Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

This recipe came with our Cuisinart ice cream maker and we decided to try it out. It was rich and oh, so delicious!

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I just used 1/2 cup cuz I am cheap and I used chocolate milk instead of regular milk.)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 T vanilla extract

Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. If not freezing immediately cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Turn on machine; pour mixture into freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 25-35 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Yaki Noodles

This picture is a little blurry because of the steam rising from the hot food.

One of the favorite questions for Japanese people to ask is "What is your favorite food?"  Often the answer is yaki soba or yaki udon.  Yaki means "fried" and soba and udon are noodles.  Soba is thin, kind of like spaghetti and udon are thick noodles.  So, I went on an Internet search and found recipes to try this favorite.  Though I'm not sure you can get soba or udon in America, I really think any noodle will do.  The other ingredients are easily attainable in America.  I hope you enjoy it!

Yaki Noodles
2 packages frozen udon noodles (or equivalent in other noodles, cooked.  Each package of frozen noodles is about a cup of cooked noodles)
1/2 large onion
2-3 large cabbage leaves
1 carrot
1 package shitake mushrooms (or white button mushrooms)
2 green onions or scallions
1/2 lb. sliced pork belly, or your choice of meat  (sliced pork belly is just very thin slices of stir-fry pork)
Oil
Black pepper
About 1/4 cup soy sauce
About 2 Tablespoons sugar

Cook the noodles until el dente.  Drain and rinse.  Set aside.
Slice the onion and cut the cabbage into 1 " squares.  Julienne the carrots.  Cut them into 1" sections, then cut those sections into "matchsticks"  Slice the mush rooms.  Thinly slice the green tops of the green onions and set aside for garnish.  Slice the rest of the green onion into 2 " pieces.  Cut the stir-fry meat into 1 " pieces.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the pork and cook until almost cooked through.  Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft.  Add the cabbage and carrot and stir fry until coated with oil and starting to wilt.  Add the mushroom and green onion and cook until wilted.  Add the noodles, and mix with the other ingredients well.  Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, and a little water.  Add it in and stir and fry together.  Season with plenty of black pepper.

Serve, garnished with green onion. 

Chicken Fajitas

I love these chicken fajitas.  They are easy and fast and tasty.  AND  I can get all the ingredients in Japan.  I got the original recipe from my sister, Joan, but I may have altered it some through the years, but the marinade is the same.  It really makes for tasty chicken.

Chicken Fajitas
*2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up in thin strips or chunks
4 T. white vinegar
4 T. soy sauce
1 teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
Lemon Juice

Cut up the chicken.  Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and lemon juice.  Put the chicken in the marinade while you prepare the other ingredients.

2 bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into strips
Oil or butter for frying

Toppings: 
Tomatoes, cut up
Lettuce, sliced thin
Avocados or guacamole
Sour Cream
Tabasco sauce
Salsa

Soft flour tortillas

Put the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onions and bell peppers.  On medium heat, saute them until the vegetables are soft and golden.  It takes awhile.  Add the marinated chicken with just a little of the marinade.  Cook all together until the chicken is done and a bit caramelized and sizzling. 

On a tortilla, put some of the chicken mixture and then add whatever toppings you desire.

*They are also delicious made with beef or shrimp or a mixture of protein.  My favorite- chicken and shrimp together. 

Breakfast Burritos

One of our favorite things to have for breakfast here in Japan is Breakfast Burritos.  We were so excited when we found flour tortillas at Costco!  These are delicious for dinner an easy dinner, too. 

Breakfast Burritos
3 extra large eggs
Cheese, grated
Flour tortillas
Vegetables and Meats of choice- use any or all of the following to your taste.
1 onion, chopped
mushrooms, chopped
Green pepper, chopped
Ham, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Garlic
Whatever other vegetables and meats that you want. 

In a bowl, scramble the eggs together and add salt and pepper.  Heat some oil in a large skillet.  Add the vegetables and fry until tender.  Add the eggs and plenty of grated cheese.  Cook until eggs are done.  Put the egg mixture in the middle of a flour tortilla.  Sprinkle with Tabasco sauce.  Roll up.  Serve with salsa, guacamole, and Tabasco sauce.  Yum! 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is easy and delicious and sure hits the spot on a cold winter day:

2 chicken breasts (best if they are on the bone, but boneless works, too)

2 quarts (or so) water

8 bouillon cubes (I prefer Better Than Bouillon, but it’s not available in Japan)

2 cups chopped celery with leaves

2 cups chopped carrots

1 onion, diced (In Japan, large green onions are used a lot and that's what I used for this soup)

1 small package frozen spinach, optional

Noodles

Salt, pepper, garlic granules (for seasoning- to taste)

In Japan, noodles are very much a part of the diet.  They sell these wonderful udon noodles frozen.  I got five of these blocks for less than a dollar.  They are just delicious. 

I put two of these blocks of noodles in the soup.  At home, I use about 3 oz. of noodles.  I pre-cook them, then add them.

Put the chicken  (you can put it in frozen) in a large pot with the water and bouillon.  Boil until chicken is tender.  Remove the chicken and add the vegetables.  When cool enough, chop up the chicken and put it back into the soup.  Let simmer for at least an hour.  Add the noodles.  Serve with crackers and cheese. 

Brownie Chip Cookies

This recipe is so easy and the cookies turn out soft and gooey and yummy.  It's one I can make in Japan because of Costco and brownie mixes!  I just made a big batch (double)  to take to the English class we teach. 

Brownie Chip Cookies
1 package brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips (it can be a mixture of white chocolate and semi-sweet)
Heat oven to 350 (180 C)
Mix the eggs and oil in a bowl.  Add the brownie mix and stir.  The dough is kind of hard to stir because it is stiff.  Spoon onto a well-greased or lined cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Cookies should be soft and crackled.  Cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Okonomiyaki

When my husband served his first mission to Japan, he learned to love a dish called Okonomiyaki.  It's name literally means "what you want fried."  It is a savory Japanese pancake with whatever you want put in it.  It is a dish made all over Japan, but each region makes it differently.  This is a good, basic recipe to start with.  It is one of my favorite Japanese foods I've made here. 

Okonomiyaki
1 cup flour
2/3 cup water or chicken stock
2 eggs
4 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 bunch green onions, finely sliced (some people put much more than this in it)
1 cup or so of Meat of choice: chopped shrimp (my favorite), chopped chicken, thin-sliced beef or pork.  Japanese like to use pork belly (looks like bacon, but not cured), squid, and shrimp.
1/2 cup cooked noodles (optional)  The Japanese use either udon (very thick, round noodles) or soba(thinner noodles that look much like spaghetti)  Not everyone puts noodles in, but those are the crazy ones!
Toppings:
Okonomiyaki sauce (kind of like Worcestershire sauce, but sweeter and thicker.  I think you could sweeten Worcestershire sauce and it would work.
Kupi (Japanese mayonnaise)  It is sweeter than mayonnaise, but mayonnaise would work, I think
Bonito Flakes ( dried tuna flakes) optional They smell fishy, but really just add saltiness.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, water and eggs.  Add the cabbage, onions, meat and noodles.  Mix all  together.  On a hot lightly oiled griddle, spread some of the mixture in the shape and size of a large pancake.   Flatten the pancake with a spatula as it cooks.  When browned, turn it over and cook the other side.  Serve hot with the sauces.  This recipe makes two large okonomiyaki or three medium. 

To read about our mission experiences and our Okonomiyaki miracle, go here:  http://kenandkayhinton.blogspot.jp/2016/01/mission-miracle-okonomiyaki.html