Today,there are more and more people getting interested with Japanese recipes. Why?  Because they aren’t only taste good, but they are also comparatively healthier than their American counterparts. So, if you have always think of trying Japanese food but find that taking raw meat is a bit repulsive, now below are Japanese recipes that you might wish to try out.

Yakitori (焼き鳥)

Main dish: Yakitori
This is the popular Japanese recipes especially among the children because of its sweet sauce.

Ingredients:
-    Chicken parts such as thigh meat or liver
-    Negi *
-    4 tablespoons of Japanese Soy Sauce
-    Japanese cooking wine or Japanese Sake
-    3 tablespoons of sugar
-    Honey-    Bamboo skewers

*Substitute Negi with leeks or green onion if not available

Preparation:

1.    Cut and divide the chicken into small cubes size about 2 to 3 centimeters.
2.    In a saucepan, pour in all the liquid ingredients and mix with sugar then simmer with low hear. Wait until the sugar is completely melted.
3.    Marinate the chicken with the sauce and set aside for about 30 minutes. 4.    Cut the Negi into 3 centimeters long while waiting for the marinade to seep in.
5.    When the chicken gets ready, alternately skewer chicken with leeks.
6.    Grill to perfection. Be careful not to burn them.

Gomaae (胡麻和え)

Side Dish: Gomaae
This spinach based Japanese recipes complements Yakitori.

Ingredients:

-    Fresh Spinach
-    2 tablespoons sugar
-    1 tablespoon of Japanese Rice Wine
-    2 tablespoons of ground sesame seeds
-    2 tablespoons of Miso (Soybean paste)

Preparation:

1.    Blanch the spinach.
2.    Dry out the leaves by patting them with dry kitchen cloth or paper towel.
3.    Once dry, cut them approximately 3 centimeters long.
4.    Mix with other ingredients in a different container.
5.    Toss the spinach to the mixture and serve.

The word “sushi” in ancient times referred to fish that are preserved in vinegar. As time goes by, sushi has become a complete meal in itself. Now, the staples of sushi would include readily available ingredients like Japanese rice (short grain rice type), dried seaweed and seafood. Because the seafood are locally procured some even enjoy consuming them in raw.

If you are among the few who are reluctant to prepare the traditional hand-rolled sushi, here is the the easiest sushi recipes for you – Scattered Sushi (散らし寿司) salmon and avocado. Mixing all onto the vinegared sushi rice will do.

Chirashi Sushi – Salmon Avocado

Ingredient: ( 4 servings)
-    2 cups of sushi rice
-    4 tbsp rice vinegar
-    2 tbsp sugar
-    2 tsp salt
-    150g  salmon,
-    2 avocado
-    1 cucumber
-    1 piece celery
-    2 tbsp shrimp caviar (ebiko)

Preparations:
Cut cucumber and celery into small cubes. Cut smoked salmon and avocado into bite-sized pieces.
To prepare rice, rinse rice thoroughly in a sieve. Drain well. Pour the rinsed rice into rice cooker, add 2 cups water and start to cook. When the steamed rice is ready, transfer it to a big bowl, add rice vinegar, sugar & salt and cool to room temperature.
When the sushi rice has turned cool, mix the cucumber & celery cubes, ebiko into the rice and stir well. Then, arrange avocado cubes and salmon pieces on the rice then serve.

Japanese Scattered Sushi Recipes.

Shabu shabu is one of the Japanese hot pot dishes and most enjoyable winter dishes. The array of ingredients is prepared in advance. Ingredients such as thinly sliced meat, vegetables and other ingredients are cooked in a skillet on the table making it possible for hosts to relax and enjoy a convivial meal with theiï½’ guest.

Japanese beef with Shabu-shabu:

Ingredients: (Makes 4 servings)

700g sirloin beef, thinly sliced
15 spring onions (scallions), diagonally and thinly sliced
3 carrots, cut into thin round slices
400g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 Chinese cabbage, chopped to bite-sized
1 block cotton tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
2 litres chicken stock
Japanese short-grain rice, cooked
ready made shabu shabu sauce

Preparations:

Arrange the prepared vegetables, tofu and meat in separate piles on a serving platter. Cover with kitchen wrap and refrigerate before cooking. Position the serving platter and electric wok so they are within easy reach of each diner. Pour the stock into the electric wok, cover and bring to a simmer. Each diner then picks up an ingredient or two with thier chopsticks and places it in the simmering stock for about 1 minute or until cooked. Do not overcook, the vegetables should be just tender and the beef still pink in the centre.Skim off any foam and repeat cooking. The food is then dipped into the sauce and eaten with the rice. The remaining stock can be served as soup at the end of meal.

    Ramen (ラーメン); a japanese noodle which is originated in China. Today, Japanese instant ramen noodles are very popular in the world. This typical Japanese food is kind of Japanese fast food and welcomed by most Japanese. Japanese Ramen Recipes has many variaties including Tonkutsu Ramen（豚骨ラーメン, Shoyu Ramen(醤油ラーメン, Miso Ramen(味噌ラーメン), Sio Ramen(塩ラーメン)and Chuka Ramen（中華ラーメン. Tonkotsu Ramen（豚骨ラーメン)is  my “Very Love” flavor where the soup is using pork bone to cook for over hours until it become creamy white. Shoyu Ramen (醤油ラーメン)is a soy sauce flavor with pork bone or chicken bone base. Miso Ramen (味噌ラーメン), the soup is using different type of Miso paste. Sio Ramen (塩ラーメン)is  soup in salt flavor and is free quick easy recipes. Chuka Ramen（中華ラーメン)is chinese style usually served in Chinese restaurant. It is very important when prepare the soup base for ramen since it is the main “factor” for people to determine whether the ramen is good or not?
 
Here is free online recipes for today;

 How to make Japanese Tonkutsu Ramen Recipes :

Tonkotsu Soup Base:

<Ingredients> (4 servings)
1 kg pork bone
1  onion, 2 spring onions, 1 carrot, , 3 cloves of garlic
3 liters water

Preparation:

  Bring the water to boil in a large deep pot. Add in tonkotsu and all ingredients. Boil for at least 3 hours until soup becomes white creamy. Remove the foam regularly. Filter through paper towel placed on strainer.

How to serve in Ramen:

1. Boil ramen noodles.
2. In Chinese noodle bowls, put in 1-2 Tablespoons of soup stocks.
3. Drain noodles well and put in bowls immediately.
4. Fill bowls with tonkotsu soup.
5. Garnish bean sprouts and other ingredients.
6. Add pepper and serve hot.

   Japanese salad Recipes – Gobo Salad         

   This time I really don’t want to waste the remain Gobo-root that left over from Tonjiru soup. This is another free quick easy recipes which is high fiber and low in calories. It really suit you for diet recipes. Ya, Gobo Salad (Burdock salad). Still remember when I taken the dish was in a Japanese restaurant In Ibaraki-ken, Japan. I was introduced to this great salad which were really simple to prepare! After the first try, I managed to make this free quick easy recipes and shared with my friends. So, every-time I prepare this salad recipes, sure I will re-called back valuable memory that I had in Japan. Try this easy to make japanese diet recipes and sure you will love it like me then. Low calories, high fiber, prefect for diet!
 

Ingredients:

Half gobo root (burdock)
Half carrots
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 dash of shichimi
1tbsp sesame seeds

Preparations:
Peel, shred gobo and carrot into thin strips. Soak gobo in salted water, wash and drain. Parboil gobo and carrot for about 5 minutes. Drain and cool them in iced water. Add sugar, vinegar, mirin, soy sauce and mayonnaise. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and shichimi. Keep the salad in fridge and enjoy it in cool.

n For The Dressing –
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 salt and freshly ground pepper

n – For The Salad –
1 900grams salmon fillet (1 thick ) cleaned; of skin and sinew
1 table spoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium cucumber
1 curly leaf lettuce
4 ripe tomatoes; finely sliced
2 medium red onions; peeled and sliced thinly
1 lemon; halved lengthwise

Make the dressing: Stir together the yogurt, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper. Refrigerate. Make the salad: Sprinkle salmon on both sides with oil, salt and pepper. Heat grill until it very hot. Place salmon on the grill and cook, covered, until flaky, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a serving plate and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Carve into 1/2 inch slices. Place salmon in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scrape down the center to remove seeds. Thinly slice. Mound salmon mixture in center of a large platter lined with lettuce leaves. Surround with cucumber, tomatoes, onions, and lemon slices. Garnish with additional dill if desired.

Calories per serving: 288 cal

Free online recipe – Dilled Salmon Salad