For Japanese, chicken breast is not so popular because they tend to dry out when cooked and it does not have much flavor. Chicken breast is a good source of protein and very low in calories, only little over 100 calories per 100 gram. Make sure to trim skin because it will almost double up the calories with it. Just do an extra step, you will love cooking chicken breast! I will show you how to cook a moist chicken breast meal.
Moist Chicken Breast With Mayo Soy Sauce Set Meal 481 calories
Main – Mayo Soy Sauce Chicken
Side 1 – Steamed Napa Cabbage in Sweet Soy Sauce
Side 2 – Pickled Cucumber
Soup – Cauliflower Cream Soup
Steamed White Rice
All recipes are made for 2 servings. This printable recipe box will allow you to change the serving size to adjust the recipe.
Mayo Soy Sauce Chicken 160 calories
One of the popular TV show in Japan talked about a technique to cook chicken breast so it is moist and tender. First cut chicken into bite size against the grain (that sounds good). Then hit them with the back of knife as if you are making many Xs. (wow that wakes up my dog!). You do not have to hit the chicken. This recipe always makes chicken breast so moist and tender. I believe the secret is combination of potato starch and mayo soy sauce. Broccoli and cauliflower are used for garnish on this plate. When I buy these bulky vegetables, I immediately cut and blanch them. In this way they can be kept well in refrigerator without losing nutrient. Not only that, you can use for cooking, as garnish, or just snack!
- 200 g chicken breast
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- 40 g broccoli and/or cauliflower
- Cut chicken into bite size against the grain . Salt and pepper chicken and leave it for up to 30 minutes.
- Light boil or steam broccoli and cauliflower and set aside.
- Make sauce by combining mayo, soy sauce and sugar.
- Sprinkle potato starch over meat and hand mix.
- Place meat in pan. Turn on heat and cook both sides until brown.
- Turn off heat and pour the sauce over meat.
- Cook with low heat until sauce thickens and the meat gets coated with sauce.
- Place broccoli & cauliflower florets next to chicken as garnish.
Steamed Napa Cabbage in Sweet Soy Sauce 39 calories
Although many vegetable are now available all year round and napa cabbage is a popular winter vegetable. If you live in Japan, except warm climate Okinawa, the cabbage is normally stored in the cold area of the house wrapped in newspapers because it is too big to store in the refrigerator. It is the size of Costco watermelon! It will last up to one month in winter. In the US, you can buy smaller sized napa cabbage at local grocery store. You may see small black dots on napa cabbage mainly on white stem parts. It is NOT mold or insects. When napa cabbage is grown stressfully, due to temperature or soil conditions, it creates polyphenol. It is safe to eat and provides health benefit such as antioxidant and anti-aging. Appreciate what stressed napa can offer us!
- 200 g napa cabbage
- 20 g canned tuna if it's in oil, keep the oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oil or oil from canned tuna
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- Cut napa cabbage into large chunks. Cut carrots into thin strips.
- Place napa cabbage stems at the bottom and then carrot. Cook with low medium heat for about 10 minutes until liquid comes out from the cabbage. Watch out not to burn it.
- Add leafy part, tuna, oil, soy sauce and sugar. Mix and cook until vegetables become tender.
In America, pickles are often included when you eat a hamburger, hot dog or sandwich. Japanese food comes with pickled vegetables, called tsukemono. There are varieties of tsukemono by using different kind of vegetables and method based on region. One of the common pickles is cucumbers pickled in rice bran paste. But it is too much work to make at home. Here I will show you how to make a delicious lightly pickled cucumbers. Use cucumbers that can be eaten with the skin. Ideal cucumbers for this recipe are Japanese, Persian, and English.
- 120 g cucumber with skin
- salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken base or chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon ground sesame
- Cut cucumber into bite size triangle shape.
- Sprinkle salt and rub it in. Let it sit for 10 minutes and squeeze to remove excess water.
- Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken base, and sugar in bowl.
- Add cucumber into the bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle ground sesame to complete.
Cauliflower Cream Soup 77 calories
I like cauliflower in cream sauce and soup. Cauliflower is like a cloud, snow or angel. I want to keep them white. This recipe is almost like making white sauce using butter, flour and milk. Unique about this soup is that you add dashi and miso. Enjoy the cream soup in Japanese style!
- Cut cauliflower into small bite size. Slice carrot, onion and mushroom.
- Melt butter in pan with low heat. Sauté onion. Add carrot, mushroom and cauliflower later.
- Add flower and stir (watch not to burn).
- Add dashi and bring to boil.
- Stir in miso.
- Add milk and turn off heat just before boiling.
100 g Steamed White Rice 160 calories
Each 500 calories set meal comes with 100g of steamed rice. You will need to cook rice in a rice cooker or in a heavy gage pot. And measure cooked rice for 100 grams. I will show you how to make your cooking life easier. Read more How To Cook And Store Japanese Rice.