Showing posts with label sweet rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet rice. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Chicken and Mushroom Sweet Rice

鶏ときのこの炊き込みおこわ

DSC_7283White rice was valuable and hard to obtain long ago in Japan. Putting ingredients in a stone pot along with seasoning added to the rice cooking method was welcomed because you could use less rice. It has evolved since then and hundreds of recipes are available now days but my favorite still is the five ingredients rice(五目ご飯), because I get nostalgic about my late mother…she made the best seasoned rice…my complaint was that she only made it on special occasions; 1-2 times a year.DSC_7282

It tastes great even if it gets cold, plus no need for side dish…maybe some pickle or salted plum(梅干)?…clear broth is not too bad a combination either…mmm…baked egg(卵焼き), I must add.

Ingredients and Instruction  for 3-4 servings (Print Recipe Here)
Revised recipe of Masahiro Kasahara

Necessary equipment –rice cooker

  • 2 cups (rice cooker cup) sweet rice (もち米)
  • 1 package shimeji mushroom, cut off ends, separate
  • 1 package enoki mushroom, cut off the ends, cut in half then separate
  • 4 shiitake mushroom remove stems, chop cap into 4-5 piecesDSC_7258
  • 2 chicken thighs, boneless, skin on, butterfly the chicken so that the chicken is mostly flat.
  • Combined seasoning (3 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 2 Table spoons each of mirin and sake) mixed in a measuring cup.
  • 2x4 dried kelp sheet, clean the surface with moist paper towel
  • 1-2 stems of mitsuba/Japanese parsley (optional) roughly cut leaves.DSC_7261
  1. Wash rice and soak in plenty of water. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. If you are using regular white rice then soak just 30 minutes.DSC_7257
  2. Put all mushrooms in a non-stick frying pan. Dry sauté mushroom at low- medium heat until the volume goes down to about half and it becomes aromatic, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.DSC_7262
  3. Heat another pan (or quickly clean the same pan used in step #2) at medium-high. Place chicken skin side down to brown the skin only, about 4 minutes then remove from heat. When the chicken is safe to handle, cut in chunks. Set aside.
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  4. Drain the rice and put in the rice cooker, add sautéed mushroom, chicken, mixed seasoning, 1 cup water* and push kelp in the liquid. Cook as normal (if you have a ‘Quick’ feature in your rice cooker, you may opt for that). * if you like softer rice, add another 1/4 cup of water.DSC_7273DSC_7275DSC_7279
  5. When it’s done, remove kelp, stir to combine with rice spatula, top with mitsuba and serve.DSC_7286

 

Some of my Today’s Sweets instagram post (#todayssweets…do not confuse with Today’s TAPAS) – Soy milk pudding with dark brown sugar syrup…not bad! IMG_5491

Some of my Today’s Sweets are store bought. This fruit tart from Saint-Honoré French pasty shop in downtown Lake Oswego. I liked it! IMG_5469-1

Speaking of French, oui, oui, we dined at Cocotte – Fried frog legs! Son goût comme le poulet (It tastes like chicken)!IMG_5565

Our Anniversary and my birthday were both last week. I received bouquets of flowers, a plant and some chocolate from my husband, friends and neighbor. IMG_5562I’m flowered…I mean, floored with gratitude!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Porcupine Meatballs

Sweet rice Shumai / もち米の焼売DSC_4871

Our plane landed at the tail end of summer. The sun setting in the west is rather spectacular, I let out a sigh of relief… but we also felt somewhat blue.
Getting back into my routine is a bit of a task and slow. I inspect things we purchased during our journey…ahhh…the wappa (輪っぱ) bento box…such a nice find!

What I could fill the box with? I dunno…two thirds of our vegetables were wilted, some liquidized in the refrigerator and the milk had a sour taste…Darling, I think this has gone bad…he grabbed the car keys, and headed off to the store for fresh milk. His supper – the peanut butter sandwich -  would not be complete without it. Anything else you want me to get? he asked…completely jet lagged…thinking is way too hard.

This popular Chinese dim-sum requires no wrapper. Quick and satisfying recipe from Seattle pastry maker Setsuko. Her fabulous looking confections you can order through her website.DSC_4873

Ingredients and Instruction for 10 to 15 Shumais (Print recipe here)

Necessary equipment – Steamer (I used bamboo steamer)

  • 1/2 cup sweet rice
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 of medium size onion finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons ginger finely grated or juice  Note: I like to grate skin and all first then wrap in paper towel to squeeze juice out.DSC_4849
    Here, my husband demonstrating
    .DSC_4852
  • 2 teaspoons each of sake, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil
  • 2 Tablespoons potato starch or corn starch
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Vegetable oil
  1. Wash sweet rice quickly, perhaps 2-3 rinses changing water each time – sweet rice absorbs water fast so do not soak in water. Leave washed rice in sieve until needed. Get steamer ready with at least 2 inches of water at the bottom of steamer pan.
    DSC_4847.
  2. Put ground pork, finely minced onion, grated ginger (or juice) in a medium bowl and combine well.
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  3. Add seasoning – sake, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil and mix well.
  4. Add cornstarch and knead until it comes together. Salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Make balls (approximately 1 and 1/2 inch in size). Roll in sweet rice.DSC_4858
  6. Brush the steamer bottom with vegetable oil to prevent the meat balls from sticking  Lay the meat balls without crowding, put the lid on, steam for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch out for the hot steam when you remove the lid. Serve with gyoza sauce if you like.DSC_4859 DSC_4863

Also great is to put in Chinese soup. I short cut by using Chinese soup granule base, with soy sauce and vinegar to adjust flavor. See, easy does it!DSC_4879

Here are some photos we took in Japan in random order…Amazing Kyoto Tower view from our hotel room. 01a741d1c81a16a7bdf2c1edf121e642c1ed59be90
My  husband loves ‘drinking yogurt’. The bakery in town of Akitsuki (秋月/Autumn Moon), Fukuoka called Pan (Japanese name for bread)…that works.
We indulged in many good eats! Even bad for you foods but tasted so good!
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We flew from Narita Airpot to Fukuoka
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The first thing we ate in Fukuoka is Hakata ramen – famous for rich, pork based soup at Ippudo (一風堂) for about 10 bucks. On contraire, we had the most expensive 5 course lunch at a French restaurant near Matsumoto Castle.
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…by accident. 1st course is red turnip soup...Wow!
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Pose with samurai warrior at well preserved Matsumoto Castle. The peek –a-boo view from tiny opening. I think that is the coolest castle ever!
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Took over an hour but we made to the top of Happo Peak in Hakuba.   In fact, we walked most everywhere, a little break at Kanazawa’s samurai residence.
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Hakuba rice fieldIMG_1771

HairJam..yummy?!              We loved the museum and the artist, this in Azumino, there is a Tokyo museum also.
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My son and his wife Joined us to Karuizawa. We love Karaoke!
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Sacred Lotus flower in Toji temple in Kyoto.
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Kuzu noodle with real gold syrup at Kanazawa.
Blueberry soft serve ice cream, reward for climbing Happo Peak (八方家根) – A Japanese blogger Mnoru posted beautiful photos of the area. It was a pleasure to meet him and his wife in person in Tokyo…honey, where is the photo we took with them?
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Kiso Bridge (木曽の大橋) In Narai and near by Café Miyama for the famous 100 years old curry (not really, just the recipe) for lunch. 
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Asakusa, Kaminarimon in Tokyo, the young rickshaw driver who studied at San Jose University for 2 years, speaks fluent English.
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World’s 2nd tallest building – Tokyo Skytree 019a88ebf0e77168033e3dd1e5719e6d7f2eab25fd….saw this view.019905dd82b54804c3fb7fbb8c62e5ed020f4587dc

Enjoy the famous fire works at Lake Suwa.