Tokyo oatmeal chocolate chip bars

Tokyo Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars 

These are those cookies I made all the time the last time we lived in Tokyo 2011-2013.  Very oaty,  not too sweet.  You can't get brown sugar here (hence the molasses) but 1 1/2 C brown sugar and leaving out the molasses would work.  Back then you couldn't get quick cooking oats either.  I will try these sometime with quick cooking oats. 

1 C butter, softened, almost melted 

1 1/4 C sugar  (or skip the molasses and use brown sugar) 

1/4 C molasses 

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking soda

large pinch salt 
pinch cinnamon 

3 C old fashioned oats 

1 C semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped up candy bars to make 1 C) 

350 degrees (170 celsius in the Japanese convection oven) 

Butter a 9x13 inch pan - or line with parchment paper.  Spread dough into pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting into squares bars.  

  

Soy-Glazed Chicken Breast "Good chicken and pickles"

Pan Steamed Soy-Glazed Chicken Breast 
and Pickled Cucumbers 

This is such a yummy dinner - from the NYT Cooking, Dawn Perry.  We added a bit of sugar to the cucumbers.  We made the full amount of sauce, but just two (large) chicken breasts.  Do not skip the cucumbers - they are an amazing complement to the sweet/savory chicken.

4 servings, 30 min

Watch the chicken - adjust temp and time.  The sauce reduces at the end.  Add a little water if you need to.  You want a couple teaspoons of sauce to drizzle on each serving.


PICKLED CUCUMBERS - make first - mix these in a bowl and let sit while chicken cooks: 

1 English cucumber (2 Japanese cucumbers), peeled (optional) and thinly sliced 

1 shallot, peeled, halved, and very thinly sliced lengthwise. 

1/4 C rice vinegar

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar 

CHICKEN: 

1/4 good soy sauce 
2 T honey or maple syrup 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil or vege oil 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed  
1 tsp coriander seeds, roughly smashed 
Garnish:  fresh cilantro leaves 

1.  In a shallow dish, combine shoyu and honey.  Add chicken and turn to coat. 
2.  Heat skillet oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and coriander and stir to coat.  add chicken (reserve the marinade) and brown, about 3 minutes per side (lower heat if necessary - browning happens fast).  Add reserved marinade and 1/4 C water to the skillet.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer on low, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 4-5 min per side (ours needed more time).  

3.  Uncover skillet, increase heat to medium high and cook for a minute or two, turning chicken a couple times, to reduce the sauce and glaze the chicken.  Remove chicken and slice.  

4.  Serve with white rice, any leftover glaze, the cucumber salad and cilantro.  We added miso soup.  YUM. 

Leftovers idea:  NYT suggests it would also be tasty wrapped in tortillas instead of with rice.