慢煮蒟蒻 Slow Cooked Konnyaku in Soy

INGREDIENTS:
2 pcs Konnyaku (Konjac)
15 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Sugar
3 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine
1 cup Water

DIRECTION:

1. With a spoon, cut the konnyaku into bite size.  Cut the mushrooms into thick pieces.

2. Set a small pot of water to a boil.  Add the konnyaku bits and boil them for 5 minutes over high heat; drain.

3. In the same pot, add seasoning and konnyaku; mix well.  Let it cook over low heat until the sauce is thicken and it is ready.  It can be store in the fridge up to a week.

Roasted Yam and Swiss Chard Salad with Pomegranate and Feta Cheese

Yam is one of the common ingredients we use in our salad starting in late fall.  They are sweet, comforting, abundant and inexpensive.  To add a more complex note, you can always add pomegranate, cheese, or even dried fruits in it.

Roasted Yam Ingredients:

2 Sweet Yam, peeled and cut into chunks

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Salad Ingredients:

1 Pomegranate, shelled

2 cup Rainbow Chard, torn into bite size

1/4 cup Feta Cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Agave Syrup

Direction:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a small bowl, toss together the yam ingredients until the yams are well coated.  Place them in the oven to bake until golden and slightly crispy outside; about 25 minutes.

2. Arrange the salad ingredients on a serving plate; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and agave syrup; set aside.

4. Once the yams are roasted, remove them from the oven to cool.  Top them on the bed of salad green and drizzle the dressing over; serve immediately.

Summer Shirataki Noodles Salad ｜ 夏日蒟蒻涼麵

The school is finished and my son started his first summer camp.  It is a nature learning camp to help children experience wild animals' habitats and allow the children to get dirty.  My son loves it.  He has a great time time climbing trees, playing with mud, building shelter, and having a campfire with his new friends there.

 After the long hot day, my son prefers a light and simple dinner.  I am also not feeling up to cooking in front of the heat.  So making some cold shirataki noodles is a good idea.

Shirataki noodles are made from the tubers of the konjac plant through a drying and grounding process.  It's high in soluble fibre with little calories so it's considered as a healthy diet food and pasta substitute.  You can find shirataki in brown or white colour.  White shirataki is the original and the brown one has added seaweed.  Brown shirataki is firmer and slightly richer in taste. 

My whole family loves the smooth and chewy texture of shirataki noodles.  My son's eyes lit up when he saw it.  "I remember this.  I like this stuff. I am going to eat it all."  Then, he slurped up a forkful of shirataki.

Since shirataki noodles have almost no taste you can flavour them with any sauce or dressing according to your preference.  I use both white and brown shirataki, but I like to use the white for a creamy dessert and the brown for a savoury dinner.

The recipe below is one of my simple and delicious ways to prepare cold shirataki for a hot summer night.  

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Summer Shirataki Noodles Salad

夏日蒟蒻涼麵

Ingredients for topping:

2 packs Shirataki Noodles

1 pack Enoki Mushrooms

3 Eggs

20 Shrimps

1/2 cucumber

2 Carrots

Oil (for frying eggs)

Ingredients for dressing:

4 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

5 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons Honey

4 tablespoons White Sesame, toasted

DIRTECTION:

1. Deshell and devein the shrimp.  Rinse it under cold water; set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add the shrimp.  Cook until the shrimp change colour and curl up; about 2 minutes.  Drain the shrimp and allow it to cool.

*You can cook the shells in the cooking liquid and save it as seafood broth for other recipes. 

3. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise.  Deseed it and than slice it into 4 cm sticks with its skin on; set aside.

4. Cut the carrot into the same size as the cucumber with its skin on.  Set aside.

5. Cut and discard the lower stems of the enoki mushrooms.  Remove any dirt or debris.  Set aside.

6. To make scrambled eggs, heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Beat the eggs together, and then add it into the pan.  Quickly stir the egg until it turns bright yellow and set aside.  Transfer the eggs to a plate.

7. In a bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients.  Mix well and set it aside.

8. To serve, add a portion of shirataki noodles in the centre of the plate.  Add the ingredients around it.  Last, season it with the dressing and serve immediately.  It can be kept in the fridge up to two days.