Shabu shabu!

Wow.. we're really on a Japanese theme here aren't we? Well, we just had a Japanese couple living with us, and of course we love the food of Japan, it's silliness, cartoons, and all it's Zen-ness. 

So this is a traditional winter meal, not only eaten in Japan (although the name "shabu shabu" which is an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of splashing your food in hot water) but eaten all over Asia in the hot pot style that indulged upon.

Using a portable burner on the table you eat at, bring a pot of water with seaweed to a boil, and then dunk cut vegetables and other foods into the boiling pot for a moment, and then retrieve them slightly cooked and delicious, and then dip into a sauce or shoyu before eating. This way, the meal is drawn out so incredibly long, that you can literally eat all night long.

Tofu can be used, meat, cabbage, leek, zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, daikon, etc.. anything that cooks in water! Serve with brown rice and edamame for some nice sides! And sake too of course!

OISHII!

(Pictured are Whole Foodies Sharla and Anna)

Okayu - soup for the sick Japanese soul

North Americans reach for instant, MSG laden, refined and boxed chicken noodle soup when feeling ill - Japanese however reach for okayu. This is such an incredible healing tonic, I recommend it for anyone feeling 'off', or having poor energy or immunity and need to heal. This will do it!

The base, and power of this fantastic "soup" is the really well cooked rice in ample water. You can try grinding the rice first if you wish, to have it cook a little quicker, but otherwise cook 1 part brown rice to 4 parts water or more. The more time, the more water, the more healing magic.

In this thickish rice soup, add seaweed (kombu or wakame), chopped leeks or green onion, black pepper, cayenne, and/or ginger. And then finally, when at a boil, pour in a beaten egg or two, stir, and then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for as long as you can allow. If it gets too thick, just add water. AHH!!!...... healing, and surprisingly delicious despite the appearance from the photo - it really is good and nurturing!

Nabe = Japanese pot

This is a winter food in Japan. Cooked in a pot (or known as 'nabe', the Japanese word for pot in Japanese) this dish is called "nabe" for obvious reasons.

Bring some water to a boil, and add seaweed like kombu or wakame, and then chop in lots of veggies - and some tofu, if you really want to embrace the spirit of Japan. We went all out and got all Japanese veggies, including hakusai (nappa cabbage), daikon (literally "giant root"), enoki (weird clustery mushrooms), and ninjin (carrot.. just showing off my Japanese).

Let's this infusion cook up until the veggies are soft, and then serve in soup bowls!

We added a dash of togarashi (7 pepper spice) on the top to give it some heat to the otherwise gently refreshing dish (despite it being served warm, the seaweed, water and veggie are nice and refreshing).

ITADAKIMASU!

Yaki soba (grilled buckwheat noodles)

Start by sauteeing onions, garlic, leeks, whatever your fancy with some warm spices, such as mustard seed, black pepper, cayenne, or togarashi, which is Japanese 7 pepper spice.

Add cabbage, you can add lots because it really reduces as it cooks and then set aside (or if you don't make a lot, you can do the next step right in the same pot). Add some tamari/shoyu and a dash of orange juice to give it some body.

Put some strained boiled buckwheat noodles (which take about 4 minutes from start to finish) into the pan (with oil.. unrefined please) and stir, with more spices if you like.

Crack some eggs right into the noodles and give 'em a stir-stir. They'll sorta scramble right in as you mix the noodles, you can add a little more heat with some cayenne, or coolness with shoyu in this step too if your dish is a little weak. The yang of the spices and yin of the tamari really bring out the subtle flavour of the veggies and soba noodles.

Once cooked, add (if not already added) it all together and eat!! Use chopsticks, it's more fun that way.

This is a very popular Japanese dish, except in Japan they use ramen type noodles (but still called soba), TONS of salt, pork and less cabbage - and far more soya and spice. It's good too, and very cultural, but I prefer the healthier option of which I am presenting to you!