Pork and Chinese Cabbage Simmered Udon Soup

This soup was surprisingly good. It had a very mild flavor and was exactly what I needed tonight.

Pork and Chinese Cabbage Simmered Udon Soup
豚肉と白菜の煮込みうどん
オレンジページCooking　冬レシピ２００９　(Orange Page Cooking - Winter Recipes 2009)

2 packs of precooked udon noodles
150g shaved pork (しょうが焼き用肉)
4 Chinese Cabbage leaves
2/3 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cooking sake
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
dash of black pepper
4 cups water

Cut the chinese cabbage leaves into 3-4cm squares. Add chinese cabbage, pork, water and sake to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming of any scum that forms on top. Add the udon noodles and simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat, add sesame oil, salt and pepper. Serve.

Tappuri Chinese Cabbage Nabe

たっぷり白菜鍋 (Tappuri Chinese Cabbage Nabe)
Kyou no Ryouri Beginners Magazine p. 49, Jan 2008

Ingredients
150g shaved pork
1/4 Chinese cabbage
1/2 leek (ねぎ）
1 small piece ginger
1/2 cup cooking sake
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Wash the Chinese cabbage and chop into 2” pieces. Do the same with the leek. Wash the ginger and slice very thinly.
Put 1/3 of the Chinese cabbage in the bottom of the nabe pot. Add half of the leek and ginger. Layer half of the pork on top of the other ingredients. Repeat the above steps. Put the last third of the Chinese cabbage on top.

Add one cup of water and the sake. Heat over medium flame. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat and add the soy sauce. Simmer for fifteen minutes.

Japanese Style Chinese Cabbage Salad 白菜の和風サラダ

白菜の和風サラダ (Japanese Style Chinese Cabbage Salad)

This makes enough for two. I believe this was my first time eating raw Chinese cabbage and it was pretty good.

200g Chinese Cabbage (I used about an eighth of a head)
1-2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil (use only if using sardines)
1/2 cup boiled and dried baby sardines (I didn't use these as I couldn't find them)

Dressing (I tripled this as I used a lot more Chinese cabbage)
2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Shred the Chinese cabbage and soak in cold water for twenty minutes. If using sardines, heat sesame oil in frying pan and fry sardines until golden. Drain cabbage and put in a salad bowl. Add the sardines to salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Sprinkle sesame seed over just before serving.

From the magazine オレンジページCooking - 冬レシピ2009　(Orange Page Cooking - Winter Recipes 2009). Originally published in Japanese.