Rice Bowls have gotten very popular and come in endless types. But I’ve loved rice bowls long before they became all the rage. If you’re not familiar with rice bowls they’re basically a bowl of rice topped with pretty much anything you want. My favorite ones are Japanese Donburis.
Donburi is a rice bowl dish served in a bowl which in Japan are also called “donburi”. There are many different types of Donburi but the most popular ones are Tempura Donburi or better known as Tendon if it’s made with shrimp, Chicken or Pork Katsu Donburi also called Katsudon. You’ll also find Tempura Donburi with fish and vegetable tempuras, Teriyaki, and other types of popular Japanese dishes. Another basic ingredient of most Donburi dishes is egg meaning veggies and other ingredients are scrambled with eggs and a donburi sauce which is then placed on a bed of rice and topped with a desired tempura, katsu, or a preferred protein including teriyaki beef or chicken.
My long time favorite is Tendon or Shrimp Tempura Donburi. I’ve been enjoying this rice bowl since I first discovered it while I was in high school. I also like the Katsudon!
I’ve always been able to get my Tendon from most Japanese restaurants in my area, and since I live in Hawaii my neighborhood grocery store. But when the pandemic locked us down for a month I decided to try and make it at home, after all it’s just shrimp tempura, eggs, Kamaboko (fish cake) and veggies over a bed of rice. How hard could that be?
Making Tendon is actually pretty easy but it does require making Shrimp Tempura. Since I must make the tempura batter for the shrimp I also make vegetable tempura with zucchini, green beans, and pretty much what I have on hand.
Another important part of this or any Donburi is the sauce. The sauce is made with Mirin (a Japanese rice wine used for cooking), soy sauce, dashi (fish stock) and sugar. This give the dish it’s sweet salty taste that make it delicious! You can find all the ingredients at an Asian market. The Dashi usually is in powder form like boullion so you’ll have to mix it as directed to get the liquid stock.
Of course the “star” of this dish is the Shrimp Tempura. You can either use a tempura mix also found at the Asian market, or you can make your own batter. Either way the most important things to remember to make perfect tempura batter is to use ice cold water and to not over stir the batter, it needs to have some lumps in it. In fact the best way to stir this batter is with chopsticks, so leave your whisk or electric mixers out of it.
So here’s the recipe for both Shrimp Tempura (it’s the same batter for fish or vegetable tempura) and the Donburi itself. This recipe makes 2 bowls.
Tendon
Ingredients for the Tempura
1 Cup Flour, shifted
1 Egg
1 Cup water
Ice cubes for chilling water
4 Large Shrimp – shelled and deveined but leave the tail on, pat dry with paper towel
Cut vegetables – zucchini, green beans, etc. (optional)
1/8 Cup flour
Oil for frying
Ingredients for Sauce:
6 Tbs. Mirin
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
3 Tbs. Liquid Dashi – mix Dashi powder as directed on the box
2 Tbs. Sugar
Ingredients for Donburi:
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 Onion, sliced
1/2 Cup Shitake Mushrooms (optional)
1/2 Kamaboko, cut into thin strips (optional)
1/3 Cup Green Onions, chopped (optional)
1 Tbs. Oil
Donburi Sauce
2 Cups Cooked White Rice
Seaweed flakes (optional)
Directions to make Tempura:
Place about 2″ of oil in a pot and start to heat while you prepare the batter.
Place shifted flower in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl slightly beat egg – beat until yolk and white is just combined.
Add ice to water until the water is chilled.
Remove ice and pour water in the bowl with the beaten egg.
Mix gently together.
Stir in flour, do not over mix there should be lumps in the batter. Use right away, if for some reason you can’t use it immediately place in the refrigerator for a few minutes until you’re ready to fry.
Place 1/8 cup of flour in a dish.
Test the oil temperature by dropping a small bit of batter in oil, if oil bubbles around the batter the oil is ready.
Roll shrimp or vegetable in the dish of flour, shake off excess.
Dip in batter, let excess batter drip off before adding into hot oil.
Place battered shrimp and veggies in hot oil to fry. Do not over crowd the pot, cook in batches if you have to.
Turn as needed to cook all sides. Tempura is done when the shrimp or vegetable starts to float.
Drain on rack and set aside.
Directions for the sauce:
Mix all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside until needed.
Directions for the Donburi:
Heat oil in a skillet.
Saute onions in skillet until it starts to go limp and clear
Add in Kamoboko, mushrooms, and green onions (reserve some as garnish if desired)
Cook about 3-4 minutes.
Add in Donburi Sauce and simmer for 1 minute.
Pour beaten egg over all and cook until egg is done.
Place 1 Cup of rice in each bowl.
Cute the Egg mixture in half and place a half over each bowl of rice.
Top with Shrimp and Vegetable (if you made some) Tempura and garnish with green onions and seaweed flakes
In another bowl slightly beat egg - beat until yolk and white is just combined.
Add ice to water until the water is chilled.
Remove ice and pour water in the bowl with the beaten egg.
Mix gently together.
Stir in flour, do not over mix there should be lumps in the batter. Use right away, if for some reason you can't use it immediately place in the refrigerator for a few minutes until you're ready to fry.
Place 1/8 cup of flour in a dish.
Test the oil temperature by dropping a small bit of batter in oil, if oil bubbles around the batter the oil is ready.
Roll shrimp or vegetable in the dish of flour, shake off excess.
Dip in batter, let excess batter drip off before adding into hot oil.
Place battered shrimp and veggies in hot oil to fry. Do not over crowd the pot, cook in batches if you have to.
Turn as needed to cook all sides. Tempura is done when the shrimp or vegetable starts to float.
Drain on rack and set aside.
Sauce
Mix all ingredients together and set aside until needed
Donburi
Heat oil in a skillet.
Saute onions in skillet until it starts to go limp and clear
Add in Kamoboko, mushrooms, and green onions (reserve some as garnish if desired)
Cook about 3-4 minutes.
Add in Donburi Sauce and simmer for 1 minute.
Pour beaten egg over all and cook until egg is done.
Divide cooked egg mixture in half and place one half on top of each bowl of rice.
Place 2 Shrimp Tempura & pieces of veggie tempura (if you made some) on top of egg.
Garnish with green onions and seafood flakes if desired.
In recent years we’ve been constant visitors to Italy. We’ve always loved the country and have been vacationing there at least once a year, but since my daughter and her family have taken up residence in Vicenza, a small town in Northern Italy, we’ve been going more often. And when we do go we spend lots of time sampling the local cuisine in and around town, it’s a different experience when you dine where the locals dine and by pass the touristy restaurants that serve substandard fare at very high prices.
One of our favorite local restaurants in town is called Regina’s. Its a tiny place with seating for less than 20 people. But the service if friendly and the food delicious! My favorite dish is Spaghetti ai Frutti de Mare or Seafood Spaghetti. I know when you think spaghetti you think red sauce and meatballs. That’s good too, but if you’re hungry for Seafood or just want something a bit more sophisticated then this dish is just what you need.
Spaghetti ai Frutti de Mare is a pasta dish made with all types of seafood including clams, squid, shrimp, and muscles. It can have a tomato based sauce like Arrabiata or a white sauce like a pesto or Alfredo.
I personally love a lighter sauce made with white wine, lemon juice, and butter. That’s the recipe I’ll share today. I normally make it with shrimp, clams, mussels, and lobster if I can find some. You can use whatever seafood you prefer. It’s good with pretty much any type of seafood.
Here’s the recipe!
This article contains affiliate links.
Ingredients:
1 Lb. Clams
1 Lb. Mussels
1 Lb. Shrimp – peeled and deveined but leave tail on
2-3 Small Lobster Tails – cut into 1 1/5″ pieces with shell on
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Butter
2-3 Cloves Garlic thinly sliced
1 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Sundried Tomatoes
1 Lb. Cooked Spaghetti
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
In a large pan melt butter in olive oil.
Saute garlic in butter mixture until it starts to cook, be careful not to burn.
Add seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Add wine and chicken stock.
Add clams and mussels. Cook until shells open.
Add lobster pieces and cook until shell starts to turn red and meat starts to turn white.
Add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turns pink and lobster is fully cooked.
Lower heat and stir in lemon juice and sundried tomatoes.
Remove from heat and serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with shredded cheese.
Last month during my visit to my daughter and her family in Georgia there was an epic snowstorm in the East Coast. My grandson, Devon, requested I make him some “Sinigang”. I was surprised that he even knew what it was, but it seems that one of their friends makes it. Of course I said yes, after all that’s what Nanas do, cook for the grandkids! This Shrimp Sour Soup is the perfect comfort food for cold rainy (or snowy) days!
This was one of my favorite childhood dishes and I was happy to find out that my grandchildren love it too. Like many Filipino dishes this soup is very easy to prepare. Traditionally my grandmothers used tamarind (sampaloc) or the small Filipino limes called “Calamansi” to make the soup sour. These days it’s so much easier, you can buy the powdered soup base at most Asian markets or even order it on Amazon! (Affiliate Link)
This dish is typically eaten with steamed white rice with a side of “Patis“, Filipino fish sauce also available at Asian markets and on Amazon. It can be made with fish, shrimp, or meat with assorted vegetables like spinach, radish, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, or string beans. This time I made it with shrimp, spinach, radish, tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno pepper. I like to add the pepper to give it a bit of spice, we all love spicy things in our family.
In most Filipino households this shrimp soup is made with whole shrimps, meaning shrimps with shells and heads on. I’m not a big fan of shrimp heads so I use shrimps with shells on. You can also use prawns if you have any handy.
Mungo Guisado or Filipino Mung Bean Stew is a classic comfort dish, it’s one of my favorites. Mung beans in case you didn’t know are the beans that produce bean sprouts. That crunchy sprout commonly used in many types of Asian Cuisine.
In many Mungo Guisado recipes including the one my grandmothers used they would soak the dried mung beans, in Tagalog its called Mungo beans, in water for hours. My recipe doesn’t call for soaking the beans; skipping the soaking step in my opinion makes my recipe much easier as you don’t have to plan on making the dish hours ahead.
I love mungo guisado on cold rainy days. Eaten with freshly steamed white rice makes it a filling and comforting meal. I use bok choi, Chinese cabbage, in my recipe; but you can use any type of leafy greens such as spinach, bitter melon leaves, kale, or mustard greens.
Here’s my recipe, hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Dried Mung Beans – available in the Asian markets
2 Tbs. Vegetable oil
1 Large onion chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Cup tomatoes diced
6+ Cups Water
2 – 3 Tbs Patis – Fish Sauce – adjust to suit your taste
1 Lb. Shrimp shelled and deveined
1 Large Bunch of Bok Choi or other leafy greens roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat oil in large pot
Sauté onions until they start to turn translucent
Add Garlic until it starts to brown
Add Tomatoes and cook until they start to soften
Add dried mungo beans
Add at least 6 cups water and stir well
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover pot
Cook for at least an hour or until the beans are softened to your liking – you may have to add more water if the mixture is too thick – add water 1 cup at a time until you get the desired consistency
Stir in Patis and shrimp -you can adjust amount of fish sauce to your liking or leave it at 2-3 tbs and let everyone add more later if they prefer
Cook another 8 minutes or so until shrimp is cooked, they are pink
Cook for at least an hour or until the beans are softened to your liking - you may have to add more water if the mixture is too thick - add water 1 cup at a time until you get the desired consistency
Stir in Patis and shrimp -you can adjust amount of fish sauce to your liking or leave it at 2-3 tbs and let everyone add more later if they prefer
Cook another 8 minutes or so until shrimp is cooked, they are pink
Add bok choi or leafy greens
Stir in and cook until leaves are wilted
Serve hot
Togue Guisado or Sautéed Bean Sprouts is a sauteed mung bean sprouts with shrimp, chicken, tofu, carrots, and bell pepper with chicken or shrimp broth. This is also super easy to prepare and to cook kind of dish. You can add leftover chicken, beef or even fish on it.
This is my version of Togue Guisado (Sautéed Bean Sprouts) Filipino Recipe! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8-10 cups mungbean sprouts
1/4 pound pork lean, pre-boiled
¼ – 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled
5 pcs. tofu, fried (optional)
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
4 stalks green onion, sliced diagonally, thinly
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pc. large onion, chopped
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. cooking oil
½ tbsp. salt or salt taste
¼ tsp. pepper or pepper to taste
Directions:
In a wide pan over medium heat, pour in the cooking oil, then sauté the garlic and onion.
Add the pork, tofu, shrimp and fish sauce and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the mungbean, and chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Wash and soak mungbean sprouts in water for 5 times before cooking and do not over cooked the mungbean sprouts, it does not taste good when it’s soggy.
Last month during my visit to my daughter and her family in Georgia there was an epic snowstorm in the East Coast. My grandson, Devon, requested I make him some “Sinigang”. I was surprised that he even knew what it was, but it seems that one of their friends makes it. Of course I said yes, after all that’s what Nanas do, cook for the grandkids! This Shrimp Sour Soup is the perfect comfort food for cold rainy (or snowy) days!
