Stir-Fried Potatoes and Pork Belly with Basil & Green Apple and Nut Salad
Today’s dinner was inspired by the lingering warmth of early autumn. I wanted something refreshing, so I added basil to a savory stir-fry. And since our garden lettuce is growing like crazy, I turned it into a crisp salad with fruit and nuts.
🍳 Stir-Fried Potatoes and Pork Belly with Basil
Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes
Thinly sliced pork belly (about two handfuls, cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 onion
½ carrot
A few fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Peel and cut the potatoes, then rinse them several times until the water runs clear. Microwave them (500W) for 7–8 minutes until fork-tender. Lightly season with salt.
Slice the onion and carrot, microwave (500W) for about 3 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat a little olive oil and add the pork belly. Sprinkle with a bit of sake and soy sauce, stir gently, and spread evenly.
Layer the cooked potatoes over the meat.
Add the onion and carrot on top, spreading evenly.
Lightly season the whole pan with salt and pepper.
Cover with a lid and let it steam gently.
When you catch the delicious aroma of the pork starting to caramelize, drizzle 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar along the edge of the pan.
Wait a moment, then stir everything together and transfer to a serving dish.
Finely chop the basil leaves and sprinkle them on top.
Note: Just a touch of basil is enough—its subtle fragrance brings everything together beautifully.
🥗 Green Apple and Nut Salad
Fresh lettuce from the garden is washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces. Slice one green apple into quarters, remove the seeds, and slice thinly. Roughly chop your favorite nuts.
For the dressing, mix:
50cc white grape vinegar
½ tsp salt
A dash of pepper
Olive oil
Combine well and drizzle over the salad just before serving.
🍱 Today’s Full Menu
Alongside the stir-fry and salad, we had:
Sweet rolled omelet with brown sugar
Miso soup with thick fried tofu and vegetables
Steamed rice
Japanese dinners often feature a variety of vegetable dishes, and the flavors are gently seasoned during cooking, making them easy to enjoy.
🍳 Sweet Rolled Omelet with Brown Sugar
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 tbsp brown sugar
¼–⅓ tsp salt
2–3 drops soy sauce
3 tbsp dashi stock (prepared by soaking a dashi packet in water)
Mix all ingredients except the eggs. Then add the eggs and whisk well. Cook in a rectangular tamagoyaki pan (or a regular frying pan), rolling the layers as you go to create a soft, layered omelet.
It may not look perfect—the brown sugar gives it a darker color—but the taste is pure comfort. A true taste of home.
🧴 Favorite Vinegars
For the red wine vinegar and white grape vinegar, I use products from Uchibori Brewery. They’re available on Amazon Japan and add a lovely depth to both savory and fresh dishes.
Uchibori Brewery on Amazon.co.jp
Dashi
Dashi is a traditional Japanese broth that adds deep umami flavor to many dishes. Don’t worry if you’ve never made dashi before—Dashi packets are widely available online, including on Amazon.
dashi packets from Amazon.co.jp