Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)

Tastes great.. Easy to make and looks nice.. It is not necessary to have all the ingredients listed to make it....The word means "bake to your taste"..

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cabbage
1 carrot
1 leek
1/2 green pepper
1/4 lb tofu, drained
vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour (white or whole wheat)
1/2 cup dashi (soup made with dried fish) [skip it if you don't know how to make it]
2 tsp light soy sauce

Garnishes
sweetened soy sauce
dried nori seaweed, toasted and crumbled
toasted white or black sesame seeds
red pickled ginger

Method:

Wash trim and shred the vegetables and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Prepare the garnishes. Over low heat brush a heavy pan with oil. Combine the vegetables and tofu with eggs, flour, dashi and soy sauce in a bowl and pour half the mixture into the frying pan. Smooth and sread it with a pancake turner. Cook for 5 minutes or until browned, carefully flip and cook this side too. Repeat for the rest of the mixture.

Serve with garnish.

Any firm vegetables like corn, peas, green beans are delicious in this pancake.

Source: Downer, Lesley. 1986. Japanese Vegetarian Cooking. Pantheon Books New York

Tofu Sate

Indonesian Tofu Sate (serves 5)

3 cloves chopped garlic
2 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons vinegar
3 tablespoons Asian Family tamari
5 tablespoons peanut butter
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
1 cautious pinch of cayenne
1-1/2 teaspoons shredded ginger root
1-1/2 lb. tofu (we often use tetra pack tofu)

Step 1: Slice tofu 1/2 inch thick

Step 2: Mix together remaining ingredients into a marinade. Spread a thin layer ofmarinade into a frying pan. Lay in tofu and cover with the remaining sauce.Cover with a lid or tin foil and let it stand for as long as possible (e.g.. One hour).

Step 3: Slowly cook the sate to mimic an oven. It will take about 20 minutes or more depending on heat. Be careful to add more liquid if needed. Garnish and enjoy!

Source: Wave Length Magazine, Dec/Jan 2000