Sukiyaki Beef

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This is what I do when I have leftover beef slices and am feeling lazy!

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs of Beef Slices

• 1/4 cup Mirin

• 1/4 cup Soy sauce (May vary depending on how salty your soy sauce is)

• 1 tbsp Sugar

Optional:

• 1 Onion, thinly sliced (highly recommended!! the texture and flavor are both amazing)

• 3 tbsp Sake

What’s Next:

1. Add soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake if you’re using, into a small sauce pan on medium low heat. If you’re not using sake, you’ll probably want to add a bit more soy sauce and mirin for the liquid volume. Bring to light simmer and taste to adjust flavor to your liking. This is why I love this recipe, the sauce is completely based on your liking, can’t do wrong!

2. If you’re using onion, add the onions now, spread them evenly across the pan. Make sure that all the onions are submerged. If not, add equal portions of soy sauce, mirin (and sake if you’re using)

3. Cook until the onions have softened, turn the heat down to low so it’s just a light simmer. Add the beef slices and mix well into the sauce and onions. Make sure the beef slices are 80% submerged.

4. Stir occasionally to make sure the beef slices are cook through and no longer pink. Serve over rice or eat as is!

Goma-e Spinach

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What to do when you have spinach and don’t want to be boring?

Here’s your answer

This recipe uses tahini to expedite process, instead of 4 more tbsps of sesame seeds

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Spinach

• 1 1/2 tbsp of Tahini

• 1/2 tbsp of Sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp of Soy Sauce

• 1 tbsp of Sugar

Optional:

• 1/2 tsp of Sake

• 1/2 tsp of Mirin

• Sesame seeds

• Scallions

What’s Next:

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a small pan on low heat until lightly brown, careful not to burn!

2. Boil water in a medium size pot, add in all the spinach until lightly cooked, about 30 seconds

3. Strain the pot through a mesh to collect all the spinach. Run the spinach under cold water to chill. Squeeze the spinach dry and move to a medium size bowl

4. Mix sesame seeds, tahini, soy sauce, sugar, and sake and mirin if using. Pour the mixture over the spinach and mix well

5. Top with sesame seeds and scallions if you like

Sweet Potato Okonomiyaki

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This is a variation of the delicious Japanese snack (which to note that the style of Okonomiyaki varies significantly in Japan). I absolutely do not claim this is an authentic okonomiyaki recipe, but it certainly gives me all the feels!

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Cabbage or Brussels Sprouts, cut in strips

• 2 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes, cut in strips (about 4-5 cups)

• 1 Scallion thinly sliced

• 3 Large Eggs, beat until just blended

• 2/3 cups of Flour (AP or whole wheat)

• 6 tbsp of Oil (No need to be super precise, as this will vary based on how big your okonomiyaki is)

• Kewpie Mayonnaise

• Okonomiyaki / Tonkatsu sauce (Bull Dog Vegetable Fruit Sauce in picture should be easy to find)

Optional Variation - Shrimp:

• 8-10 Shrimps - Cut into pieces and mix into the batter towards the end

Optional Variation - Sukiyaki-style Beef

• 1 cup of thinly sliced beef (like the ones for hot pot)

• Heat up 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of mirin, 1/4 cup of water with 1 tbsp of water in a small sauce pan

• Add the beef and turn down to low heat, let simmer until beef is no longer light pink

• Set aside in small bowl to use as topping

What’s Next:

1. Combine cabbage / brussels sprouts, scallion, sweet potato and eggs together in a large mixing bowl until just combine. Season with salt.

2. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, toss to combine. The “batter” should not be gummy, it will just about hold together, the vegetables should be coated in light batter)

3. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high

4. Add about 1 handful of batter onto the skillet and flatten slightly, make sure batter is about even across the skillet. Cook over low-medium heat

5. Cook until the okonomiyaki is about light brown on the edges. Shake the skillet slightly to ensure it’s not stuck onto the skillet. About 2 more minutes until one side is cook through

6. Drizzle another tbsp of oil. Carefully flip over to cook the other side. You can use a plate to help you with this process. (Just remember it’ll still taste delicious even if this step falls apart!)

7. After the edge looks golden brown on this side as well, remove from skillet

8. Repeat the process from 3 to 7

9. Serve with (plenty of) kewpie mayonnaise and the vegetable and fruit sauce! (top with the beef slices now if you made some)