In Japan, you can buy a wide variety of vegetables throughout the year.
However, in early summer, fresh summer vegetables gradually begin to appear on store shelves. Japanese summer vegetables are so colorful and delicious that it is hard to decide what kind of dish to cook with them.
When I cook Japanese cuisine, I value the following three points:
- Choosing and cooking seasonal ingredients.
- Considering meals that suit the physical condition I am aiming for.
- Make sure to eat well-balanced meals throughout the day.
In this issue, I would like to focus on “seasonal ingredients”.
Many seasonal vegetables are highly nutritious and help maintain good health during the hot summer months.
Moreover, they are also economical because they are available at reasonable prices.Let me introduce some simple and familiar Japanese dishes!
3-4 servings
- Bell peppers: about 6
- Salted kelp: 2-3 pinches (using fingertips)
- Sesame oil: a little over 1 teaspoon
- roasted sesame seeds: as needed
1 Cut bell peppers into julienne and put them in a heatproof container with sesame oil all over them. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave at 600 W. **Microwave at 600 W for 2 minutes. Adjust the heating time according to the desired texture.
2 While still hot, mix in the salted kelp and add the roasted sesame seeds before serving.
Done! Easy, isn’t it?
I have introduced a vegetarian recipe, but you can also mix in canned tuna. If you use canned tuna, add it in during step1 before microwaving. In that case, you may put in one can of tuna. (Japanese canned tuna weighs around 70 grams each.)
If you have any easy and delicious seasonal recipes, please let me know! See you soon.