Maple Miso Chicken Bento Bento is the Japanese word for “lunchbox,” and it’s used to refer to any full meal packed into a container to go. Aside from rice, bento boxes are filled with various vegetables and proteins, making them both delicious and nutritious. This easy Maple Miso Chicken recipe is a satisfying bento idea that comes together in minutes from just five basic ingredients. The maple syrup and miso caramelize to create a gorgeous glaze that’s similar to teriyaki but with a rich earthy flavor that will have you smacking your lips with delight....

Mitarashi Dango (みたらし団子) Mitarashi Dango is a classic Japanese snack and street food made by skewering rice dumplings and grilling them before glazing them in a thick sweet soy glaze. Recent appearances in popular anime like Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) have reignited interest in this traditional snack, so I visited the tea shop in Kyoto that’s credited with creating it to taste the original. Back in my kitchen, I tested about a dozen iterations, including different blends of rice flour, different grilling methods, and different ratios of sauce ingredients....

Panko Fried Oysters (カキフライ - Kaki Fry) With a shatteringly crisp panko shell holding onto a plump, juicy oyster on the inside, Kaki Fry is a popular way of preparing these delicious marine mollusks in Japan. Japanese fried oysters are typically eaten as an entree along with various sauces, but they also make for delicious appetizers. Although Kaki Fry is considered a Western-style dish in Japan, a few key differences set this preparation apart from other deep fried oysters....

Salmon Ochazuke (鮭茶漬け - sake chazuke ) is one of those comforting Japanese dishes that you can throw together in minutes, often using leftovers. Growing up, I usually had it as a light breakfast or an afternoon snack, but it’s something both kids and adults turn to for its almost magical ability to soothe a tired stomach. Maybe that’s why it shows up so often on izakaya menus. These Japanese pubs are a bit like tapas bars, offering an eclectic mix of small plates and drinks to go with them....

Red Bean Soup (お汁粉 - Oshiruko) If you’re unfamiliar with East Asian sweets, the idea of sweet beans can be a little hard to wrap your head around, but the nutty flavor of adzuki beans lends itself well to sweet desserts. Oshiruko is a comforting dessert soup that’s made with sweet red bean paste, and it’s a wintertime favorite in Japan. Served with a soft, chewy piece of mochi, this soul-soothing soup is satisfying enough to make for a light meal or a filling snack....

I think the 3 things I miss most about California are driving a car, having a grill, and the Mexican food. The later two are especially salient around Cinqo De Mayo , which for me used to signal the start of the grilling season. Tacos al Pastor is one of my favorite Mexican dishes, the smell of spit-roasted chile-marinated pork and pineapple wafting through the air is irresistible on a summer’s day....

Vegan Bento Box with Tamagoyaki A bento box is a blank canvas into which you can pack a delicious and nutritious meal to take on the go. As the co-host of the television series Bento Expo , I’ve made hundreds of bentos over the years, and today I want to share some of my tricks with you so you can start packing your own vegan bento box lunches. I’m also going to be sharing some bento side dishes, as well as an eggless tamagoyaki recipe that’s both vegan and vegetarian friendly....

Given the breadth of cuisines I cover on this blog, I’ve often been asked if I ever eat “normal” food. This always takes me a little by surprise, because (with a few exceptions) most of the things I cook are very low effort. These beef tacos, along with my family-favorite Taco Rice , are the kind of weeknight meal I’ll prepare when I come home after a long day of meetings only to find the fridge devoid of anything even remotely inspirational....

Despite its relatively short history, Mentaiko Pasta (明太子パスタ) has become a classic home-cooked meal in Japan because of its favorable taste to effort ratio. It’s typically prepared by tossing boiled spaghetti with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and cream. I posted a cream-based recipe in the past, but I prefer making this modern Japanese classic without adding cream. My method involves making a mixture of mentaiko and olive oil and then emulsifying this with butter and the starchy boiling liquid from the pasta....

Sake isn’t just a beverage to consume with a meal; it’s an essential ingredient in Japanese cooking and can be used to elevate all types of food by adding umami. Here’s everything you need to know about sake. What is Sake? Why Cook with Sake? Are Sake and Mirin the Same? Is There a Difference Between Sake for Cooking and Drinking Sake? What Kind of Sake Should I Use for Cooking?...

Easy Coconut Shrimp Coconut Shrimp is a delectable finger food that’s super easy to prepare and addictively delicious. With a golden brown coconut coating and juicy shrimp, each bite is like a tropical beach vacation for your mouth. Add a spicy dipping sauce and a tropical drink to complete the scene. Most of the prep can be done in advance, so this homemade coconut shrimp can be ready in minutes to wow your guests for game days and parties....

Edamame Edamame is the Japanese name for immature soybeans, and they’re most commonly prepared as a snack or appetizer by boiling them in their pods in well-salted water until they are tender. Once cooked, the beans can be popped out of the pods as you eat them, or top them with additional flavors, as in this recipe for Spicy Edamame . They can also be shelled and tossed into salads, rice dishes, or stir fries....

Within Japanese food, vegetable recipes aren’t just an afterthought-they’re essential to every meal. Traditional meals often follow a pattern called ichiju sansai (一汁三菜), which means “one soup, three sides.” Two of those sides are usually vegetable-based, so greens, roots, and shoots naturally take center stage. What makes Japanese vegetable dishes so satisfying is how they’re layered with umami. Simple ingredients like dashi, soy sauce, miso, mirin, and sake transform even the mildest veggies into deeply flavorful bites....

This luscious blend of maitake, shimeji, and nameko mushrooms is sautéed to golden perfection before being pickled in a tangy, umami-packed marinade. With a playful kick from the red chili flakes and a fresh herbal zing from some basil, this easy Japanese mushroom recipe creates a tangy, sweet appetizer that’s equally at home alongside a holiday roast as it is on top of a cheeseburger. Since it’s best prepared at least a day in advance to give the flavors a chance to meld, it’s the perfect make-ahead dish for entertaining....

<img loading=“lazy” src=“https://norecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/pad-kee-mao.1024x1024.jpg" onerror=“this.onerror=null;this.src=‘https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7F7TRXHtjiKvHb5vS7DmnxvpHiDyoYyYvm1nHB3Qp2_w3BnM6A2eq4v7FYxCC9bfZt3a9vIMtAYEKUiaDQbHMg-ViyGmRIj39MLp0bGFfgfYw1Dc9q_H-T0wiTm3l0Uq42dETrN9eC8aGJ9_IORZsxST1AcLR7np1koOfcc7tnHa4S8Mwz_xD9d0=s16000';" alt=“Pad Kee Mao, or “fried drunkard” is a delightfully flavorful Thai noodle dish loaded with a random assortment of vegetables and protein, perfect for a quick weeknight meal. - 1”> I love Thai food so much that I often wonder if I was Thai in a past life. I often joke about this, but according to my DNA ancestry, my maternal haplogroup F, is predominantly found in Thailand, so this actually may not be that far from the truth....

Dry and leathery aren’t usually things you want to hear about a roast chicken, but that’s exactly how the chicken needs to look in order to get a crisp-skinned roast chicken. Before you write me off as crazy, allow me to explain. This summer I spent a few weeks cooking at a mountain retreat for some of the top names in business and politics. The team I was working with was awesome, and despite an impressive line-up of guests, the first week went off without a hitch....

There’s a special place in my heart for dumplings . Whether they’re fried, boiled, steamed, or served up in a soup , there’s a marvelous synergy that happens when you take a savory filling and stuff it into what is essentially an oversized noodle. In Japan, nothing typifies dumplings more than Gyōza (餃子). Whether you’re walking down a restaurant-lined alley or through an upscale grocery store, in Japan, you’re never far away from the hunger-inducing smell of these pork and garlic chive dumplings....

Ohitashi (おひたし) gets its name from the Japanese verb hitasu (浸す), meaning “to soak.” When made with spinach, it’s known as Hourensou no Ohitashi , and growing up; my mom would often prepare this simple yet delicious side dish. Spinach might not seem like typical “comfort food,” but when infused with savory dashi, it’s transformed into a juicy and satisfying addition to any Japanese meal. This Ohitashi recipe showcases the essence of Japanese home cooking by enhancing spinach’s natural sweetness with the umami depth of dashi broth....

Black pepper chicken is a variation on the classic Chinese-American dish Black Pepper Beef . It packs a punch of peppery flavor, but it comes together in less time than it takes to cook a pot of steamed rice which makes it the perfect quick and delicious weeknight dinner. This isn’t just another copycat recipe though. My version improves upon Panda Express black pepper chicken in a number of ways....

Why should I clean my own shrimp? Peeling and deveining your own shrimp not only saves money, but the shrimp will taste better, as unpeeled shrimp tends to be less processed and less prone to freezer burn than peeled shrimp. Once you’ve learned how to clean shrimp, you’ll never have to buy peeled, deveined shrimp again, saving money and improving the flavor, texture, and appearance of all your shrimp dishes....