THE DENTIST IS IN THE KITCHEN: MISO soup

The lethargic feeling in the kitchen transpired the whole day, and come dinner time, I still haven't left the house for some market shopping. I'll probably do this tomorrow if I won't be too lazy. My fridge and pantry comes to the rescue once more; as they are the ones that dictated what was going to be for dinner.

I have bought some hondashi granules several months back without exactly knowing what to do with it. Why did I buy it? Because I was intrigued with what it's for and I have this not-so-healthy habit of buying food ingredients out of curiosity. I also buy these ingredients (usually from the Asian Aisle section of the big groceries) in the Metro every chance I get; for fear that I might have a need for it one day and I can't search it even if my life depended on it, here in Narnia! On my recent "Metro" grocery shopping, I chanced upon some Japanese Miso paste and immediately bought it even if the only thing I know I can make use of it was some Japanese Miso soup. Haha, oh well, I still have all the time to explore it and maybe experiment with it since its expiration date is still far. And alas! The day has finally arrived for me to use this 2 Japanese staples for tonight's dinner.

I researched for a good Miso soup recipe and chanced upon Michelle Chen's recipe for it in Allrecipes.com. (Thanks Michelle!) It had good reviews and when I finally tasted it, it's truly a great recipe. It's just like the ones they serve you in Japanese restos; sans the expensive price for a little bowl. Another good thing about making it homemade, is that you can control portions and I made sure I loaded mine with chunky tofu because that's what my miso soup from the Japanese food chains deprived me of!

Want to prove it to yourself? Make one! =)

Here are the Ingredients: (makes 3 big bowls)

(recipe adapted from Michelle Chen from allrecipes.com)

- 1 packet of hondashi granules (about 2 tsp)

- 4 cups of water

- 3 tbsp of Japanese Miso paste

- 2 cups worth of firm tofu (sliced into chunks or desired size)

*original recipe calls for 8 ounce of silken tofu but I always had a hard time manipulating silken tofu.They're just too fragile? =)

- 2 stalks of chopped spring onions

" a packet of hondashi granules"

Directions:

1) In a saucepan, combine the hondashi granules and the 4 cups of water. Stir to dissolve and cover with lid and let it boil.

2) Once boiling, reduce the heat to a medium and add in 3 tbsp of miso paste; whisk it in until completely dissolved.

3) Add in the sliced tofu and gently stir it. Lastly, add in the chopped spring onions and simmer it for a couple more of minutes on low heat before serving.

Jan-ja-ra-ran!!! Tada! Done! Just like that in 3 easy steps and with just using 5 ingredients! =)

I paired this super easy soup with another super easy treat: Spam Musubi! It was my first time making this Hawaiian classic. I was inspired to do it by my friends from Korean,Asian,World-wide food lovers group in Facebook; even if Andrew Zimmern swears it's one of the worst food he has eaten in his show Bizarre Foods. =) I'm grateful for knowing these foodies all around the globe as I learn and get inspired so much from them too! =)