Yuzu Cream Cheese with Dried Fruits and Nuts
The cream cheese is topped with the classic combination of dried fruits and nuts with a Japanese twist. The secret ingredients of miso and our yuzu powder add a wonderful touch! This is a luxurious dish that will wow guests when you’re entertaining.
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
100g Fresh Homemade Cream Cheese
30g Dates (Substitute- Dried Fruits)
15g Roasted Walnuts
15g Roasted Hazelnuts
5g Miso
¼ tsp Yuzu Powder
Honey or Agave to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Cut the dates into 1cm cubes, and crush the walnuts and hazelnuts into pieces that still retain their crunch.
Mix the miso and yuzu powder together, then mix with the cream cheese. Once the flavor is evenly flavored, mix in the dates and roasted nuts.
Place in a serving dish and pour honey/agave over the top as you wish.
TIP
In addition to cream cheese, we also recommend using other creamy cheese such as mascarpone and gorgonzola!
Matcha Baba Ghanoush
A baba ghanoush you’ve never tried before: Matcha Baba Ghanoush.
A fusion of Lebanese cuisine and Japanese matcha, this delicious dip surpasses the bitterness of matcha!
Servings: 4-5
Ingredients:
2pcs Italian Eggplants or Graffiti Eggplant
2 pcs Grated Garlic
2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1-2 tsp Sea Salt
¼ tsp Cumin
4 tbsp Tahini
2 tbsp E.V.O Oil (Preferable-Rice Bran Oil (Less prone to oxidation) add more if necessary for the taste
A pinch of Smoked Paprika for garnish
Instructions:
Poke the eggplants and soak them in water for 1-2 hours to get rid of the scum.
Set the oven for 400°F, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan. Roast the eggplant until the interior is very tender, about 45 minutes. It might take longer if you are using a large eggplant.
Set the eggplant aside to cool for a few minutes. Flip the eggplants over and scoop out the flesh with a large spoon, drain the liquid with a strainer. Keep the liquid also.
Dump the eggplant into the bowl. Add the garlic, cumin, and lemon juice to the eggplant and stir well.
Add the tahini to the bowl and stir and mix thoroughly so that there is no separation. When stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Add liquid from the eggplant if necessary to adjust the consistency.
Add matcha powder to enhance the flavor. Add some salt to taste if you would like.
Transfer the baba ghanoush to a serving bowl. Lastly, sprinkle parsley and smoked paprika on top. Serve with your home made pita bread, or crackers.
Creamy Tofu Matcha Pudding with Kuromitsu
This tofu pudding, with its excellent matcha and kuromitsu, is a dish that can be enjoyed in any season. You can also add kinako as an option to further enhance the depth of this Japanese dessert, so please give it a try!!
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
Matcha Pudding
150g Silken Tofu
4Tbsp Brown Sugar (Agave for the alternative)
8 -10g Matcha Powder
6-10g Gelatin (Agar for the vegan alternative)
200ml Milk (Non-dairy milk for the vegan alternative)
To taste Matcha Powder (Sprinkle over the pudding)
To taste Brown Sugar Syrup or Agave for the extra sweetness
To taste Kinako Powder (Optional)
Kuromitsu (Japanese Brown Sugar Syrup)
100ml Water
100g Kokuto (Japanese Brown Sugar)
½ tsp Kurozu (Black Vinegar)
Instructions:
Matcha
Put silken tofu in a bowl and lightly mash it.
Tip-Depending on the tofu, some are easier to make smooth than other ones. If you are using firm tofu, it will remain a little grainy if you whisk it by hand, so use an electric whisk to make it smooth. (By the way, it will not be completely remove the grain)
Add sugar to the mashed tofu and mix them well.
Tip-The sweetness can be adjusted to your taste, but if the sweetness is too light, the matcha flavor gets weaker as well, so it’s better to make it a little sweeter.
Gradually add milk, but mix slowly while touching the whisk to the bottom of the bowl to avoid foaming. Tip- If you add the milk all at once it will be difficult to mix, so add it little by little. Mix thoroughly without any lumps and move to the next process.
Use 6 - 10g of gelatin, and the amount will affect how firm the mixture becomes. 10g will give a fairly firm mixture. Once the gelatin has been softened in water, mix well. (Be careful not to boil the water, as this will make it difficult for the gelatin to set. The ideal temperature is always above 122°F, and not too hot.) Start to add the dissolved gelatin but this part is important: Mix the tofu mixture thoroughly and add the dissolved gelatin. Add all the gelatin at once while mixing at high speed and continue mixing thoroughly. Tip- Adding dissolved gelatin to cold batter will cause it to cool quickly, so if you add it without mixing it properly, the gelatin will solidify.
The batter is cold, so pour it in a container as is. If it were hot, you would have to cool it down. Use a tupperware container, glass, or any other container of your choice.
Chill in the refrigerator until solidified. It should solidify in about 1-2 hours.
Once it has solidified in the refrigerator, pour on some matcha and kuromitsu.
Instructions:
Kuromitsu
Put water and brown sugar in a saucepan, mix water and brown sugar.
Add about half a teaspoon of black vinegar and stir, and turn the heat to very low.
Tip- Do not stir at this point! When it comes to a boil, sometimes you may feel you want to stir, but please don’t. Let it simmer quietly.
Ideally, try to keep the surface of the saucepan inside clean when it starts to boil.
Point 1 - Why should you not stir?
The main reason for not stirring is to prevent recrystallization and ensure a smooth finish.
Point 2 - Why do you add vinegar?
To prevent crystallization and keep the consistency.
When you add vinegar to heated sugar, it helps from sucrose to invert sugar. Invert sugar is a sweetener made by breaking down sucrose, the main component of sugar with acid and enzymes to form glucose and fructose. It is characterized by its rich, sticky sweetness, high moisturizing properties, and ability to prevent crystallization.
Simmer over very low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or more, depending on how you want your kuromitsu to be.
When the heat subsides remove the scum by using the spoon.
Remove the saucepan gently and place it on the trivet to cool down.
Once the kuromitsu has completely cooled down, use a fine-mesh tea strainer to strain the kuromitsu and ready to enjoy!
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