A Trip To The Japanese Grocery

Photo: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
As we move into the nippy months of the year, I crave warm soup for dinner. New Yorkers eat out alone in restaurants all the time. I mostly don't unless I'm out of town. With a companion, I think of eating out as entertainment. Alone, I don't mind cooking dinner at home.

 Miso soup (a food I 1st tasted eating out) is easy/breezy to make at home ... and for a fraction of the restaurant cost. So I keep a tub of miso paste in my refrigerator, along with dried seaweed and dried Daikon radish (an ingredient in many Japanese dishes). 
Scores of big supermarkets and health food stores carry miso paste. We have a convenient Japanese grocery in the neighborhood. 

 Recently I bought:

 Ryotei Aji Dashi Miso (paste)               $5.99
Sengirl Daikon (radish)                         $3.35
Tkon Cut wakame (seaweed)                $3.39
Akagi Joshu Akagi Soba noddles          $1.99
                                                             ________
                                                                  $14.62
A tub of miso paste makes lots of soup (about 45 - 50 servings), and it lasts a long time in the refrigerator. The dried seaweed and radish keep in a cupboard. At restaurants, a small bowl of miso costs $3.00, which totals $135 - $150 for the amount that one tub of miso paste makes. Wow, what a saving!

 Miso Soup 

 Directions:

 For a serving of basic miso soup, combine about 2 tablespoons of miso paste to 2 cups of water. I taste the mixture for the right proportion. Increase the water or paste as needed.

Next, add any protein/vegetables/starchy ingredients you like:

 Ingredients could include --

-- Tofu (cubed); leftover chicken or beef; seaweed; a handful of dried Daikon radish.
-- Other Vegetables: Often I toss in mixed frozen vegetables. You can also thinly slice and dice fresh carrots, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, snow peas or any root or leafy green vegetables you have on hand. Fresh vegetables you can saute in a pan first. Frozen vegetables I just microwave in a soup bowl with water first, then add the miso paste, dried seaweed, and dried radish during the last 2 minutes.
-- Sometimes I toss in cooked soba noodles (they are high in protein), sometimes I don't. Rice works too.
-- Season to taste: I like minced (or dried) garlic and fresh pepper. Ginger is another option.

 As mentioned, I microwave one serving of miso (with ingredients) in a soup bowl. Large quantities can go into a saucepan to simmer on a stovetop.

 From thought to bowl to table, preparation and simmering take about 10 minutes. !糖菓のappétit

 Have you ever been introduced to a dish in a restaurant that you now make at home? 
You may also enjoy:
Eaters Beware
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
The Five Second Rule Is Untrue     
Secret Recipes From Popular Restaurants

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Madewell Summer Dresses

Image
It's a scientistic fact: The Earth is getting warmer.  New York City is expected to hit 94 degrees F today!    Madewell , a sister company of J. Crew, has summer dresses to keep you cool during any heat wave ahead. The style is casual smart. In a nutshell: Comfortable, flattering and effortless. Here are three to consider because we like looking at dresses, don't we?: 1) The  Fern Silk Faux Wrap Dress above ↑ in spiced rose has slender straps, a v-neck and pleats with a stylish flowing bottom. 2) Lakeshore Button Back Dress - A brilliant royal blue shift dress with a V-neck back and oversized buttons make the viscose fabric dress super cute. 3) Strawberry Print Pintuck Ruffle Dress - Chic black canvas featuring strawberry prints. It's 100% cotton. A split square neck with a ruffle outline makes it fun to be a lady! Simple ... with unexpected details, no? Stylin' in the summer heat! Do you have a favorite? You may also enjoy: Lulus Is On Trend Fashion   ...
Read more

Irish Soda Bread: Sweet Or Savory?

Image
Photo by  All About Food I can't claim much Irish ancestry, but aren't we all Irish on St. Patrick's Day?  I do love meat and potatoes, Irish stew, cabbage, root vegetables and Irish soda bread.  I started making soda bread because it tastes similar to buttermilk biscuits, but you can substitute healthier ingredients: like butter instead of lard and whole grain flour in lieu of all white flour.  Soda bread is delicious served warm.  Here is my recipe: Irish Soda Bread For Savory Ingredients: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs, lightly beaten 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed 1 ¼ cups buttermilk -  I use low fat (1.5% milkfat). optional: 1/3 cup caraway seeds For Sweet You will add  ½ cup sugar, 1 cup raisins. (= Irish American soda bread) Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Stir the first 5 dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 3. Mix ...
Read more

PureFlow Q17 Fan

Image
The PureFlow Q17 fan is an investment, but at $99 it is about 1/3 less than other bladeless fans. Although compact, it puts out a powerful airflow. In lieu of only 3 fan speeds, there are 12 speeds. You can easily sit it on the floor, or on top of a piece of furniture. And sans blades, no need to worry about curious children or pets getting hurt. The fan is designed to circulate air throughout an entire room. It vertically tilts 90 degrees and has a 90 degree horizontal oscillation. This keeps the air flowing in every direction. Moreover, a heavy smoker lives above me, who oddly enough, smokes at 3:00ish am and 5:30ish am every morning. What a nightmare at such vulnerable hours. The cigarette smoke migrates into my apartment and makes it hard to breathe, so I sleep with the fan sitting on a foot stool, pointed up at the ceiling. It does only some good (and I worry she will burn the place down during hours the rest of us are sleeping.) How I wish this mindless,   nocturnal being ...
Read more