Tonight’s Dinner Prep/牛肉とごぼうのしぐれ煮・ほうれん草の白和え
Hello. Thank you for watching. I’m a Japanese woman living in the United States. I’m recording my dinner preparations for today. 🍚 I hope you’ll enjoy watching at your own pace. ☺ Today’s menu is simmered beef and burdock root, spinach with Shiraae (sweet dressing), avocado salad, miso soup with daikon radish and shiitake mushrooms, and white rice. First, to make the Shiraae, drain the tofu. Tofu sold in the United States is classified by hardness—soft, medium, and hard—rather than “silk” or ” cotton.” I think soft tofu is closer to the Japanese variety. I always buy soft tofu. Place a paper towel over the tofu and leave it for at least an hour, if possible, to drain the water. I didn’t use it all, saving the rest for miso soup later. It seems it can be stored in water for 1-2 days. Incidentally, tofu purchased in the United States has a fairly long shelf life, about two months. It’s so long it’s a little scary. Once the water is drained, mash it until smooth. The amount of mixing is up to your preference. I like tofu chunks, so I mix them in moderately. It’s been over six months since I came to the US, and cooking for myself has been easier than I expected. The only inconveniences that immediately come to mind are that meat is sold in chunks (thinly sliced meat is more expensive), and there are no aromatic vegetables like shiso, myoga, or mitsuba. Green onions and spinach, which are staples in Japan, are expensive. The fish isn’t as fresh (maybe because I live inland?) . 😅 It wasn’t as inconvenient as I thought it would be! I’ll talk about some other things I find convenient later. Add some boiled spinach. Packaged salad spinach is readily available, but regular fresh spinach is rare. It’s sold at Asian supermarkets under the name “Chinese Spinach” and is quite expensive. Spinach is a rare find. I completely forgot about the remaining food in the Tupperware after this and it went to waste 🥲 What a waste 🥲 I thought I was getting used to managing large quantities of food in America, but it’s still difficult to use it all up when living with just two people (^-^; Let’s add the seasonings. 2 tablespoons light soy sauce Light soy sauce keeps the tofu from browning and gives it a nice finish. 2 tablespoons ground sesame seeds Sugar Just add 1 tablespoon and mix until done. Next, I’ll make a salad. It’s a tomato, avocado, and purple onion salad. Since coming to America, I’ve found many convenient things about running errands at the supermarket. It’s fun because there’s such a wide variety of everything. There’s a whole row of potato chips alone. Herbs like Italian parsley, rosemary, and basil are sold at great value. You can easily get great steaks. They sell ingredients and seasonings from all over the world, including America. Fruit is cheap 🍓 and has a long shelf life (although that’s a little scary…lol) . The frozen food selection is incredible. I rarely buy anything, but it’s fun just browsing. The staff are friendly and there aren’t many who seem busy, so it’s easy to talk to them. It depends on the store, but they’ll generally bag your food for you at the register. Sometimes they’ll even bring it to your car! And maybe the best part is, American bacon is incredibly delicious 💕 It’s the number one thing I’ll miss when I go back to Japan. So, I’m getting used to going to American supermarkets . I hope to be able to make a vlog of my shopping trips someday . 📸 I also occasionally use an online supermarket that stocks Asian ingredients. It really makes me realize how convenient we live in these days. I admire people who lived abroad before smartphones and the internet . I add some simple seasonings: olive oil, salt , honey, and , although I forgot to take a picture, a squeeze of lemon. This is my favorite salad, with just the right amount of spiciness from the onion and creaminess from the avocado . I keep both in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Next, I’ll shred the burdock root. I want to use the skin, so I wash it thoroughly. It looks a little risky, but please bear with me 😂. I’ll prepare the rice. I’ll stir-fry the beef and burdock root. First, I’ll add sesame oil and stir-fry the burdock root. Once the burdock root is cooked, I’ll add the beef. Thinly sliced meat is a rare commodity in America. It’s great because it broadens the options for Japanese dishes. Finally, I’ll season it with soy sauce . 2 tablespoons mirin, 2 tablespoons sake, 1 tablespoon sugar. Once they’re well combined, it’s ready! ✨ Cook the rice and make miso soup. Shiitake mushrooms and daikon radish (they’re hard to find, so I’ve frozen them for stock). The miso rice is also cooked. 🍚 It’s finished! Thank you for watching until the end.
こんにちは、私はアメリカに住む日本人女性です。
アメリカでの生活を記録に残そうと、Youtubeを始めてみました。
初めての撮影＆編集で見づらいところもあるかもしれませんが、ゆるーく見ていただければうれしいです。
＊今日の献立＊
ごぼうと牛肉のしぐれ煮・ほうれん草の白和え・アボカドサラダ・椎茸と大根のお味噌汁・白米
【牛肉とごぼう】
①ごぼうはよく洗い、皮はついたままささがきにする。
水につけすぎると風味が落ちるのですぐ使う。
②ごま油でゴボウを炒める。ある程度火が通ったら薄切りの牛肉も追加して炒める。
③しょうゆ、みりん、酒は大さじ２、砂糖を大さじ１入れて馴染ませる。
④お好みで七味唐辛子をかけて。
【白和え】
①豆腐はできれば１時間以上前から水を切っておく。
②ほうれん草を下茹でしておく。
②水分が抜けた豆腐をスプーンやフォークで潰し、なめらかにする。
③茹でたほうれん草を豆腐と混ぜる。
④薄口しょうゆ（なるべく豆腐の白が濁らないように）、砂糖、すりごまで味付け。