Community Kitchen

Happy New Year everyone!
Alice Bradley has kindly submitted these two Japanese dishes and I’m sure that you will enjoy them on cold winter days.  She says they are easy recipes that can be just thrown together and simmered—very good!

Miso Pork with Vegetables
1 Pound lean pork, cut in ½ “  by 1 ½ “ pieces
2  carrots, cut in diagonal slices
1 large potato, cut in large cubes
½ medium onion, sliced
½ cake of konnyaku, cut  in ½” by 1 ½ “ pieces
1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas
Sauce ingredients:
2 cups water
2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon miso or to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2-3 slices fresh ginger
Mix together the ingredients for the sauce and bring to a boil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan.   Add the pork, carrots, potato, onion and konnyaku, and bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables and pork are tender
Add the snow or snap peas and simmer another 1-2 minutes or until heated.
Remove the pork and vegetables to a serving bowl, cover and keep warm.
Boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to about ½  cup, taste for seasoning and pour over the pork and vegetables and serve.

TOFU WITH CHICKEN IN SAUCE
This is another unusual recipe from Alice and it is very, very good.
1 cake tofu, cut in 6-8 pieces
1 ½ cup chicken broth or dashi
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sake

Chicken Sauce:
½ pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
2-3 teaspoon grated ginger
1 cup of the reserved dashi or chicken broth from the tofu
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 green onion, sliced thinly
Combine the broth or dashi, soy sauce, salt, sugar and sake and heat to boiling. Carefully drop in the tofu, cover and simmer over low heat for about 4-5 minutes. Remove the tofu to a heated bowl, cover and keep warm. Reserve the liquid.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the ground chicken, and break up the chicken into pieces about ½ inch big, add the onions and ginger and continue cooking until the onions is soft and the chicken is cooked. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small cup and set aside.
Add the reserved 1 cup broth to the chicken, then the sugar, soy sauce, bring to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch and water mix, stir quickly and cook until thickened. Pour the hot sauce over the tofu, sprinkle the top with the green onions and serve

GREEN TEA SHORTBREAD COOKIES
This is a novelty cookie and not very sweet.  If you have a sakura cookie cutter, it would be very nice or just cut with any cutter.
1 lb. unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsps. green tea powder (matcha)
4 cups all purpose flour

Cream butter in the bowl of an electric standing mixer using the paddle attachment; add confectioner’s sugar and salt.
Sift together the tea and flour and add to the butter mixture, mix until just incorporated.
Roll the dough out to about 1/3 inch thick between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; transfer to a baking sheet and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
I left out this portion.
Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Remove top piece of plastic and cut into desired shapes; reroll excess dough as necessary; transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 16 minutes; rotate pan and bake for another 16 minutes, or until they feel firm.  Take care not to let the edges brown, matcha shortbread cookies should maintain their green color.  I baked it in my oven for 24 minutes at 300 degrees.

Cool and serve with green tea or ginger ice cream.