April 26 Lunch

April 26,

Wanted to eat Indian food.

But!! Because I can't eat spicy food I have to make it if I wanna eat it.

And so my lunch today was this:

Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks, Yogurt Naan and Avocado Potato Salad


I used the left over drumstick and marinated them overnight to make tandoori wings!

And made Naan for the first time.

I used yogurt and cooked it in a frying pan.  What's great is that you don't need any oil in cooking either the Naan or drumstick in the pan (the marinate prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan).

April 19th Lunch

April 19th,

The cherry blossoms in Japan are beautiful, no question.  But the problem is they don't last long because right after they come into bloom comes the rain and the rainy season...sad...

But, I guess that makes them more precious.

Lunch:

Miso Cheesy Chicken & Somen Salad with Ao Shiso Dressing

This is the second time I made Miso Cheesy Chicken.  I think I did it better this time.

Somen Salad.  Somen (so men)  is a very thin noodle made from wheat flour.

Somen is usually served cold.  There's a summer activity with somen called nagashi somen where you take a long flume of bamboo to make a sort of water slide for the noodles.  People stand along next to the bamboo water slide with a bowl of dipping sauce and catch noodles as they come down and enjoy.  It's a fun yummy group activity!

Slightly thicker noodles are called hiyamugi and then the even thicker noodles udon.

April 18th Lunch

April 18th

For surviving the winter in Japan, many people spend it sitting in a kotatsu.

What's a kotatsu.

It's basically a low table (where you sit on the floor) and there's a thick blanket in between the table top and it's base and there is a heater underneath so that the toasty warmness is trapped under the blanket.  It's heaven AND A TRAP!  Because you're so comfy that you don't want to leave, not to cook food, not to go to the bathroom, and not to got to bed.

I own a kotatsu.  But I just put it away because it's spring!  And wouldn't you know it, it gets chilly again.... but don't want to set it up again.

Anyway... lunch!

Chicken Chips and Panzella


I made my croutons for my Panzella out of English muffins.  It made it crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.  I loved it but if you like your croutons with nothing but crunch maybe use another bread.

March 14th Lunch

March 14th,

Mom's over for lunch and I tried a new dish!

Chicken Banh Mi, Avocado Chips with Yogurt Dip, and a Simple Salad.

Banh Mi sandwich is a Vietnamese sandwich usually served in a baguette and usually includes things like cilantro, fish sauce, and pickled carrots.

The original Banh Mi recipe also uses hot sauce, but because I cannot eat spicy foods I used oyster sauce instead of hot sauce + fish sauce.  A very good decision if I do say so myself.

It was so yummy and my mom loved it too!

It's a success!

Must add it to the recipe list.

March 10th Lunch

March 10th,

Tried at the poached egg again.

I think I did better than last time, I got the process now, it's just getting down the technique.

I think it's just practice, practice, practice.

My version of Eggs Benedict.

With slices of fish sausage and a simple salad on the side.

March 4th Lunch

March 4th,

Today, Mom is visiting from the States!

Unfortunately, she didn't make it in time for lunch.

Chicken Sauce Cheese Open Sandwich with Avocado & Mackerel Burger Salad

A dish from Yamanashi-ken, Japan; Seidanotamaji.

Potatoes cooked in sweet miso sauce.

March 1st Lunch

March 1st,

It was such nice weather yesterday, perfect spring weather and today it's gotten cold again.

Any who~....

Lunch!!

Salad with mackerel burger bits and fish sausage

And with it I tried a new recipe.

It's a delicacy from Yamanashi, Japan.

Seidanotamaji

It's small potatoes cooked slowly in miso and sugar.  It's very YUMM!

February 25th Lunch

February 25th,

Running behind schedule.
Decided to make a simple lunch.  Used canned yaki tori (sauce flavored).

Cheesy Yaki Tori Open Sandwich

Basil Oven Pumpkin Fries

Mackerel Burger Salad

February 23rd Lunch

February 23rd,

Tried a hand at the poached egg again.

The shape isn't so great but the taste was glorious!

English Muffin with Mackerel Burger Topped with Melty Cheese and a Poached Egg.

Basil Oven Pumpkin Fries

Simple Salad

In Japan, it's safe to eat eggs even if they're raw because they inspect every egg.

The gooey golden deliciousness.... can't... stop... the drooling...

The other plain half of English muffin I of course used to eat any remaining egg yolk.

February 22nd Lunch

February 22nd,

When I can't think up a menu I turn to the tuna melt.

A tuna melt will never let you down.

Open Tuna Melt with Avocado and Tomato

Basil Oven Fries

Fish Sausage and Cucumber Salad

All the round open sandwiches were made with English Muffins.
Mmmm... tasty.

February 20th Lunch

February 20th,


Used my favorite meat sauce again!!

Meat Sauce and Cheese Open Sandwich with Avocado

Basil Oven Pumpkin Chips

Salad

I think I'm addicted to this meat sauce.  The combination of meat sauce, cheese, and avocado it magical!!

February 16th Lunch

February 16th,


Lunch:

Yaki Tori Tamago Toji Don

Simple Yogurt Salad

February 14th Lunch

February 14th,

It's cold, it's cold, it's co~ld!!

Pumpkin and Cucumber with Meat Ankake

Ankake is a thick sauce.

Curried Carrot and Daikon Radish Yogurt Salad

Onion and Tofu Miso Soup

February 12th Lunch

February 12th,

Easy Japanese menu using canned sardines

Miso Sardine with Cucumber

Avocado and Tomato Yogurt Salad

Pumpkin and Tofu Miso Soup

February 11th Lunch

February 11th,

Meat Sauce and Cheese on Toast Topped with Avocado

Cucumber Egg Salad & Daikon Radish and Tomato Salad

February 10th Lunch

February 10th,

Made my favorite chicken meat sauce again.
It's super easy to make and very delicious!!

Meat Sauce and Cheese Open Sandwich Topped with Cucumber

Basil Oven Pumpkin Fries

Daikon Radish and Tomato Salad

February 6th Lunch

February 6th

Today's Lunch:

Avocado and Cottage Cheese Open English Sandwich with Daikon Radish Carrot Salad

Tofu and Pumpkin Pottage with Chicken

February 5th Lunch

February 5th

Lunch:

Basil Chicken with Tomato Sauce and Apple Pasta Salad

Pumpkin and Tofu Pottage with Fish Sausage

February 3rd Lunch

February 3rd,

Lunch:

Chicken Nimono (煮物).  Nimono is basically a traditional Japanese stew.

Onion and Egg Ankake (あんかけ) Over Udon Noodles.  Ankake is a thick sauce.

And a Salad with Yogurt Dressing

February 1st Lunch

February 1st,


Lunch:

Basil Chicken with Avocado Sauce and Tomato Egg Salad

 Pumpkin Soup