Cooking Class #1

Today the local Heart to Heart group hosted a cooking class for some American ladies.

This was my lunch

It was oishii delicious!

We chopped veggies

{photo courtesy of my friend Colleen}

battered them in tempura

and fried them, along with some shrimp =}

We made SO MUCH FOOD!

{photo courtesy of my friend Colleen}

Because I love you all so much I'm going to share the tempura recipe with you!

Tempura {serves 4}

Ingredients

*Oil for frying

Veggies

*12 medium shrimp

*1/4 small Japanese pumpkin, gutted and sliced

*1 onion cut into thin strips

*1 carrot cut into thin strips

*1 lotus root thinly sliced

*2 Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise in half then half again

{Some of these may be hard to find but you can use basically any veggies.  I have had broccoli, mushrooms, green beans and much more cooked this way and all of it was delicious!}

for the dipping sauce

*1 cup dashi {the best way I can describe this is fish stock.  You can find dashi at any Asian market and probably most Kroger as well}

*1/3 cup mirin {a sweet rice wine}

*1/3 cup soy sauce

*grated diakon and ginger to taste

{mix all together}

for the batter 

*2 cups of tempura flour {a mix of flour, cornstarch and baking soda.  again, you can find this at any Asian market and probably even at Kroger}

*2 cups of COLD water

Directions

(1)Shell and de-vein shrimp, leaving the tails attached.  Cut veggies as stated above.

(2) Mix the flour and water, you may not need all water.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter with lots of lumps.

(3)Heat oil to about 350 degrees and deep fry all of the veggies then the shrimp.

Serve with hot dipping sauce

ITADAKIMASU!

Come back tomorrow for Cooking Class #2!  The Friendship group is having their annual cooking class, we're learning how to make shabu shabu!