For Summer Fatique

It is hot and humid here. In this weather we drink a lot more liquid than any other days. This liquid can replace the loss of water from sweating. However, it is also as important to eat the right amount of food that contains mineral, iron and vitamin C to refresh our tired body.

Vinegar helps us to fight fatique, beef supplies minerals and iron, while cucumber and radish are sources of vitamins. So here it is....

My favorite recipe in summer for fatique is Beef Radish With Sesame Dressing (147 kcal, serve 4).

What you need:

cucumber and radish slice thin (see photos or you can do alternative cut as you like)

150 gram of thinly sliced beef -> dip the fresh meat in a mixture of 1tsp soy sauce+ 2 tsp sake +1 tsp sugar and leave it for a few minutes

white radish (see photos, or alternative radish if the same one is not available)

To make sesame dressing:

a mixture of 4 tbsp grated white sesame + 2 tbsp of rice/apple vinegar + 2 tbsp of soy sauce + 2 tsp of sugar + 2 tbsp of cooked soup stock (chicken/fish/beef as you prefer)

What needs cooking:

You need to stir fry the beef using a little bit of oil (i used sesame oil but alternative oil is OK)

Put all the ingredients in a big bowl for salad.

* Check Measurement: 1 tsp = 5 ml, 1 tbsp =15 ml

Quick & Easy Appetizer

Asparagus Wrapped with Cheese and Raw Ham

What you need is what you have in the title, boil fresh asparagus with a little salt, then wrap them with sliced processed cheese and raw ham. Arrange nicely and top with olive oil, sprinke some black pepper. Wala! you have one dish for appetizer already.

Tomatoes With Sesame and Sugar

As the title says, you need tomatoes, white sesame powder (ground sesame) and sugar. I like to peel my tomatoes, by pouring boiling water on them first. I think it is a matter of taste. Then cut them into slices then sprinkle sugar and sesame on the top according to taste. If you have finely sliced bonito, you can also use them as toppings. Wala! second dish for appetizer.

Raw Tuna or Raw Bonito Salad With Onions and Chives (Carpaccio)

Make sure you get a fresh tuna or bonito and slice them like you would prepare a sashimi. Use a fine sharp knife for a nice cut of sashimi. Then slice 1 onions finely and wash them in cold water to get rid of spicy taste. Place sliced onions and chives (alternatively fresh basil) in the center while decorating the raw fish around them.

Prepare dressing:

1 tbsp of olive oil, grated garlic (pls adjust amount according to taste), 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp soy sauce, adjust taste with salt and pepper.

Note: raw onions, fish and ham taste good to adults, but not children below 3

Equisetum arvense ("Sugina") !

An amazing plant, called "sugina" (in Japanese) was found to have positive effect in controlling blood sugar level if taken regularly, therefore it is recommended for those with health problems such as diabetes or, other problems related to high blood sugar level.   Recent analysis also found its positive effect for treatment of pollen allergy.   

I never actually see the plants myself until last Monday, when i walked to a nearby, a small and local natural reserve park, with my daughter and we met a man washing this plants in the running water there. The plants grows everywhere near clean water, he said.

This plants apparently contains 5 times the amount of Kalium, 155 times of Calcium and 3 times of Magnesium that you would find in ordinary green vegetables, such as spinach.   Here the plants are best picked during April to May.

You can boil them or fry them with a little oil just as you would fry ordinary vegetables.   

Onions

I was watching this program called 美Happy (read: "be happy" but the Kanji 美literally means Beautiful) on TV and today's theme was about Onions and Brocolli.   A simple tips to share:

* onions are very good for beauty because it has an anti ageing elements, also

* it is best to cook brocolli using microwave to keep its vitamin C intact, rather than boiling

* and a funny tips when chopping onions: bite a wooden chopstick (keep it in you mouth) while chopping your onions, well.... that way you don't have teary eyes... try! it really worked! 

An onion recipe taken from "Healthy Recipe For Children" by Makuuchi Hideo-san.

COOKED ONIONS

Ingredients:

2 onions

1 cup of dashi (or broth)

1.5 tbsp of soy sauce

1.5 tbsp of sugar

How to make:

1. Slice onions into very small pieces edible for children (5 mm length)

2. Put onions in the pot with dashi, soy sauce and sugar and bring to boil

3. Cook until the onions becomes soft.  Serve with warm rice and other dishes.

4. For those not allergic to eggs, you can also add egg to the onions and cook them well together.

ONIONS WITH MINI TOMATO

Ingredients:

300 gram of mini tomato

1 small onions

3 tbsp of dried baby sardines (shirasu) or alternative dried small fish

salt and pepper

How to make:

1. Wash the mini tomatoes and chop onions very finely

2. Put all ingredients in a pot with a little bit of water and bring to boil

3. Cook until onions becomes soft enough, then add salt and pepper for taste.

Please note that for children it is best to cook with no oil/little as possible, fresh vegetables and basic seasonings like salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce or miso, instead of using instant seasoning with additives.    Also it is best not to feed children below 1 year old: eggs, raw fish, too much soy beans products or dairy products, as it may cause allergy when they get older.