It's been a long while, but yes, I am back blogging!

This is a simple recipe for nikujaga, or Japanese style stewed meat and potatoes, from The Guy. Initially he was following the basic recipe I had given him, but he decided to pare it down so that he didn't have to look at the instructions every time he made it. The result is this very easy two-step version, which is just as good as the original.

Nikujaga is great for bentos. You can make it the day before too, since it improves in flavor after the potatoes have had a chance to drink up plenty of the cooking liquid. It is a bit soupy though, so I would recommend carrying it in a leakproof container. it tastes great cold, or you can heat it up in a microwave for a minute or so. Since it's full of potatoes you don't even need to pack any rice if you want to keep the calorie and carb count down.

Recipe: The Guy's Two-Step Nikujaga (Japanese meat and potatoes)

This makes enough for several servings. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Don't freeze, since frozen cooked potatoes turn very mushy and unpleasant.

• 2 lbs (1 kg) boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 8 oz / 200 g ground beef or pork
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant dashi granules (available at any Japanese grocery store; probably available at a general Asian store)
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry (OMIT if you can't use alcohol for some reason in cooking)
• Water

Step 1: Heat up a pan with sesame oil. Put in the onion, ginger, ground meat and sauté until the meat is browned. Add the potatoes and sauté a couple more minutes.

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients, plus enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring up to a boil the lower to a simmer. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through - about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning at the end with a bit more soy sauce if needed.

Store in the cooking liquid.

From the Guy: "The chopped green onion is just garnish to make it look pretty, and can be omitted."

Can anything be more simple yet so tasty? I rather doubt it.