Wasabi Potato & Egg Salad

Wasabi seems to be one of those love it or hate it ingredients. I love it with sushi, on wasabi peas or my favourite, spread thinly on a grilled/toasted cheese sandwich. I love a mustard kick and horseradish sauce fizzy nose and wasabi to me is just the Japanese version of these yummy condiments. However, I cannot think of horseradish without my mind wandering to the episode of Jackass in Japan where they snort a line of wasabi. Waaahh, it makes my nose want to bleed just thinking about it. 

Anyway back to the post. Make this as an alternative to your normal egg and potato salad, it is perfect for the bbq, with a slice of quiche or with marinated teriyaki salmon.You could also make this more substantial with the addition of bacon or cubed ripe avocado. If you are making this for coeliacs then check your wasabi paste is not bulked out with flour and is actually gluten free.

Katsu Tofu -Breaded Tofu slices

I regularly make Tonkatsu with curry for my OH and the breadcrumbs always look so crispy and tasty that I felt like I was missing out. Hence this tofu katsu recipe and to be honest it works really well with crispy crumbs and firm juicy tofu inside. As you can see from the picture I served mine with rice and japanese curried vegetables using Golden Curry roux mix for ease. You could try making your own curry sauce following a recipe such as this lovely one from no recipes or this one from just hungry and I am sure that you could use rice flour instead of wheat flour to thicken if you wanted it gluten free. Alternatively serve over noodles, with mashed potato and vegetables or in a sandwich with lettuce and tartar sauce. 

You could make this gluten free either by using ready made gluten free breadcrumbs which are sometimes available or by making your own. Luckily the dry texture of shop bought gluten free rolls may make for a miserable sandwich but are perfect for breadcrumbs. I just rip a bread roll up into the food processor and pulse it until I have fine crumbs. Spread these crumbs on a baking sheet and bake in a hot oven until crispy (normally takes 5-10 mins at 200 degrees for me). Allow to cool and use as you would normal bread crumbs.  

The ingredients I have used are approximate and you may find you need more flour or breadcrumbs to cover your tofu pieces. Feel free to season your tofu with what ever you have to hand or even marinade it in your favourite marinade.

Vegetarian & Gluten free Okonomiyaki- Japanese Pizza/Pancake

Whilst looking for a recipe to recreate a for a thin crispy pizza that I had had in Singapore I kept coming across recipes for Okonomiyaki which is often described as Japanese Pizza. I was so intrigued that I abandoned my original quest for another day.

Now to be clear that apart from being round, cut into slices and varied through the addition of lots of tasty ingredients, I really don't think this has any other similarities with a pizza. It is more like the Asian relative of the Spanish omelette or the Italian Frittata and very delicious. It is basically a savoury eggy pancake with lost of cabbage and other yummy stuff topped with a sweet tangy sauce.

Ok, so this recipe is unlikely to be very authentic as I have never tried the original version and from what I have seen on the internet there are multiple types and regional variations. If you want a more authentic recipe then try this one from just hungry. However, I had just enough of the ingredients needed to make my own version. Give it a go and feel free to try lots of different ingredients both authentic and otherwise.You can add meat such as pork slices or seafood if you are that way inclined.

If making gluten free then check the ingredients for the miso as some such as barley miso are not gluten free but most are. Also check the sauces used in the toppings are gluten free as although all mine were fine other brands may not be.