Tempura Chicken and Vegetables #glutenfree #tempura #japanese

Who does not like Japanese Tempura?? This is light and crispy deep fried meal, that melts in your mouth. I have previously worked as a Japanese chef for several years. So. I assure you that this tempura is not any different to the real thing, although we have changed to gluten free ingredients -  the tips are always use ice water and some technology skills when deep frying.
Due to my partner not eating seafood, I have used chicken and vegetables for this meal. The sauce may be made thicker and sweeter to your taste. I will show you the pure tempura prawns and sauce another time...

Ingredients:

A: 

1 Chicken Breast, cut into long, thin slices
1/2 egg, lightly beaten 
1 tablespoon Sake (rice wine)
3 tablespoons gluten-free Corn Flour
1 teaspoon Minced Ginger 
Salt and Pepper
Vegetables you prefer, such as :- sweet potato, pumpkin, potato, carrot, zuchinni, bean, asparagus, brocolli, capsicum, okura, onion....The vegetables that are harder need longer cooking times, so cut them into thinner slices.

B:

1 cup gluten-free Plain Flour
3/4 cup Ice Water

C: 

2/3 cup homemade Teriyaki Sauce (Please check our recipe )*
1/3 cup Water
2-3 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Hon Dashi (Japanese fish/dashi stock)
Steamed Rice
Pickle ginger, if necessary**
About 1/2 cup extra gluten-free Plain Flour

Method:

Heat hot oil in a large deep pot/wok. If using a  deep fryer, heat to 190C.
Marinate all ingredients A for about half hour.
Mix ingredients B to become smooth tempura batter, I suggest you add some ice in the batter to keep it cooler.
Pour ingredients C in a pot and boil until reduce and thicken sauce to 50%.
Place the extra flour on a plate.
Remove vegetables and chicken from the marinade.
Lightly cover the vegetables and chicken with flour.
Cover in the tempura batter and deep fry in the hot oil. Remember you must shake the chicken and vegetables about 5 seconds in the hot oil before you separate them from your hand - it will let the batter become crispy after cooking.
Due to most home kitchens not having a large deep fryer as in restaurants, break into several batches to deep fry them. Make sure the oil is hot enough each time, when putting batches in the oil. Keep the ready cooked vegetables and chicken warm in the oven on medium heat.
Deep fry all the vegetables same as chicken. Some vegetables may need longer cooking times. Use your eye and finger to check the tempura, the best result is both side are crispy. Let them stand on a tray which has paper towel in the bottom.

To serve: 
 
Place steamed rice to half way up the bowl. 
Plate up with tempura chicken and vegetables. 
Poor over some of the sauce. 
Have some pickle ginger at the side if necessary.
* If you not have home make teriyaki sauce, you can use :-
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Japanese Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Mirin
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Sake
1.5 teaspoon Hon Dashi (Japanese dry fish stock)
Boil all ingredients until reduce thicken to about 40%

** You can buy many kind of pickle eggplant, ginger, cucumber...in local Asian/ Japanese groceries shops.

Tips: 

Home stoves are not as hot as restaurants. You will need to  deep fry for a  longer time.
Use new oil to deep fried tempura so the colour will be better and lighter.
You can use some gluten-free dry rice noodle or spaghetti or angel hair to deep fry with some tempura batter. Sprinkle, then toss, with some salt and decorate on the bowl. 

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Fresh Oysters with Apple Ponzu Vinaigrette #seafood #glutenfree #starters

Ponzu is Japanese citrus sauce. It is very suitable to marry with raw seafood and Beef Carpaccio. Of course you can add it to garden salads as a dressing too. If you unable find Ponzu at the supermarket, you can replace it with apple cider vinegar and a little lime juice mixed together. Make this vinaigrette in a larger batch and keep in the fridge so you can use it any time...

 Ingredients:

1 dozen Fresh Oysters
Spring Onion - finely sliced

Apple Ponzu Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 Apples, peeled
2 medium Onions
5 cloves Garlic
1 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Ponzu (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
2 tablespoons Sugar
Ground Pepper
Salt and Ground Pepper

Method:

Slow cook oil and garlic on low heat until the garlic is dark brown. Discard garlic.
Grate or finely chop onions. Rinse with cold water (This will reduce the acidity of the onion). 
Drain and dry on paper towel. 
Place in a large bowl.
Grate apple finely, add into the bowl with Ponzu and all seasonings. 
Pour the hot oil into bowl and mix well.
Taste to make sure the vinaigrette is seasoned to your liking. 
Refrigerate.
Place 1 teaspoon Apple Ponzu Vinaigrette onto the oyster in its shell.
Add a little spring onion and ground pepper if you like.

You can make this vinaigrette 1-2 days ahead, to serve cold with the fresh oysters.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Cheese Puffs (Kari Kari Cheese) #glutenfree #glutenfreecooking #glutenfreerecipe #cheesepuff

I use the leftover dumpling skin dough to make this easy snack. This is a crispy, delicious finger food. Simply eat with a cold beer or serve at your next gathering.

Ingredients:

15 pieces Dumpling Skins (Please check our blog)
50g Cream Cheese - cut into thin pieces
1 Nori (Japanese Sushi Seaweed ) - cut into small pieces
2 Eggs - lightly beaten 
Salt

Method:

Place one dumpling skin onto your hand. 
Brush inside of the skin with egg.
Place 1slice of cheese and 2-3 seaweed pieces on one side of the skin. 
Fold and press it together around the edge. 
Place on a floured tray.
Heat oil in the saucepan/wok.
Dip the puff into the egg wash before placing into the hot oil (180C).  
Deep fry both sides until golden brown.
Place onto paper towel and toss in a little salt before serving.
 

Tips: 
Use chilli sauce, cold or hot, as a dipping sauce.
Ricotta cheese and chopped parsley can be used as an alternative filling.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Pan-fried Salmon with Cabbage Rolls and Daikon in Dashi Broth #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreecooking #japanese

This is a modern Japanese style meal. The dashi broth is cooked with bonito flake (katsuobushi)! It is a clear, healthy broth with a full fish flavour, which is very suitable to combine with any pan fried fish fillets.

Pan-fried Salmon with Cabbage Rolls and Daikon in Dashi Broth

Dashi Broth

Ingredients:

 2 cups Water
1/2 cup Light Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Mirin
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 handful bonito flake or 1.5 tablespoons hon dashi (Japanese dry fish stock)

Method: 

Boil water, soy sauce, mirin and sugar in a saucepan.
Add the bonito flake at the end and remove from the heat. 
Allow to sit for half an hour and drain broth from fish pieces.

Simmer Daikon in Dashi Broth

Ingredients:
  
2 Salmon Fillets
1/2 Wombok (Chinese Cabbage)
Half  a large Carrot, chopped into sticks
1 Daikon (White Radish)
Lotus Root, sliced finely
1 tablespoon Rice
Salt, Pepper

Method:  

Bring water with the rice included to the boil.
Peel the daikon, cut sections of about 1.5 cm. 
Add daikon, wombok and carrot in the boiling water. 
Cook about 5 minutes or until soft. 
Remove the wombok and carrot from the saucepan and soak in ice water. 
Cook daikon for an extra 5 minutes.
In another saucepan, place the cooked daikon into the dashi broth. Cook on medium heat for about 30-45 minutes. 

Cabbage Rolls

Method:  
 
Squeeze excess water from the wombok and carrot with your hand. 
Place the wombok on sushi bamboo sheet or cling wrap. 
Place carrot sticks in the centre. 
Roll and keep firm about half hour.

Heat some oil in saucepan, deep fry lotus root slices on medium heat until golden brown and crispy. 
Sprinkle with salt.

Remove oil from saucepan.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the salmon.
Pan fry both sides until the skin is crispy - medium/well done/to your preference..
Place the salmon and cabbage roll and daikon onto the plate.
Place some chopped spring onion and lotus chips on the top.
Pour broth over before serving.

Tips: 

• Is this meal difficult to prepare and cook?!  No!! The dashi broth is very easy and can be made 1-2 days early and kept in the fridge.

• Most of the ingredients can be purchased in the big supermarkets or Asian groceries shops. If you are unable find lotus roots; sweet potato, turnip... chips can be made instead.

• Spinach or another leafy green vegetables may replace the wombok .

• Barramundi or another fish fillets may be used.

• Japanese light soy sauce is prefect for this recipe.

Mabo Nasu (Japanese Eggplant) #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreecooking #aubergine

Stir fried pork or chicken mince with deep fried eggplant served with steamed rice, is a casual Chinese and Japanese family meal.  For a best result, I add some green beans to add colour.

Mabo Nasu

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant. Cut thinly or small diced
200grams  Green Beans
300grams Pork/Chicken Mince
1 tablespoon Chilli, chopped finely
1 teaspoon Ginger - minced or grated
1 teaspoon Garlic - minced
3 tablespoons Mirin
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
I stem Spring Onion, sliced thinly
Pepper, Sugar and Sesame Oil 

Method:
 
Heat the pan with sufficient oil to deep fry eggplant and beans still soft.
Remove the eggplant and beans and set aside.
Drain off the oil, add ginger, garlic and chilli to the pan cook 1-2 minutes.
Add pork mince and stir until cooked. 
Add eggplant, beans and all seasoning. 
Stir fry on high heat.
Add a few drops of sesame oil.
Add chopped spring onions before plating.
Serve with steamed rice. 

Tips: 

• Blot the eggplant and beans with paper towel to prevent them from bring too oily after deep frying.  

• Stir fry with high heat for the best result!

Slow-cooked Beef Sukiyaki #glutenfree #glutenfreecooking #glutenfreerecipe

This delicious slow cooked main is a one pot wonder on a Winter evening. It is a simple meal where the cheaper cuts of beef cook down to a beautiful gravy beef full of flavour and wholesome goodness.
Ingredients:
I kg diced beef (this is perfect dish for cheaper cuts of beef as they cook down to a beautifully moist, melt in your mouth goodness).
6 Eggs - boiled and shelled
8 Baby Potatoes - peeled
2 Carrots - cut into length strips
4 slices of ginger
5 Garlic Cloves - peeled and finely chopped or crushed
2 Spring Onions - diced
1 cup Japanese Soy Sauce
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Mirin ( or Rice Wine)
1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 packet of Chinese Glass Noodle, Rice Noodle or Bean Thread Noodle (whatever you call them, but must be gluten free) soaked in water

Method:

Place beef in pot, add water to cover, and boil for a few minutes. Drain and throw away the dirty water.  
Wash meat off, place back in pot and cover with new water.
Add garlic, ginger and spring onions and bring to boil lower heat and slow cook for about one to one and a half hours.
Add all other ingredients, except the rice noodles, and slow cook for a further 1 hour or until beef is tender and the sauce is reduced to a lovely mixture.  
Before serving drain noodles and stir into the pot and serve.

Tip:

This dish can also be done in the pressure cooker. After boiling the beef and discarding the water, place the washed beef into pressure cooker with all the ingredients. Stir through and put lid on cooker and bring up to pressure and cook for  20mins under pressure. Remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down. Stir and serve!

Enjoy!

Slow cooked Beef Sukiyaki