Today’s miso soup is made with zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, and fried tofu (Aburaage). Sliced zucchini rounds soak up the umami flavor from Dashi, shiitake, and Miso. Fried tofu adds richness to the broth.
Gyoza (餃子) are Chinese dumplings made with meat and vegetables wrapped in round pasta-like flour skins and then pan-fried. Gyoza are originally based on Chinese fried dumplings, but they are now a popular and well-rooted part of Japanese cuisine today. Recently, really authentic Chinese food called “Gachi-Chuka” is becoming very popular in Japan, but Gyoza is the opposite end of the spectrum. Japanese Gyoza have changed through time to accommodate the preferred taste of Japanese people and have, like Ramen, really become part of Japanese food.
Gyoza Wrapper is a thin and round (pasta-like) flour skin that can hold meat and vegetables to make Gyoza dumplings. Homemade Gyoza skins are quite different from store-bought ones. They are thicker, chewier, heartier, and still delicious, of course. They are simply made of flour and boiling water and, although a bit time consuming, easily made at home.
Banana Omelette Cake (バナナオムレットケーキ) is thin sponge cake folded in half, looking like a half round, and filled with a whole banana and whipped cream inside. Omelette cake is called “omelette” because of the resemblance of the shape of egg omelet. Classic banana and cream taste never betrays anyone’s expectation. Although this cake is rather simplistic (looking), it is sweet and soft and very tasty. This dessert is a bit old fashioned in Japan, but it’s still got steadfast popularity to be found at many shops there.
Onion Dressing (オニオンドレッシング) is a salad dressing made with grated brown onion, Soy Sauce, and rice vinegar. This dressing is full of onion flavor, but not as harsh as you may think. It is not only good on regular salad, but it’s also great with grilled meat and seafood.
Cheese Hamburger Steak (チーズハンバーグ) is Japanese Hamburger Steak (or Hamburg Steak) with sweet and tangy sauce and cheese on top. Melted cheese adds another layer of flavor and texture to the sauce, and a lot of people enjoy it whether they are eating at restaurants or at home.
Pork Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish with thinly sliced pork and vegetables. Meat and vegetables are cooked in a simple Kombu broth and dipped and eaten with Ponzu Sauce. Pork Shabu Shabu is an easy but wonderful dinner when coming back home from the chilly outside.
Shabu Shabu usually indicates a Japanese hot pot dish (all hot pot dishes are called “Nabemono” or ”Nabe”) with paper-thin sliced beef. But here it is with thinly sliced pork in place of beef. Instead of packing the pot with all the ingredients like Mizutaki, leave some room in the pot so that you can easily dip your thin meat in hot broth and swirl them around to cook. It should be cooked at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and eaten as we cook, the same as other Nabemono.
Tuna Cream Pasta (ツナクリームパスタ) is pasta, usually spaghetti cooked in creamy white sauce with canned tuna. The dish may be found at some restaurants, but it is mostly a western style Japanese home cooking dish. Although Tuna Cream Pasta doesn’t sound very Japanese, this easy and budget friendly pasta is one of the common everyday meals people eat in Japan.
Anko Butter Sandwich (あんバターサンド) is literally a sandwich with Anko sweet red bean paste and a slice of butter. Anko Butter Sandwich has been having a big boom for the last few years in Japan and you can find many kinds of Anko and butter bread products at bakeries and many other shops now.
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl is grilled chicken with sweet and salty Teriyaki sauce over Steamed Rice in a bowl. The all-time favorite entree Teriyaki Chicken has now turned into an even more casual entree. This one-dish meal will surely be a big hit for everyone from kids to adults.