off skin and grate for slimy texture

Korean Tofu Bowl Recipe

Quick Korean Food Fix. Bought BCD Tofu Bowl Packet in the refrigerated section from Japanese supermarket. I comes with the sauce and tofu. Just need to add ingredients. I added shrimp, beef, soft-boiled egg, napa cabbage, and spring onions. It's good with rice. Also paired it with Korean Kimchee Pancake from the frozen aisle in the market (also available at Trader Joe's).

Japanese Gratin with Shrimp Recipe ★★★

Restaurant Style Gratin. Cheesy gratin made with gratin mix. My first time making it. I love adding rice on the bottom layer before baking. Recipe below. Might try adding white wine to it next time.

Prep Ingredients + Milk + Cheese + Rice

Chardonnay – Perfect Pairing for the Seafood Gratin

Ingredients:
Japanese Macaroni Gratin Mix (brought from Japanese grocery store)
1/2 Onion – sliced
Shrimps (or any seafood or meat)
Water – Room Temperature – 1 cup
Milk – 1/3 cup
Butter – as needed
Parmesan Cheese – as needed
Rice
Parsley (optional) – chopped

Directions:
1. Cook Rice in Rice Bowl (The brand I like to use is Temaki from Marukai Japanese Market). Preheat oven at 480°F.
2. Heat a tablespoon of butter in pan. Stir in sliced onions until brown. Add shrimps.
3. Add water, milk, macaroni, and gratin powder from package. Mix well with wooden spoon. Boil until thickened. Turn to low heat and stir for another 3 minutes.
4. Butter baking dish (will need deeper dish than pictured). Add a layer of rice on the bottom. Pour mixture from pan to baking dish. Cover with Parmesan Cheese. Make for 10-12 minutes until slightly burnt.
5. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional).

Home Cooking Menu ★★★

Safer at Home Cooking. Hope everyone is well and staying safe at home. We bought enough groceries to stay at home 100% for the next 2 weeks. Below is what we will be eating.

*Chef's Recommendation

Cheng Can Cook: Uni Spaghetti ★★★

Uni Spaghetti. One of my favorite food to cook. After tasting it at Blue Marlin (closed) for 20+ times, I can finally write my own recipe based on tasting the dish there. My original recipe below.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
A box of uni
Spaghetti, enough for 1 person
About 2 teaspoons of Butter
A few tablespoons of Heavy Whipping Cream
Japanese Mayo to taste (a tablespoon)
Salt to taste (a teaspoon)
Garnish: Salmon Roe/ Seaweed pieces (small slices)/ Sliced Green Onions/ Shiso Leaf (optional)

1. Cook spaghetti.
2. Chop uni roughly into big chunks.
3. In a separate pan, heat up pan with butter. Sauté whipping cream and add mayo. Cook until thickens and add the chopped uni. Stir.
4. Add spaghetti to the sauce in pan and stir. Add salt to taste and mix. Done.
5. When you take the spaghetti out from the pan, leave the uni chunks in the pan. After taking the spaghetti out, put uni chunks on top of the spaghetti. Put seaweed/ green onions/ shiso leaf on top for garnish.

Cheng Can Cook: Negitoro Don ★★★

Making Negitoro Don with Premium Blue Fin Tuna. Fatty and Yum.

Recipe
Ingredients:
Blue Fin Tuna (Chutoro) from Spain (0.25 lb from Mitsuwa Market is about $10 for 1 person)
Salmon Roe (Ikura)
Rice
Shiso Leaves, coarsely chopped
Japanese Mountain Yam (Yamaimo), grated
Scallions, chopped
Seaweed (optional)
Rice Vinegar, 1 teaspoon
Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon
Wasabi, 1 teaspoon

Directions:
1. Mix Rice with Rice Vinegar, place in serving bowl.
2. Use a spoon to scrape off tendon from Toro, chop Toro, and place on top of rice.
3. Garnish with grated Japanese Mountain Yam (Tororo), Shiso Leaves, Scallions, Salmon Roe, and Wasabi.
4. Serve with soy sauce on the side.

Cheng Can Cook: Stir-Fry Vermicelli Noodles ★★★

Exploring with Vermicelli. Vermicelli Noodles (粉絲) has been one of my favorites. Not a lot of places serve them as main course noodles, so I decided to give it a try to make it the way I wanted it. It turned out surprisingly good. Recipe of my invention on bottom.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Vermicelli Noodles (Lungkow brand), 4 small packs
Pork, Sliced in 1 inch lengthwise (can be replaced by any meat or even sausage)
Fish Cake
Mushroom, Sliced
Napa Cabbage, Sliced
Bean Sprouts, about 2 cups
1/3 Onion, Sliced
Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Spring Onion, Chopped
Cilantro, Chipped
Oil
Chicken Broth (optional)
Oyster Sauce
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Chili Sauce or Oil
Sesame Seeds (optional)

1. Soak dry Vermicelli Noodles in room temperature water for 5-10 minutes while preparing and chopped ingredients. Boil water and cook Vermicelli Noodles for 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat up 1-2 tablespoons of oil in large frying pan. Cook garlic and onion until onion turns color.
3. Add in pork. Cook till the pink starts changing color. Add in Napa and Bean Sprouts and cook for a while. Add in Mushroom and Fish Cake.
4. Add in Vermicelli Noodles. Add 1-3 cups of water to moisten noodles. (Chicken Broth optional) Season with Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Chili Oil. Finally, add cilantro and spring onion. Ready to serve. Sprinkle Sesame Seeds to garnish (optional).

Cheng Can Cook: Masago Salad & Spicy Scallop Bowl ★★★

Making Japanese Food is My Passion. It is a work of art. I first tried Masago Salad from G•Sushi in Hong Kong and have been in love with it ever since. Recipe below. I first had Spicy Scallop Bowl at Tokyo Delve's in Marina del Rey, but it's closed down. I just to have to make my own now. Recipe below.

Masago Salad

Spicy Scallop Bowl

Pairing up Spicy Scallop with Uni

Uni Sushi with No Seaweed

Masago Salad Recipe:
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Imitation Crab, sliced
Masago (or better, Tobiko, which is higher grade)
Japanese Kewpie Mayo

1. Mix Cucumber, Imitation Crab, and Mayo together
2. Garnish with Masago on top


Spicy Scallop Bowl Recipe:
Jumbo Scallops or Bay Scallops, diced in chucksJapanese Kewpie Mayo
Chili Oil or Sriracha
A Bed of Rice in a Bowl (mix with few drops of rice vinegar option)
Sesame Oil (optional)
Chopped Green Onions for Garnish
Sliced Seaweed Piece for Garnish
Sesame Seeds for Garnish
Optional Additional Garnishes on the Side: Radish Sprouts, Oba Leaves , Cucumber Slices, & Avocado Slices

1. Mix everything together (except the garnishes)
2. Place Spicy Scallop on top of the bed of rice
3. Finish with garnishes

Cheng Can Cook: Fig Bruschetta ★★★

First Time Making This. Came out great. Only some toasting and cutting required.

Fresh Homegrown Figs from My Aunt

Ingredients:
Butter
Goat Cheese
Olives (optional)
Figs
Arugula
Prosciutto
Fig Jam (optional)
French Bread

Cooking Instructions:
Slice French Bread diagonally into slices with a sharp knife. Spread butter on one side. Toast in oven until butter turn golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Wash Figs and Arugula. Cut Figs into halves (or slices, however you want them).
When Bread is ready, take it out of the oven. Place it on a plate with butter spread facing down. Spread Jam on Bread (option). Place slice of Prosciutto on the Bread (I would say 1 layer of Prosciutto covering the Bread is plenty. This thing could get really salty) Place Arugula and Fig Bread. Place Goat Cheese on both ends of the Bread, under the Fig. Can add diced Olives if desired. Easy fancy Fig Bruschetta is now ready to serve.

Cheng Can Cook: Salmon Bowl ★★★

Easy Home "Cooking". No actual cooking required. Not even chopping. Simply delicious.

Seasoned Salmon Flakes

Ingredients:
Shredded Seaweed
Ikura (Salmon Roe)
Shiso Leaf
Seasoned Salmon Flakes (can be bought at Japanese supermarkets)
Japanese Sushi Rice

Cooking instructions:
In a serving rice bowl, Sprinkle Shredded Salmon on a bed of rice. Add Shiso Leaf with Salmon Roe on top and Seaweed on the side. Enjoy.

P.S. No Soy Sauce needed, since the Canned Salmon is salty itself already.

Cheng Can Cook: A Million Dollar Appetizer ★★★

Heavenly Sushi Appetizer. Envisioned making this for a while. Finally made it and loved it.

Ingredients: (from top to bottom)
Spring Onions for Garnish
Ikura (Salmon Roe)
Uni (Sea Urchin)
Aka Ebi (Red Sweet Shrimp)
Hand Grated Otoro (Premium Fatty Tuna)
Japanese Sushi Rice
A Slice of Lemon
Sesame Leaf

Stack the ingredients from bottom to top skillfully, then you will have this. It's worth the work and craftsmanship to enjoy.

P.S. The Uni is actually very slippery and hard to work with.

Cheng Can Cook: Tomato w/ Fish Sauce ★★★

Easy Home "Cooking" Recipe Rediscovered. No cooking required at all actually. Just mix. Recipe below. Nice to eat with rice. I learned it from my Filipino maid in Hong Kong almost 20 years ago. My first time making it.

Viet Huong Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce
the fish sauce I use, product of Hong Kong

Tomato w/ Fish Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients:
Tomatoes
Fish Sauce - 2 teaspoons, to taste
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon, to taste

1. Dice tomatoes coarsely.
2. Mix with fish sauce & salt to taste in a bowl.
3. Enjoy with rice!

Cheng Can Cook: Ramen Burger ★★★

Ramen Buger is the new trend. Why wait in line for 2 hours when you can make your own Ramen Burger at home?

The Ramen Patty is the most challenging part of the recipe. I put in the freezer to make it hold faster. This is my 2nd attempt. It holds so much better. Put green onions and teriyaki sauce on top of the beef patty.

Recipe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL7ZtdALBZE

P.S. I skipped the fried egg.

Cheng Can Cook: Uni Rice Bowl + Sushi ★★★

Uni California Chirashi Bowl + Healthy Brown Rice Sushi. Uni Rice Bowl is quite a delicacy, yet it's really easy to make. Just cut the ingredients and put them on a bowl of rice. I used Brown Rice for healthier choice.

Uni California Chirashi Bowl

Healthy Brown Rice Sushi

Uni California Chirashi Bowl Ingredients:

Uni (Sea Urchin), Sesame Leaf, Scallions, Chopped Crabmeat Mixed w/ Mayo & Chili Oil, Masago (Smelt Egg), Uzura (Quail Egg), Cucumber, and Brown Rice.

I used the same ingredients and added avocado to make the California Roll.

Cheng Can Cook: Eggplant w/ Toona Paste ★

Easy-to-Cook Eggplant w/ Toona (Black Bean Paste) Paste. Just cook Eggplant (use oil to cook and add water while cooking) with Toona Paste and add some chili oil. Use Scallions and Toasted Sesame Seeds for garnish.