Cooking With Wasabi Paste

Learn how to use one of Japanese cuisine's most controversial condiments with these wasabi recipes. Although wasabi is most commonly used to add a hint of heat to sushi, it can also be used to add a real punch or a subtle accent to dips and sauces, pasta, chicken, tofu and more. These recipes contain easy ideas for how to add to your cooking and make it one of the most essential items in your pantry.

Avocado wasabi dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado

• 1 tomato

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1/2 tbsp vinegar

• 1 tsp wasabi paste

Method:

1. Slice your avocado and chop the tomato into bite sized pieces.

1. Mix the soy sauce, vegetable oil, vinegar and wasabi paste together in a bowl, then add the tomato.

1. Arrange your avocado on a plate then drizzle with the dressing.

Wasabi cucumber pickles

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers

• 1.5 tbsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 5-8cm wasabi paste

Method:

1. Wash and dry the cucumber, then chop up as you like. You can make cool patterns on your pickles using a peeler to remove strips before slicing into pieces.

1. Place your cucumber in a sealable bag, along with the sugar, salt and wasabi paste, then lightly mix. Remove as much air as possible before sealing and leaving to marinate in the refrigerator.

1. Leave overnight, then enjoy. Alternatively leave to pickle for 2-3 days for even more tasty cucumbers.

Prawn and wasabi pasta

Ingredients:

100g pasta

3 large prawns

1/3 punnet shimeji mushrooms

1 clove garlic

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp dashi stock granules

4cm squeeze of wasabi paste

Method:

1. Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto your prawns, making sure that they are evenly seasoned especially if using frozen prawns.

1. Cook your pasta.

1. Add the garlic and olive oil to your frying pan, warming over a low heat until the aroma of the garlic is released.

1. Add the prawns and shimeji mushrooms stir frying, then add the pasta once the prawns and mushroom are warmed through. Next, immediately add the dashi stock granules and 1 tbsp of water which the pasta was cooked in.

1. Mix well, then stop the heat. Add the wasabi and soy sauce and mix again, before giving it a taste. Add any extra salt and pepper or soy sauce, then serve.

Wasabi and cream cheese dip

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cream cheese

• 1/2 tsp wasabi paste

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise

Method:

1. Place the cream cheese to a heat proof bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds (500W) to soften it up.

1. Add the wasabi paste and mayonnaise and mix together until smooth and well blended.

Wasabi and soy sauce tofu steak

Ingredients:

• 2 blocks tofu

• flour

• 60ml soy sauce

• 60ml cooking sake

• 40ml mirin rice wine

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• wasabi paste to taste

Method:

1. Pat dry your tofu. Wrap in kitchen towel and place under a heavy item such as a chopping board. Leave to sit for a few minutes to help remove any excess water. Next, evenly dust the tofu with flour.

1. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin rice wine and sugar, then set to one side.

1. Warm the sesame oil in a frying pan, add the tofu and pan fry. Pour the dressing on and spoon over the tofu.

1. When the tofu has absorbed a little bit of the sauce, add the wasabi paste, mix well and serve.