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Dinner, Dressing, Fish, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Seared Ahi Rice Bowl

March 20, 2017

Here in the Islands, we love our ahi tuna. I would be happy to eat this every day. This is the rice bowl of my dreams! Light, fluffy, Japanese rice topped with furikake seared ahi, vegetables and a homemade dressing that is drizzled over everything in the bowl. I use the dressing in this recipe too. It’s a zingy sauce made with fresh lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, and lots of freshly grated ginger. It’s tasty and versatile.

I always keep a package of edamame in the freezer. It is easy to prepare and so good in this dish (as well as in salads). Whatever other ingredients you choose to add to your ahi rice bowl, let the fish be the star of the dish. The mild flavors of blanched carrots and creamy avocado cubes are perfect. Try to include the sweet and tangy pickled ginger. It is such a nice accompaniment to the rice and fish. Scatter thinly sliced jalapeños or pretty, red Fresno peppers over your rice bowl if you want to add some heat. For a vegetarian rice bowl, substitute your favorite tofu in place of the fish. If you are a fan of nori, scatter thin strips over the rice bowl just before serving it. And if you can find bubu arare by all means add this too. They are the little crispy golden rice balls you see in the photos of the ahi bowls that add a crunchy and toasty flavor to each bite.

Lime zest, lime juice, sugar and water are quickly heated in a pan then poured through a fine mesh strainer. Just the liquid is used for the dressing. Once it has cooled the other ingredients are added to complete the dressing.

Buy the freshest ahi block you can find. I visit or call my favorite local markets to ensure the fish has been cut that very same day. If it has been sitting on the shelf for more than a day, I take a pass and try again another time. Coating the ahi block with furikake creates a light seasoning and crunchy texture (from the sesame seeds) that is perfect for this dish.

Seared Ahi Rice Bowl

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

For the dressing:
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
For the rice bowl:
Cooked Japanese short grain white rice (I use my rice cooker and measure out 1 cup uncooked rice)
10 ounces fresh ahi block
furikake for coating ahi block
½ cup frozen shelled edamame (boil for 4 minutes, drain and cool)
½ small carrot, sliced thin (microwave in water for 45 - 60 seconds to soften slightly)
½ small avocado cut into small cubes
pickled ginger
slivered nori (optional)
bubu arare (optional)
thinly sliced red hot pepper such as jalapeño or Fresno (optional)

Preparation

For the dressing:
Combine lime zest, lime juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar has dissolved. This will take just a minute or so. Transfer liquid to a small glass bowl, cover and let cool completely. Strain cooled liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, and ginger.
For the fish:
Lightly coat all sides of the ahi block with a canola oil. Place the fish on a cutting board or piece of foil and sprinkle furikake on all sides, patting it gently so it adheres to the fish.
Heat a small pan over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of canola oil. When the pan is hot, sear the ahi for 30 - 60 seconds or so on each side. The thickness of your ahi block and how you prefer your ahi cooked will determine how long to fry it. Remove the fish to a plate or cutting board to cool. Slice fish into ⅓" thick slices.
Divide the cooked rice into two bowls. Top with seared ahi, edamame, carrots, avocado, and ginger. Drizzle dressing over the ahi and other ingredients. Sprinkle the nori and bubu arare over the toppings if using and garnish with red pepper slices. Serve the rice bowl with extra dressing on the side.

Breakfast, Dinner, Eggs, Kimchi, Korean, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Kimchi & Spam Fried Rice

June 7, 2016

Kimchi and Spam are staples in many households here in Hawaii. Crunchy, pungent, spicy, kimchi pairs perfectly with a bowl of steaming rice and Korean hamburger patties. And Spam? Well, there are lovers and haters, just as there are for cilantro, Marmite, and anchovies…. Everyone I know loves a bowl of homemade fried rice and most would not turn down this version with kimchi, Spam and a perfectly fried egg. Spam may look unappealing straight out of the can, but once fried up into crispy little Spam croutons, it pairs perfectly with rice of any kind. You ought to give it a try!

There is an abundance of kimchi choices at the markets. Use your favorite brand, but choose one that has a medium heat level rather than mild.

Glorious SPAM! I always chuckle when I see this little guy on the can.

Frying the Spam until each piece is perfectly crisp makes all the difference. You won’t be able to avoid nibbling on them before they make it into the fried rice.

Kimchi & Spam Fried Rice

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Adapted from Kenji's Serious Eats recipe.

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 6

Ingredients

5 cups cooked jasmine rice (I use my rice cooker and the measuring cup that came with it - 2 cups uncooked rice)
1½ cups finely chopped kimchi, about 325g (kimchi drained with 3 tablespoons liquid reserved)
canola oil
1 12-ounce can Spam, cut into ½-inch dice
2 cups finely diced onion
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
⅓ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
fried eggs, for serving
1 Fresno chili thinly sliced (optional)
Sriracha hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

Cook rice and let cool completely. I cook my rice in the morning and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. For this dish it is better to use day old rice.
Place kimchi in a mesh strainer set over a bowl. Squeeze out excess liquid (reserve 3 tablespoons liquid). Finely chop kimchi.
Heat a few teaspoons of canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add Spam cubes and cook, tossing frequently, until well browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Wipe out wok.
Add 2 teaspoons canola oil over medium heat and sauté onions until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add ½ tablespoon canola oil to wok. Increase heat to medium high and heat until oil just begins to smoke. Add the rice and cook, stirring and tossing, until rice is warmed. Press rice against the sides of the wok to crisp up (like bibimbap and tag dig). Add onion and garlic mixture, kimchi, Spam, and ⅓ cup scallions tossing with rice to combine. Pour in reserved kimchi juice and season generously with black pepper. Add sesame oil, fish sauce and cilantro. Toss to combine.
Serve fried rice in ceramic bowls, topped with a fried egg, reserved 1 tablespoon scallions, Fresno peppers and sriracha sauce.

Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Garlicky Baked White Rice with Cilantro

November 24, 2015

This is one of those recipes that I never get tired of. I’ve been making it for years and still find it to be one of the best rice dishes around. It is simple to make, has excellent flavor and texture, and it’s very versatile. For those of you who loathe cilantro, don’t leave yet. This rice is equally delicious without the cilantro.

The original recipe comes from Rick Bayless, master of Mexican cuisine. Rick sprinkles chopped parsley over the cooked rice rather than mixing it into the rice. Though we serve the rice with Mexican meals, you could change things around and add chopped fresh dill, or chives, and serve the rice with roasted chicken or grilled fish. Sometimes I don’t add any herbs to it at all.

With just a few ingredients and one pot, you will have delicious rice in 30 minutes.

Garlicky White Rice with Cilantro

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Author: Kiyo Miller adapted from Rick Bayless' Recipe

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons canola oil
1½ cups medium grain white rice
⅓ heaping cup chopped onion
1 medium - large garlic clove
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (or more) finely chopped cilantro

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Set a large oven-proof pot (with cover, 3½ - 5½ quart) over medium heat. Whatever pot you choose, try to use one with a wide bottom. I use my 5½ quart stainless steel Cuisinart multi-purpose pot but a smaller one would work as well.
Heat oil for a minute or two. Add rice and onions to pot. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Add pressed garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so until fragrant, then mix in broth and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as the rice reaches a full boil, remove from the heat, cover, and transfer to the oven. Bake 25 minutes. Let rice stand undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, stir in cilantro.

Appetizers, Breakfast, Dinner, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Spam Musubi

August 12, 2015

It’s true. Every now and then I eat Spam. Phew! Now that I got that out-of-the-way, let’s move on to my latest Spam preparation: The beloved Spam musubi. Found at local convenience stores, airports, and mom and pop stores, Spam musubi is a tasty snack that travels well in your bag, backpack, and even fits snugly in your pocket. It’s an island favorite.

I have a good laugh every time I see the little man on the Spam can announcing “Glorious Spam!”

If you live near a Nijiya Japanese market, I recommend buying this nori. It is not expensive and it’s a good nori for Spam musubi as well as maki sushi rolls.

There’s a large variety of furikake at the markets. Salmon, shiso, wasabi, and more. I favor the simple combination of nori flakes with black and white roasted sesame seeds. It’s perfect for Spam musubi.

Slice the Spam into eight pieces. Fry the Spam for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Add your soy sauce mixture and turn the Spam over and over in the sauce to coat well. This will take just a minute.

Perfectly cooked Spam and seasoned Spam.

Making Spam musubi is quick and easy. Cook the rice, pan fry the Spam, put it all together, press, eat.

I bookmarked this recipe from Serious Eats years ago and finally got around to making it. Not all Spam musubis are alike. This one is a winner.

Recipe updated 7/28/23 to make 8 Spam musubi (originally 6)

Spam Musubi

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Quick and easy snack that packs and travels well. Adapted from Kathy Chan's recipe/Serious Eats blog.

Author: Kiyo Miller

Cuisine: Hawaiian-Style

Ingredients

3 cups short grain or medium grain white rice, cooked according to package directions
1 can original or 25% less sodium Spam
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
4 pieces sushi nori, cut in half lengthwise to make 8 pieces
furikake

Preparation

Slice Spam into 8 equal sized pieces (slice across the longest portion of Spam)
Mix together brown sugar and soy sauce, set aside.
Fry Spam on medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium-low, add brown sugar and soy sauce mixture and turn Spam over a few times to coat well. If the pan seems too hot, take it off the burner for a few seconds. You want the soy sauce mixture to caramelize a bit and coat the Spam nicely (watch closely so that it doesn't burn). Remove Spam to a plate to cool.
Lay a piece of nori on a clean work surface. Place musubi shaper on top of the nori (in the center). Scoop enough rice into the musubi shaper to make a thin layer. Press the rice firmly with the musubi compressor. Sprinkle furikake over the rice, add a piece of Spam, more furikake, and lastly, more rice. Press firmly using the musubi compressor. You want the musubi to hold together when you eat it. To remove Spam musubi, hold the shaper and lift it up as you continue to press down on the musubi. Gently remove the compressor (if the rice sticks a bit loosen it with a butter knife). Wrap the nori around the musubi tightly. You may need to trim a bit of the nori if it's too long.
Serve right away or wrap and pack for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Salad, Side Dishes, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Glory Bowl Salad

July 18, 2015

I bumped into a friend of ours, Lisa Tamaki, with whom I have a shared interest in cooking as well as home canning. She told me about a new salad recipe she thought I would enjoy. The dressing has nutritional yeast in it, one of my favorite foods. Lisa’s enthusiasm about the “Glory Bowl Salad” (named for a top ski bowl in Canada) made me eager to try it out right away. Thank you, thank you!

The original recipe comes from Shelley Adams who once owned Whitewater Ski Resort in Canada. This salad is one of her most requested recipes. Rachel also posted Sami’s version of this delicious salad. I followed her suggestion of seasoning the tofu with sesame oil and soy sauce before baking and it adds a wonderful flavor to the tofu. You can use almost any vegetables you want to in this salad. I opted for colorful red cabbage, crunchy snap peas, cucumbers, carrots and edamame. Don’t skip the toasted almonds. They are super in this salad. The dressing has a fantastic umami flavor due to the generous amount of nutritional yeast and soy sauce, so good you’ll be looking for things to pour it on once your salad is long gone.

I use my TofuXpress often. It presses out the water quickly. No more wasting paper towels!

It’s best to serve the baked tofu once cooled, however, you may bake it in advance and refrigerate it until ready to use. The texture won’t be quite the same (it softens once refrigerated) but it will still taste delicious. Just bring it to room temperature before serving.

Glory Bowl Salad

Adapted from Whitewater Cooks & The Conscious Dietician blog

Two generous salad bowl servings and 1 cup dressing

Ingredients

Salad Bowl:

1 cup short or medium grain brown rice

1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (bake in toaster oven at 300° for about 5 minutes – watch so they do not burn)

1 package (14 ounce) extra firm tofu (Wildwood recommended) water pressed out

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 ounces sliced cucumber

1 ounce shredded carrot

1/3 cup cooked edamame

3 ounces snap peas

1 ounce shredded red cabbage

roasted black sesame seeds – optional

Dressing:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini paste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup canola oil

freshly ground black pepper

Cook brown rice according to package directions. Set aside.

Toast slivered almonds for a few minutes to crisp up.

Press out water from tofu using the TofuXpress or a clean dish towel or paper towels (weighted down). Cut tofu into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Combine sesame oil and soy sauce in a small bowl. Brush mixture over tofu slices, or toss to coat well. Place tofu on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes (I use my toaster oven).

Using an immersion blender combine nutritional yeast, water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, tahini paste, extra virgin olive oil, and canola oil. Or whisk by hand until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Assemble your salad by placing the rice on the bottom of your bowl, adding the vegetables and tofu over the rice. Drizzle a generous amount of the dressing over the salad. Sprinkle toasted almonds and roasted sesame seeds over the top and serve with extra dressing.

Lactose Free, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

April 11, 2015

Freekeh, an unusual grain with a novel name! The first time it caught my attention was in Berkeley at the Pasta Store. I like cooking with many different types of grains. They make interesting side dishes, and in this case, a great salad. The name Freekeh is a process which means “to rub” in Arabic. The wheat is harvested when young and green then roasted, dried and rubbed. It has a subtle smokey flavor and a pleasant, chewy texture. It’s delicious.

Freekeh looks a bit like bulgur once it is cooked. In fact, if you can’t find freekeh, you could substitute bulgur but freekeh has a chewier texture and more interesting flavor.

I included Madagascar pink rice in my salad. I love the color and texture it added to the salad. This beautiful rice cooks in just 20 minutes.

Fresh herbs are scattered over the salad just before serving.

I am a big fan of any dressing that contains tahini and lemon juice!

This salad is so good I made it three times in a one week period. I packed it up for my work lunch and tossed the beans, freekeh, rice and walnuts with the dressing just before I sat down to eat.

Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup cracked or uncracked freekeh, rinsed

1 cup Madagascar pink rice (optional)

6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed

1 very small garlic clove, finely grated (I used my microplane zester)

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint (or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint)

1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts (I baked them in the toaster oven for 5 minutes)

a few sprigs of dill, cilantro, flat leaf parsley

crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Cook freekeh in a medium saucepan of salted simmering water until al dente, 12 – 15 minutes (uncracked freekeh will take longer to cook, 30 minutes or so). Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside. You will not use all the freekeh for the salad.

Cook Madagascar pink rice if using, following directions on package. (I make 1 cup of rice at a time and serve leftover rice with mock chicken tofu the following day).

Cook haricots verts in a medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes (very thin haricots verts may take just 2 minutes to cook). Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain and pat dry.

Whisk garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oil, tahini, mint, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl; season with salt. Taste, add more lemon juice if desired.

In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup each, cooked freekeh and pink rice if using (use more freekeh if you skip the pink rice). Add green beans and toss with enough dressing to coat everything nicely. Season with salt. Divide on to two plates, top with toasted walnuts, small sprigs of dill, tender leaves of cilantro and parsley. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over the salad and serve.

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Rice Dishes

Seared Ahi Rice Bowl

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Kimchi & Spam Fried Rice

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Garlicky Baked White Rice with Cilantro

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Spam Musubi

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Glory Bowl Salad

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Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

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