Kuma-gun Cook Book

Kuma-gun Cook Book
A Variety of Delicious Edibles Made by Your Favorite Kuma-goonies!
Special thanks to everyone who contributed: Krista Fehr, Ian Reed, Melissa Reed, Devin Holloway, Margo Shine, Brian Dinnie, Sara
Sameshima, Melissa Barcellos, Ana Hofmeyr, and Mary Mastin. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes. Now…let’s cooking!
Salads and Sides:
Cream Cheese Fruit Salad:
By: Melissa Barcellos (Yamae ALT, 2011-
)
Ingredients:
2 packages cream cheese
1 container of whipping cream
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup small marshmallows (or big ones cut in half)
Any fruit that you desire (Beware using fruit cocktail mixes and draining ALL the juices otherwise it ruins the cream
mix.)
Directions:
In a large bowl mix the whipping cream (cream + ¾ cup sugar). Make sure the cream is at the right consistency
(light and fluffy). Then add the 2 softened packages of cream cheese and the rest of the sugar. Mix in the lemon
juice and vanilla. When the cream mix is done, add marshmallows and fruit. Stir and refrigerate for about 20
minutes.
Sweet Potato Casserole
By: Melissa Reed (Yunomae ALT, 2011-2013)
Ingredients:
1 pound of sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter
½ cup milk
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
You can also make this into a sweet
potato pie simply by whipping the
cooked casserole and then pouring
it into a cooked pie crust.
Directions:
Boil the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool. Once they are cool, peel the skin off of them and placed them in a
bowl. Using a potato mashing device, squash them like you would if you were making mashed potatoes. Add all of
the other ingredients together and mix well. I suggest using a hand mixer for a smoother, more perfect batter. If
you mix by hand, the batter won’t look perfect, but it will turn out fine. Next, dump all of the batter into a rice
cooker and cook on a normal rice cooking cycle. Depending on your rice cooker, it may take one or two cycles.
Serve hot or cold.
Main Courses:
Mochi Pizza
By: Margo Shine (Asagiri ALT, 2012-
)
Ingredients:
4 blocks of hard mocha
(you can find this in the baking section of the store)
Water
Ketchup/tomato sauce
(I have also used pesto, but it’s hard to find.)
Pizza cheese
Toppings of your choice
(The recipe I found used pepperoni, green peppers, and onions.)
Olive oil
Directions:
Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Depending on the size you want your pizza, put around
four blocks of hard mochi and pan fry (4 blocks makes the perfect personal size). Once the bottom seems soft add
about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Wait about 3 minutes or until the water is evaporated and the mochi
blocks have come to create one “crust.” When the bottom is hard, you can flip it. On the cooked part go ahead
and add your sauce, cheese, and toppings and cover. Allow to cook until bottom is brown and cheese is melted.
Done! If you want to brown the cheese pop in the oven for a second, and you should be good to go!
Lumpia: A traditional Philippine food (kind of like a meaty egg roll)
By: Melissa Barcellos (Yamae ALT, 2011-
)
Ingredients:
Lumpia wrappers (found at oriental stores or you can use egg roll wrappers)
1 can minced crab meat
1lb ground beef
3 tbsp A.1 Sauce
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Ketchup
1 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 medium onion, minced
1 carrot, shredded fine
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Brown beef, onion, and carrot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add crab; mix thoroughly. Add A.1., soy sauce, ketchup, and BBQ sauce. Drain grease. Put approximately 1 tbsp
meat in each wrapper, roll up like a burrito, and deep fry. Serve with ketchup, salsa, or sour cream.
Bulgogi: Korean grilled beef slices
By: Melissa Barcellos (Yamae ALT, 2011-
)
Ingredients:
4 small green onions, finely chopped fresh ground pepper
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup soy sauce.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp white sesame seed, toasted
2lb boneless sirloin, chuck, or flank steak, cut 1 or 2 inches thick and sliced ¼ inch
thick across the grain.
Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a shallow pan and mix well. Add meat,
turning to coat completely. Stir-fry and serve over rice. (I usually cut this recipe
in half because it is just WAY too much meat, and it doesn’t freeze well.)
Kim Chee Fried Rice
Sara Sameshima (Nishiki ALT, 2012-2013)
Kim Chee Fried Rice is a staple at any “local” Hawaiian diner. It’s especially satisfying after a long night. If you have
leftovers, it also makes a surprisingly wonderful breakfast.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 eggs (or 3 if you want)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup green peas (frozen or fresh)
1 cup diced cooked meat (Portuguese sausage, bacon, ham, spam, teriyaki beef, or whatever you have left over)
1/2 cup chopped kim chee, or more to taste
4 to 5 cups leftover rice
2 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp kim chee base (red paste)
2 stalks green onion, chopped
Directions:
Heat pan with sesame oil on high heat. Scramble one egg and put on
side of pan. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir-fry until softened.
Add meat and cook until on verge of being completely cooked. If you
have chicken, cook for longer. Add rice, breaking up any clumps (it's
easiest to do this with your hands). Keep folding ingredients together
until evenly mixed. Be sure to scrape pan and mix in any browned,
crispy bits from bottom. Combine oyster sauce, shoyu, and kim chee
paste; add to pan and stir-fry until rice is coated and heated through.
Add green peas and kim chee, folding until well combined. Fry egg
over easy and place on top of fried rice. Plate, and sprinkle with green
onions. Serves four as main dish.
*Tastes best with Portuguese sausage!!!
Spam Musubi
By: Sara Sameshima (Nishiki ALT, 2012-2013)
This is a classic Hawaiian snack for all you people who have never been to Hawaii. Since Hawaii is extremely multicultural, often times a classic “Hawaiian” dish is the result of multiple cultures mixing their cuisines.
Also, before you veto spam, try it. This is probably the only way I will eat spam. Note that this recipe is very flexible
and you can adjust the sauce to your own taste. (Serves 10)
Ingredients:
1 can of Spam
¼ cup mirin
Nori strips
Furikake (optional)
¼ cup Shoyu
½ cup sugar
2 cups of rice
*If you like it saltier, you can make the ratio of shoyu, mirin, and sugar 1:1:1
Directions:
Make 2 cups of rice. Combine shoyu, mirin, and sugar in a large pan and
mix well. Slice spam into approximately 1/2 inch slices, depending on
how thick you like it. Dip each slice of spam in sauce before placing in
frying pan over medium heat. Pour the rest of the sauce over the spam.
Fry spam until slightly brown. I like mine a little crispy. Lay out a strip of
nori. Take a generous scoop of rice and lay on top of the nori strip,
molding in a rectangular shape. Make sure the rice is very compressed,
otherwise it won’t hold. They have spam musubi molds, but I’m sure
that none of you will have one, so you if you cut the bottom of your spam
can, you can use that as a makeshift mold. PACK THE RICE IN THERE. If
you are confused, refer to the picture below. Add a layer of furikake if
you desire. When the spam is cool, lay it on top of the rice. Add another
layer of furikake, and then another layer of rice. Wrap with nori strip,
and you’re finished! Feel free to add other things according to taste. For
a classic “breakfast” musubi, add an egg!
*Make sure your hands are wet when shaping the rice so it doesn’t stick!
Ian's Fantastically Delicious Homemade Pizza:
By: Ian Reed (Yunomae’s +1 2011-2013)
Ingredients for marinara sauce:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 eggplant
1 bag of green peppers
2 cups of red wine
1/2 tsp pepper
1 carrot
1 onion
4 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
cooking oil
Directions:
Cut and cook carrot, eggplant, onion, and green peppers together in a little oil. After they are soft and cooked,
add the can of tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes, and then add red
wine. Simmer together until liquid boils away. Blend together with a hand mixer. This is a messy process, so you
may want to pour it into a deeper bowl and mix in that.
*This recipe makes A LOT of marinara, but you can use it in a variety of recipes: pizza, pasta, sandwiches, etc.
Ingredients for pizza dough:
4 ½ cups flour
1 tsp yeast
1 ¾ cups COLD water
1 ¾ tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Knead dough for a few minutes on a floured surface until it feels like old lady skin.
Then, oil the sides and bottom of a clean bowl and place the dough in it. Cover it with a clean towel, and set it in a
warm spot. The dough needs time to rise and is ready when it has doubled its size. Depending on the
temperature and humidity of your kitchen, this could take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Once the dough
has risen, separate dough into four balls for pizza. Flatten dough with your hands to make the crust. Lay dough
on a greased baking sheet. Place marinara, cheese, and toppings on pizza dough. Cook in an oven at 390 F/200 C
for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Italian Beef Stew
By: Krista Fehr (Mizukami ALT, 2010-2013)
Ingredients:
500g stewing beef
2 red onions, quartered
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic gloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
350ml vegetable stock
1 red pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp rosemary
Directions:
Gently fry the onions and garlic. Add the peppers, carrots, tomato purée, stock, seasoning, and beef to the pan.
Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the lid and simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, & Almonds
By: Krista Fehr (Mizukami ALT, 2010-2013)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup sliced almonds, plus 1/4 cup chopped almonds
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
6 oz fresh spinach
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts halves (4 small or 2 large)
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F/175 C. Set a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil,
and add the almonds. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until the almonds turn golden. Add the shallots and garlic and
cook for an additional 2 – 3 minutes or until the garlic just begins to turn golden. Add the spinach leaves, chicken
stock, lemon juice, and thyme. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat, drain any
additional liquid, and stir in the feta cheese. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining tbsp of olive oil, the
smoked paprika, and the chopped almonds. Set aside. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each
chicken breast half to form a pocket. Split the stuffing evenly among the chicken, then seal with toothpicks and
place in a baking dish. Rub the top of each breast with the smoked paprika almonds. Tent the baking dish with foil
and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked
through.
Alfredo
By: Mary Mastin (Kuma ALT, 2010-2012)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp garlic powder
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Before making sauce, sauté chicken breast, broccoli, and some onions in a pan to add in with the noodles if you
want some chicken and broccoli pasta. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add
cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to
smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency.
Sauce will thicken rapidly, so thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.
*I have found that it works better if the cream cheese is softened or warmed up before you mix it with the butter.
Curry-Ramen Tacos: The simple meal for the (culinary) simple minded.
Brian Dinnie (Asagiri ALT, 2011-
)
This meal is short, simple, and cheap with an interesting mix of
flavors.
Ingredients:
1 cup curry-flavored instant ramen.
1 (preferably flour) tortilla
1 bottle Texas Pete's Hot Sauce
Directions:
Make the instant ramen according to the directions provided.
Prepare the tortilla! The tortilla can be eaten uncooked. However, frying the tortilla in butter until both sides of
the tortilla are lightly browned will enhance the decadence of the taco's flavor. Remember to not overcook the
tortilla. It is important to keep it from hardening. A hard, cracking tortilla will be an undesirable taste.
Once the ramen is ready, pour the water (now soup) out of the ramen cup using a simple strainer. Make sure as
much of the soup as possible leaves the can, and also be sure not to lose any of the noodles or solid ingredients
that are in the cup.
Take the cooked tortilla and empty as much of the ramen ingredients as possible onto the tortilla. For some much
needed spice, pour a few dashes of Texas Pete's on top of the taco. Roll or fold the taco and enjoy!
Breads:
Rice Cooker Banana Bread: Easiest omiyage you can bring. For real though.
Margo Shine (Asagiri ALT, 2012-
)
If you love baking, the lack of a conventional oven in a Japanese apartment can be frustrating. But all is not lost!
Many sweet treats can be made at home in your rice cooker. This recipe for banana bread is simple and only takes
about an hour and a half.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups enriched white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup softened butter
1 egg
3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium to large bananas)
1/4 cup milk
Cooking oil
*For extra sweetness, substitute a portion of white sugar for an equal
amount of packed brown sugar. Or add 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract along with
the wet ingredients.
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are well mixed. Next, add the
bananas, butter, milk, and egg. These should be mixed until the batter has
a uniform and thick, creamy consistency. If you own an electric mixer, let it do the work (low setting
recommended). If not, the bananas and butter may give you some difficulty when hand-mixing it. To make things
easier, make sure you let the butter soften long enough beforehand. Also, if you put the bananas into a plastic
freezer bag, you can make sure they’re well-mashed without making a huge mess.
At this point, you can stir in any other ingredient you may want, like chopped nuts or a bit of dried fruit. Feel free
to try out your own variations on the recipe! Before pouring the batter into the rice cooker’s pot, remember the
most important step! Coat the inside of the pot lightly with cooking oil. Paper towels help to spread it properly.
Otherwise, the banana bread will stick to the inside as it cooks.
Now simply pour the batter evenly into the pot and start the cooker. I use the same settings as when I make rice.
On my rice cooker, the bread isn’t done after just one cycle, so I let it run twice, though this could vary based on
your rice cooker. With mine, I have to allow the cooker to cool down for a few minutes in between cycles as it
won’t start again right away. That’s it! After it’s done, pop the bread out onto a serving tray or plate and enjoy!
Super Easy Banana Bread:
Melissa Barcellos (Yamae ALT, 2011-
)
Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
½ cup melted butter or margarine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flours
*If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add 1 tbsp of cinnamon or a 2/3 cup of chocolate chips.
Directions:
Mixed mashed bananas and sugar. Add melted butter, salt, and baking soda. Mix well. Add flour. If you desire,
add cinnamon or chocolate chips. Pour batter into a well greased loaf pan, or you can do muffins in muffin tins.
Smooth the top. Bake in the oven at 350 F (175 C) for 1 hour or until tester comes out clean. For muffins the time
is cut in half. The muffins only take about 30 minutes to bake through.
Banana Bread
Krista Fehr (Mizukami ALT, 2010-2013)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Canola Oil (or softened butter, but I like Canola Oil)
2 large eggs
3-4 ripe mashed bananas
1/3 cup low fat plain or Vanilla Yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt (I don’t add this)
1 cup sugar (can cut this down to ½ or 2/3 cup sugar)
Your choice of chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried fruit, etc, whatever
Directions:
Mix all wet ingredients together, and then add dry ingredients. Bake
at 350 F/175 C degrees for up to 1 hour for large bread pan (cook till
toothpick comes out clean).
Desserts:
Butter Mochi
Sara Sameshima (Nishiki ALT, 2012-2013)
Another Hawaiian-Japanese hybrid. I was surprised when I came to Japan and found out that people don’t really
eat it here… if they even have eaten it at all.
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) box mochiko sweet rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 -2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs,
vanilla, evaporated milk, and coconut milk. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking
powder (and cinnamon if you want). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Mix in
melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour in the preheated oven or until golden
brown. Cool completely, and then cut into squares to serve.
Pumpkin Cheesecake: YEAH! A Yummy Thanksgiving or Christmas treat!
Melissa Barcellos (Yamae ALT, 2011-
)
Ingredients for filling:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp all spice
Ingredients for crust:
I prefer cookie crust. You can get any type of biscuit style cookie at the store. Crush and mix with a bit of butter and some
egg yolk.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Japanese ovens this would be about 170-180). In a large bowl, combine cream
cheese, sugar, and eggs; beat on medium until smooth. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger; mix well. Spoon into
cooled pie crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set; let cool. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve plain with
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Flourless Chocolate Cake: Basically ooey-gooey brownies
By: Melissa Reed (Yunomae ALT, 2011-2013)
Ingredients:
2 Ghana chocolate bars (milk or dark)
½ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C. Grease an 8 inch round cake pan. Over low heat on the stove, melt chocolate and
butter. Constantly stir it to avoid burning the batter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how your oven cooks.
Ana’s New York Cheesecake
Ana Hofmeyr (Hitoyoshi’s +1, 2010-2012)
Ingredients:
15 Marie biscuits, crushed
4 eggs
800 g cream cheese
300 g white sugar
15 ml vanilla extract
30 g butter, melted
180 ml milk
200 g sour cream
30 g flour
Directions:
--Preheat the oven to 175 °C/350 F. Grease a spring form pan. In a bowl, mix the crushed Marie biscuits with the
melted butter. Press onto the bottom of the spring form pan.
--In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with the sugar until is smooth. Add the milk, and then mix in the eggs one
at a time. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and the flour until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the crushed
Marie biscuits in the pan.
--Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let the cake cool in the oven with the door closed for
5 to 6 hours. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.
Breakfast:
Southern Style Biscuits and Gravy: Comfort food, y’all!
Melissa Reed (Yunomae ALT, 2011-2013)
Biscuit ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
¾ cup milk
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup butter
Directions for biscuits:
Preheat oven to 230 C/450 F. Soften the butter (NOT melt) so that it’s easier to work with. Mix all ingredients
together until well blended. The dough will be quite sticky. Use a spoon to place balls of dough on an ungreased
baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.
Gravy ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp flour
2.5 cups milk
Directions for gravy:
Over low heat, melt butter, and add flour. Stir and create a butter/flour paste. Add milk, and constantly stir. Once
the butter/flour lumps are melted, add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to constantly stir until the gravy is thick
enough to serve.
*This gravy recipe can also be used for mashed potatoes.
Banana Fritters
Melissa Reed (Yunomae ALT, 2011-2013)
Ingredients:
3 bananas
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
½ tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour
½ cup milk
Directions:
It’s easiest to work with older bananas since they’re already softer. Peel and mash bananas. Add and mix all
ingredients together. The batter will be fairly thick. Warm and grease a griddle/pan over low to medium heat on
the stove. Spoon batter onto the griddle/pan. Allow it to cook low and slow. Flip the fritter when the top begins
to look dry.
Oh Mah Gah French Toast
Devin Hollway (Taragi ALT, 2012-
)
Ingredients:
Bread
Nutella*
Peanut Butter
Banana
Strawberries
2 Eggs
Milk
Butter
*If you can’t find Nutella (It’s at Costco and Sunny!), you can use the chocolate spread made by Yamazaki.
Directions:
Slice up the fruits: bananas into rounds and strawberries into quarters. Slather one side of a piece of bread with
nutella and another slice with peanut butter. Add those banana rounds to that mess. Squish the slices together
Soak your sandwich in a mixture of the two eggs and a splash of milk. Butter the pan. Add sandwich. Flip when egg
is fully cooked. Smear even more Nutella on top once both sides are cooked. Sprinkle those strawberries on top.
Put it in your face.
Drinks:
Homemade Hot Chocolate: I promise you that it’s about a million times better than those packets.
Melissa Reed (Yunomae ALT, 2011-2013)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp water
Splash of vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup milk
Directions:
Warm milk in a pan on the stove over low heat. When the milk is
warm, add cocoa, sugar, water, and vanilla to the milk, and mix
together well. Top with cream, marshmallows, or syrup.