Monday Dinner: Potless Japanese dinner

Tonight, I made pot-less Japanese dinner, which means I didn't use a pot (or pan) to make dinner. I just used microwave, but it's not frozen dinner!





Spinach gomaae - means sesame flavored (for 2 people):
Spinach (about 2 cups - pack it in)
Sesame paste (1-1/2 Tbsp)
Soy sauce (1/2 Tbsp)
Sugar (1/2 tsp)
Water (1/2 tsp)
Dashi no moto (a dash)

Make sesame paste:
Put a good amount of sesame in a food processor. "A good amount" depends on how big your food processor is. My food processor is pretty big, so I used 1/4 cup or so. If you have a small one, you can use a smaller amount. Grind the sesame seeds. They'll start to make really good smell. Keep grinding for about 5 minutes until the seeds have kind of paste texture, making sure they are not stuck on the bowl.

1. Rince and cut up spinach about 2 inches in length if not already pre-washed or cut.
2. Place spinach on a large microwave-safe plate. If it was pre-washed, sprinkle some water on the spinach.
3. Cover the plate with plastic wrap but not tightly so that steam has a place to escape.
4. Cook in the microwave for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
5. Put the spinach in icy water or cold running water and squeeze out water.
6. Mix sesame paste, water, dashi no moto, sugar, and soy sauce.
7. Mix the spinach with the sesame paste mixture.

This gomaae is a very typical Japanese side dish. You can use this "sauce" for other types of steamed vegetables like string beans or even broccoli.

Nikudofu - means meat tofu in Japanese (for 2-3 people):
Pork (about 1/2 cup) - You should use pork that's not too lean since it can get tough after being cooked in the microwave.
Onion (1/2 of big)
Tofu, soft (1 pack) - use tofu that's packaged with water and refrigerated.
Water (1 Tbsp)
Dashi no moto (a dash)
Soy sauce (2 Tbsp)
Sugar (1/2 Tbsp)
Mirin (1 Tbs) - Mirin is sweet rice wine. You can get it at any Asian store. Be careful not to buy a fake version of mirin, called "mirin-fuu." Real mirin is more expensive so you can tell that way too.

1. Wrap tofu with paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute. Flip the tofu and microwave for 1 more minute. This is a technique for getting rid of excess water in tofu. Cut up tofu in 8 squares.
2. Slice pork as thinly as you can.
3. Chop up onion in about 1 inch squares.
4. Mix water, dashi no moto, soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.
5. Mix the tofu, pork, and onion in a large microwave-safe bowl.
6. Drizzle the liquid mixture over the tofu mixture.
7. Put plastic wrap over the bowl loosely.
8. Cook for 14 minutes in a microwave.

It tastes better if you leave it for little bit. It's also a very typical Japanese dish. Many other recipes call for beef instead of pork. I've never used chicken, but it might work too.

I got this recipe for nikudofu from a Japanese cookbook by Harumi Kurihara. Her book is now in English and sold at bookstores here (US) too, although I don't know if this specific recipe is in that book.