This morning almost felt like summer. It was sunny, it was warm, and I felt kind of miserable on my run because of it. I’m just not used to temperatures above about 65 when I head out in the mornings! Can’t complain though…we definitely get spoiled here.

For about the four hundredth time I’m trying to make more recipes from my cookbooks. I pulled out Japanese Home Cooking and the Summer Soba instantly jumped out at me because of the warm day we had. I love how pretty and composed the plate looks, and of course I love just about anything made with soba noodles. I deviated from the recipe in the book a little bit – I marinated the cucumbers, and baked some tempeh to add a little extra protein. I like the flexibility with recipes like this – you could put all sorts of different fresh vegetables in here and it would look and taste amazing.

Recipe:
(adapted from Japanese Home Cooking by Shunsuke Fukushima)

makes 2 large servings

tempeh
8 ounces tempeh, thinly sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp freshly grated ginger

cucumbers
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar

eggs
2 eggs
salt and pepper
pinch sugar

dressing
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

noodles
2 bundles soba noodles (about 6 ounces total)
1 sheet nori, toasted and cut into thin strips
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Prepare the tempeh: mix the soy sauce and ginger, then evenly coat the tempeh slices, cover, and chill for about 4 hours. Then place in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Let cool, then cut into matchsticks.

Prepare the cucumbers: toss the sliced cucumbers with salt and sugar, then stir in the vinegar and let stand for about an hour at room temperature.

Prepare the eggs: Beat well with a pinch each sugar, salt, and pepper. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium, add the eggs, and cook until set, then flip to cook through. Remove to cool, then cut into thin slices.

To make the dressing, mix all ingredients and set aside.

Boil the noodles just until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water. Arrange on 2 plates, then pour some of the dressing over the noodles. Arrange the avocado, cucumbers, egg, tempeh, and nori on the plate, and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

Having never been to Japan, I have no idea whether or not this is authentic. A close relative of these Korean pancakes, this has a light, fluffy texture thanks to the water and small amount of flour mixed in with the egg. There are also lots of great flavors coming together, between the serrano chiles and red onions inside, and the fancied-up ketchup, nori, and sesame seeds on top.

I made this for dinner at a friend’s house and the pictures were terrible. I thought about blogging it anyway, but I know how unappealing photos can ruin any chance a reader will ever try a recipe. I was stoked when Mike asked for this for dinner only a few days later, both because it’s really fast and easy, and because it was still light out. After pulling it off the stove and adding the toppings, I took it out to my front porch, which is where the best light is in the evenings. Maybe not the perfect photo, but a whole lot better than the one I started with.

And now, my wonderful readers, I want to hear from you about your okonomiyaki, because I have a feeling this will be in the dinner rotation a lot. If you’ve got your own recipe, or ideas for toppings, please let me know in the comments!

Recipe:
(adapted from Asian Vegetables by Sara Deseran)

Pancake:
3 eggs
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp soy sauce
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
2 tbsp canola oil

Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp soy sauce

crumbled nori
toasted sesame seeds

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

To make the pancake, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the water and whisk until blended, then stir in the soy sauce, salt, flour, and vegetables.

Heat the oil in a 10″ skillet. When hot, add the egg mixture and cook until golden brown on the bottom (about five minutes). Carefully slide the pancake onto a plate, then invert so the raw side is down in the pan. Cook for another few minutes, until that side is also golden. Transfer to a serving plate, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with nori and sesame seeds. Cut into wedges to serve.

I also have to consider whether I have the necessary equipment, because my kitchen currently consists of 1 medium saucepan, 1 large nonstick frying pan, a big knife, a small knife, a large spoon, and a large spatula. THAT’S IT! No mixer, no food processor, no baking pans…

It’s good for me though. I like a challenge.

I knew I definitely wouldn’t be able to find mu shu wrappers at my grocery store, and toyed with the idea of making my own, but in the end, just decided to serve this on its own. It’s still fantastic! If you can find hoisin sauce and mu shu wrappers, I think you’ll absolutely love this. But even if you can’t…it’s worth making anyway.

(adapted from The Way The Cookie Crumbles. originally from Use Real Butter)

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn starch
3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
12 ounces tofu
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
1 small head of napa cabbage, julienned (about 2 cups)
10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut into thin strips

Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, and corn starch and set aside.
Cut the block of tofu in half horizontally. Press between clean towels to remove excess moisture. Cut into thin 1″ strips.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Add the tofu and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until tofu is golden brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Whisk the two eggs together, and heat another tablespoon of oil. When it’s hot, add the eggs and swirl the pan to make a thin sheet. When just set, flip to cook the other side. Remove to cool, then cut into thin strips.
Heat the last tablespoon of oil, and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, then add the garlic. Cook another minute or two, then add the bean sprouts, cabbage, and sauce. Stir well, then gently stir in the tofu and egg. Cook for about a minute, then remove from heat and serve.