Kumquats (kinkan)

I don't remember eating kumquats in Aust, so my first experience was here. They were preserved ones in a sugar syrup and for some reason were really bitter - like medicine!

Two weeks ago I bought fresh ones and was surprised to find you can eat them whole, skin and all. They tasted exactly like oranges. I've been told the nutrients in citrus are in the skin, so eating the skin is good for you :)

I was trying to think of something nice to cook that would suit the freshness of the kinkan and decided to match them with chicken sasami and macadamia nuts (for saltiness and crunch).

Chicken Sasami with Kinkan and Macadamia Nuts
1. Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan, with a few leaves of rosemary, until the oil is fragrant.
2. While the oil is heating, pound chicken sasami (tenderloins) to about 1cm thickness.
3. Cook the chicken on one side, until just golden. (Don't overcook.)
4. Turn the chicken over and repeat.
5. Top with crumbled macadamia nuts and slices of kinkan.

Chinese yam and chicken/tomato stew

I never knew that what I call "mountain potato" is actually Chinese yam. In Japan, there are two types of "mountain potato" - yama imo (literally 'mountain potato', and just "yam" in English) and naga imo (literally 'long potato', and "Chinese yam" in English.

Neither of these are anything like American yams.

There are many ways to cook it, and you can eat it raw. Here I have cooked it with chicken, using the fat from the chicken to crisp up the potatoes like Japanese style fries :)


Chinese Yam Fries
1. Put boneless chicken pieces in a pan, skin side down.
2. Scrub a piece of yam, slice into 1.5cm slices.
3. When the chicken fat is starting to coat the pan, add the yam.
4. Cook yam until golden on both sides.
5. Turn the chicken.

Chicken and Tomato Stew
1. Cook chicken as above.
2. While it is cooking, chop vegetables you want to use. In this case, 2 small eggplants, one young green onion, piece of negi leek.
3. Add veggies to pan. Toss in the chicken oil.
4. Add a glass lid and cook for a few minutes.
5. Cover with a can of chopped tomatoes.
6. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Horseradish

Have you ever tried fresh horseradish? I found it about a month ago at my local vegetable shop. One of the reasons I like the shop is they have a lot of unusual things not normally grown in Japan.

I'd eaten horseradish from a jar, or as a powder that was made into a paste, same as mustard, but never fresh. You really should try it because the flavor is SO good!

I grated it and put it on the top of beef. Just beef and horseradish - no salt or sauce was necessary. I can understand why it is called Western wasabi in Japanese, because the heat is felt in your nose, rather than in your mouth like chili pepper. 

Dinner was just the beef, roasted tomatoes and "bunapi" mushrooms and negi leek sauteed in olive oil. I cooked the mushrooms/leek first, then the beef after that. The oil in the pan was enough so I didn't add more for the beef.

Not a carrot ...

I try to buy new and unusual vegetables from the farmer's shop near my house. Mostly it is okay because I read what they are, but sometimes I just grab something without checking the label.

I bought this nice vegetable thinking it was a kind of red carrot, which was in season, but when I cut it, I found out it was a long radish! Inside was pure white and it tasted like a normal radish. Oops!

Red turnips

Recently I bought something from the farmer's shop expecting it to be a kind of beet (beetroot), but when I cut them I found out they were red turnips.

This meant suddenly thinking of something new to cook. Simple and easy is best, so here is the recipe:

1. Peel and quarter turnips.
2. Cover with water in a small pan.
3. Add one sachet of organic vegetable stock.
4. Simmer until just soft.
5. Remove the turnip.
6. Simmer the stalks until just soft.


 The stalks were nice too, a bit like crunchy spinach. I ate those as a side dish. The turnips went into my lunch box for the next day.

By using a small pan, and only a little water, you won't lose all the nutrients into the liquid. In the final photo, you can see there is only enough water remaining to cover the bottom of the pot.

Purple sweet potatoes!

I bought some sweet potatoes from my local farmer and the label said "blue sweet potatoes". Hmm, I thought. Well, they weren't blue but were VIOLET!

I cooked them by wrapping them in damp kitchen paper and microwaving until done.

There were actually two varieties. The ones with reddish-purple skins were purple inside, and the ones with beige-ish skins were violet inside.

I've had purple sweet potatoes before, but not such lovely bright ones!

Spaghetti Squash

I bought spaghetti squash for the first time this year and it really is a versatile vegetable.

First, prepare it by cutting it in half and scooping out the seeds with a spoon. Rinse with water and put it cut side down on a dinner plate. Cover with kitchen paper and microwave for about 6 to 8 minutes until the point of a sharp knife goes in easily.

A great way to serve it is like a dry curry:

1. In a large based fry pan, put 100% beef mince and cook until browned. No oil is necessary.

2. Add 1 chopped onion. Cook until onion is still a bit crunchy. 

3. Add just a few raisins or sultanas, then add in the cooked spaghetti squash. 

4. After it is mixed well, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of aromatic, dry curry powder. It is better if the curry is aromatic as opposed to hot. 

5. Stir again to evenly coat everything with the curry. 

Serve with salad greens on the side. It is very nice the next day, and not at all wet so goes well in a lunch box.

Of course, you can also serve the plain squash just like pasta, with a tomato or meat/tomato sauce.