Today’s Breakfast
Today’s breakfast.
I made grilled capelin, Japanese rolled omelet, simmered pumpkin, and garlic-flavored stir-fried komatsuna(Japanese mustard spinach) and pork.
I bought the capelin when they were on sale at the supermarket and stored them in the freezer.
The day before, I move the capelin from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw.
I once cooked the capelin straight from frozen, and the inside seemed slightly undercooked.
That is why I now make sure to thaw the capelin the day before.
I also made the Japanese rolled omelet and simmered pumpkin the day before.
In the morning, all I need to do is cook the thawed shishamo in a frying pan while making the garlic-flavored komatsuna and pork stir-fry.
The day before, I cut the komatsuna into pieces about 4 cm long and cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
That way, I do not need to use a knife or cutting board the next morning, which makes things much easier.
Today’s Little Story
Today is Sunday.
Some families may think it is fine to sleep in on Sundays.
However, in our family, we usually wake up at almost the same time as we do on weekdays.
This is partly because our two sons often have soccer practice or matches on weekends.
I wake up at my usual time and feed our cat first.
After that, I change the cat’s water and start preparing breakfast.
First, I add 1 tablespoon of cooking sake and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce to the pork, which has been cut into bite-sized pieces.
I massage the seasonings thoroughly into the pork.
Before stir-frying the pork, I start cooking the thawed capelin over low heat in a separate frying pan.
While the capelin is cooking, I make the garlic-flavored stir-fry with komatsuna(Japanese mustard spinach) and pork.
I add sesame oil and one minced garlic clove to a frying pan and heat them gently.
If you do not have sesame oil, regular cooking oil is also fine.
Once the garlic becomes fragrant, I add the pork.
After cooking the pork thoroughly, I add the komatsuna.
Once the komatsuna has softened, I add the seasoning mixture.
The seasoning mixture contains 1 tablespoon of cooking sake, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and a little salt and pepper.
After adding the seasoning, I stir-fry everything for a little longer, and it is done!
The garlic aroma really gets your appetite going first thing in the morning, haha.
Sure enough, the children ate a big breakfast.
Off to Soccer Practice
The boys have soccer club practice this morning.
I took my two sons to the practice field and chatted with the other parents while watching them train.
Naturally, the main topic was Japan’s match against Tunisia later that day.
“Maybe Ueda will score.”
“Maybe Kamada will do something special again.”
We had a lively conversation about things like that.
Since the Netherlands had beaten Sweden by a large margin, we also talked about how Japan needed to score as many goals as possible.
Practice came to an end, and once again I could see how much the children had grown.
By the time we got home, it was already lunchtime.
Making a Fried Chicken Rice Bowl in a Hurry
The match against Tunisia starts at 1:00 p.m.
This is bad.
If I take too long cooking, we will miss the start of the match!
Luckily, the rice is already cooked.
So, I decide to make some quick Japanese fried chicken.
Our fried chicken is garlic-flavored.
Yes, more garlic, even after breakfast, haha.
I cut one chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces.
I add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking sake, 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, and about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar.
Garlic paste from a tube can also be used instead of minced garlic.
After massaging the seasonings thoroughly into the chicken, I coat it with potato starch and fry it in oil.
There was some cabbage in the refrigerator, so I shredded it.
I serve rice in a bowl and cover it with the shredded cabbage.
Finally, I pile the freshly fried chicken on top, and the dish is complete.
All right.
It is 12:20 p.m.
Before cheering for Japan, it is time to fill up on energy.
Watching the Match Against Tunisia!
After finishing lunch, it is finally time to cheer for Japan against Tunisia.
I place an iced coffee and a bag of consommé-flavored potato chips on the side table.
Then I sit down on the sofa and wait for the match to begin.
There is still a little time left.
I lie down on the sofa and decide to check the results of the other matches on my smartphone.
“Japan’s important second match is now underway!”
Oh, it has started.
This looks like a close game.
“Tunisia has a corner kick. The ball is floated into the box, and Saad heads it!”
“Zion manages to punch it away!”
That was close!
If Japan loses this match, advancing to the knockout stage could become difficult.
Come on, Japan!
Neither team creates many clear chances, and the first half is almost over.
“Mitoma breaks down the left side with a brilliant dribble!”
Huh?
Mitoma?
“He sends the ball into the middle!”
“Tsubasa Ozora receives it!”
“He unleashes his famous Drive Shot!”
“The Tunisian goalkeeper cannot react!”
“Gooooooal! Japan takes the lead!”
What?????
What is going on?
No way...!
Yes.
It seems I fell asleep while lying on the sofa and looking at my smartphone.
And apparently, I was dreaming about soccer, haha.
When I woke up, the second half had just started.
The score for Japan was...
Whoa!
Japan was winning 2–0!!
The goals had not been scored by Tsubasa Ozora, but I was still relieved!
To make sure I did not fall asleep again, I stood up and cheered for the rest of the second half, haha.
Japan then added two more goals.
In the end, Japan won 4–0!
Way to go, Japan!
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