Ahhhhh Miso Good!

So after a tedious battle, I finally have procured a bottle of Quick Miso at our market. Let me tell you, it was a great day when I found this.

Ok, I know what you're saying - who the HECK gets excited over miso?? Um, this Japanese food eating girl.

So I decided to do a whole Japanese inspired dinner on Sunday night. Again - I'm a lazy blogger and it was so good and we were so hungry, so you get NO photos.... but that just means you have to have someone else read you this and imagine it with your eyes closed and what it would look like and how it would taste!

I kid....

Or do I?

So my inspiration for dinner all started with this delicious recipe from Zakka Life for Cucumber Namasu. Now, I finally had this salad for the first time at the sushi place a few weeks back and fell in love and remembered "I think I have something like this in my reader!" I did make a few alterations to her recipe based on our taste - but either way - you must make this! So fresh and clean tasting.

Cucumber Namasu Salad

Ingredients:
1 English Cucumber - I removed the skin and tiny pieces of seed
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Rice vinegar
Sesame seeds for garnish

*** I used less sugar and salt and garnished with some fine chopped dried nori***

*** I also didn't read the recipe all the way and did not marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, and I didn't heat the sugar and vinegar together - but tossed and let sit on the counter for about 20 while the rest of dinner cooked***

For a side dish - I wanted to use some buckwheat soba noodles. So I cooked those up and let cool a bit and tossed with 2T miso, 2 T rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger and garlic and green onion and a t or 2 of plain sesame oil (not toasted). Great flavor and a tasty little side dish - I did make a whole package of soba - about 10 oz. and those were my measurements for it - but again, adjust as you need to.

Finally, I had some beautiful large scallops in the freezer and I defrosted those and tossed in some miso and seared on my non stick griddle and cooked to done. DELICIOUS.

Great Japanese meal! If you can find yourself some miso - I recommend ALL 3 of these dishes! Not that the cucumber salad is dependent upon your finding and using miso.

ENJOY!