Udon with Shrimp, Renkon, Wakame, Scallion and Naruto

This is an Udon inspired by what I happened to have in the house. I followed the Udon Soup Base that I always use, but to each bowl after popping in a generous serving of noodles (follow package directions) added in about 5 pieces of prepared Renkon, 3 pieces of sliced naruto, a handful of boiled shrimp (I was going to boil them in the soup base, but the soup base was slow to heat and the water for heating the udon was at a raging boil, so I used that water!), a heaping tsp of dried Wakame and roughly cut scallion greens (the whites were tossed into the soup base while it heated for extra flavor. As always, the Udon is assembled with the noodles at the bottom of the bowl, all of the additions resting on top and then the soup is poured over everything. It tastes as good as it looks and I am not just being an egomaniac. I could eat this every day, but Scott and I have decided that Wednesdays will be Udon night from here on out! And the decent pictures? Scott took them! No more crappy phone pics!

Udon Soup Base

This is more or less the soup I used whenever I make Udon - it is the perfect backdrop to whatever you can dream of adding to your Udon! This is enough soup to feed two people well (and possibly leave lunch for one of them the next day!)

• 4 C dashi
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T mirin
• 2 t sugar
• salt to taste

Put the dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar into a pot and heat to a simmer - taste and add salt if needed.

Enoki Mushroom Miso Soup

This is a slight variation on standard miso soup - white Enoki mushrooms were used instead of tofu. Everything is the same except I leave out the tofu altogether and I slice the enoki mushrooms into thirds, reserving the caps to add directly to serving bowls and adding the 2/3 that are stem to the broth while it comes up to temperature. I do this with regular miso soup too, but it is worth mentioning again: I chop the scallions and reserve the green portions to add as the soup is finishing, but I toss the whites in the pot while the broth is coming up to temperature - they add flavor and when cooked like this get really sweet and delicious. I can't wait to try this with Shitake mushrooms and other, more flavorful varieties!

Baked Cod

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (or just a tad shy - might be my oven, but I get a better result) and line a baking pan with foil (this is simply to aid cleanup.)

Put the cod in a bowl along with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix it around to coat the cod.

Transfer cod to baking dish, squeeze half a lemon over it, garnish with a sprig of Italian parsley and a lemon slice. Bake for about 15 minutes - the rule is to allow 10 minutes per inch and fish is done when the flesh flakes and is opaque, yet still moist.

Satsumaimo Oven Fries

Pretty much the same as regular Sweet Potato Fries, only using the purple skinned Japanese sweet potatoes.

Oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Wedge the sweet potato and toss into sip-top bag along with oil and seasonings (salt/pepper - add what you like - remember that spicy compliments sweet ... cayenne would not go amiss!) and shake it around to coat evenly. Spread evenly on parchment and back 20-30 minutes, flipping once.

Satsumaimo Amani

• Japanese sweet potato (1/2 lb) in 1/2" slices
• 1.25 C dashi
• 1.5 T sugar
• 2 t soy sauce

Soak sweet potato slices in water for 10 minutes. Place slices and dashi in a pot over medium heat - bring to a boil. Add sugar and soy sauce and reduce to simmer - heat reduced to low. Put foil or a drop lid over potatoes, simmer on low for 20 minutes or until the liquid is almost gone. Makes 4 servings.

Tamagoyaki

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t mirin
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 t light soy sauce
• oil for cooking

Equipment:

• 8" non-stick frying pan
• heat resistant brush for spreading oil
• fork(s) and/or chopsticks to turn the egg
• sushi rolling mat

Heat the pan on medium-low and have a small bowl of oil and the brush at the ready. Beat all ingredients together - don't use a whisk otherwise it will get foamy, just use chopsticks or fork. Brush the heated pan with oil and put in 2-3 T of the egg mixture. Cook gently until nearly set on top (but not runny), then roll it up to one side of the pan. Brush the exposed pan with oil, add 2-3 more T of the egg mixture to pan (being sure to get some underneath the rolled layer!) Cook until nearly set and roll the whole thing (starting with the already rolled portion) to the other side of the pan. Keep repeating until you have used all of the egg.

Put tamagoyaki on moistened rolling mat, seam side down. Roll it tightly. You can eat it immediately or suspend the mat (allowing air to pass all around it) to cool it.

Or

Sous vide at 170 for 20 minutes