Breakfast series – Japanese Hot Cakes

japanese hot cakes

What’s the difference between japanese Hot Cakes and our usual pancakes? Well, japanese hot cakes are thicker and sweeter. They are very popular, and many use the Morinaga hot cake mix. Delicious though they are, they can be a little hard on the pocket, especially if you have many mouths to feed. Some time back, I came across a recipe on a japanese sweets website. As the instructions were all in japanese (and google translate was not very accurate), I had to fiddle around with it before getting it right. I also changed the ingredients slightly. The method for preparing the hot cakes is also slightly different from preparing pancakes. If you follow the instructions though, you should be able to get thick delicious hot cakes! It’s definitely cheaper than using the Morinaga hot cake mix too!

Breakfast series - Japanese Hot Cakes
 
Ingredients
  • 1 egg
  • 40g caster sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 110g milk
  • 40g sour cream
  • 20g unsalted butter, softened
  • 140g cake flour, sifted
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Whisk egg with sugar and salt till pale and thick.
  2. In a separate bowl or measuring jug, combine the milk, sour cream and butter.
  3. Add the milk mixture to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
  4. Add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients in three parts. Fold in gently with the whisk. The mixture will be thick.
  5. Set mixture aside for about 10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, set aside a damp cloth and heat a griddle pan or cast iron pan over medium heat.
  7. Add a little oil (not too much) and spread evenly over the surface of the pan.
  8. Before cooking the hot cakes, place the pan on the damp cloth to cool the pan down slightly.
  9. Scoop ¼ cup of hot cake batter and pour it onto the pan from a height of about 25 cm.
  10. When bubbles form, flip the hot cake over and cover the pan for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove hot cake and repeat with the remaining batter.
  11. Serve hot, with butter and maple syrup.

Steamed Clams with Sake and Soy

steamed clams with sake and soy

Doesn’t this photo of these succulent clams make you hungry? If you cannot resist ordering vongole everytime you see it on the menu, you must check out the very simple recipe on The Best Blog Recipes. That’s right! I’m a guest contributor to the blog from February to July. While you are there, check out the other fantastic recipes too!

Easy Miso Glazed Salmon

Miso Glazed Salmon | Delicacious

I am a fan of salmon, when it is prepared right. I like salmon best as sashimi; smoked salmon comes close when served with eggs benedict, rosti or in a good caesar salad. I may be changing my preferences soon though. This easy miso glazed salmon is rising fast in my list of favourite salmon dishes. The reasons? It is simple, healthy and really delicious.

Miso is wonderful not just because of its flavour, but because of its health benefits. There is a long list of benefits but I will just name a few. Scientifically, miso has been proven to reduce risks of colon, breast and prostate cancer. It is a source of probiotics, is high in anti-oxidants, lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and strengthens the immune system. Are you rushing to your nearest Japanese food store to buy a tub of miso yet?

The longer miso is aged, the deeper its flavour and its colour. Commercially, miso is sold as shiromiso (white miso) or akamiso (red miso). You can also buy a blend of it. For this recipe, I used a blend of both white and red miso. Since the flavour of akamiso is stronger than shiromiso, you will want to adjust the amount of miso used according to the type you used.Continue Reading

Pork and Prawn Gyoza

Pork and Prawn Gyoza

How many gyoza fans do we have here? Me! I’m definitely one. It is one of those items that I frequently order at ramen shops to accompany my ramen. There are typically two ways of cooking gyoza – pan fried then steamed or fully fried. I prefer the pan fried then steamed version as I feel the steaming process keeps the filling juicy. I also like my gyoza made with more filling. Sadly, most store bought ones don’t quite make the cut – most ramen places that I frequent scrimp on the gyoza filling. SO…. I decided to make my own! Packed with more filling (oh so yummy), pan fried, then steamed.Continue Reading

Garlic Fried Rice

garlic-fried-rice Weekend dinners are typically a simple affair, especially on Saturday nights when we have to rush to a church group gathering after dinner. This is where simple dishes such as this garlic fried rice comes in handy. This fried rice smells amazing and is very simple to prepare. It is great on its own, or as an accompaniment to meat dishes. I served this with gyoza.Continue Reading

Daring Cooks June Meatball challenge: Meatballs two ways

sweet sour meatballs

The June Daring Cooks’ challenge sure kept us rolling – meatballs, that is! Shelley from C Mom Cook and Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to try meatballs from around the world and to create our own meatball meal celebrating a culture or cuisine of our own choice.Continue Reading

Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole

The flu bug is going around and both my husband and my toddler girl are down with flu. I had initially intended to cook salmon tofu balls but seeing that they were sick, I decided that something less “heaty” would be good.

I chanced upon a recipe on epicurious and did some modifications to get this yummylicious dish that even my rather fussy toddler liked it!

Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole

Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes
Total time 1 hour
Meal type Lunch, Main Dish
Misc Child Friendly, Serve Hot
Region Japanese
Delicious Salmon Tofu Miso Casserole, perfect for a cold evening's dinner.

Ingredients

  • 450g Boneless salmon fillet (Cut into cubes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 150g Assorted japanese mushrooms (cleaned and dried)
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • 1 Red capsicum (sliced)
  • 1 Block chinese tofu (Cut into cubes)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Miso paste ((I use a mix of red and white miso))
  • 2 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon Mirin
  • 3 stalks Spring onion (cut into sections)

Directions

Step 1
Marinate salmon pieces with salt for 10 - 15 minutes.
Step 2
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a casserole. Brown salmon pieces in oil and set aside.
Step 3
Add remaining oil and stir fry garlic, red capsicum and mushrooms in the casserole.
Step 4
Add in the tofu to combine and finally the salmon.
Step 5
Add in miso paste and stir to mix with ingredients.
Step 6
Pour in the chicken stock and mirin and bring to a boil.
Step 7
Simmer for 20 minutes and add the spring onions, and continue to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes more.
Step 8
Serve hot with rice.