Cooked As You Like! Okonomiyaki

Although it seems odd to me to call it an exotic dish, okonomiyaki is a dish that is beyond even pronunciation for some! But it's actually a very easy dish to make, and it's not only tasty, but has plenty of healthy ingredients, especially the Chinese cabbage that gives it substance.

The name means, basically, 'cooked as you like'. It's a dish that often defies description to those who have never before had it, because essentially it is a cabbage pancake, with an added omelette dimension due to the fact that you can add whatever else you like to it. It really is to be made with things you like, and so it's easy to include any number of other ingredients as you cook your okonomiyaki. Be adventurous!

Cooked As You Like! Okonomiyaki

Ingredients

1 C tempura mix (or flour, sifted or whisked well, with 1 egg)
1 C cold water
1 egg
Chinese cabbage leaves (usually about 5-10 will do)
1 spoon instant mushroom stock (optional)

to taste:

sauce (see below)
mayonnaise (use a brand like Kewpie)
norikomi furikake, or shredded nori (optional)

1) Combine the tempura mix and water with a wire whisk until smooth. Chop the cabbage leaves very thin and then cut in halves or thirds. Add them to the batter and blend until incorporated.

2) Heat a small oiled frypan to medium-high heat. Once it is hot enough, pour the batter mixture into it and let it heat.

3) After a couple of minutes, break an egg and pour it atop the okonomiyaki. Keep letting it cook.

4) After it has mostly cooked through, flip it. If you have trouble with flipping, see the Tips and Such section for help. On the side that now faces up, brush the sauce across the surface. Add mayonnaise and arrange to your liking. You can paint a design with a fine-tipped nozzle, or you can simply use a knife to make a marbled effect with the sauce. Add norikomi furikake or shredded nori, spread across the top.

5) After a few more minutes of cooking, slide from the pan onto a plate. Note that you will want to let it cook for long enough to cook the egg on the bottom, the yolk of which should break when it is flipped. Serve hot!

Okonomiyaki Sauce

Most ready-made okonomiyaki sauce unfortunately has fish elements added, or uses worcestershire sauce (which tends to have fish in it also) as a part of the ingredients. If you can find vegetarian worcestershire, simply use it in place of the last two ingredients.

2 spoons soy sauce
1 spoon sugar
1 spoon cornstarch (optional)
1 spoon garlic powder, or to taste
dash lemon juice or citrus zest

1) Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until blended and slightly thickened.

2) Remove from heat and set aside.


Tips and Such

- If you're not comfortable with attempting to flip a potentially very messy food, here's an easy way to flip it. It works with omelettes and similar foods too, so it'll just be our secret if you use it!

Start heating a larger frypan a few minutes before you need to flip the food. When you need to flip it, take the larger frypan off heat and place it as tightly as possible over the small frypan. Lift both pans and then simply turn them quickly, so that the larger frypan is on the bottom. Remove the small frypan now on the top, and voila! You've just flipped your food.

- You can use vegetarian 'oyster' mushroom sauce if you don't want to fuss making your own okonomiyaki sauce. It's thick and spreads easily, and it sets off the mayonnaise perfectly. You can get this in most Asian groceries.

- For okonomiyaki, I recommend using a Japanese mayonnaise, or making your own. Kewpie is the brand most typically used for okonomiyaki, because of its light flavour and slight sweetness. It as well is found in most Asian groceries, and has a pleasant enough flavour to be used as a simple dip for vegetables or crackers, and used as a garnish where other mayonnaise tends to be too much. Kewpie is not oily or too sour, nor is it pungent. This makes it an ideal topping.

- If you want to add other things to the okonomiyaki, generally they're best added to the batter and mixed in. You can add all kinds of things, so don't be afraid to experiment and see what you like best in yours!

Above all, enjoy yourself! Okonomiyaki is a delicious and extremely simple food to make. It's especially good if you have to cook something quickly that is satisfying and nutritious. After you've made it once, you'll be able to whip it up in no time!

};) Dhiar <3

Quick and Dirty Chickpea Sandwiches

Sometimes one gets in the mood for a fulfilling meal that doesn't take long and doesn't require many ingredients. For those times, I recommend this lovely recipe. It only takes a few minutes, it doesn't need many ingredients, and it's so delicious!

Quick and Dirty Chickpea Sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 can chickpeas
4-5 spoons crushed tomatoes
1 spoon butter, margarine, or oil of your choice
1/2 tsp sugar, or to taste
adobo seasoning, to taste
ground pepper, black or Szechuan, to taste
chipotle powder, to taste (optional)
buns or bread

1) In a frypan, melt the butter (or oil, or whatever you use) and place the buns down in it, to cook over medium-high heat. You basically pull the buns apart and toast the insides, where you put the main sandwich. Cook until they are a little crispy, then set aside on your plate.

2) Place the tomatoes in the pan, and add the chickpeas. Using a potato masher, partially mash the chickpeas until the mixture is at a desired consistency. Add seasonings and stir to combine. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until hot and mixture is blended.

3) Serve hot, with fixings of your choice!


Tips and Such

- These are great as a distinctive sort of 'sloppy joe' type sandwich. You can top them with cheese, or even add other vegetables like onions and peppers to the mixture. It's a very versatile recipe that allows a great amount of customisation.

- Because of their nature, these sandwiches work best on buns. Whole grain buns complement the flavour perfectly, and they add another healthy element to the dish.

You should definitely try this marvellous recipe! It takes virtually no time at all, and it's so, so delicious! It's not a junky fast food meal...but it has all the taste of something decadent and sinful. Treat yourself to a pair of these delightful sandwiches today!

};) Dhiar <3

Spicy Sesame Tofu

It can be overwhelming, that urge to get something delightful and tasty from your favourite Chinese restaurant. But sometimes you don't have the time or money, and you want something now and on-hand. What to do, what to do!

I'll tell you what to do...it's easy! Here we go!

Spicy Sesame Tofu

Ingredients

1 block firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
1 serving noodles of your choice
2 eggs (optional)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce, or more to taste
pinch sea salt
sugar, to taste
hot chilli powder, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
pinch ginger (optional)
garlic oil and sesame oil for cooking
black and white sesame seed


1) Heat up a little garlic oil and sesame oil mixed together in a wok or frypan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough (it should move quickly when the pan is tilted, like water), cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes and add them to the pan. Stir to coat, careful not to break the cubes. Cook until golden.

2) In a small jar, combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water. Place the lid on the jar tightly and shake until the cornstarch and water is completely blended. This creates what is called a slurry, which is used to thicken sauces.

3) Take a saucepan or pot and bring water to boil. Add your noodles to the water and turn the heat down to simmer. Follow the directions on the package about how long to cook them; generally noodles should be tender but not too limp. Once they are done, place in a colander and rinse them with cold water. Stir thoroughly, to be sure you have completely rinsed the noodles.

4) Once the tofu is golden, it is ready for the sauce. If you are going to include the eggs, break two eggs and whisk them together until blended, in a bowl. Add this to the frypan and stir to coat the tofu and cook the eggs. Add the sesame seed and stir.

5) Take the jar with the cornstarch mixture and shake it again once more, to be sure it is blended thoroughly. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, chilli powder, sea salt, sugar, and any other spices you would like, then shake it again until it is blended. You can add a little more water if you are concerned it will not be enough sauce, but be sure not to add too much or the sauce will be too thin. Add it one spoonful at a time, shaking again after each one.

6) Add the noodles to the tofu in the pan and stir, then quickly add the blended sauce, shaking it one last time before it is added. Stir completely, and the sauce will thicken very quickly. Serve while hot!


Tips and Such

- If the sauce doesn't thicken in the pan, make another slurry and add small amounts until it starts to thicken, stirring it into the pan's contents after every addition. If the sauce is too thick, you can just add small amounts of water and stir it around until it becomes more manageable.

- You can cook this dish at lower temperatures, but it takes the slurry being brought to somewhere near the heat needed for a boil, for it to thicken. If the sauce is not thickening, it may simply be that you need to turn up the heat!

- You can add whatever you would like to this recipe, since it is such a simple one. Many vegetables will add a delicious dimension to the taste! Sweet bell pepper, water chestnuts, and peas are just a few tantalising possibilities.

- You can use flour for thickener, but it will impart a certain taste onto the sauce that may not be desirable. Cornstarch does not tend to put very much of its own flavour into sauces, which is why it is preferred; potato starch (called katakuriko in Japanese, as it is often found in Japanese groceries) is also another excellent starch that thickens sauces quickly without changing the desired flavour.


Here are a couple of pictures for you to enjoy! The first is the tofu made with a textured vegan seafood substitute that added a savoury, chewy element.

The second is the tofu with whole wheat noodles, and egg.

As you can see, this recipe is mouth-watering, and it's so easy to make! It takes less than half an hour at most, and you can make it with very inexpensive ingredients.

In this chilly season, it's wonderful to have such a nice simple dish to warm us up from the inside out!

Enjoy your spicy sesame tofu!

};) Dhiar <3

Savoury Barbecue Tofu Sandwiches

Although this is typically more of a summery dish, the other day I had a craving for barbecue. Luscious, spicy-sweet barbecue that leaves your mouth warm and wanting more...I had to have it! So I came up with an amazing recipe that will delight your tongue and satisfy your tummy.

Barbefu Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 block firm or extra firm tofu
1-2 tbsp barbecue spice (or combine your favourites of garlic, oregano, nutmeg, savoury, paprika, ginger, and others)
1 tsp cumin seed
dash sea salt (if your barbecue spice includes salt, you may want to omit this)
1-2 tsp liquid smoke
1-2 tsp unrefined sugar
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp diced tomatoes and chillies
splash soy sauce
water
1-2 tsp oil of your choice
1/4-1/2 sweet onion
asiago cheese

optional, to taste:

crushed red pepper
extra garlic
extra ginger


1) Press the tofu in a pickle press (sometimes called tsukemono press) or between two weighted plates. Once the tofu has been pressed, cut into four slices and set aside.

2) Combine the barbecue spices, along with the optional spices if you intend to use them, with the sugar and pepper. Mix thoroughly, then add the liquid smoke and soy sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and chillies and stir again, then add a little bit of water if it is too thick.

3) Heat the oil in a frypan and wait for it to get hot. Add cumin seed to the oil and let them sizzle, then place the tofu slices in the pan and coat them with the oil and cumin seed, turning a few times to make sure they are entirely covered.

4) Cook the tofu slices until they are golden on both sides. Then add onion, cooking until the onion has become semi-transparent and reduced.

5) Add the barbecue sauce, spreading around one side, then turn the slices and add the rest, spreading on the other side. Turn down the heat and let it cook until any extra liquid has cooked out.

6) Grate asiago cheese atop the slices, then flip and do the same for the other side, while they are still cooking. It will melt and blend with the sauce, to make a truly amazing taste.

7) Serve hot on buns. Layer the slices with one slice of tofu, a layer of onion, then another slice of tofu, topped by a last layer of onion. Makes two delicious sandwiches!


Tips and Such

- You can substitute nutritional yeast flakes for the asiago. It won't be exactly the same flavour, but it will give a comparable addition to the dish that will be especially delicious and keep it vegan too!

- You can mash the tofu, if you prefer, and simply cook it that way. It will be like a shredded barbecue sandwich.

- Potato side dishes make a perfect complement to these sandwiches, both crisps and chips, mashed potatoes, or whatever you might want to try. Experiment and find a great match!

As you can see, these are lovely and quite a filling meal! It's enough for one person to eat without side dishes, or two to eat with side dishes. This takes virtually no time at all to prepare, so it is an ideal dish for a night where you just want something delicious but don't want to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. You can so easily double the recipe to feed a larger group, or if you're not very hungry, just refrigerate half of the tofu and onions for up to a week and reheat whenever you please!

Keep warm and happy this chilly and dark time of year. I hope this will help you in that goal!

};) Dhiar <3

Be Corny and Chow Down!

As the days get colder, warm, comforting foods tend to dwell on our minds. One such food is soup, and one particularly comforting kind of soup is chowder.

Since my chronicler Hushicho had a bad experience with some canned corn chowder that had turned, upwards of twenty years previous, this was a special challenge: develop a recipe homemade that could be duplicated without that same risk! So naturally, as I often do, I rose to the occasion.

The Corniest Chowder Ever

Ingredients

2 C milk or soymilk (or any sort of milk; nutmilks will also work nicely)
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 baking potato, cubed
1 can kernel corn
1/4-1/2 large onion
carrot, sliced thin, to taste
1 bay leaf

all to taste:

garlic
basil
parsley
sea salt
black pepper

1) In a saucepan, heat the butter or margarine over medium-high heat until it has melted. Add the onion, carrot, and all spices except for salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until the onions have reduced and are mostly transparent.

2) Add the milk and stir thoroughly. Bring just to a boil, then add the potato. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes.

3) Add the salt, pepper, and corn. Stir thoroughly and let cook for at least 5 more minutes, making sure the potato is tender and not hard.

4) Serve hot. This recipe will serve two with a side dish!


Tips and Such

- Cut the potato into small pieces so that it will be sure to cook within the 10 or so minutes. It's also nicer to fit onto the spoon if it's not a huge unwieldy chunk of tater!

- You can add a little hot pepper at the start, if you like a bit of extra heat! Or use Hungarian paprika, which is hotter than the paprika most groceries have. Experiment and play around! You might find something you especially enjoy.

- You can add a spoon of flour at the beginning, coating the onion and carrot, if you like your soup thicker. If you decide later that you would like it thicker, take some of the broth and ladle it into a bowl, then take a spoonful of cornstarch and whisk it together until it is completely blended. Add this back to your soup and stir it completely in. Your chowder should thicken quickly!

- You can add less corn, if you prefer less. Corn makes the dish sweeter and richer, and you will probably find every spoonful of chowder with some vegetable in it.

As you can see, it turned out wonderfully! This dish will make your day on these cold afternoons. When you don't have an Incubus to cuddle, choose the next best thing!

};) Dhiar <3

Incutales Cupcakes!

So Uhr has been wanting to learn how to cook lately, and I thought it would make things extra-fun if we made an Uhr-themed cupcake, one that reminds of how darling and adorable he is. "But Miester," he insisted, "we must make one of you if there is one of me!"

As a result, we have Dhiar and Uhr themed cupcakes!

Dhiar and Uhr Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
1/2-1 tsp baking powder
1 stick margarine or butter
2 eggs
milk
confectioners sugar
cocoa powder
vanilla extract
strawberry flavouring
red food colour
red and white sugar sprinkles
baking cups

Cupcakes

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.

2) Blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, and then 1/2 stick butter, vanilla extract to taste, and the eggs in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, slowly adding milk by spoonful until batter reaches desired consistency. It should be standard cake consistency, runny but not watery.

3) Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl. In the original bowl, add strawberry flavouring, to taste. Usually around 1-2 tbsp will add a delightful strawberry flavour. Add red food colour to the other bowl's batter and mix thoroughly.

4) Spoon out batter into baking cups. Try to get the same amount in each, but don't worry too much if some have more than others.

5) Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Do not overbake.

6) Set on rack to cool.

Frosting

1) Place 1/4 stick of butter with 3 tbsp confectioners sugar in one bowl. Place 1/4 stick of butter with 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp confectioners sugar in the other bowl.

2) Add 1/2 tsp milk and mix thoroughly. An electric mixer is ideal for this. Mix for a couple of minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy and does not run. If the frosting is too runny, add more sugar; if it is too thick, add more milk, 1/2 tsp at a time, and blend thoroughly after adding every ingredient.

3) Frost the cupcakes when cooled, using the chocolate frosting for the red cupcakes, and the white frosting for the other cupcakes. Add the sugar sprinkles on top of the white frosting for a festive Uhr-like appearance!

Dhiar and Uhr cupcakes together!

 The Dhiarcakes in their sultry chocolate glory!

 Uhrcakes are pure and adorable!

 Even in cupcake motif, Dhiar takes it off sexily!

Since these are Dhiar and Uhr motifs, they must go together!

Aren't they delightful and fun? You can have an especially exciting Incutales party by making a nice pot of tea and serving these cupcakes. The recipe makes twelve, six of each kind, which is enough for six people each to enjoy one of the Dhiar and one of the Uhr motif. That's quite a nice tea party! Or if you're so inclined, they also go wonderfully with a nice cream liqueur.

So next time you're up for some quick and easy cupcakes, think about making them Incutales style! It doesn't take long, and it's loads of fun to make cupcakes on your own exciting motifs.

Enjoy!

};) Dhiar <3

Quick and Easy Sea Salt Bread

Sometimes you just need a good loaf of bread. But somehow, many are frightened by the prospect of baking bread. They fear complexity and difficulty in their cooking; they would rather make something that can be thrown together in just a few minutes.

Don't worry! This is easy bread. A minimum of ingredients, and good ingredients, make for a delicious breakfast food, a lovely snack, or even a fantastic way to make a memorable sandwich. Try it out! I promise, it's easy.

Sea Salt Bread

Ingredients

2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 C warm water
1/2 C cool water
1 tsp active yeast
dash sugar
sea salt

1) Whisk together the flour, yeast, sugar, and a dash of sea salt, until it is all blended and the flour is smooth.

2) Add the warm water, a little at a time, and blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Once it becomes thick enough, dust your hands with flour and knead the dough until smooth.

3) Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C.

4) When the oven is ready, uncover the dough and knead it again. Add the cool water and continue to knead until it becomes sticky.

5) Put the dough in a greased loaf pan and shape to the desired appearance. Sprinkle sea salt crystals over the top.

6) Bake for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until pleasantly golden.

7) Set on a rack to cool.


Tips and Such

- You can test to make sure bread is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, the bread has baked throughout. This is helpful so that you don't accidentally take a loaf of bread out before it has thoroughly baked, leaving it underbaked in the centre!

- It is essential that you either have a rack or constantly move your bread so that it can cool. If you don't have a rack, you'll have bread with a soggy bottom. It'll ruin the lovely crisp crust! If you don't have a rack, you can prop the bread at an angle so the steam can escape.

- If you want to, you can omit the salt topping. It adds a zing to the taste, but it's not necessary if you prefer to use less salt.

- Use a bread box or cover the bread so that it doesn't dry out. Freshly-baked bread tends to dry out within a few days, and it becomes largely inedible by itself. You can still use old bread, though, as croutons, to make bread pudding, or to make a traditional dish developed by the French. Called pain perdu, which means 'lost bread', it was developed to make a use for bread that had hardened and become unusable for anything else. Dipped in egg and cooked, it is known to most of the rest of the world as French toast!

I hope you will enjoy my simple sea salt bread. Homemade bread doesn't have to be difficult, and it can bring such a warmth to the hearts of all who eat it. Enjoy some today! It doesn't take a lot of effort or time. And your kitchen will smell wonderful.

};) Dhiar <3