Hiyashi Chuka--Cold Ramen Noodles

Since the weather has been so hot here the last few weeks, we've been eating cold foods. Hiyashi Chuka--or cold ramen noodles--is refreshing on hot days. Nami over at Just one Cookbook is always an inspiration whenever I want to cook Japanese food. I like to compare her recipes to mine--it's like comparing Japanese American food to Japanese food, since Nami is from Japan, and I was born and raised here in the US.

Top the cooked and chilled ramen noodles with all sorts of toppings like--cooked shrimp, thinly sliced ham, slivered green onions, thinly sliced egg crepe, cooked spinach, sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms--the possibilities are endless!

Hiyashi Chuka--Cold Ramen

adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients:

cooked and chilled ramen noodles

thinly sliced egg crepe

thinly sliced green onion

cooked shrimp

sliced tomatoes

thinly sliced ham

blanched bean sprouts

thinly sliced cucumber

optional: kizami shoga, kombu tsukemono, lemon/lime wedges, daikon sprouts

sauce:

6 tablespoons shoyu

1 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

dash hot chili oil

4 tablespoons water

These are old-fashioned chuka soba noodles. This is the kind I ate when I was growing up--because they were the only ones available. Now there's all kinds!

This kind is a little fancier, but I'm going to try fresh ramen noodles next time I go to the market.

Use whatever noodles you like. I like these GreeNoodles. I used them in my Healthier Instant Ramen post. I made Hiyashi Chuka with these noodles to take to my parents, since the noodles have 6 grams of fiber per serving and are a healthier choice than the plain wheat flour noodles. My dad is eating healthy these days and I made these to support him.

Make an egg crepe by beating one egg with a good pinch of sugar, a small pinch of salt and a teaspoon of water, pour into a small, hot non-stick pan (medium heat) and swirl the egg around until it covers the bottom of the pan. Lower heat and cook a minute or so until the edges curl away from the pan, then flip the crepe. Cook for a few seconds and remove from pan and cool. Roll the egg crepe and slice thinly. 

Top your cold noodles with assorted vegetables and/or cold meats, add a drizzle of dressing and--it's time to eat!

Itadakimasu!

***

These are my neighbors, the Watanabes. The other day, they had a party for all the neighbors that share the same driveway--there are four families--it's nice living here with good neighbors.

There was lots of delicious food--Tonkatsu, barbecued chicken wings, teriyaki chicken and french fries...

A huge platter of tempura...

A big bowl of sunomono salad, fruit, drinks and of course, rice.

Everything was delicious!

My neighbor Hiro loves growing things. His yard is FULL of plants! Geraniums and...

Camelias.

I'm not sure what these flowers are--does anyone know?

Pomegranates are growing there too. I love walking down the driveway to see what I can catch with my camera.

From the left--Sam, Tomoko and Hiyato and Gary. Tomoko & Hiyato don't share our driveway, they're friends. We have a lot in common.

Tomoko told me about this flower growing in Hiro's yard. She said it only blooms at night and for only one night.

We all talked and laughed well into the evening!

And we got to see the rare blooming! Thank you to Hiro and Gina for such a nice evening!

***

Hiyashi Chuka--Cold Ramen

adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients:

cooked and chilled ramen noodles

thinly sliced egg crepe

thinly sliced green onion

cooked shrimp

sliced tomatoes

thinly sliced ham

blanched bean sprouts

thinly sliced cucumber

optional: kizami shoga, kombu tsukemono, lemon/lime wedges

sauce:

6 tablespoons shoyu

1 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

dash hot chili oil

4 tablespoons water

Make sauce and refrigerate.

Boil noodles according to package directions, drain, and cool them quickly in an ice water bath. Drain and put into refrigerator to keep cold.

Prepare other vegetables and meats according to ingredients list--most are julienne cut in Japanese-style. Place condiments on top of noodles with a light drizzle of dressing on top.

Easy & Delicious Farmer's Market Salad

Last Friday I stopped by the Whittier Farmer's Market and was reacquainted with one of my favorite salads. When I worked for Taguchi Farms back in the '80s, one of the vendors at the market would make this salad and have a bowl of toothpicks next to it to make it available for tasting. The ingredients are simple--pick several summer veggies--and the preparation is easy--chop into bite-sized pieces and dress with lemon/lime juice and sea salt.

This salad is perfect for the hot, hot, HOT weather we've been having here in Southern California--I've been keeping a big bowl of salad in the refrigerator, so it's nice and cold.

Some of my family members like it with a little shoyu on-the-side, or with some chopped jalapeños sprinkled on top. It's also good with a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

The key to making this salad good is to use vegetable you like. I really like cucumbers, so I use a lot of them. Homegrown tomatoes or ones from a farmer's market will make the salad better since those tomatoes will have a lot of flavor. I like the curly peppers because they're mild and everyone in my family can eat them, I'll serve jalapeños on the side. Red onion gives the salad a little bite of spiciness. The lemon and/or lime juice with a little sea salt keeps the salad light, tasting fresh and mellows out the red onion a bit.

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

I used 3 different kinds of cucumbers because I saw them at the market--Persian, pickling and Japanese--they all looked so good.

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently. I take the leaves off the cilantro--chopping them is a lot faster, but I don't think the stems look as nice as the leaves. Is that a little OCD? 

Chill thoroughly and serve.

Itadakimasu!

***

Remember Isamu? You first met him in the Gail's Stew post.

He's keeping cool in this heat.

 A few months ago he had a birthday! He's growing so fast!

 Isamu LOVES trucks and LARGE vehicles.

The whole family gathered not too long ago for his baptism.

Proud parents, Eugene and Maria.

Isamu loves Obaachan. Absolutely LOVES her! Obaachan is Isamu's best friend. She teaches him a lot of Japanese words--his parents call it "Bachanese". He says "Yanna." "Yanna go see Mommy." He talks a lot, but can also be quiet. Early on he learned "Dude" and "Sweet" from his cousins Tyler and Colin (who are in their twenties). Isamu is learning Spanish, too. He loves trucks, Duplos and playing with water. He's smart and has a good sense of humor--he likes to be funny and make us laugh. Sometimes he calls his dad "Eugene," but mostly he calls him "Poppy." He can do impressions of Obaachan, Eugene and Rufina, his babysitter. Isamu loves guacamole--and eats it like a main dish. I love to hear him shout, "Guacamole!" when he comes over. 

Isamu brings a lot of joy to our family.

***

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

optional: drizzle of olive oil

chopped jalapeños

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. 

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently.

Chill thoroughly before serving.

Cowboy Caviar

My friend Pam is a great source for recipes. She's always trying new things and is generous in sharing her recipes with friends. She made German Chocolate Cake (that has become the signature cake of my friend Sue), Cool & Minty Summer Salad with Peaches, Barbecued Beer Can Chicken, Meatloaf with Barbecue Sauce--recipes that have been shared on FOODjimoto.com. This delicious dip, Cowboy Caviar, is also a recipe of Pam's that she makes for her football parties. It's easy to make and always a hit with the football-watching, or any, crowd.

I think the ingredients can vary depending upon what you like and what you have on hand.

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed

1 1/2 cups corn (or 1 can, drained & rinsed)

2 cups diced sweet onion

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 bunch chopped cilantro

1 diced red pepper

1 minced jalapeño pepper

3 diced avocados

juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange muscat champagne vinegar

While gathering the ingredients, I forgot to add the jalapeño, corn, olive oil and orange muscat champagne vinegar for the photo. Oh! And the cumin, too.

 I like it when the peel of the avocado comes off in one piece, that's when I think avocados are perfectly ripe.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.

I like the olive oil and orange muscat champagne vinegar dressing--I think it gives the dip a bright taste. You can use red wine vinegar instead, or simply use Italian salad dressing, that works well too.

Toss all ingredients gently until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.

This dip is fresh and hearty in a light way, and makes a great appetizer for tailgate parties.

Itadakimasu!

***

Ideally, since the Cowboy Caviar is another recipe I got from Pam, I would have some new photos and news about her family to share. But I don't today, so I'll share something about the Fujimotos.

Last month, we spent the weekend at the Dinkey Creek Campground again--you might remember my Grilled Salmon with Avocado-Tomato Relish post.

This is last year's photo--we actually made this again this year, it was so good.

 This year, our visitor from Japan, Ayako, came camping with us.

 We hiked to the McKinley Grove, to see the big sequoias.

I think the newlyweds are adorable.

 We were so happy Rachel, Mitchell and Karen could join us this year.

Mitchell always finds interesting things for us to do, like this hike.

It's so much fun having the whole family together!

 Early morning snuggles with Rachel around the campfire are the best!
She's a new walker and got a little scab under her nose from doing a face-plant a few days earlier.

 You can get a good 'Joker' smile by playing with a paper cup at the campsite.

 Rachel loves Dixie!

Eugene, Isamu and Maria were able to join us, too!
You may remember when Isamu was born on my Gail's Stew post.

"Yanna go camping!"

***

Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed

1 1/2 cups corn (or 1 can, drained & rinsed)

2 cups diced sweet onion

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 bunch chopped cilantro

1 diced red pepper

1 minced jalapeño pepper

3 diced avocados

juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange muscat champagne vinegar

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently until well-combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. Chill until ready to serve.