Hi, I’m Francis,
the host of this show "Cooking with Dog."
Today, we will be making healthy nutritious Shiraae, mixed tofu and spring vegetables.
First, let’s prepare the tofu.
Tear the firm tofu into bite-size pieces,
placing them into a pot of boiling water.
Simmer on low heat for about 1 minute.
Using a mesh strainer or skimmer,
remove
and place the tofu onto a paper towel.
Wrap the tofu and let it sit to cool.
This process will help to remove the excess water quickly.
Next, add the salt to the same pot of boiling water.
Now, place the stem ends of the nanohana
also known as broccolini into the water,
and then submerge the leaf part.
Cook it for a total of about 30 seconds.
Remove and place the nanohana into a bowl of ice water
to keep it from discoloring.
Drain and squeeze out the excess water with your hands.
Then, cut the nanohana into 3cm or about 1 inch pieces.
Lightly season with the dashi soy sauce.
Mentsuyu or soy sauce can be substituted
for the dashi soy sauce.
Squeeze out the excess liquid.
This pre-seasoning process will help to prevent the flavor
from diluting when mixed with the tofu later.
Now, measure out 4 tablespoons of water in a pot
and add the dashi soy sauce.
Add the carrot
and the shimeji mushrooms
and turn on the burner.
Stir to cook them evenly.
Simmer until the liquid is completely reduced.
Then, place the carrot and mushrooms onto a plate.
And now, let’s combine the shiraae.
Put the toasted white sesame seeds into a pan
and turn on the burner.
Lightly re-toasting the sesame seeds before use
will significantly increase the aroma and flavor.
Place the sesame into a suribachi mortar.
Then, grind it with a surikogi pestle.
Now, add the drained tofu,
sugar,
salt
and dashi soy sauce.
Then, grind until smooth.
Now, add the nanohana
and the carrot and shimeji mushrooms.
Toss to coat evenly.
Place the shiraae onto a plate.
This is a delicious, nutritious and healthy dish
and Chef really recommends trying it out.
Shiraae can be made with seasonal vegetables and tofu
so you can enjoy this recipe all year round.
The aroma of the toasted sesame seeds brings out the flavor.
You should definitely try it out.
You can also substitute broccoli,
snap bean pods or spinach for the nanohana.
Good luck in the kitchen.