Tuesday, March 3, 2009

girls' day and a meal for the mama-girl

It's Girls' Day here in Japan and apparently nanohana (rapeseed) is served on sushi to celebrate the occasion (as a friend told me the other day). I just threw it in a stir fry (inspired by BURP!'s red-cabbage concoction I saw the other day) with some other fun veggies and devoured it with some salmon (baked in soy sauce, mirin, sake, and minced ginger and garlic), sweet potatoes (microwaved, sliced, and sprinkled with salt and pepper), and a fusion Japanese/Mediterranean salad.

Nanohana hanging out with the red (i.e. purple) cabbage...

I tossed in some renkon (lotus root) that was already sliced for me (love it). (Don't worry about the expiration date - I made this over a week ago and it was still in date! Phew.)

It was a really simple stir fry: carrots, renkon (lotus root), nanohana (rapeseed), onions, and red cabbage sauteed in oil, mirin, and soy sauce, then served with a sprinkling of seven spice.

A bit of fusion fun: avocado, tomatoes, and silken tofu, marinated in a Japanese onion dressing.

15 comments:

K and S said...

my theory on expiry dates are that if it doesn't smell bad, if there isn't any black, fuzzy mold or if it isn't slimy, it is good to eat!

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

K and S - I'm with you 100% on that, but one particular unnamed person that lives round these parts is kinda fussy about these kinds of things.

K and S said...

:)

Reeni said...

What a delicious meal! I am loving the lotus root. It is so pretty! What does it taste like?

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Reeni - I love lotus root! It's pretty crunchy and the taste is similar to water chestnuts.

Kim said...

Abigail, that looks lots better than the sushi rolls I saw at the store a few years ago.

PLEASE give LOTS more details on that salmon recipe! It looks and sounds wonderful!

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Kim, I'm sorry I can't give more details about the salmon - I just made up the recipe and threw it together without measuring anything! Sorry! :)

Coffee and Vanilla said...

What a beautiful salad, that is a pity that we can't buy lotus root, especially already peeled and sliced, here in London...

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Coffee and Vanilla - I wonder if an Asian shop would have lotus root? Maybe dried? Thanks for your comment!

Rachael Hutchings said...

Oh yum that looks good!

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Fuji Mama - It WAS so good, but I hope I can replicate it again. I just made it up and threw it all together! :)

Ivy said...

Yum, it sounds delicious.

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Thanks, Ivy! :)

Lo said...

Thanks for the shout-out. Glad to have inspired such a fashionable stir-fry. Love the lotus root!!

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Lo, no problem! I LOVE lotus root, too. :)