Tag Archives: vegetarian

FOOD

Miso soup of the day: chrysanthemum and Chinese yum

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My husband visited our relative and harvested lots of vegetables last November, one of which was chrysanthemum.

In traditional Japanese cooking, we don’t really use edible flowers a lot, except for chrysanthemum and nanohana (canola flowers).

Typically chrysanthemums are used for sunomono, Japanese vinegared food.

But we got quite a lot, so I used some for miso soup.

To prepare, I picked petals off from the flowers and boiled quickly in the hot water with vinegar.

In the miso soup, I added Chinese yum together with chrysanthemum. Both of them are good for health – they have been used as traditional natural medicine.

CULTURE, FOOD, SEASON

Nanakusa-gayu (rice porridge with 7 herbs) 2017 ver.

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Happy New Year!

I would like to start this year’s blogging with the topic of nanakusa-gayu we eat on January 7. This is to pray for good health as well as to sooth our stomach by eating warm porridge after we eat a lot during the new year’s vacation.

As I introduced two years ago, the seven herbs are: water dropwort, shepherd’s purse, cudweed, chickweed, nipplewort, turnip and radish. They are called “haru-no-nanakusa (7 spring herbs)”.

This year, I got the assortment including red turnip and radish, which made the porridge look more colorful and fun.

Cook rice with five times the amount of water to rice. Boil and cut the herbs to add into the porridge. Serve with salt or soy sauce.

FOOD

Miso soup of the day: Acocado and scallion

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Most of my blog followers are food / beauty experts or travelers who have tried various foods around the world, so I guess there is no need to explain about the benefits of avocados…

So now, let’s increase their benefits with the power of miso 🙂

Cut avocado, cook in broth and add miso paste. Top with chopped scallion. It’s also nice to add tofu in it.

FYI: It’s not a traditional recipe (generally speaking, for many Japanese, their mom’s traditional miso soup is the best in the world), so I don’t make it for others usually to avoid any complaints :p

Looking for more miso soup ideas? View my full list!

FOOD

My special porridge for colds

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Yay, I’m totally recovered from a cold! So I want to intorduce the recipe which might have helped my recovery. As I explained in my last post, rice porridge is a popular meal for colds. This time, I added everything in my fridge that is effective to warm one’s body and help the immune system in it!

 
Ingredients: cooked rice for one person (this is to save time, so if you don’t have the stock of cooked rice, simply use uncooked rice and increase the amount of water), the same amount of water as cooked rice, one umeboshi, 100g lotus root,  1 tbsp grated ginger and green onion

Method:

1. Simmer cooked rice and water in a pod.

2. Add grated lotus root, chopped umeboshi and grated ginger. Simmer for a while.

3. Serve in a bowl. Top with sliced green onion.

FOOD

Japanese Batch Cooking Recipe: Japanese Sweet Potatoes Simmered with Lemon and Sugar

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“Satsumaimo-no-lemon-ni (Japanese Sweet Potatoes Simmered with Lemon and Sugar)” is extremely easy and quick to make. It can be served hot or cold, as side dish or dessert. It lasts about 4-5 days in a fridge.

  

Ingredients: 2 small Satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potatoes), 1/2 lemon, sugar  and water

Method:

  1. Slice sweet potatoes in 1cm thick. Peel off the lemon and slice them in 5mm thick. Put them in a pod.
  2. Pour water over them till they are just barely covered.
  3. Add 2 tbsp sugar, heat and simmer till soft.
  4. Leave them in a pot for a while to allow the taste of lemon and sugar go into the sweet potatoes.
*When you store them in a fridge, keep them with the lemon syrup left in the pod in a container with a lid.