Very Easy - Natto Recipe For Breakfast

If you have no time to prepare a easy & quick & healthy low fat breakfast, here is an idea - my favorite at home.   

Just prepare the following:

1 slice of wholewheat bread (or white if you can't eat wholewheat)

1 pack natto

30 gram of pizza cheese

1 slice of ham (if any)

How to make:

1. Mix natto well with the sauce (usually included in the pack) until it becomes sticky and spread it the way you would spread a jam on the bread

2. Cut ham into small slices and place them on top of natto

3. Then sprinkle pizza cheese evenly 

4. Grill it for 3 minutes

I usually have it with a glass of tomatoes juice with black sesame toppings and five strawberries.

This breakfast will give you not only the energy to start the day, but the lots of natural vitamins and minerals needed to keep you stay fit ;D

Black Sesame in Juice

Another easy way to digest the already known healthy sesame - the source of vitamin E and other goodies.   Tomato contains vitamin A, B6 and C, a good source of fibre, Kalium and Iron.

I like to drink it in the morning.  

What you need:

a glass of tomato juice (preferably a fresh one)

1 tbsp of black sesame

Chicken Wings & Yam (ref. Collagen - February 9th 2009)

Serve 3 persons

Ingredients:

6 chicken wings

800 taro roots*

salt to wash taro roots 1 tbsp

1/2 tbsp of salad oil

3 tbsp of sake

For soup mixture:

400 ml of soup stock (chicken or fish stock)

1 tbsp of sugar

2 tbsp of mirin

3 tbsp of soy sauce

For measurement of tbsp & tsp, please check Important Measurement

For those with sensitive skin, please wash you hands after touching/peeling taro roots*, as the slimy substance can cause minor skin rash/itchiness.

How to make:

1. Prepare soup mixture in a separate pot and put it aside.  

2. Peel the taro roots* and wash it with salt in order to get rid of slimy substance attached.

3. Put oil in the frying pan and get it ready to fry the chicken wings

4. Pour chicken wings and clean taro roots* into the soup mixture in the pot

5. Cook with medium fire until it boils for a few minutes, then continue cooking with low fire for another 20 -25 minutes.

Check to make sure that the taro roots* is soft enough and when the liquid runs out, you need to turn off the fire.   

I hope you enjoy another variation of chicken wings recipe - happy cooking is healthy cooking!

*Thanks for the inputs!

Tofu Salad With Sesame Dressing

Another easy to make side dish, tofu salad with white sesame dressing.   Check older post (January 20, Sesame 4 Breakfast) for health benefits of sesame.  Serve 2 persons

Ingredients:

1/2 tofu (well drained)

1/2 advocado

1 tbsp of sesame powder

1 tsp of grated ginger

1/2 tsp of salt

How to make:

1. Drain tofu by laying the tofu on a strainer and if the tofu is firm enough, you can put a bowl on the top for a faster result.  Leave it there for 20-30 minutes.   It is best when the tofu is fresh as you will not boil it.

2. Slice advocado into cubes

3. Once drained, you can cut tofu into cubes (you will find less water dripping from tofu this way) and arrange them into a bowl.

4. Put the other ingredients and mix well gently or the tofu will crumble.

My other favorite dish to eat along with this tofu salad:

Chicken Wings and Potatoes (ref. Collagen - February 9th 2009)

Ingredients:

10 Chicken wings (alternatively chicken feet*)

5 Potatoes 

2 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp of mirin (check out local chinese/japanese shop)*

150 cc of Water

*alternatively make your own substitute for mirin (=sake+sugar)

**if possible use a ceramic/glass cooking pot with heavy lid 

How to make:

1. Peel potatoes and cut them into cubes (edible size)

2. Put potatoes and chicken feet in a pot** (alternatively use ordinary stainless pot, but cook at lower fire - i.e. cook slowly for better taste)

3. Pour all the ingredients necessary and boil until all the sauce is absorbed in the meat and potatoes.   Use medium fire in the beginning then adjust to low fire towards the end.

Enjoy!

Tuna & Mayonaisse Spaghetti (2 steps)

It is time for lunch.   You open the fridge and find mayonaisse and Welsh onions and in the cupboard you have a can of tuna.   What can you have for lunch?  Yes, a tuna mayonaisse spaghetti - my favorite, easy to make dish.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti 200 grm

Tuna 1 can (160grm)

Welsh onions 1 (15cm)

Sauce:

Sesame oil & Mayonaisse 1tbsp each

Soy sauce 1 tsp (if any) OR alternatively salt 1/2 tsp

Pepper (adjust according to taste)

Black sesame powder and white sesame powder 1 tbsp each

How to make:

1. Prepare the sauce, by combining sesame powders, soy sauce, pepper, oil & mayonaisse in a large bowl.     Cut the welsh onion into very fine little slices and mix together with the sauce.

2. Prepare boiling water for spaghetti as usual.   Boil spaghetti well and drain the water using a strainer.  Quickly move the cooked spaghetti into the large bowl and mix with the sauce well.

Ready to serve!  Taste best when it is warm.

Y O K A N (ref. January 20th 2009)

Yokan is a low calorie sweets that is good for your health.  It is made of red bean, which is known to lower cholesterol and contains high level of protein.   It is very easy to make.   Those who have made jelly (hard type) before, can easily make yokan.

Ingredients:

Canned "cooked" red beans 1

Jelly powder (do not use instant powder that does not require boiling)

Water 400 cc

Warnings: 

*Make sure that the amount of jelly powder and water match.  You can adjust your own recipe depending on the type of jelly powder you use.

*You may need to put the red beans in the blender first, if you like the yokan to come with soft texture  (see photo)

How to make:

1. Prepare ingredients to make jelly as usual - but this time make sure that you do not put too much water.   Adjust the first step according to the type of jelly mixture you use.

2. After bringing the mixture to boil, turn off the fire, then pour the whole red beans into the jelly mixture.

3. Stir well and taste it (you can add sugar according to taste).   If the red beans is already sweet, you probably do not want to add sugar.

Note that the jelly you made may not have the same color as the one in the photo.   The more red beans you put, the darker color the yokan will be.