We interviewed Tatsuya and Shino, who are active as cooks “Guti Couple,” about convenient items they recommend for those days when you “don’t want to think about anything else! We interviewed Tatsuya and SHINO, a couple of cooks, about useful items they recommend for those days when you don’t want to think about anything else, recipes that are easy to prepare, and what they are doing to prepare meals for their 2-year-old child.

Tatsuya (Husband) / Chef, Marketing Consultant, Restaurant Owner
Specializes in dishes that go well with rice, one-pot meals, and snacks that go well with alcohol. In addition to his work as a chef, he is also involved in corporate marketing and new business start-up consulting.

SHINO (Wife) / Cook, Nutritionist, Infant food instructor
Specializing in a wide range of cooking from standard dishes to sweets, she is active in many fields including recipe development, product development, and menu supervision for companies. She provides easy-to-practice and friendly cooking and food information.

Table of Contents

• What is important to us is “the fun of creating without being overstretched.
• Greatly useful for making children’s meals! Useful items recommended by Mr. and Mrs. Guti
• I don’t want to think about anything else! A simple menu for those days when you just don’t want to think about anything else!
• Don’t make it from scratch! How do you get through a day when you don’t have time?

What is important to us is “the fun of creating without being overstretched.

SHINO: To be honest, there are days when you have to cook even if you don’t want to. On the other hand, there is also the “joy of cooking for someone else” and the pleasure of having the person who eats your food tell you that it tastes good. What is important to us is that we can enjoy cooking without being overstretched, both when we have to cook and when we want to cook. It doesn’t have to be special or perfect. It doesn’t have to be special or perfect. It just has to be something that you can continue to do on a daily basis without strain, and that will make you feel a little better. That is what we emphasize in our recipes.

Tatsuya：There are certain parts of the recipe that cannot be skipped in order to make it tasty. For example, while keeping the important points in mind, such as the garlic to bring out the aroma in the oil, I try to find a balance between the other parts that can be left out and the parts that can’t be left out. I also try to make recipes that can be made with ingredients that can be found at any supermarket and recipes that can be made with ingredients that are already in the house without having to buy special seasonings, so that people will think, “I can make this,” or “I want to make this.

Very useful for making children’s meals! Useful items recommended by Mr. and Mrs. Guti

Freezer tray for convenient use after weaning period is over.

SHINO: A freezer tray that can be frozen in small portions and used directly in the microwave is very convenient. It is best to choose a container that is soft and the contents can be easily removed.
It is very convenient not only for storing porridge and paste during the weaning period, but also for cooking small portions of food, both for infants and for adults.

　I often make Tofu Chicken Dumplings. Simply mash ground chicken, tofu, and potato starch in a plastic bag, cut off the corner of the bag, and squeeze the mixture into a freezer tray. Children will enjoy eating them if you put them in miso soup or soup, or mix corn, edamame (green soybeans), or other ingredients that children like with the dumplings.

Tatsuya： I recommend making hijiki nimono and mixing it with rice, or freezing grilled salmon and reheating it to make cream stew or vegetable sauce. If you cook the salmon in advance and divide it into small portions, you can easily increase the number of dishes even when you are busy. This is a great idea for moms and dads who are raising children and are often pressed for time to prepare daily meals.

Hijiki simmered in soy sauce. It can be served as a side dish or mixed with rice.

Ms. SHINO: I learned about the convenience of the automatic cooking pot after my own child had finished eating baby food, but I wish I had known about it sooner! Just add raw rice and water to make porridge, and by adjusting the amount of water, you can make 7x or 10x porridge. When you are busy, you can make soups, potages, curries, and stews by simply chopping vegetables to the right size, popping them in, and leaving them to heat for about 30 minutes.

It is also useful for making sauces. Simply add roughly chopped onions, carrots, and other vegetables and raw ground pork, add canned tomatoes, consommé, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and press the button to complete the meat sauce. You can pour the sauce straight from the pot over boiled pasta.

Tatsuya：Because vegetables can be easily made into a paste, it is easy to feed children from the weaning stage to toddler food stage. As chefs, we value seasonal ingredients, so we like the fact that we can make a variety of vegetable soups from spring to winter. For example, for komatsuna soup, all you need is komatsuna, water, and consommé. It is also useful when making a portioned menu for toddlers, for example, to use a little less salt for the children and add salt later for the adults.

Approach children’s likes and dislikes with characters and stuffed animals.

Ms. SHINO: My child doesn’t have many “I don’t like this” foods, but there are times when he won’t eat something that he is uncomfortable with the texture of. In such cases, instead of trying to force him to eat, I put a character or stuffed animal in front of him and ask him if he wants to try it with me. Also, using a spoon or fork with a train on it that the child likes, I say, “Gatan, gatan, gatan, gatan, get it, Mr. Tomato! When I take the food from them while saying, “I’ll do it by myself,” they sometimes start to eat. We place importance on creating an atmosphere in which eating is a fun time.

　Other than that, I usually try to get them interested in food and ingredients by using felt toys, such as “This is broccoli,” or “This is shumai, we had it the other day.

Felt toys that Tatsuya found at a marché and a sandwich toy that came with a picture book.

I don’t want to think about anything else! A simple menu for those days when you just don’t want to think about anything else!

Microwavable Spinach and Minced Tomato Curry

Don’t make it from scratch! How do you get through a day when you don’t have time?

SHINO: “I don’t have time to cook dinner today! I am conscious of “not making everything from scratch” on days when “I don’t have time to cook dinner today! Actually, there are days when we are too tired to cook. At those times, we often rely on frozen foods. For example, for doria, we can buy frozen chicken rice, pour white sauce on top, put cheese on top, and bake it. I often stock frozen edamame, frozen corn, frozen okra, frozen spinach, and frozen potatoes. These are easy to add nutrition and volume.

Tatsuya：I also bake it in a toaster or something, so I feel like I’ve made it and I don’t feel guilty. I often make a vegetable pizza. Pizza is very useful in my family when we are busy because the kids will eat it by themselves. Since all you have to do is put it on bread and bake it, I think it is easy to make even for those who are not good at cooking. Still, there are days when we don’t want to cook anything. On those days, we order delivery or eat out at a familiar restaurant that we can go to with our children to get through the day.