STEEMIT CULINARY CHALLENGE # 23: Yakitori Medley.
I'm pretty excited about taking part in this challenge, I enjoy cooking for my family and always try to experiment and come up with ideas to modify and better standard recipes according to my own or my friends' tastes. This is what I'm gonna be doing today as well, I couldn't decide for a while what I should prepare so I asked my husband @matt-a about the most common appetizers he saw in Japan when he visited Tokyo last year, I wasn't surprised when he told me that it was skewer food as everyone likes kebabs, don't they? Back where I'm from they are called shashlik (Russian) they are so much bigger and primarily made of marinated pork, however I am not going to do that today, I've done it too many times haha.
It is going to be my first time cooking yakitori, so I chose to make assorted ones because sometimes when you're at a restaurant you kind of want to try a lot of things, but you also might not want to eat much, and I also wanted to include a vegetarian option for everyone out there who doesn't eat meat, so here's my yakitori medley for you!
![619A1129.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVGafeY4MiRCDDkCn4dxQLboCkHuHyJwc25RZ4K83JQAo/619A1129.jpg)
Ingredients:
- 50 ml (about 1.6 fl. oz) soy sauce;
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar;
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger;
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard;
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional);
- 200-250g (about half a pound) fresh salmon fillet cut into cubes or whatever shape you like.
Directions:
In a small saucepan bring soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar to a boil stirring occasionally, remove from heat and stir in mustard. Heat your grill pan on a medium heat, soak salmon in the mixture, I'm going to let the fish sit in the marinade for about 10-15 minutes before grilling it and brush it with the remaining juice while cooking, cooking time depends on the size of your salmon chunks.
![619A1146.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmc2YDbceh4DooAuYheX31vAeC2YWFF8bW3xqPY85z3PXC/619A1146.jpg)
![619A1134.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYmja7mTXrYfu6VueTgwqGBW5y8w362GmkufeZazXi8pH/619A1134.jpg)
Ingredients:
- 10 medium peeled shrimp;
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce;
- 30 ml (about 1 fl. oz) dry sake or rice wine vinegar;
- 0,5 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce;
- 0,5 teaspoon sugar (optional);
- lemon juice (optional).
Directions:
Whisk soy sauce, sake (vinegar), sugar and Worcestershire sauce together and simmer for about 1 minutes, let it cool to room temperature, add in shrimp and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Thread shrimp onto skewers, grill for 2-3 minutes each side or until done, remove from heat and sprinkle some lemon juice on shrimp before serving.
![619A1161.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmf3pn5TkLAm7K9nN7eTif6HNpLxcU8s6a55JARuumuFLt/619A1161.jpg)
![619A1136.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRR8D99ML8jAxD38RE15VjXps9g1Q1qHwBECnrx8ozqp6/619A1136.jpg)
Ingredients:
- 300 g (about 1 lb) boneless chicken breast;
- 50 ml (about 1.6 fl. oz) soy sauce;
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar;
- 1 tablespoons honey;
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger;
- 2 cloves fresh crushed garlic;
- freshly chopped cilantro for garnish (optional);
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional);
- 6 tablespoons teriyaki sauce for glaze (optional).
Directions:
Combine the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Add in the chicken and marinate for approximately 30 minutes. Grill over medium-hot temperature until brown glazing with teriyaki sauce occasionally. Once done sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped cilantro over the chicken, serve hot.
![619A1143.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmPAz1xuyJkL3p11QE6geqT6cCTbL3zYbjNRMMBSVbo8Aw/619A1143.jpg)
![619A1138.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNmEcGBUE46KTMoVD2ZLZKaqE35LiUnc4nq6sJGivQYdJ/619A1138.jpg)
Ingredients:
- 1 small cousa squash or a zucchini, sliced into thick rings;
- 6 medium white or shiitake mushrooms, halved or whole, whatever you prefer;
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed;
- 1 tablespoon honey;
- 50 ml (about 1.6 fl. oz) soy sauce;
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar.
Directions:
Bring rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey and crushed garlic to a boil in a medium-sized sauce pan. Set aside to cool. Place the squash and mushrooms into the mixture and let sit for about 20 minutes. Thread the mushrooms onto skewers, alternating with squash. Preheat the grill pan over medium-high heat, once hot grill the squash and mushrooms skewers about 3-4 minutes on each side or until done, baste with remaining marinade if desired.
![619A1147.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmQLdqUQwqEt8KnA6QRSAgftE6PLQ9ZUU4SMZiArzJhfBE/619A1147.jpg)
Note:
I didn't mention any spices like salt, pepper, red pepper flakes or anything else because I feel like everyone can add them to taste or spice level they prefer, I like my meat spicy so I am always adding some red pepper flakes to the marinade, you can also use chili oil on your grill pan if you like (I make my own and often mix some of it with sesame seed oil when I cook Asian dishes). Don't forget to soak your skewers in water before using them to make sure they don't burn.
For best results cook the yakitori on an actual grill, however it is not necessary.
![619A1144.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmf87dhBVwZ2S4fpp1CMtK4pzuwRofizHj11ReZJjwJ8rq/619A1144.jpg)
![619A1149.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmWadzJ1UzEhvWv8UZpygT4J7SUgAT7AMo1FhJBRWHjBZW/619A1149.jpg)
![619A1151.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbiS5Qzc4DFUMr3qo4Qb4i7v8LCcfT3UhHT1m88bUjNd2/619A1151.jpg)
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I like fresh vegetables and fruits and often use them for garnish, they are optional and you can pretty much use whatever is around. I got some Navel oranges, Poblano pepper and some dried cranberries today.
My Yakitori Medley is best enjoyed with some sake, both me and my husband @matt-a love it. It's light, flavorful and delicious!
![619A1167.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWLYC8NWZWe91uZ1SLSd5W2H6LrPaFgFZNTY7tLFYNZsw/619A1167.jpg)
![619A1171.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmZRpxZh3vv3DdXUUXD6MHRvaV7C1WhEFm91aRVdTSkbg8/619A1171.jpg)
![619A1172.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQB2jt1Hxr93gq2hSDVisq9EdM6sKH5JvhR1npa4RVbmz/619A1172.jpg)
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/20/78/ca/2078ca604ae39e4250399727f8b0dfa7.jpg)
Damn . . . You absolutely killed it. That was some serious effort and it very clearly paid off.
I'm gonna go eat this now, BYE.
Thank you very much!
This is delicious) And you can try me fish?) Yum Yum)
Thank you! The fish was tasty!
This is a beautiful post @kotturinn! Well done! Your skewers look delicious. Best of luck to you in the challenge. ;)
Thank you very kindly! I hope I impress the judges too!
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/5e/12/dd/5e12dd6aa60b6a9c4e3af85968c69705.png)
WOW! @kotturinn they all look fantastic, and I'm truly impressed by the quality of your photos. What an outstanding first entry for the Steemit Culinary Challenge! I look forward to hearing what @boxcarblue thinks when he gets round to judging all the entries. Good luck to you!
Thank you very much @woman-onthe-wing I tried my very best. I took these pictures with my husband's @matt-a Canon 5D Mark III. I wanted to make sure my photos look nice, took me around 8 hours to put everything together, in the end I was just tired and happy haha!
Before I took over as host of this challenge I used to enter my recipes most weeks, and I spent ages on them too! More than the prizes I just loved cooking and getting creative. It sounds like you're happy to be in the kitchen too, and your husband is a lucky man getting to eat what you make! Your efforts show, you did a great job :-) I hope no matter what the judge decides that you will continue entering your recipes in this challenge, as it's a great little community in its own right I think, and everyone loves seeing all the creative entries
Thank you once again @woman-onthe-wing! I do enjoy cooking a lot, back in the day about 7 years ago me and my cousin would get together, pick a recipe, cook and take pictures of our creations, fun times. I will for sure still take part in this challenge regardless of the judge's decision, I hope I win though, if not I'll try harder next time :)
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://pp.userapi.com/c4327/u16866861/114311602/z_c550e24c.jpg)
Here's a few photos from what me and my cousin Olga made before:
Chicken and mushroom pie
Sugar waffles
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://pp.userapi.com/c540/u16866861/114311602/z_3a12c33f.jpg)
They look sooooo good! I'd sample them right now if I could! You surely have a talent for it, no question. I also saw the food photos on your introductory post which look amazing too. Have you ever thought about starting your own catering business or bistro?
You are too kind, thanks!
You know, I was thinking about starting my own business a while back, but the thing is I don't think I could spend all day in the kitchen making the same meals, it is just different cooking a little bit for people you know/care about and making a career out of it. However now that you mentioned catering this actually sounds more like something I'd be into, still gotta practice some more, but I do like the idea, thank you!
Yes, I agree with what you said... I wouldn't enjoy cooking the same things over and over as I like experimenting and creating new things. That's why catering is a great option for people like us, as for example you cater a wedding and you can make the food to fit a theme or suit the personal tastes of the couple, so it's always different! I don't drive though, and live in the middle of nowhere, so a catering business for me is just not going to happen, unless I get myself a business partner who drives! Tell you what, you can move all the way to Ireland and we'll start it up haha :-)
Yeah, for sure, catering would be a great option! I also cannot drive haha, I did get my learner's permit though! We would have to Uber haha
Man! I wish I was there to try it!!!!!! It looks great.
Thanks Jesse! Hopefully next time! Everyone loves it by the way haha
If you win this, I'm definitely giving you 500 Steem to power up.
Damn! I hope I do, if not though I guess I will just try again! Gonna keep my fingers crossed!
Yup, can't give up! But I think that you have one hell of a chance.
Thank you :) I tried my best! We'll see what happens on Friday when they announce the winner!
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I love Yakitoris... great pictures too! Well done and good luck!
Thanks a lot! Agreed, yakitoris are too good not to love them!
Excellent work dear friend @kotturinn this looks very delicious, thank you very much for the recipe and the step by step, lucky in the contest.
Aww! Thanks a lot :)
I tried my best!
Good post! It's delisious and HQ photos!
Woah. That looks very delicious Ann!
Thanks! We still have some, come over!
On my way!