nasu miso itame (aubergine and pepper in miso)
3 small aubergines
3 small green peppers (or two medium ones)
4 cm piece fresh ginger
2 tablespoons awase miso
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
125 ml water
1 teaspoon kuzu or potato starch, dissolved in a little water
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon sake

Cut the aubergines into thick chunks, diagonally ( using the han giri rolling wedge technique). Sprinkle with salt and leave for half an hour. Rinse and pat dry. Cut the peppers and remove the seeds. Grate the ginger. Mix the miso, soy sauce , sugar and water to a thin paste. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok. Add the vegetables and ginger and keep stirring to prevent sticking. Add a splash of sake, and then stir in the miso mixture. Simmer until the vegetables are just cooked, then thicken with the starch. Serve hot or at room temperature.

hijiki and carrots
30g dried hijiki
1 deep fried tofu pouch
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
250 ml water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 medium carrot, cut into juliennes or flowers
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Soak the hijiki in warm water for 30 minutes until soft, then drain and discard the soaking water. Pour boiling water over the ofu to get rid of excess oil, then cut it into thin strips. Mix the soy sauce, mirin and sugar until dissolved. In a large sauté pan heat the sesame oil and add the ginger, hijiki and carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes then add the tofu and soy sauce liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the hijiki and carrots tender. Garnish with sesame seeds. Variations: instead of carrot, lotus root, burdock, chicken and soy beans all go well with hijiki.

salmon teriyaki
4 salmon fillets (or cod or yellow tail)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons ginger juice