Easy Wasabi Mayonnaise

Do you ever get takeout sushi and wonder why the heck they give you SO MUCH wasabi? 

Maybe it's just me, I don't know. I personally think a little wasabi in the sushi goes a long way - I like a little heat, but I also like to taste my sushi. So I always end up with extra wasabi.

But I may have mentioned before how I hate to waste food. Especially when it's the good stuff - like when we order sushi from a good place and they give you the real fresh grated wasabi.

So a friend turned me on to this tip and I've been doing it ever since: use the leftover wasabi to make wasabi mayonnaise. It's genius in its simplicity.

Just mix the wasabi into a jar of mayo - I think about a tablespoon of prepared wasabi to about a half a cup of mayo is about right for my taste. But this is really one that you can do however you like. If you like more kick, then you more wasabi. If you want it mild, then use more. 

It's awesome on sandwiches, or for dipping veggies in. I love mayo on grilled or roasted veggies, and this is a great way to give it a little extra kick. 

The other day I made myself a rice bowl for lunch, with brown rice, tofu, zucchini and some leftover asparagus. A good dollop of the wasabi mayo on top was the perfect to take it from ordinary leftovers to something really delicious. 

Soy Sauce Eggs

People seem to fall into two very distinct camps when it comes to boiled eggs - you either love them or you hate them.

As for me - I never met an egg I didn't love. I'm somewhat obsessed with them. My husband and I can go to a restaurant and he knows immediately that if there is something on the menu that boasts an egg of any sort on it or in it, that is definitely what I will be ordering. I love them.

One of my very favorite things is when I go to an Asian restaurant and order some kind of ramen or noodle soup dish and they serve it with a perfectly soft cooked and soy sauce marinated egg floating in the bowl. This is seriously top notch comfort food.

Let me just tell you - if you like eggs, and you like soy sauce, but you haven't yet tried combining the two flavors - you are seriously missing out. 

This is my version of a soy sauce marinated egg. If you haven't had them before - it's a bit like a pickled egg, but with added flavors from seasoned vinegar and soy sauce. As with everything I do, I took other recipes and methods that involve more ingredients and more preparation and I've distilled it down to what I think is the quickest and simplest way to get the same kind of flavor in as few steps as possible.  

This is the quick and easy road to satisfaction.

Soy Sauce Marinated Eggs

You'll need a clean quart sized jar for this, or similar sized container. 

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen boiled eggs - cooled and peeled. Go here for my fool proof method of cooking eggs so they peel perfectly every time. I love to do these with soft cooked eggs, but this is a PERFECT use for all those extra dyed Easter eggs that you don't know what to do with!
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (you should be able to get this in the Asian section at any big grocery store).

Directions:

If you haven't already cooked your eggs, do that first. If you follow my method, you can have soft cooked eggs peeled and ready in no time. They don't have to be perfectly cool to do this, just cool enough to peel. 

Carefully place all your eggs in a quart sized jar, or similar container. One quart sized jar will hold 1 dozen large eggs. Or keep one out if you think you can't get them all in without squishing too much. 

Add the vinegar to the jar. Then combine the soy sauce and water together and pour that mixture into the jar until it's filled to the top. Depending on the size of your eggs you might not use quite all of this. If you do use it all and you still have room at the top of your jar, add a bit more water. Or if you want a little extra flavor, you could top if off with more vinegar instead. 

Close the jar tightly, give it a few gentle turns to get the soy sauce and vinegar mixed together and distributed around all the eggs.

Refrigerate and marinade for as long as you can stand it. A couple hours is enough to start, but these will keep for weeks too and the longer they sit the more flavorful they get. 

These are amazing for snacking on straight out of the jar. I've had one for breakfast every day this week.

Or you can take this to the next level and use these marinated eggs for a whole new twist on the classic deviled eggs.  

This is after marinating for only a little over an hour. 

This is after a full 24 hours. 

A quick and easy way to cook pasta!

We've always been told that pasta had to be cooked in a big pot with lots of water, and we never really questioned it. Until now.

I have seen mentions of this alternative method of cooking pasta here and there, and figured I had better give it a try.

The basic idea is that instead of using a bunch of extra water in a huge pot, you cook your pasta in a smaller pan with just enough water to get it cooked through - no excess. The starchiness in the water is not a problem, because that extra starch is part of what contributes to an extra creamy sauce that will really stick to your noodles. Restaurant chefs have known about that trick for a long time - they always add a ladle of pasta water to their sauce. 

Basic cooked pasta:

• 1 package (usually about a pound) of pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4-6 cups cold water (see notes below)

The butter might not be necessary in a non-stick pan, but I am using a cast iron pan so I always like to have a little oil in there. 

The quantity of water will vary depending on your type of pasta and your desired end result. Here is used a very thin angel hair pasta and I just was serving it buttered, so I used only 4 cups. But for thicker pasta like penne you will need more water - so go up to 5 cups. If you are making a sauce then you will want to have a little water left in your pan after the pasta is fully cooked, to help blend in the sauce, so go up to 6 cups. 

So - 4 cups for thin pasta, no sauce. 6 cups for thick pasta with sauce. Or adjust in between to suit your needs. As with everything, I think it's a bit of trial and error. If your water is all absorbed but your pasta is not yet fully cooked, then add a bit more hot water. 

Directions:

Place everything in a pan just big enough to contain it all and wide enough that the pasta can be fully submerged in the water.  

Turn on the heat and bring up to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn't stick together, until the pasta is cooked to your liking.

It will take about 10- 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pasta.  

And that's it! Perfectly cooked pasta in less time than it would take to even get a pot of water boiling. 

Once it's done you can serve as is, or add your sauce. My kids are picky about sauce, some like it and some don't, so I tend to serve the sauce on the side. But you could just add a little cream and some herbs and parmesan cheese to this for a super quick and simple weeknight pasta dish, or toss in a jar of your favorite tomato sauce. 

I love a tip that helps me get dinner on the table faster!