style="font-size:15px;"> ¼ cup black or white sesame seeds
¼ cup dashi (p. 9), or unsalted chicken stock (p. 10)
1 teaspoon mirin, or 1 teaspoon saké and less than 1/8 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar or mild white vinegar
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are barely wilted. Drain and cool immediately under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly and chop into 1-inch lengths.
2. In a heated skillet, lightly toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat. Shake the pan to avoid scorching. Reserve a few for garnish.
3. Pound the remaining toasted seeds to a paste in a mortar (suribachi) or blender. The grinding of the sesame seeds releases the oil and converts the seeds into a paste. If you use a blender, you may need to add a bit of oil to keep the mass moving.
4. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl with the sesame paste. Toss spinach with sauce until leaves are thoroughly coated. Divide among 4 small bowls. Garnish with reserved sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.
| Yield: 4 servings | Cooking time: 10 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 85 | Total fat: 4.5 g |
| Saturated fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated fat: 2 g |
| Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 60 mg |
Variation: Eggplant is very tasty in sesame dressing. If you can find Japanese eggplants, which are small and thin with tender skins, do not peel them. The large American variety is coarser and needs to be peeled. Leave a strip of skin here and there for color if you wish. To prepare the eggplants, cut them into 1-inch cubes and boil them for 1 or 2 minutes or until just tender. Then toss them in the sesame dressing.
Foods Simmered in Seasoned Liquids
(Nimono)
Saké-Simmered Fish
(Sakana no Nitsuke)
Any fish is suitable for simmering in this saké-based sauce, including shrimp and scallops. Cut a large fish in slices or use very thick fillets.
1 whole fish (about 2 pounds), cleaned, scaled, and scored, or 1½ pounds thick fillets cut into 6 pieces
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
Seven-spice mixture (shichimi togarashi)
Nitsuke sauce:
1/3 cup saké
1 tablespoon sugar, dissolved in ¼ cup stock or water
¼ cup chicken stock (p. 10), or water
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, finely minced
Garnish:
2 scallions, both white and green part, cut into thin circles
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, finely grated
Lemon slices and parsley sprigs
1. Combine the saké, sugar mixture, chicken stock, and ginger in a pan large enough to hold the fish. Bring to a boil.
2. Lay the fish on the boiling sauce and turn heat down to low. Set a small pot lid inside directly on top of the fish to keep it from falling apart. (In Japan this inner lid, called otoshibuta, is made of wood.) Then cover the pot with its own lid.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until fish is just done.
4. Transfer to a plate. Add soy sauce and a generous sprinkling of seven-spice mixture to the sauce in the pan and cook 1-2 minutes. Pour over fish and serve either hot or at room temperature. If desired, cut fish into 6 pieces and place a piece in each of 6 bowls. Arrange garnishes decoratively.
Variation:
1. Two minutes before fish is done, add grated Japanese white radish (daikon) over fish and top with thinly sliced green scallions. Steam 1 minute more and serve.
2. After removing fish from saucepan, place six 1-ounce pieces of soybean curd in pan and cook in remaining sauce until heated through. Turn a few times to coat with the sauce. Place a cube of soybean curd in each bowl with the fish.
3. After fish is removed, any vegetable may be simmered briefly in remaining sauce and added to bowls with fish.
| Yield: 6 servings | Cooking time: 15 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 130 | Total fat: 1.5 g |
| Saturated fat: 0.5 g | Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5 g |
| Cholesterol: 60 mg | Sodium: 135 mg |
Simmered Squash
(Kabocha no Nimono)
1 pound Japanese squash (kabocha; often called pumpkin), or acorn or butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or yams
½-¾ cup dashi (p. 9), or unsalted chicken stock (p. 10). Water may be used if stock is not handy.
1½ tablespoons sugar (Not so much sugar is necessary if using sweet potatoes or yams.)
1 teaspoon mirin, or saké (if you prefer less sugar)
½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
Parsley for garnish
1. Cut squash into 1 ½-inch pieces. Leave some skin on for color, or peel completely if skin is tough.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine dashi, sugar, and mirin. Add squash and stir to coat with sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat 8-12 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir in soy sauce. If needed, add more liquid. However, mixture should be fairly dry, not soupy, when done. Serve in 4 individual bowls and garnish with parsley.
| Yield: 4 servings | Cooking time: 12 minutes |
| Calories per serving: 90 | Total fat: 0.5 mg |
| Saturated fat: Trace | Polyunsaturated fat: Trace |
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Cholesterol:
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