On a busy morning, or at that hectic time right after coming home, it’s hard to make your own meal from scratch.
Cooking expert Masako Ikegami shares a secret for easy cooking to make things simpler – giving ingredients a light seasoning before freezing them in a freezer bag.
With such preliminary arrangements, all you have to do is heat up the frozen meal.
This method is pretty simple, and helps you save time cooking.
Ikegami often uses this “seasoning-ingredients-before-freezing” method when she is busy.
“Sometimes I’m not in the mood to think about what I want to cook, or I can’t run to the store,” Ikegami said.
“On those days, I feel relieved when I realise, ‘Oh, I have stuff in the freezer.'”
She recommends doing this freezing process on your days off, then heating the food up for weekday meals.
The method comprises these five steps: Chop up ingredients; put them with seasoning in a freezer bag; let the air out of the bag; seal and flatten it out; stick it in the freezer.
Chinese fried dish with pork, eggplant
To freeze the ingredients for the dish:
1. Halve eggplants, and cut each half lengthwise into fourths.
2. Remove the cap and the seeds from red bell peppers and cut them lengthwise into fourths or sixths.
3. Put the vegetables in a freezer bag, add seasoning and toss together well.
4. Add pork, and knead the bag to let the seasonings soak into the ingredients.
5. Add remaining ingredients and lightly mix.
Pat down the vegetables before putting them into the bag to avoid frost.
Then let the air out of the bag, seal it and put it in the freezer.
By flattening the ingredients in the bag, the thickness of the bag becomes more even, which will ensure even cooking when heated.
When you heat up the frozen ingredients, pour water over them and then steam-fry or boil them.
“The ingredients are heated up when they’re still frozen, so pour water over them,” she said. “Otherwise, you’ll have problems effectively defrosting them.”
Steam-frying is recommended:
1. Take the ingredients out of the bag and put them in a frying pan. Add 100 ml water, cover it with a lid and let them steam on high.
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and continue to steam for about 5 minutes.
3. Stir the ingredients and steam for another 7-9 minutes.
4. When the meat is cooked, remove the lid and drain the water.
5. Add a little salt, to taste.
Salmon in cream soup
Freezing ingredients for soup:
1. Pat down salmon to remove excess moisture and halve it.
2. Cut broccoli into small bunches. Peel potatoes and grate them. Grated potatoes add thickness to the sauce.
3. Put them in a freezer bag, add seasoning and toss together.
4. Add salmon and knead the bag lightly to thoroughly mix everything together.
5. Add remaining ingredients, lightly mix them, seal the bag and freeze it.
For cooking the dish:
1. Put the ingredients into a pot and add 1 cup of water. Cover the pot with a lid. Cook it on high until it begins to boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and heat for about 5 minutes. Stir the ingredients.
3. Heat for a further 8-10 minutes until the salmon is cooked.
4. If the water starts to boil over, push the lid aside a little.
5. Remove the lid and reduce the sauce until it becomes creamy.
The ingredients are frozen and then heated up, which helps add the great flavor of the seasoning to the ingredients.
The two dishes are soft and moist, which makes them easy to eat.
“It’s better to freeze ingredients while they’re still fresh.” Ikegami said. “I suggest you eat the dishes within two weeks after freezing.”
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Chinese fried dish with pork and eggplant
150 grams end pieces of sliced pork
3 or 4 eggplants
2 red bell peppers
Mixed seasoning (1 tbsp miso, 1½ tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp sake, ½ tbsp soy sauce, 1 clove grated garlic, a dash of Chinese chili bean sauce)
Salmon in cream soup
2 pieces salmon fillet
½ potato
½ broccoli
1 clear soup stock cube
1 can cream of corn (150 grams)
1 cup milk
Mixed ingredients (½ tsp salt, a dash of pepper, 2 tbsp white wine)
To find out more about Japan’s attractions, visit http://the-japan-news.com/news/d&d
