champong

Our dinner tonight, called champong . Its a nagazaki prefecture original and champong means
to mix all ingredients . The vegetables and noodles are cooked together in a large chinese wok while the the common ramen, everything is cooked separately . The noodles are boiled in a special pot, the soup/stock is in another pot. The vegetable toppings are sauted on a differrent
wok. Then its arranged on a bowl.

This is my second champong and it was really good!

soba and vegetable patties ( chijimi )

Soba is a very healthy noodle, made from buckwheat flour. It has a grainy texture compared to the smoothness of the udon. I didnt like it before but now Im a fan. Can be eaten hot or in hot days like this, best eaten cold.

* boil soba noodles ( the pack says for how long )
* drain and wash in cold running water
* set aside , or you can prepare the dip beforehand

the dip

* mentsuyu ( can be bought in bottles at the asian grocer), add chilled
water to it, to your desired taste
* add grated ginger and very thinly sliced leeks
* lastly add wasabi ( available at japanese grocers)
you can skip this if you like

Dip a fork full soba on the sause and..

slurrrppp...slurrrp !! Hmmm, refreshing and yummy !!

The vegatable patties took a lot of my time, its actually my version of a korean recipe.
That will be for a later post, gotta cook dinner!

chicken curry..cha style

I love spicy food! The aroma, the tangy taste ...uhmmm. My hubby often complains the whole apartment smell of garlic. Anyway here is one of my chicken curry recipes. If you like to eat something exotic and hot, please try this.

Ingredients :

chicken ( 1/2 kilo ) I used legs but wings will do too
onion 1 whole ( sliced not so thinly )
chili pepper powdered is ok but maybe better to use the whole one
string beans
salt and pepper
sugar
oil
and of course...

........ curry paste

I used the hot red type on this recipe. Purchased this at a super that sells international products.

Any brand or maker of curry will do.

How to :

1. Coat chicken with flour, fry until golden brown.

2. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. On the same skillet, saute the chili and onions until onions become transparent .

3. Put 3 tablespoons of the curry paste and stir. Add 1 1/2 cup of water, stir.

4. Put the chicken and cover, let it simmer for 10~15 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

5. Add salt and pepper, to your desired taste. You can add more paste if you like.

6. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar. ( this will mellow it a little )

5. Now add the string beans and cook for another 5 minutes.

This is best eaten with rice. If you have nan or chapati,its ok too!

Have a nice cooking day, everyone!

salad udon

Although it is still " tsuyu " or rainy season, its hot and very humid. I cant wait for the real thing so I've already started preparing summer food. Like this udon ( noodles made from wheat flour). Used the local dried " inaniwa udon " which is a popular variety here in japan. You just have to boil the noodles until desired chewiness. Drain and run cold water to it . Actually you have to wash it, but be careful not to break the noodles.

prepare...

a can of tuna flakes, drain the oil (healthier)
cucumber , sliced not so thinly
tomatoes, sliced in desired size
udon noodles ( available in asian or japanese groceries)
soy sauce , vinegar , salt and pepper

how to...

mix the soy sauce and vinegar to your desired taste. we have different tastes so this part is really up to you. Place the cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Lastly add the tuna flakes.Add salt and pepper.

Put the noodles on a platter and the sauce on top of it, voila!
You now have a refreshing food for the hot summer days!

Anyway, you can do wonders with this by using your favorite vinegar. White wine vinegar or balsamic may be a daring choice but try it. I 'd love too but my dear hubby would definitely not eat it!