Weekly Recipe Planner: Japanese
Japanese food is surprisingly appealing for kids – noodles, silky tofu, custardy eggs, and soup, And it’s a bonus for parents – not only is it super healthy (mostly), it’s a cinch to prepare at home to. Really! So, there’s no need to make reservations at a fancy Japanese restaurant for your ramen and sushi fix. Follow these recipes for your very own “oishii” feast at home.
Spicy Tuna Sushi Rolls
Tuna rolls are nowhere near as ambitious to make as they look. You’ll need a total of six ingredients: three for the filling (tinned tuna, mayonnaise and wasabi), and three for the rolls (cooked sushi rice, nori sheets and cucumbers). The best part? When you get to the fun bit of things (rolling the sushi, of course), you can get your kids to help you out. They’ll love it!
Vegetable Tempura
The beauty of cooking vegetable tempura lies in the fact that you can use whatever’s found in your fridge. The most important thing is getting the batter right, and with this recipe, you require just four key ingredients: egg, ice water, flour (either cake or all-purpose, stay away from bread flour), and lastly, corn or potato starch. Also, remember not to overcrowd the oil pot – be patient and fry only three to four pieces at a time.
Miso Ramen
Get the noodles and miso base right and you can go crazy with your ramen toppings. There’s a whole range of things you can add to the bowl, from tofu and snow peas to fishcakes and pork char siu slices.
Katsu Curry
Can’t say no to the sweet-spiciness of Japanese curry? Follow this recipe for a satisfying meal for you and the whole family. You can choose to go with chicken katsu, but if you find it too heavy (or calorie-loaded), opt to oven-bake the cutlet instead, or consider using beef cubes.
Matcha Jelly
All you need for this refreshing finale to your meal are five ingredients: sugar, water, gelatin powder, whipped cream (for the topping), and of course, matcha powder. Plus, with green tea’s well-known medicinal properties, your kids will be getting much-needed vitamins and antioxidants with this sweet (and not to mention simple) treat.