Tofu Salad Miso Dressing豆腐サラダ味噌ドレッシングがけ [Rcipes, Summer 夏レシピ]
日本語のレシピは ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の Hachidory から ご覧下さい。
It seems that the summer is not ready to pass the baton to the autumn yet.
That’s fine.
Then the autumn also might want to pass it to the winter later than usual, which is perfect for me !
I still crave for the watermelons this year !
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What else do you think I crave for other than that ?
It is something white.
It is something soft and fragile.
It is something traditional for Japanese people.
It is rich in protein and easily available everywhere in Japan.
It is often loved by vegans all around the world.
I think you know what it is by now.
It is “Hiyayakko” !
Not tofu?
Yes, it is tofu, Hiyayakko is the chilled soft tofu.
It is perhaps the most popular way of eating tofu during summer in Japan.
It is super simple to prepare.
Open the package after taking out from the fridge, transfer it into the bowl, top up with the chopped green onion and grated ginger, pour the soy sauce, and just eat it !
So easy, right ?
However You wouldn’t love “Hiyayakko” without finding the fresh and good quality of tofu.
Therefore before introducing today’s tofu recipe, let me talk about tofu and also give some tips how to select the good tofu when you have selections at the grocery shops.
It is going to be a long talk, so if you do not want to spend time reading it, just scroll down to the picture of the yummy tofu salad.
You may be thinking that tofu is bland or tasteless, so need to cook with the seasonings such as spices, barbeque sauce and heavy gravies.
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However when tofu is made from the good ingredients in a proper way, you might feel that it is such a waste to cook it or coat it with those strong seasonings.
Sadly many tofu sold in the supermarkets nowadays do not meet my standard. I can seldom enjoy “Hiyayakko” with those. They are a kind of tasteless like you think of tofu.
But don’t be disappointed.
Among so many tofu displayed on the shelf in the supermarkets in Japan, there are usually a few tasty ones which are made with the good quality of ingredients without unnecessary additives.
In order to find the satisfactory ones, you need to be able to read the labels first of all.
(We should make it a habit to read the label whenever we buy the products in this modern society. Don’t be deceived by the catchy words like “Healthy”, “No Additives”, “Organic”, “Vegan”.)
There are three points that you’d better check.
Defoamer
Lots of foams and bubbles surface in the pot while the soymilk is cooked during tofu making process. Those need to be removed.
In order to skip this process, using defoamer became a common practice as it can reduce the labor.
The defoamer can also increase the volume of tofu.
The description of the defoamer usage is not necessary in Japan, therefore if you do not see the word “消泡剤不使用/Defoamer-free”, the defoamer is most probably used.
Some tofu makers describe the names of the defoamer decently on the label. They are usually described as “シリコン樹脂/Silicon resin” or “グリセリン脂肪酸エステル/Glycerin fatty acid ester”.
Coagulant
This processing aid is necessary unlike the defoamer explained above.
There are mainly four types of coagulants.
They are
にがり・塩化マグネシウム / Nigari=Magnesium Chloride
塩化カルシウム/ Calcium Chloride
硫酸カルシウム / Calcium Solphate
グルコノデルタラクトン/ Gluconic Acid
It is said that each of them has different effects on tofu.
One of the reasons that tofu texture and taste differ among different brands of tofu can be attributed to the coagulant used.
I personally have not used the coagulants other than Nigari, the magnesium chloride as other three are not easily available in Japanese market.
However I recommend Nigari, which is obtained during the salt making process thus is considered the most natural coagulant.
The other three are normally chemically synthesized.
Get the liquid type of Nigari rather than flakes if it is available.
Soybeans
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There are various kinds of soybeans.
Talking about the soybeans in Japan, the taste and the nutrients differ depending on the species of soybeans and also the regions where they are grown.
However it is not easy to know them as those specific seeds and regions are seldom described on the labels.
But you can know whether it is made from the soybeans of Japan or not as the makers always boast it on the package if their tofu is made from Japanese soybeans.
Though each soybeans are different, Japanese soybeans are generally tastier than the ones from the other countries as long as I know. And the protein content is higher.
There is also no worries of postharvest of chemicals.*
Therefore what you can do is to find the tofu from 100% Japanese soybeans within the criteria mentioned earlier.
And you can try several kinds among them to find the tofu of your favorite taste.
I’ve been trying to make tofu from various kinds of soybeans, however I have never made tofu as tasty as the one from the tofu factory which I am patronizing.
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I asked the owner which soybeans they are using.
He told me that they combine 3 kinds of soybeans from the different regions taking each of their characteristics into consideration, and that they also went through the countless experiments.
*The postharvest treatment is normally performed prior to and after the exporting and importing process for the agricultural products.
The typical ones performed on are wheat, soybeans, corns, citrus fruits, banana, feeds to the agricultural animals.
The residual rates of those chemicals such as fungicide, pesticide and bactericide are much higher than the same ones of pre-harvest, and some are studied as carcinogenic.
Therefore you’d better avoid taking those foods from overseas as much as possible.
You might be a bit confused seeing unfamiliar terms.
Just remember tofu is the processed food after all, though, it is a protein rich healthy food as it is often said.
It is important to try to know what are used and how those ingredients are produced or raised, and who are involved and what are happening behind the products when you eat something, especially the processed food or imported food or animals, which you have not seen how they are grown nor produced.
I am offering two kinds of tofu classes using the platform of Airbnb Experience.
One is titled “Magical Soy and Japanese Vegan”, and in this experience, I teach the cooking of tofu dishes. It is the online class, so you can participate from wherever you are. https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1879245
Another is titled “Tofu Making and Japanese Vegan Meal” and this is in person class. You can learn how to make tofu personally from me, and enjoy the lunch of tofu dishes that I prepare for you. If you have chance to visit Japan, join me in this experience! https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/317862
Let’s go to the recipe of this month !
It is Hiyayakko with the seasonal vegetable on top, in the other word, “Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing “ .
Watermelon Sherbet, Vegan すいかシャーベット [Rcipes, Summer 夏レシピ]
日本語のレシピは ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の Hachidory から ご覧下さい。
Dawn, the most beautiful scenery in the morning
I read that 2023 July was the hottest month ever recorded worldwide.
But I feel it is not as bad as last few years.
It is rather more comfortable comparatively.
Why ?
The key is “humidity”.
When the humidity is high, even if the temperature is lower, it is quite uncomfortable.
However when the humidity is low, I do not feel that bad even the temperature goes up very high like 37℃, which is above the body temperature.
(it is definitely much better than the coldness of the winter.)
The very early morning is the best time of the day !
You may be surprised, but I wake up already three o’clock in the morning during summer.
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The full moon in the early morning. It's fascinating !
After breathing, leg and back exercise on the bed, I get up and go out for an early morning walk.
I love to walk in the morning !
The sky of the east side often starts turning to orange at four o’clock already.
It is so exciting to see the milky orange sky with some light blue sky around it.
The air is fresh, not hot, just right temperature for me.
I have several roots for my morning walk.
One of them is the mountain which I spend 30 minutes plus to reach to the top from the foot of the mountain.
The sceneries from the top vary each day.
It can be extraordinary beautiful if I’m lucky.
I can seldom see the sunrise from the top of the mountain as I need to start climbing when it is still dark if I wish to see.
So I usually see the sunrise at the foot of the mountain.
By the time I reached the top, the sun is already glaring yellow, and the sky is blue when the weather is fine.
Another root I often take is a kind of rural area where the plenty kinds of seasonal wildflowers and plants grow.
The sound I can hear here is the birds’ songs only.
(When I approach the stream, I can also hear the gentle sound of the water running in the stream.)
I seldom meet people during my walk.
That is the another reason that I love early morning walk.
When I do not see people, I can feel as if I’m a part of the nature.
How fortunate I am to be able to immerse myself in the nature every day!
Because of this, everyday is a holiday for me.
I can refresh myself each day.
I do not have any desire to go somewhere on holiday to refresh myself or to seek a stimulation anymore.
The recipe that I am sharing with you today is the watermelon recipe.
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It is a perfect recipe on a scorching hot day.
It is so cooling, easy to make, can be preserved in the fridge, so you can purchase a big size watermelon without hesitation.
Here’s an additional sharing with you today.
But be cautious, your temperature might go up as this video is sooo heartwarming.
So prepare this sherbet beside you to cool you down before watching it !
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Special sharing for you.
Crepe Roll ロールクレープ Vegan Gluten-free [Recipes, All Seasons 1年通]
日本語のレシピは ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の Hachidory から ご覧下さい。
Not cold
The daytime is long
The fresh air in the early morning
The sweet corns
The cucumbers
Edamame
Those are the things that I like about the summer.
I also like the moment that I see variety kinds of insects early in the morning.
Some are active hopping from the grass to grass, some are flying from the flower to flower, some are staying quietly on the grass.
The summer is the season that the insects exert their energies to their maximum. They may not be aware, but they probably are enjoying the moment that they are living in this world.
Even the tiny insect excerts its powerful energy, and it is passed on to me.
There is a sad culture in Japan.
That is to catch and cage the insects during summer.
These actions are considered good deed and the schoolteachers, parents and adults all encourage kids to do so.
Maybe it is the most typical summer holiday school project in Japanese prime schools.
That is why you see many nets and cages stuck up on the shelves in the shops in Japan during summer.
“Let them be in the nature.
They never want to be caught nor caged.”
Today’s recipe is not the sweet corns, cucumber nor edamame.
I am sharing a recipe which I frequently prepare for my lunch all the year round.
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That is “Roll Crepe” or “Crepe Roll” whichever you name it.
It is easy to prepare, economical and convenient.
You can roll anything you want.
The leftovers that you find in the fridge can be cleared, which would make you feel great too.
This recipe became my standard lunch recipe after I became intolerant to the gluten, and also sensitive to the yeast.
Since this roll crepe is more versatile than the bread, I do not have craving for the bread anymore.
In this recipe I am using the rice flour and buck wheat flour for the crepe dough, but you can use any flour of your choice.
You just need to adjust the amount of the plant based milk.
Rather than relying on the measurement stated in the recipe, see and feel the consistency of the batter like the photo shown in the recipe.
Dandelion Salad and Dressing タンポポサラダ [Recipes Spring 春レシピ]
日本語のレシピは ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の Hachidory から ご覧下さい。
You may not be so familiar with the wild plants and not know the names of many of them.
But I guess many of you know this.
Dandelion.
Its bright yellow color and the way it blooms on the ground always brighten our hearts.
What is good about dandelion is not only it pleases our eyes and hearts, it can be a free healthy food too !
Like the other types of green leafy vegetables, the leaves of the dandelion is rich in vitamins and minerals and the flowers have nectar.
The root has medicinal effects such as reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure.
It is also considered effective to increase the milk production for the mothers with newborn babies.
When it is roasted, it can even turn to a substitute for coffee.
I am going to share a simple salad and dressing recipes using dandelion’s leaves and flowers with you today.
So try them if you have dandelions around your place.
In some parts the flowers may already have finished, but you can still make and enjoy this salad with leaves only.
There are two things you need to be careful when you pick up the dandelions in Japan.
The pesticides may be used for the ones found on the roadsides. Therefore avoid picking up from the roadsides especially if you live in the busy town.
We usually can’t tell the difference from the glance, but there are non-native species and native species.
Nowadays the non-native is dominant and the native one is scares. This means the dandelions you are seeing are most likely non-native ones.
If you encounter the native one by chance, try not to pick it up.
Non-native dandelion.
You can see the lower parts of the bract are bending backwards.
Native dandelion.
You can see the bract is tight with no bending backwards parts.
Amanatsu Orange Jelly, Vegan 甘夏みかんゼリー [Recipes Spring 春レシピ]
日本語のレシピは ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の Hachidory から ご覧下さい。
Sakura, Sakura, Sakura……..
The cherry blossoms greet me everywhere these days.
Sakura is such an elegant flower.
It absolutely impresses most of the people when they are fully blooming, and captivate their hearts.
I am certainly one of them.
There are so many songs singing about it or connecting to it.
There are also many beautiful expressions using the word, Sakura, and also the words implying Sakura using just the word “Hana / flower” in Japanese language.
In music, in literature, in arts, Sakura is one of the most popular themes.
It plays an important role in my cooking too.
Kaidozakura cherry blossom
I preserve the pink color petals in spring and use them all the year round to entertain the guests from around the world because I know that the cherry blossoms associate with Japan for some of them, and they, especially the ladies are happy to see them in my cooking. (But for Japanese, it often gives the impression of out of season if I use them in other seasons, so I use them only in spring for them. )
You can check some of my recipes of those from here.
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Sakura Dango / Sakura Dumplings
Today’s recipe is not Sakura recipe though.
It is “Amanatsu Mikan Jelly / Agar jelly using two types of oranges”.
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Amanatsu is a citron which is bigger and tastes sourer than normal Japanese orange whose season is the winter.
Some Amanatsu are sweeter and juicier than others.
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But for today’s recipe, you can use the sourer Amanatsu (even sourest one) that you may find it is too sour to eat.
By combining it with the 100% pure Mikan orange Juice, it creates the synergetic effect, and its taste turns out to much tastier.
