Is it really this easy!? No Cutting Board or Knife Needed—The Ultimate Collection of Super Simple Recipes That Just Require "Microwaving and Mixing"

1. Why "Just Microwave and Mix" Meals Work

• The Background of Increasing Pre-Cut Ingredients: Pre-cut vegetables, frozen vegetables, canned and pouched foods are ready to use with just an "open."
  
  

• Advantages of Microwave Heating: Even cooking with small amounts, no need for oil, no need to adjust heat, and no pots required. It helps retain nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C.
  
  

• The Key to "Just Mix" is the Quality of the Sauce: If you prepare a versatile sauce that sets the flavor, you only need to heat and mix the ingredients.
  
  

• Design to Minimize Dishwashing: Use a cooking bag, one heat-resistant bowl, and minimal measuring spoons. No cutting board or knife, no frying pan or pot needed.
  
  

• Hygiene Precautions: Aim for a core temperature of 75°C for at least one minute. Be particularly cautious about reusing containers when handling meat, fish, or eggs. Avoid leaving heated food out, and choose between cooling thoroughly or eating immediately for better safety.
  
  

2. Three Principles for Success—"No Cutting, No Washing, No Hesitation"

1. No Cutting:

   • Utilize frozen mixed vegetables, pre-cut vegetables, sprouts, canned goods (tuna, beans, corn), small tofu packs, shirasu, chikuwa (can be torn by hand), kimchi, natto, etc.
     
     

2. No Washing:

   • Cooking is basically completed in "one heat-resistant bowl." Reuse the same container when mixing. If there's little oil, a quick rinse without detergent is sufficient.
     
     

3. No Hesitation:

   • Fix the flavor base on four pillars: "soy sauce-based," "sesame," "Chinese sauce," and "ethnic spicy sour." You can apply them without looking at a recipe.
     
     

3. Four Versatile Sauces That "Set the Flavor by Just Mixing"

*Quantities are for easy preparation (approx. 4 servings). Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

1. Japanese-Style Base Sauce

   • Soy sauce 3 tablespoons

   • Mirin 2 tablespoons

   • Vinegar 1 tablespoon

   • Sugar 1 teaspoon

   • Bonito flake powder 1 teaspoon (or 1/2 teaspoon granulated dashi)
     → A classic that goes with anything. Just mix with heated vegetables after draining.
     
     
     

2. Rich Sesame Sauce

   • White sesame paste 4 tablespoons

   • Mentsuyu (3x concentrate) 2 tablespoons

   • Mayonnaise 1 tablespoon

   • Sesame oil 2 teaspoons

   • A pinch of sugar, a dash of vinegar (to taste)
     → Perfect for leafy greens, bean sprouts, steamed chicken, and tofu.
     
     
     

3. Spicy Chinese Sauce

   • Soy sauce 2 tablespoons

   • Vinegar 2 tablespoons

   • Sugar 1 tablespoon

   • Chili oil 1-2 teaspoons

   • Chicken soup stock 1 teaspoon

   • Grated garlic/ginger a little (tube is fine)
     → Infinitely expandable with tofu, glass noodles, mushrooms, frozen peeled shrimp, and canned tuna.
     
     
     

4. Ethnic "Refreshing Sweet and Spicy" Sauce

   • Fish sauce 1.5 tablespoons

   • Lemon juice (or vinegar) 2 tablespoons

   • Sugar 1 tablespoon

   • Garlic tube a little

   • Dried cilantro/shredded green shiso to taste (can be added later)
     → Perfect with boiled pork, glass noodles, cucumber, imitation crab, etc.
     
     

4. 20 Super Easy Recipes (Ingredients/Method/Points/Time/Cost Estimate/Storage)

*Principally for 2 servings. Microwave is based on 600W. Adjust to 1.2 times for 500W, 0.8 times for 700W.
*Ingredients are listed in "no cutting required" form. Tear by hand or cut with scissors if necessary.
*Costs are based on typical supermarket prices as of July 2025.

1) Bean Sprouts & Tuna Japanese-Style Sesame Mix

• Ingredients: 1 bag of bean sprouts (200g), 1 can of tuna (with oil), 2 tablespoons of rich sesame sauce

• Method:

  1. Place bean sprouts in a heat-resistant bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and heat for 3 minutes.

  2. Drain well, and mix with tuna and rich sesame sauce.

• Point: The moisture from the bean sprouts can dilute the flavor, so you can remove the wrap and heat for an additional 30 seconds to "evaporate moisture."

• Time: 5 minutes

• Cost: Approximately 130 yen

• Storage: Refrigerate for 2 days

2) Frozen Broccoli and Diced Tofu Chinese Mix

• Ingredients: 150g frozen broccoli, 150g small pack silken tofu, 2 tablespoons spicy Chinese sauce

• Method:

  1. Place broccoli in a heat-resistant bowl while still frozen, cover with wrap, and heat for 3 minutes.

  2. Roughly crumble the tofu with a spoon and mix with the sauce.

• Point: No need to drain the tofu. Crumbling it helps the flavor to blend.

• Time: 6 minutes

• Cost: Approximately 180 yen

• Storage: Consume on the same day (tofu tends to release water)

3) Steamed Chicken Salad and Kimchi Rich Flavor Mix

• Ingredients: 1 store-bought salad chicken (plain), 100g kimchi, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white sesame paste

• Method:

  1. Tear the salad chicken by hand.

  2. Mix with kimchi and seasonings. No heating required.

• Point: Since it's not heated, make it just before eating for safety.

• Time: 3 minutes

• Cost: Approximately 260 yen

• Storage: Refrigerate for 1 day

4) Glass Noodles, Imitation Crab, and Cucumber Ethnic Salad

• Ingredients: No-soak Maroni (or microwaveable glass noodles) 40g, 5 imitation crab sticks, 100g pre-cut cucumber (store-bought), 3 tablespoons ethnic sauce

• Method:

  1. Place glass noodles in a heat-resistant container with enough water to cover, heat for 4 minutes without wrap, then drain.

  2. Mix with ingredients and sauce.

• Point: Cucumber can be broken by hand or use store-bought pre-cut to avoid using a cutting board.

• Time: 7 minutes

• Cost: Approximately 220 yen

• Storage: Refrigerate for 2 days (glass noodles absorb moisture, so add more flavor the next day)

5) Pea Shoots and Fried Tofu Mentsuyu Microwave Mix

• Ingredients: 1 bag of pea shoots, 1 piece of fried tofu (cut into strips with kitchen scissors), 2 tablespoons mentsuyu (3x), 1 tablespoon water, a dash of sesame oil##HTML_TAG_