Cheng Can Cook: Tosazu Jelly with Amaebi Recipe ★★★

Michelin-Worthy Recipe. Amazing taste. Adds texture to your appetizer. Recipe below.

Ingredients: (petite portion)
50 mL Water
20 mL Rice Vinegar
10 g Sugar
A few drops of Soy Sauce
A few drops of Mirin
1 cm Kombu (Kelp)
1 g Katsobushi (Bonito Flakes)

1 g Gelatine Powder (I think can be less)
4 mL Water

Sashimi (I used Amaebi)

Instructions:
1. Remove white dust from Kombu with paper towel with sake.
2. Heat up 50 mL Water, Rice Vinegar, Sugar, Soy Sauce, Mirin, and Kombu in medium low heat. When liquid becomes warm, add in Bonito Flakes. Simmer.
3. Soak Gelatine Powder in 20 mL of water until combined. Add to pot and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour jelly liquid in container, cool, and put in fridge until jelly sets. (~1 hour)
5. Crush jelly with spoon.
6. Add Tosazu Jelly to your favorite Sashimi and garnish. (I used chopped dried Shiso Leaf & Chopped Takuan for garnish)

Cheng Can Cook: Creamy Pesto Pasta Reimagined ★★★

Reimagined Pesto without Food Processor. Nice and not too oily, similar to Alfredo sauce. Add topping of your choice: Chicken, Oven Roasted Eggplant, Sausage, Bacon, etc. Grocery at Trader Joe's has better pricing. Recipe below.

Recipe based on: thekitchn.com
Ingredients:
1/3 cup raw Pine Nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
2 bunches Basil
2 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Dry Pasta (about 1 lb.)

Directions:
1. Toss Pine Nuts in frying pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until brown.
2. Coarsely chop Pine Nuts. Finely chop Basil and Garlic.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Garlic, Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Heavy Cream.
3. Cook Pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta & return to pot. Add in Pesto sauce. Toss to combine until pasta is coated with sauce.

Cheng Can Cook: Baked Japanese Eggplant Recipe ★★★

Easy Eggplant Fix without Miso. I had to cook Eggplant tonight, but I realized that I ran out of Miso, so I came up the recipe below tonight. It ended up tasting like Miso.

Ingredients:
3-4 Eggplants
Bonito Flakes or Green Onions for Garnish (optional)

Sauce: (A bit of everything, more on the Cooking Sake & Mirin. Mix enough to lightly coat Eggplants)
Japanese Cooking Sake
Mirin
Japanese Sesame Sauce (can be optional)
Sesame Oil
Japanese Oyster Soy Sauce (or regular Soy Sauce)
Grated Ginger (optional) (Didn't use because I didn't have any Ginger on hand)
Cooking Oil

1. Preheat Oven to 475 degrees. Slice Eggplant into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix the sauce. Coat Eggplant with sauce.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes (depending on your oven) until Eggplant is soft well coated.
4. Garnish with Bonito Flakes or Green Onions (optional). Good with rice.

Cheng Can Cook: Ginger Pork Recipe ★★★

Japanese Comfort Food. Easy to cook. I don't recommend adding eggplant to it after trying it, because it changes the texture and consistency of the dish. Adding onion (sauté before adding pork) will add some sweetness to the dish. Recipe below.

Recipe: (from allrecipes)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Sake
2 Tbsp Mirgin
1 Tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger Root
1 lb. Thinly Sliced Pork Loin
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Directions:
1. Mix together soy sauce, sake, mirin, & ginger in a large bowl until combined.
2. Add Sliced Pork. Stir to coat. Marinate for about 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in large skilled or wok over high heat. Sauté pork in hot oil until browned and cooked through. Discard marinate.

Tip: Optional to add some kind of chili oil in the end. Also optional to add thinly sliced shiso leaf as garnish. Eat with rice.
P.S. Some people coat pork with corn starch before cooking.

Cheng Can Cook: Sakura Shoyu Glazed Salmon Recipe ★★★

Sakura Shoyu Glazed Salmon with Cold Ume Shiso Soba Recipe from Yama Seafood. Have been wanting to try this recipe for a while. Finally get to make it. It's great. Perfect marinate for the Salmon with a kick of garlic. Soba tossed with spring plum ingredients. Great dish for spring and summer. Only thing is that the sakura/ plum ingredients add up to be a bit pricey (375mL bottle of Sakura Shoyu, Ume Shiso Salt, Plum Paste), but it's worth the investment. I would have never tried these ingredients if not for this recipe, and these will expand my culinary palette. I think adding cucumber or radish slices to this recipe would be nice too. Nice marinate and sauce. This recipe is capable of variations – the salmon could be served with rice or pasta. The soba can also be substituted with udon or pasta or serve alone. I enjoyed this recipe a lot.

Sakura Shoyu Glazed Salmon with Cold Ume Shiso Soba
Recipe from Yama Seafood:
https://www.yamaseafoodla.com/recipes

Ingredients
Salmon & Marinade
4 salmon fillets (~6 oz each)
½ cup Haku cherry blossom shoyu (soy sauce) (bought at Yama Seafood)
1 tbsp Kinjirushi plum paste (bought at Yama Seafood)
2 tbsp honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp neutral oil

Noodles
8 oz soba noodles (can be substituted with udon; can make more noodles or make sauce 1/2 less for a milder taste)
1 tbsp ume shiso salt (bought at Yama Seafood)
¼ cup shiso leaves (perilla), finely chopped
¼ cup umeboshi (pickled plum), chopped
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil

Toppings (optional)
Furikake, green onions

Instructions:
Marinate the salmon:
● Combine the Haku cherry blossom shoyu, plum paste, honey, garlic, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well.
● Place salmon fillets in a shallow dish or plastic bag and pour marinade over salmon, massaging gently & ensuring all pieces are coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours)

Prepare the soba noodles:
● Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook according to package instructions (usually 4-6 min).
● Drain noodles and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch (optional: keep noodles in ice bath until ready to assemble).

Bake the salmon and prepare glaze:
● Preheat oven to 425F. Remove salmon from marinade (set marinade aside), allowing excess to drip off to prevent salmon from burning. Place salmon, skin-side down, on a lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork (120F internal temp).
● Pour leftover marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, lower heat to medium and slowly drizzle in half the oil while stirring. Once oil has mixed in completely, add remainder of oil and continue simmering until glaze has thickened.

Assemble and serve:
● Combine the cooked soba noodles, chopped shiso leaves, chopped umeboshi, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and ume shiso salt in a large bowl. Toss until mixed and noodles are evenly coated.
● Place salmon fillet on top of soba noodle salad, drizzling the sakura shoyu glaze on salmon. Garnish (optional) with furikake and green onions. Serve and enjoy!

Cheng Can Cook: Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe ★★★

Came Up with My Own Recipe. Brussels Sprouts is my all-time favorite appetizer. It could go $8-$15 at restaurants. It is about $4 at grocery stores. Perfect snack. Can explore with different toppings such as Pancetta and chopped Macadamia Nuts.

Ingredients:
Brussels Sprouts – about 8 pieces
Shaved Cheese (such as Parmesan, Ricotta, Blue Cheese, Cheese Blend, etc.)
Oil – about 2.5 Tablespoons
Vinegar – a light splash
Salt – a big pinch
Furikake (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to Broil (High-heat baking)
2. Wash, dry, and halve Brussels Sprouts
3. Toss Brussels Sprouts with Oil
4. Top with Vinegar and a pinch of Salt, then Broil with the inside faced up
5. Broil till it turns brown, then turn and have the outside faced up (so that outside skin cures up and creates nice texture)
6. When the outside turns brown like picture above, it's done. Add cheese and can bake for 1-2 minutes additional for the cheese to melt
7. Serve and add Furikake on top (optional)

Cheng Can Cook: Raku Poached Egg & Eggplant Recipe ★★★

Great Flavor of Raku. Because I won't be going to Vegas for a while, I replicated Raku Las Vegas's recipe for their Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe. I made a mistake by cracking the Onsen Tamago instead of peeling it. I am such an amateur home cook. Japanese recipes are complicated. Everything needs to be heated up and cool down.
For the Broiled Miso Eggplant, I invented the recipe myself. Both dishes are great with sake and/or rice. Recipes below.

My Replica of Raku's Poached Egg with Sea Urchin & Salmon Roe

Original from Raku Las Vegas $9

Raku's Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe Recipe:

Dashi Broth:
1/4 cup Bonito Flakes
1-1/4 cup Water
6 inches of Kombu Seaweed

Directions:
1. Simmer water & Kombu in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat and add Bonito Flakes. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer. Discard Kombu (or keep for 2nd batch) and Bonito Flakes.
Dashi can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Onsen Tamago Sauce:
1/4 cup Dashi
1/2 Tbsp Mirin
3/4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Directions:
Heat up everything in a small pot and cool down.

Onsen Tamago:
4-1/4 cups Water (measure 4-1/4 cups and remove 4 teaspoon) (water needs to cover egg completely)
3/4 cup Cold Tap Water (3/4 cup + 4 teaspoon)
1 large Egg, refrigerated

Directions:
1. Add water to small sauce pen, cover with fitted lit and bring to boil.
2. Once boil, remove pot from heat. Take egg out from refrigerator, add cold tap water to pot, gently place egg in the water. Cover and leave it for 15-16 minutes. (Timing might require trial and error testing & adjustment)

Garnishes:
Bunashimeji Mushrooms (just need the heads, boiled)
Okra (boiled, a few thin slices)
Chopped Yamaimo

Directions:
1. Plate Garnishes and Onsen Tamago as pictured.
2. Add the Onsen Tamago Sauce.
3. Tastes best when slightly refrigerated. Serve cool.


Notes to self:
• Chop the yamaimo finer next time
• I cracked open the onsen tamago egg shell instead of peeling it. I am such an amateur home cook.
• I made a mistake of putting the sauce in the serving bowl first – DON'T DO IT! Garnishes will not hold in place and will be all over the place. I ended up pouring the sauce out, plated everything dry, and added the sauce last.
• May need to marinate the mushroom with the Onsen Tamago Sauce.

Broiled Miso Eggplant I invented

Broiled Miso Eggplant Recipe:
A Few Eggplants
About 1.5 Tbsp oil
About 1 Tbsp Miso
About 1.5 Tbsp Mirin
About 1.5 Tbsp Cooking Sake
Spring Onion for Garnsih, chopped
Bonito Flakes for Garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil (high-heat baking).
2. Quarter Eggplant in cross section and slice into 1" lengthwise.
3. Mix all the liquid and miso.
4. Mix or brush mixture with Eggplant. Set to broil until it turns slightly brown on the edges. Could be about 25 minutes.
5. Plate Eggplant and garnish with chopped Spring Onion and Bonito Flakes.

Note to self:
• Can think about adding minced ginger to add a kick of spice to the dish next time.

Both dishes are great to pair with sake!

Potato Chips Recipe ★★★

Homemade Fried Potato Chips. My first time. Pretty good. Got 10 lbs. of potatoes from Vons for free, so trying different potato recipes everyday. Instead of using olive oil, I saved the oil from baking bacon and used it for this. It gives the chips a bacon aroma. Some people also add white vinegar to it. Recipe below.

Ingredients:
2 Medium Potatoes
1.5 Tablespoon Olive Oil (I used oil from bacon)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven at 425°F.
2. Skin potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/8" thickness. (I will try using a peeler next time too)
3. Grease baking sheet, toss chips with Olive Oil. Place chips in single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Additional spices optional.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy. (Can also Air Fry for 15 minutes or until crispy)
Tip: After baking or air-frying, line plate with paper towel to absorb extra oil

Taiwanese Sliced Noodles Recipe ★★

Taiwanese Comfort Food. The thick Taiwanese Sliced Noodles are available in the Chinese supermarkets. I modified my recipe a bit after learning how to cook Hong Kong Style Soy Sauce Noodles. Recipe below.

Taiwanese Sliced Noodles

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

Ingredients:
Pork, Chicken, or Beef (Pork has the best flavor for this)
1/4 - 1/2 Onion
Vegetables – I used Eggplant, Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Lettuce
1 Tablespoon Oil
1.5 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
Cilantro (optional)
Sliced Spring Onions for Garnish (optional)
Sesame Seeds for Garnish (optional)
Japanese Chili Oil with Garlic on the side

Directions:
1. Wash and slice all vegetables.
2. Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat and drain.
3. Heat oil on pan. Add Onions and Eggplant until slightly browned. Add rest of vegetables and a little bit of water. Add meat.
4. When meat is cooked, add noodles. Add Sesame Oil, Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, and Oyster Sauce on noodles and mix well. Add Cilantro and turn off heat.
5. Serve and garnish with Spring Onions and Sesame Seeds. Serve with Japanese Chili Oil with Garlic on the side.

Ludo's Omelette Recipe ★★★

Chef Ludo Lefebvre's Classic French Omelette. Fluffy. Perfect Breakfast. Chef Ludo has been very generous to share his recipes on his Instagram during the pandemic. I am very excited to try this with the new The Rock by Starfritt non-stick pan I bought. Considering it my first time, it's quite successful. This takes practice to perfection. I paired it with Sunrise Tequila Shot (tropical juice + tequila). Recipe below.

I asked Ludo if I can use a fork instead

Recipe Source: @chefludo https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_I22s5p2ZG/
*Watch Ludo's video first before making, as cooking the egg gets quite technical.
I wrote a recap of the directions below.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
2 scoops of Cream Cheese or any Soft Cheese (eg. Ricotta or Parmesan)
Salt
White Pepper
Chopped Chives for garnish (optional)
Non-stick Pan (around 9 inches)
Rubber Spatula
Whisk
Bowl

Directions:
1. Crack 4 eggs. Add a pinch of salt and white pepper.
2. Beat the eggs. Mix very well evenly until you don't see any eggwhites.
3. Heat a chunk of butter in pan in low heat. Pour eggs when butter begins to sizzle. Make sure that it doesn't sizzle after. Scramble eggs. Make sure to stir and mix everywhere. Occasionally lift away from heat. (Medium heat?) Stir fast as egg hardens a bit. Let set. Set sides.
4. Add 2.5 tablespoons of cream cheese on 1/2 of the side inside omelette.
5. Roll like sushi. Massage with butter.
6. Lift end and slide onto a plate.
7. Wet towel with hot water. Remold omelette with towel on top so it looks more like a crepe. Massage with butter.
8. Add a bit more salt and white pepper. Add chopped chives for garnish (optional).

Chow Mein & Oxtail Soup Recipe ★★★

Lovely Taste of Hong Kong. I got Taiwanese noodles and made it into Chow Mein. It tasted great. Oxtail Soup is easy to make. It's tasty and healthy. Recipes below.

Hong Kong Style Soy Sauce Chow Mein

 

Chinese Ox Tail Soup

Soy Sauce Chow Mein
Ingredients:
Dry Noodles for 2 people (I used Taiwanese)
120 g Bean Sprouts (I used napa, lettuce, and mushroom instead – sliced)
1/2 Onion
Ginger – Sliced (I used ginger powder instead)
1 Spring Onion – Sliced
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Sauce: (can premix or add on the spot)
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2.5 teaspoons Dark Soy Sauce
1.5 teaspoons Raw Sugar (I used regular sugar)
2 teaspoons Oyster Sauce
A drizzle of Sesame Oil

Directions
1. Follow package directions to cook dry noodles and drain. (Tip: Don't cook for too long, or else it will be soggy)
2. Add oil to wok (or large frying pan). Cook ginger, spring onions, and onions until soft. Add vegetables. Set vegetables aside and add drained noodles. Add sauce in circular motion and stir for even tone. Taste.
3. Garnish with sesame seeds.


Oxtail Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. Oxtail
3-4 Medium Tomatoes – Roughly Diced
1 Large Potato, peeled – Roughly Diced
1/2 Onion – Roughly Sliced
Celery – optional
A lot of water

Directions
1. Boil water in a pot. Cook oxtail for 1-2 minutes. Discard water.
2. In a larger pot, fill pot with a lot of water and bring to boil. Add everything into the pot of water and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Soup is ready to serve.

Sukiyaki Recipe ★★★

Easy Sukiyaki. Pre-boil vegetables (daikon, spinach, napa, mushrooms, corn starch noodles, etc.) in pot and drain. In a pan, brown onion. Add generous amount of soy sauce and water mixture (1-2 cups) in pan, bring to simmer. Add tofu, beef (or pork), drained vegetables, and spring onion. Whisk an egg for dipping sauce and eat with rice. Yum.

Japanese Corn Starch Noodles and Soy Sauce Base from Marukai Market

Baked Potato and Cream of Asparagus ★★★

Baked Potato with Real Bacon Bits and Cream of Asparagus. I love the baked potatoes from Super Sandwiches in Hong Kong. Finally decided to make it. Recipes below.

Baked Potatoes:
Ingredients:
1 Large Potato
1/2 piece of BaconSpring Onion
Cheese
Sour Cream
Butter
Salt

Directions:
1. Wash potato, prick holes with a fork 5-6 times, rub with salt, and bake at 375° for 60 minutes. Can add bacon to baking after 45 minutes and bake bacon for 12 minutes. Cut bacon into small pieces.
2. Cut open potato, spread butter and sprinkle cheese inside. They will melt perfectly.
3. Spread a lot of sour cream (more than picture above), add bacon, and garnish with spring onions.


Cream of Asparagus: (from epicurious)
Ingredients:
Green Asparagus – 1 lb.
1/2 Large Onion – chopped
Butter – 1.5 Tbsps
Chicken Broth – 2.5 cups
Heavy Cream – 1/4 cup
Fresh Lemon Squeeze – A few drops

Directions:
1. Cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Reserve some tips for garnish.
2. Cook onion with 1 Tablespoon of butter and in a large pot with low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add 2.5 cups of broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, for 15-20 minutes.
3. Boil asparagus tips in salted water for 3-4 minutes and drain.
4. Purée soup in batches in blender until smooth. (caution with hot soup) Return to purée to pan. Stir in whipped cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to boil and whisk in remaining butter.
5. Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

Avocado Toast Recipe ★★★

Avocado Toast. My all-time overpriced brunch favorite.  Recipe below. Had it with Pomegranate Orange Vodka. Just mix Pomegranate Orange Canned Soda with Vodka.

Avocado Toast
Ingredients:
Bread – 1 piece
Butter
1/2 Avocado
1 Egg
Parmesan Cheese
Chives or Basil for granish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Spread butter on bread and toast until golden brown
2. Fill tiny pot 2" high of water and boil. Add a drop of vinegar in water. Crack egg in a bowl, add to boiling water and simmer in low heat for 3-5 minutes. Drain water.
3. Smash avocado in a bowl or inside its skin. Spread on toast. Add poached egg on top. Sprinkle cheese. Add salt and pepper.
4. Toast until cheese melt. Garnish with chives or basil.

Chinese Boiled Shrimp Recipe ★★★

Shrimps 2 Ways. Boiled Shrimps are my favorite at Chinese restaurants. Recipe below. Soy Sauce Ketchup Shrimp is just made with sliced garlic, soy sauce, and ketchup.

Boiled Shrimps

Soy Sauce Ketchup Shrimps

Boiled Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients:
Shrimps
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Spring Onions – 1-2 stalks, cut 1 inch lengthwise
Ginger – 2 sliced
Rice Wine – 1 teaspoon
Water – 1/2 cup

1. Wash & clean shrimps
2. Add water, spring onions, ginger, and salt in wok. Cook until boiling.
3. Add rice wine and shrimps
4. Cook until shrimps turned orange
5. Plate shrimps. Can make dipping sauce with minced garlic, soy sauce, oil, cilantro, and chili.

Alcoholic Dole Whip Recipe ★★★

Adult Dole Whip with Dole Whip Ice Cream on Top. I did 1/2 portion of the Dole Whip. My Dole Whip melted quickly. The images below are the official Dole Whip recipe released by Disneyland.

  

  

Dole Whip [Ice Cream] Recipe
Ingredients:
1 big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 cup Pineapple Juice
2 cups Frozen Pineapple

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Make a swirl.

Adult Dole Whip [Margarita Drink] Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Frozen Pineapple
1/4 cup Tequila
1/6 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Milk

Directions:
1. Blend everything except the milk.
2. Blend in the milk.
3. Serve and drink up.

Tofu Noodles Recipe ★★★

Tofu Ramen from Japanese Market. The shrimps from Little Tokyo MarketPlace Korean market were really fresh and tasted great. Pork from Japanese market. With soft-boiled egg, shiitake mushroom, and napa cabbage. Boiled the egg for 6 minutes. Topped with spring onions. Added sesame seeds and Japanese spicy garlic seasoning afterwards.

Tofu Ramen from Marukai Japanese Market in the Refrigerated Section

Homemade Mickey Waffles Recipe ★★★

Making Waffle from scratch. First time. It's actually pretty easy. I had it with maple syrup. Tasted great. Disneyland Esplanade music in background a plus. Got this Select Brands Mickey Mouse waffle maker from BoxLunch years ago. Recipes vary. Below is one of them.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl with beater until fluffy. Put in the rest of the ingredients and beat altogether.
2. Let the batter rest. Preheat waffle maker for 4-5 minutes.
3. Pour batter into waffle maker and heat for 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve with maple syrup on the side.

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.

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.