More Mizuna (Potherb Mustard) Dishes

Mizuna no Shiraae Another dish with mizuna (potherb mustard). If you are looking for a Japanese vegetarian recipe, this might do. It’s called shiraae (salad with tofu dressing), one of Japanese traditional salad dishes. This time I used potherb mustard, but it can be replaced with spinach or other greens. With some exceptions, the veggies used for shiraae are usually blanched briefly. Mizuna no Shiraae Ingredients (For 2 to 3 servings) 2 bunches…..potherb mustard (or spinach) 1/4 carrot A little bean sprouts 1/2 tofu (=150 to 170 g) 1 Tbsp….miso 1 Tbsp….sugar 1 Tbsp….soy sauce 1 Tbsp…white sesame seeds + a pinch optional: (1 Tbsp...dashi stock or a dash of instant dashi powder) (2 teasp...sake) * Amount of seasonings to be adjusted according to the type of tofu and vegetables used. If dashi is not available, it can be omitted. Drain tofu well. I usually wrap it with a kitchen paper, place something flat (like a plate) on top, put a small bowl filled with water on it and leave for about 10 minutes. If in a hurry, you can crush tofu, wrap with a kitchen paper and microwave for a few minutes. Cut carrot into apx. 1.5-inch-long thin strips. Blanch mizuna and the carrot briefly and cool in (ice) water. Drain well. Wash bean sprouts and drain. Cut mizuna and sprouts into apx. 1.5 inch long. Grind white sesame seeds with sesame grinder. (Either mortar-and-pestle or plastic sesame seed grinder is fine.) Mix ground sesame seeds, miso, sugar, soy sauce, (dashi & sake) and coarsely mashed tofu until well blended. (If no sesame grinder is available, microwave sesame seeds about 30 seconds, wrap with plastic wrap and roll a bottle or rolling pin over them. * Add the vegetables into the dressing and mix. Serve with a pinch of sesame seeds sprinkled on top. There are many shiraae recipes, but I usually start with 1 Tbsp of each seasonings, as in the recipe above, and make last-minute adjustments according to the taste of the vegetables used, or the type of tofu used (and how well it was drained), etc. Also tried mizuna stir-fry for lunch yesterday. Ingredients: mizuna, sausage and shiitake mushrooms. Seasonings: sesame oil, soy sauce, sake, salt and pepper. A dash of lemon at the end. Though the taste was just so-so, I loved the crispiness of mizuna VERY much. (Actually I overdid it a little.) I think I love this vegetable the best when it's stir-fried : ) * This idea was originally introduced in a TV-show.