Menu Plan Monday for May 23 – 27

I love it when cultures intermingle, and the result is a brilliant culinary creation, don’t you?

One such creation is Taco Rice. If you’re not Japanese, have never been to Okinawa, or been to an Okinawan restaurant, then you’ve probably never heard of it. Trust me though, it’s a brilliant idea! And so simple! And delicious!

Because of the American base in Okinawa, there’s been quite a bit of American influence there. Supposedly, at some point in the 1960’s, there was a local chef who lived nearby one of the U.S. bases, and decided to combine Tex-Mex with the Japanese staple of steamed rice. I’m not sure how true this story is, but I don’t really care. At some point, Taco Rice was born. And it was good. And all the people in Okinawa, Japanese and American, really liked it. The end.

I’ve heard that Taco Rice is even sold at some fast-food franchises in Japan such as KFC and Yoshinoya, however, as I never really eat fast-food, I can’t confirm this.

Hisa made Taco Rice for dinner last night, but in my ravenous hunger, I forgot to take a picture for you, so here’s a picture I found online instead.

photo credit: learn2cook

The great thing about Taco Rice is that’s it’s just as simple as making tacos. It’s just steamed rice with taco meat on top, and then whatever other toppings you want. The most common toppings are lettuce, tomato, cheese, and salsa. I also like avocado and some crunched up tortillas chips on mine. So as you can see, it’s a very simple dish, much like tacos, but very satisfying.

Next time we have Taco Rice for dinner, I’ll try to resist devouring it all before I can take a picture. Oddly, that happens a lot whenever we have Tex-Mex for dinner. Odd, huh?

Menu Plan for May 23 – 27:

• Japanese tofu hamburger steak, steamed rice, miso soup, and salad
• Sweet & Sour Chicken and Veggie Stir-fry and egg-drop soup
• Meatball sandwiches with homemade rolls and spinach
• Stuffed bell peppers, roasted potatoes, and salad
• Fajitas

I think my sourdough starter is feeling neglected these days, as I haven’t used it in a while. Also, we have some fresh strawberries, so I think I might try making sourdough pancakes (with fresh strawberries) one morning this week. We’ll see how it goes…