3 Easy Japanese Spinach Recipes, #SundaySupper

NinjaBaker — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:42:22 +0000

Farmers’ markets are the fashion these days in Santa Monica, CA. Sporting sunglasses, designer jeans and Christian Louboutin shoes, couples stroll the aisles, sniffing flowers, sampling fruits and savoring omelets made with local farm eggs. It makes me giggle to see that purchasing fresh produce is en vogue with the hip and cool. In Japan, buying fresh produce was a daily ritual. Sadly, supermarkets have replaced many mom-and-pop shops in Tokyo - including the ones in my old neighborhood. But, I'm happy to say that some grocers (similar to the ones I remember) still survive today.

Spinach and other lovely veggies on sale at a grocers
near Togoshi subway station in Tokyo.

At today’s #SundaySupper Twitter event we’re celebrating locally produced foods and Farmers’ markets. (Love to have you join the discussion around the virtual table led today by health expert, TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies. Scroll down for details.) I've picked spinach as the vegetable to celebrate. From childhood I've relished the deep green colored leaves which are packed with a bit of flavor but blends well so many other ingredients. Love to hear how you fare with the following easy and tasty spinach recipes.

Tamago Toji Egg Soup with Spinach

My friend, Akio-san, is spoiled (deservedly so) with his wife Takako-san's meals. Sometimes she is called away to deal with family business in Japan. So, Akio-san is left to fend for himself. He very generously shared this easy yet stomach-warming recipe for egg soup (tamago toji) with spinach recipe.

Ingredients:

5 handfuls of pre-washed baby spinach
Water to just cover the spinach
1 egg, slightly beaten
Dashi (click here for the recipe)
Japanese togarashi chili pepper, salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam spinach with water in a covered pan for 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain and squeeze out excess water.
Bring dashi soup to a boil.
Drop the egg and spinach into the dashi and stir.
Sprinkle togarashi, salt and pepper in to taste.

Spinach leaves drizzled with wasabi dressing.
A garnish of red and yellow peppers with olive centers adds more taste to the plate.

Spinach Salad with Wasabi Dressing
Dressing adapted from FoodandWine.com

Fresh spinach makes a salad so flavorful. Even more so with wasabi dressing. (Wasabi is referred to as Japanese horseradish at times but it’s actually from a different root.) As sushi lovers are well aware, wasabi can be pretty hot. However, the sweetness of the mayonnaise and the rice vinegar tames the spicy taste in this dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of mayonnaise with a ¼ cup of rice vinegar, 2 ½ tablespoons of wasabi powder , 1 ½ teaspoons of Asian sesame oil and 1 ½ tablespoons of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ninja Note: Add more wasabi powder if you like a bit of a bite.

Summer Spinach

Too hot and tired to cook? Steam up a bit of spinach. Squeeze out any excess water. Let the spinach cool. Sprinkle with soy sauce and sesame seeds. Serve and take the rest of the night off!

Here are a few more ideas of how to enjoy farm fresh fruits and vegetables.

Appetizers & Salads

Garlic Scape Dip from The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
Onion Bacon Jam with Bread n' Brie from Gotta Get Baked
Kale & Pepita Pesto from girlichef
Garden Quinoa Salad from The Urban Mrs
Grilled Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad from Pescetarian Journal
Watermelon-Feta Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle from The Weekend Gourmet

Soups & Sides

Watermelon Gazpacho from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Classic Gazpacho from Curious Cuisiniere
Pea Soup from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Pickled Garlic Scapes from kimchi MOM
Cheesy Zucchini Hodge Podge from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Succotash from Magnolia Days
3 Easy Japanese Spinach Recipes from NinjaBaking.com
Michigan-Made Meal with Seasoned Potato Chips from Foxes Love Lemons

Entrees

Summer Veggie Pizza from Country Girl In The Village
Tomato Pie from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry from What Smells So Good?
Margherita Pizza from Growing Up Gabel
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Three Sauces with Summer Herbs to Transform a Simple Grilled Dinner from Cook the Story
Vegetable Quesadillas from Cookin' Mimi
Mushroom Scallion Risotto from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Lemony Summer Linguine with Grilled Vegetables from Neighborfood
Pasta alla Norma Nuda from Juanita's Cocina
Arugula Pizza from Family Foodie

Desserts

Peach Cobbler from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Coconut Cherry Bars from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Lightened Up Peach and Blueberry Cobbler from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Cherry Brandy Cobbler from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Peach Maple Ice Cream from Pies and Plots
Cherry Clafoutis from Food Lust People Love
Roasted Figs with Caramel, Honey Ice Cream and Aged Balsamic from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Peach Ice Cream Paletas from Basic N Delicious
Gluten Free Sour Cherry Cake from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy.
Sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement

Wishing you the delights of nature.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#Japanese tamago toji egg soup recipe

#spinach recipes

#SundaySupper

The Ninja Baker - #Japanese tamago toji egg soup recipe

3 Easy Japanese Spinach Recipes, #SundaySupper