THE JAPAN NEWS
 

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Cooking expert Hitomi Tsutsumi urges those living alone to make sure to have breakfast, based on her own difficult experience. Tsutsumi herself started to live alone in her 20s but later suffered health problems because she was extremely busy at the time and did not pay much attention to her own meals.

“Some of those who have just changed their situations at the beginning of a new fiscal year may still find it difficult to maintain a balanced daily routine,” the cooking expert said. “Even so, I hope they make sure to have breakfast because it’s an important meal to give you energy for the day.”
So Tsutsumi shares recipes for hearty soups that can be easily prepared even in a hectic morning.

Just by putting ingredients in a pot to simmer, these dishes provide you with a good balance of nutritious ingredients. The soups are also perfect for breakfast as they keep you feeling full.
“A warm soup can make you feel comfortable and cheerful,” Tsutsumi said.

The three recipes the cooking expert introduces all feature protein-rich ingredients, which can enhance metabolism and raise the body temperature, in addition to vegetables. In these recipes, the protein-rich ingredients include sausages, beans, tofu, niboshi dried small sardines and minced chicken.

Vegetables should be chopped or grated so they can be easily cooked in a short time.

It takes only 15 to 20 minutes to prepare each soup.
“If you add seasonal veggies and choose a fancy cup, your can make your breakfast more tasty and fun,” Tsutsumi said.
Tsutsumi’s favorite recipes

Chili-bowl soup

 

Ingredients:
1/8 onion (cut into 1.5-centimeter cubes)
1 bell pepper (cut into 2-centimeter cubes)
2 sausages (cut into 1-centimeter-thick slices)
¼ tsp curry powder
4 cherry tomatoes
50 grams mixed beans
½ cup tomato juice (salted)
½ lettuce leaf (roughly shredded)
Moderate amount of powdered cheese

Directions:
1. Coat a pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and saute onions, bell peppers and sausages over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add curry powder and saute briefly.
2. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until skins split open. Add mixed beans, half a cup of water and tomato juice.
3. Skim the foam when the soup boils and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and half a teaspoon of soy sauce.
4. Pour the soup into a cup before topping with lettuce and powdered cheese.

Thick soup with grilled komatsuna greens

 

Ingredients:
1 head of komatsuna greens (cut into 3-centimeter-long pieces)
4 niboshi dried small sardines (removing heads and guts before roasting)
50 grams nagaimo Chinese yam
½ tsp nam pla fish sauce or soy sauce
¼ block of silken kinugoshi tofu (75 grams)

Directions:
1. Coat a pot with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and saute both sides of the komatsuna greens over a high heat.
2. Add niboshi and 1 cup of water. When it boils over on a medium heat, spoon the tofu into the soup.
3. Add nam pla or soy sauce and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Turn down to a low heat before grating nagaimo and adding to the soup. Turn off the heat when the yam becomes fluffy.
Ginger soup with new onion and minced chicken
Ingredients:
½ knob of ginger (cut into thin strips)
50 grams minced chicken
½ new onion (cut into wedges)
lemon

Directions:
1. Put ginger, minced chicken, 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of sake into a pot and mix them well.
2. Add new onion and stew over a low-medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a touch of soy sauce.
4. Add a squeeze of lemon if desired.
To find out more about Japan’s attractions, visit http://the-japan-news.com/news/d&d