Friday, September 18, 2015

Poke Bowl-A Hawaiian Favorite


One of the main reasons why I love Hawaii so much is its variety and uniqueness of the food culture. Perhaps it's because of the multi-ethnicity of the place, Hawaii embraces the tastes and textures of many countries, resulting in some surprisingly delicious local dishes.

One of my favorites is hands-down, the Poke. Made with fresh Ahi (Tuna) and usually made with Hawaiian Salt, this is simplicity at its best. There are dozens of variations of Poke, but my favorite always has been the simplest ones made with just a few high-quality ingredients. Put it on a mound of hot rice and you've got yourself a meal that'll satisfy your hunger.

Here's my simple recipe for the simplest Poke Bowl. It's amazingly easy to do that I'm almost embarrassed to share the instructions!

INGREDIENTS

150 grams ( 1/3 lb) sushi-grade fresh tuna
1/4 onion
1 stalk green onion
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 small sliver ginger
2 bowl cooked rice (preferably Japanese rice)
1 pinch rock salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 pirella (shiso) leaves-optional


DIRECTIONS

Grate ginger and slice onions. Cut tuna into bite-sized blocks. Combine all ingredients except pirella leaves into a bowl. Massage with your hand for 30 seconds. Chill in refrigerator. Dump on top of cooked hot rice and enjoy!

If you'd rather watch the beautiful video we made for this delicious recipe, CLICK HERE and don't forget to leave me a comment over there so I know you stopped by. Thanks for reading today's post and I truly hope you try this local Hawaiian dish. 


Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Summer in Tokyo

Oh gosh, it has been so long since my last post here and I profusely apologize!!! I am proving to myself that it's pretty close to impossible to try and update in a timely manner and manage to churn out 5 weekly videos for YouTube plus social media. Hmmm.....must find a solution. One thing for certain is that I am thinking of a redo for this blog so it's easier to find recipes and such. I certainly didn't plan well and I apologize.

Since it's been ages, today I'll just ramble on about what I've been up to during the summer months here in Japan. In a nutshell, it's been one of the busiest summers in my entire life, full with work and play and lots of new adventures. I really can't complain because I truly had a good summer. The only thing is the summers in Tokyo are short and last merely 4-6 weeks. The weather has cooled down already and fall is just around the corner in this part of the world.



This year I celebrated my favorite season by visiting many places such as The Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama, Tokyo Disneyland and Nagoya. I also went to see one of the biggest fireworks display in Tokyo, where I just about fainted on the train back due to the heat and crowds. I also visited Fussa to see the Tanabata Festival in all its gaudiness with lots of food and games.

If you want to see everything we did throughout the summer months, check out our Summer in the City Playlist which includes all of the above plus delicious summer recipes I know you'll love.

Click below for the full videos:
*Summer in the City Playlist
*Cup Noodles Museum
*Tokyo Disneyland One Day Tour
*Summer Fireworks Festival
*Tanabata Festival



My summer recipe library included Sushi Salad in a Mason Jar and lots of easy frozen treats such as no-churn blueberry cheesecake ice cream ( my favorite ) and Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Popsicles and a whole lot more!

I had planned to post all the recipes in a timely manner right here on the blog, but alas autumn has arrived. So if you are interested in these summer recipes, you should check out my Summer Recipes Playlist by clicking here. I promise to sort this blog out so that it will be easier to find recipes.

Watch videos by clicking on the links below.
*Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
*Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Popsicles
*Sushi Salad in Mason jar



Today I'd like to share with you my recipe for a simple Wakame Salad. Wakame is seaweed and we eat lots of it in Japan. It's not only super healthy for you, but it's really delicious. It gives a nice ocean flavor to salads and is perfect for those watching their weight. The homemade sesame dressing is to die for and works with typical vegetable salads as well. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 tablespoons dehydrated wakame (seaweed)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 leaves lettuce (washed and dried)
1/2 cucumber
1/4 block firm tofu (drained)
3 sticks imitation crab (optional)

DRESSING
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
1 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS
Reconstitute wakame seaweed in water and set aside. Tear lettuce leaves into bowl with hands. Slice cucumbers and add to lettuce. Drain and pat dry tofu to remove excess moisture. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Once seaweed has increased in volume, squeeze out excess moisture out of them and put them into a bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix. Keep in refrigerator to chill. Combine all salad ingredients into a bowl and toss with dressing. Serve chilled and enjoy.

You can purchase there items easily online in you can't find them nearby.

Rice Vinegar
Dehydrated Seaweed (Wakame)
Sesame Seeds

Thanks guys for being so patient with my updates. I vow to post more often and as always, will strive to bring you the best recipes I can whip up. I do have lots of fall recipes in store for you guys so stay tuned. Additionally, I'll be having another giveaway to celebrate my 10,000 subscribers to my YouTube Channel. Hope you're all having a great day!