Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, cooked
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
2 cups dashi stock, made with dashi powder (readily ordered on Amazon, if not in the market)
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 eggs
Cook rice according to directions
Place the onion in a nonstick skillet with a lid, and cook and stir over medium heat until the onion softens. Add the chicken, and cook until it is no longer pink inside and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, and whisk in soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl until well-beaten, and pour over the chicken and stock. Cover the skillet, reduce heat, and allow to steam for about 5 minutes, until the egg is cooked. Remove from heat.
To serve, place 1 cup of cooked rice per bowl into 4 deep soup bowls, top each bowl with 1/4 of the chicken and egg mixture, and spoon about 1/2 cup of soup into each bowl.
Cucumbers with Ginger-Orange Dressing
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Juice from 1 large orange
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup organic canola or vegetable oil
3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
Place all but cucumbers in a small food processor. Pulse until blended, then run processor until smooth.
Poor over cucumbers.
FUN FACTS:
Japan's literacy rate is 99%.
There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan.
A nice muskmelon, similar to a cantaloupe, will sell for about $200, but one particularly beautiful pair sold for more than $45,000.