Recipe: Miso-Marinated Sea Bass

(Click the above to view 6 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) This is an old recipe with a new twist...or new interpretation (the word "twist" seems to be trademarked for chefs these days). I love Nobu's black cod with miso, but it's not easy to find fresh black cod in the market, at least not in my neighborhood. So this time around, I used Chilean sea bass instead. I love Chilean sea bass--the flesh is always so moist, tender, silky, and sweet. I also love the texture and the mouth feel of Chilean sea bass...it's absolutely perfect for this recipe. As I made the sea bass with its skin on (which can be rather fishy), I added some ginger juice to the marinate to rid the potential fishy smell. I was right, the fatty skin of sea bass was fishy, so consider yourself warned if you try this recipe. The skin was too fatty and fishy to eat... Anyway, enough said. Here is my new and revised recipe based on this old recipe. Now, please take the poll and let me know what you think. create a free poll on pollsb.com Recipe: Miso-Marinated Sea Bass Ingredients: Sea bass (about 5 oz. piece) 1 teaspoon white miso paste 1 teaspoon mirin 2 teaspoon sake 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice 1/2 teaspoon palm sugar (sugar) In a small bowl, mix the marinates well and save some for the plating. Drop the sea bass into the marinate, coat well, and leave in the fridge for a few hours. Preheat an indoor grill and lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the sea bass but don't rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven (350 degree) and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. Continue Reading "Recipe: Miso-Marinated Sea Bass"

Recipe: Spinach and Tofu Salad with Japanese Sesame Miso Dressing

(Click the above to view 5 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) My cheekbones have gone missing. I have been looking for them in the mirror--during day time under natural sun light; indoor under soft tungsten light; in the office with bright fluorescent light--but they are nowhere to be found. They have indeed gone missing. What I see in the mirror--and most evidently from my travel pictures--are fats, or fat cells, as my gym instructor on Norwegian Cruise Line would refer to. These fat cells have overtaken my face and swallowed up my cheekbones. They have claimed their green card and permanent residency on my ever bulging and protruding stomach and waistline. That's not all; they have also crawled into the contour of my face, staked their claims on my thighs, my arms, my butt, even my toes! They are pervasively and invasively everywhere... Those are the sad consequences of what would have been a perfect cruise vacation. When I mentioned I packed on pounds in my previous post about binge eating during my trip, I wasn't half joking. I have indeed put on weight. I have become "bulat" in Malaysian language, meaning r-O-O-O-O-O-u-n-d. As a remedy, I have to start starving myself eating healthy to shed those unwanted cells; I resort to vegetables, fat cells' worst enemy. Eating healthy doesn't mean that one has to swallow tasteless and unappetizing food. (Check out VeganYumYum who whips up droolsome vegan foods; she is also the real QUEEN of food porn in my sincere opinion.) I started off my healthy eating diet today with a bowl of this pleasing, fresh, and delicious spinach and tofu salad with sesame miso dressing--a wonderful salad served at my favorite Japanese joint. I felt great after eating this spinach and tofu salad. Listen fat cells, I am fighting back, and now get off my cheekbones please!!! :::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for more Japanese recipes? Check out the following on Rasa Malaysia 1. Miso Soup with Clams (Asari Miso Soup) 2. Bacon-wrapped Cherry Tomatoes 3. Panko-crusted Soft Shell Crab with Ginger Ponzu Sauce :::::::::::::::::::::: Recipe: Spinach and Tofu Salad with Sesame Miso Dressing Ingredients: 1 pack organic baby spinach (I got mine at Costco) 1 pinch sesame seeds (for garnishing) 1/2 block tofu (cut into small cubes) Low Fat Japanese Sesame Miso Dressing: 1 tablespoon white miso 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (ground with mortar and pestle) 1/4 cup water Method: Mix the sesame miso dressing ingredients until well blended. (You can heat up the dressing in a small sauce pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before use.) Wash the baby spinach and drain excess water. In a salad bowl, toss the baby spinach with tofu and sesame miso dressing. Dish out and serve cold. Continue Reading "Recipe: Spinach and Tofu Salad with Japanese Sesame Miso Dressing"

Recipe: Steamed Fish Rolls

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 5 pictures) Inspired by Chubby Hubby's "Not Your Usual Egg Rolls" and "Steam Fish Rolls" by My Kithen Snippets, I made these fish rolls over the weekend. These fish rolls call for two of my favorite ingredients--fish paste and eggs; they are not sushi, but fish paste wrapped with plain egg omelet and then steamed to mouth-watering perfection. (Previously, I'd used fish paste to make two kinds of Yong Tow Foo.) While the two recipes above suggested brown sauce for the fish rolls, I opted for my special hoisin chili dipping sauce. The dipping sauce completed the dish with sweet, savory, and spicy flavors...I just couldn't stopped eating these fish rolls. They were simply yummy... Enjoy! Other fish paste and omelet recipes on Rasa Malaysia: Yong Tow Foo/Stuffed Tofu, Chili, and Okra with Fish Paste (酿豆腐) More Yong Tow Foo Imitation Shark's Fin and Crab Meat Omelette Rasa Malaysia Omelet Recipe: Fish Rolls with Hoisin Chili Dipping Sauce Adapted from Chubby Hubby and My Kitchen Snippets Ingredients: 3 eggs (makes about 6 small fish rolls) 6 sheets of roasted nori or seaweed 1/2 pound fish paste or half a box of frozen fish paste 1 red chilli (deseeded and chopped into tiny bits) 1 stalk scallions (chopped into tiny bits) 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 3 dashes white pepper powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Japanese mirin (optional) Rasa Malaysia Special Hoisin Chili Dipping Sauce Ingredients: 3 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce Mix the sauces together. If it's too salty or spicy, add 1 tablespoon or 2 tablespoons of boiled water to dilute it to fit your taste. Method: Defrost the frozen fish paste and add in chopped chili, scallions, sesame oil, and white pepper. Blend well and set aside. Beat the eggs and add mirin plus salt. Heat up a non-stick pan (I use a 9.5 inch diameter pan) and make about 6 thin omelets. Set aside the omelets and let cool. Transfer an omelet onto a dry and clean chopping board. Lay a piece of roasted seaweed or nori on top of the omelet. Cut the edges of the seaweed sheet off so they match the shape of the omelet perfectly. Then, spread a thin layer of the fish paste evenly on top of the roasted seaweed sheet and roll the omelet up firmly. Seal the omelet with the fish paste so the fish roll is nice and tight. Repeat the same for the remaining omelets. (For picture instructions, please refer to My Kitchen Snippets.) Transfer the fish rolls onto a plate and steam in hot boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until the fish paste fillings turn opaque. Cut the fish rolls into small pieces and serve immediately with the hoisin chili dipping sauce. Continue Reading "Recipe: Steamed Fish Rolls"

Recipe: Asari Miso Soup (Miso Soup with Clams)

I can’t seem to find anyone who doesn’t like Miso soup—the ubiquitous Japanese soup that is commonly served with Japanese lunch combos (bento boxes) in the United States. I am a big fan of miso soup. It’s light, invigorating with the simplest of ingredients (no scary animal fat floating at the top of the soup!) I love slurping Miso soup—especially when it turns cold in the western hemisphere--holding up the bowl in my two hands and drinking it down. It’s such a comfort food. This is my Asari Miso Soup, or a deluxe version of plain Miso soup. The addition of clams infuses the traditional serving with a tint of brininess of the clams--an ingredient that perks up the taste immediately. Recently, I had Miso soup with tofu puffs at a Japanese restaurant—another brilliant ingredient that add some texture to the soup... It took me less than 20 minutes to make my Asari Miso Soup; it’s perfect for a quick lunch meal or light dinner. Just don’t forget the steamed rice. Other Japanese recipes can be found here. Recipe: Asari Miso Soup (Miso Soup with Clams) Ingredients: ½ pound Manila Clams 3 – 4 cups water 2 tablespoons Dashi-flavored Miso paste or to taste (I used red Miso paste) 4 small tofu puffs (cut into pieces) ½ block soft tofu (cut into small cubes) Some chopped scallion Method: Bring the water to boil. Add the Miso paste and make sure it dissolves well before adding in the soft tofu and tofu puffs. Add clams and boil for about 2 minutes or until all clams are open. Top with the chopped scallion and serve hot with steamed rice. Continue Reading "Recipe: Asari Miso Soup (Miso Soup with Clams)"

Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes

I am writing this from Beijing (yes, Beijing again!). The local time is 10:30 AM and the sky is grey and very overcast (or is it pollution?). Back in the United States, summer is in full bloom now. The sun is scorching hot, all flowers blossom, young senoritas are strutting their stuff in short shorts, but most evidently, everywhere you turn to, there is a party going on--be in on the beach, at the parks, inside or outside the house, or at the club house. Summer is always fun in the United States. Since this is the first summer Rasa Malaysia celebrates, I thought I would share some of my favorite summer recipes with you. Have you ever served grilled cherry tomatoes with bacon at your parties? If not, do try this out. It's real simple to make but the end results are delicious, pretty, and a total crowd-pleaser for your parties all summer long. I first had them in Tokyo a few years ago and now am hopelessly hooked. This is also a must-have item for me whenever I have Japanese yakitori... I am not going to write a lengthy post so I will let the pictures speak the words for me. Click here to view all pictures. Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes Ingredients: 1 pack cherry tomatoes (12 oz) 1 pack bacon (12 oz) Toothpicks (soak the toothpicks in water for a few hours) Nanami Togarashi (Japanese assorted chili pepper) Cut the bacon strip into half-length. Put the cherry tomato towards the end of the bacon strip and wrap tight. Hold the cherry tomato with a toothpick, set aside. Sprinkle some Nanami Togarashi onto the bacon. Heat up an indoor grill and grill until the bacon turns brown and crisp. For an outdoor grill, use low heat. Serve immediately. Cook's note: You can get Nanami Togarashi at the Asian section of any food stores. Continue Reading "Recipe: Bacon Wrapped Cherry Tomatoes"

Recipe: Baked Sea Bass

What do you cook when you need to impress your guest(s)? Well, for me, I made this mouthwatering, succulent, and juicy baked sea bass that screams "I am a catch!" A couple of weekends ago, my buddy Melting Wok came to my house. Prior to her visit, I was thinking hard about the dish I was going to make--a dish that would impress her so much that she couldn't stop ooohs and aaahs after tasting the goods. Well, I have to because S is really an excellent cook and has deep knowledge about food, for example: she can pretty much decode the composition of ingredients used by simply sniffing the food. Yes, I kid you not. If you have visited her blog, you should know that she has real talents in the cooking department. If you haven't yet checked it out, I urge you immediately click here to see how she whips up gourmet and droolsome dishes using like leftover tortilla and exotic creatures such as jellyfish... Anyway, back to how to impress my guest. That weekend, I went to the market and picked up some fresh sea bass fillets that had just arrived at the store, marinated them with some sake, mirin (yes, my food crush with Japanese cuisine is here to stay), soy sauce for 30 minutes, and then pan seared them lightly on both sides before baking them. The end result was simply sublime. Was S impressed, you ask? Well, we will wait for her to comment. Recipe: Baked Sea Bass with Ginger Ponzu Sauce Ingredients: 1/2 pound sea bass (2 fillets) 4 tablespoons sake 1/2 teaspoon mirin 1 tablespoon soy sauce Ginger Ponzu Sauce 5 tablespoons Kikoman Ponzu sauce 1/2 inch fresh ginger (grated) Method: Marinate the sea bass with sake, mirin, and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Pan-sear both sides of the seabass until the surface turns light brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Pour the ginger ponzu sauce generously over the baked sea bass and serve hot. Note: The apricots served only as the backdrop of my pictures and were not used in the preparation of this dish. Continue Reading "Recipe: Baked Sea Bass"

Recipe: Panko-crusted Soft Shell Crab with Ginger Ponzu Sauce

The soft shell crab season is about to start (it usually runs from May to July) and I thought I would share a soft shell crab recipe that I really like with you. Typically found in Japanese restaurants, these homemade soft shell crabs were coated with panko, deep fried, and served with ginger ponzu sauce. The radish sprouts--seasoned with just a wee bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper--add extra punch and lend a tint of peppery flavor to this dish without requiring too much effort. Panko, or Japanese bread crumb is one of the many secrets of Japanese cooking. The roughly shaped bread crumbs create light, airy, and extra-crunchy coating on fried foods, especially on these soft shell crabs. Packed in a plastic bag, panko can be easily found in Asian markets... I simply adore soft shell crab. It's a real delicacy and a true treasure as the whole crab can be eaten as is--which is a great perk in my opinion as I don't have to crack up a storm to extract the crab meat from the shell--so less hardwork and more gastronomic goodness. Now, that's a keeper. Recipe: Panko-crusted Soft Shell Crab with Ginger Ponzu Sauce Ingredients: 4 soft shell crabs 1 egg (lightly beaten) 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) Salt & black pepper 1 box radish sprouts Olive oil Dipping Sauce 5 tablespoons Ponzu sauce 1/2 inch fresh ginger (grated) Method: Heat up vegetable oil to 300 degrees in a deep pot or deep fryer. Clean the crabs with water and blot them dry with paper towels. Coat crabs with the egg and then panko. Make sure that the crabs are well-coated with panko before you fry them. Deep fry each crab separately until the shell turns red and the panko becomes golden brown. Remove and drain crabs; set aside. Discard the roots of the radish sprouts. Season the radish sprouts with a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix the ponzu sauce with the grated ginger and transfer to a small serving bowl. On a plate, serve the crabs on a bed of radish sprouts and the ponzu sauce. Other Japanese Recipes: Grilled Chicken Meat Balls (Yakitori) Black Cod with Miso Continue Reading "Recipe: Panko-crusted Soft Shell Crab with Ginger Ponzu Sauce"

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Meat Balls (Yakitori)

My current food crush on Japanese food continues with yakitori, or Japanese grilled chicken skewers. If you have tried yakitori before, chances are you have tasted these legendary grilled chicken meat balls. Known as Tsukune in Japanese, I am nuts for these balls. They are juicy, yummy, and definitely my favorite and a must-have item at yakitori restaurants or izakaya (Japanese pub-like restaurants serving sake and small dishes). I got the recipe from "Japanese Cooking" by Emi Kazuko and these homemade grilled chicken meat balls weren't half bad. All in all though, I enjoyed the cooking process and was pleased with the results, especially the pictures... Enjoy! Recipe: Grilled Chicken Meat Balls (Yakitori) Ingredients: 11 oz skinless chicken (minced) 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons plain (all-purpose) flour 2 teaspoons corn starch 6 tablespoons dried bread crumbs 2 inches fresh ginger root (grated) Bamboo skewers For the "tare" yakitori sauce 4 tablespoons sake 5 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce) 1 tablespoon mirin 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon corn starch blended with 1 teaspoon water Method: Put all the ingredients for the chicken balls (except the ginger) in a food processor and blend well. Wet your hands and scoop about a tablespoonful of the mixture into your palm. Shape it into a small ball about half the size of a golf ball. Squeeze the juice from the grated ginger into a small mixing bowl. Discard the pulp. Add the ginger juice to a small pan of boiling water. Add the chicken balls and boil for about 7 minutes, or until the color of the meat changes and the balls float to the surface. Scoop out and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. In a small pan, mix all the ingredients for the yakitori sauce, except for the corn starch solution. Bring the mixture to boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce slightly reduced. Add the corn starch solution and stir until the sauce is thickened. Transfer to a small bowl. Thread 3-4 balls on to each bamboo skewer. Grill the skewers with an indoor grill or broiler or on a barbeque (preferred). Brush them with the yakitori sauce and turn the skewers frequently until the balls turn brown. Serve hot and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi (Japanese chile powder with sesame seeds) and some yakitori sauce if you like. Other Japanese recipes: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce Black Cod with Miso Continue Reading "Recipe: Grilled Chicken Meat Balls (Yakitori)"

Recipe: Black Cod with Miso

I love Japanese food, but not every kind of Japanese food. For most people in the United States, Japanese food means sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, and tempura. While I enjoy teriyaki and tempura quite a bit, I don't like sushi and sashimi. I know, how can I not like sushi and sashimi? Well, for starters, I am painfully fussy, selective, and peculiar when it comes to eating. I love little edibles but I have yet to acquire the liking for sushi. And when it comes to eating raw, there are only two kinds of raw food I would eat: oysters and geoduck clams (raw fish is too mushy for my taste). Well, there you have it. I am impossible to please and am very inconsistent when it comes to food. Other than sushi and sashimi, I can pretty much acknowledge that I adore Japanese cooking--the light yet invigorating flavors and the delicate presentations. Japanese food is so refined, elegant and beautiful, just like this baked miso-marinated black cod... Made famous by Nobu Matsuhisa and one of Robert De Niro's favorites, I fell in love with black cod with miso since the first time I had it. While this recipe is not too hard to make at home, ordering it at Japanese restaurants here in Southern California is quite expensive. So, I bought Nobu: The Cookbook and slowly but surely make all my favorite Japanese dishes (click here for my baked scallops recipe). What's next, you ask? Well, you will have to come back and find out! ;) Recipe: Black Cod with Miso (Miso-marinated Black Cod) Adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook Ingredients: 2-3 black cod fillets (about 1 lb) For the marinate: 1/4 cup sake 1/4 cup mirin 4 tablespoons of white miso paste 3 tablespoons of sugar Method: Mix the marinate ingredients thoroughly in a plastic container (with lid) and set aside. Save some for plating purposes. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and put them into the plastic container with the marinate. Cover the lid and leave to steep in the refrigerator overnight or for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Preheat an indoor grill at the same time. Lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the fish fillets but don't rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Add a few extra drops of the marinate on the plate and serve hot. Cook's notes: You can substitute black cod for see bass or salmon or any kinds of flaky fish fillets. There are many different kinds of miso (red, brown, white, and more). Make sure you get white miso. That adorable little bud is not edible! I got it from my garden. Click here for the picture. Continue Reading "Recipe: Black Cod with Miso"

Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce

Ooooouch! I burned my left thumb on a 475 degree Fahrenheit smoking hot oven--all because I was too eager to devour this dish like a hungry ghost. And now I got myself a blister about the size of Krakatoa and a mini-Krakatoa on the thumb. I have been soaking my thumb in a glass of ice water, but it still hurts. More ooooouch. Gluttony is indeed a sin... However, the consolation of the day is this perfectly baked scallops (the golden brown mayonnaise topping is strutting its stuff) with enoki mushrooms in creamy spicy sauce. If you've been to any Chinese/Japanese seafood buffet restaurants, I am sure you have tried the variation of this dish. Or, if you are a gourmand that frequents the likes of Matsuhisa, Nobu (and their outposts), Koi or other Japanese restaurants in Southern California, you know this is one of the must-try dishes at those eateries. My recipe is adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook. It's really quite simple to make, but I must warn you that the plate is darn hot, so stay your fingers off the food so you don't get burned like I did. Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce Adapted from Nobu: The Cookbook Make 4 servings Ingredients: 6 sea scallops 1 pack of enoki mushrooms 6 tablespoons of creamy spicy sauce Creamy Spicy Sauce 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce (passed through sieve) Mix the ingredients in the creamy spicy sauce and blend well. Method: Preheat the oven to 475 degree Fahrenheit. Clean the scallops and cut each scallops into 4 pieces of equal size (slice horizontally). Chop off the roots of the enoki mushrooms and divide them into 4 equal portions. Spread the mushrooms on a plate and layer the scallop pieces over the mushrooms and bake for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the scallops from the oven and top with creamy spicy sauce. Put the scallops back into the oven and baked until the surface turns golden brown. Sprinkle some paprika powder on top of each serving and serve hot. Cook's note: Nobu: The Cookbook is a great cookbook. If you love seafood and Japanese food, this is a must have. Buy now at Rasa Malaysia store. Related Recipe: Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce with Buna Shimeji Mushrooms Continue Reading "Recipe: Baked Scallops with Creamy Spicy Sauce"