Fresh Strawberry Daifuku Mochi

Strawberries, Sweetened Red Beans, and Mochi = YUMMY

Hello! I've always wanted to make Fresh Strawberry Daifuku Mochi and finally made it! When I posted photos to Instagram, several people asked for the recipe. I felt I couldn't just give you the recipe because there's some technique involved. So, here is a video of me making Strawberry Daifuku Mochi. It's a fresh strawberry covered with anko (sweetened red Azuki beans, smooth texture), covered with mochi made with Koda Farms Mochiko sweet rice flour.

This video uses the microwave method. You can search the interwebs for a steamed method. I adapted recipes and techniques from Just One Cookbook, Bon Appetit, and my 40+ years of mochi making experience with my family. Also, I worked in a mochi & manju shop while in high school (Sakura-ya in Gardena, CA - um, seriously the best mochi in Southern California), and I helped make mochi during their busy New Year's holiday season.

Hints for success:

• Work fast - mochi needs to be hot/very warm when you form it. That's why this is a small batch. 
• Make sure your hands have potato starch on them to prevent sticking when working with hot mochi. You know what sucks and could hurt you? Having sticky HOT mochi stuck to your hands. It's a pain. Thus, if children are helping, you need to be careful. 
• If you screw up microwaving the mochi, just make another batch. You are using a small amount of ingredients and your box of Mochiko will give you several batches. (I overcooked it once and had to start over).
• Some of the video is sped up so I'm not working that fast. Please know that I've been making mochi and baking for a long time. I can hold hot mochi in my hands pretty easily. I think forming mochi might be one of those "harder than it looks on the video" techniques. But keep practicing and you'll get it! And no matter what it looks like, it's delicious! 
• I've only ever used Koda Farms Mochiko sweet rice flour made with short-grain glutinous rice. This California family business has been making Mochiko for the Japanese American community forever. Support them and follow them on IG. Also, "sweet" rice doesn't mean any sweetener is added, it refers to the type of rice. (You can't use Bob's rice flour because that is made with medium and long grain rice. You need the short-grain rice flour... just get Koda Farms and you'll be good.)
• This isn't the only way to make mochi. The interwebs has lots of videos and recipes. The ratio of mochi, anko, and strawberry varies. 
• FYI - I can't make this low-carb and have never substituted real, granulated sugar for other sugars. Koda Farms Mochiko is rice flour and gluten-free. Anko (sweetened Azuki beans) is usually gluten-free but read labels carefully.
• I have seen people substitute corn starch for potato starch and I think that'll work. You brush off most of the powder.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Koda Farms Mochiko rice flour (link on Amazon) (Hey, I noticed that I have the wrong amount on the video. The correct amount is 3/4 cup Mochiko).
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup cold water
Anko (sweetened azuki red beans), smooth (comes in smooth and rough texture. I prefer smooth for mochi) (link on Amazon)
6-8 small or medium fresh strawberries

Preparation (see video for details):

1. Cover strawberries with a thin layer of anko. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix mochiko and sugar. Add water and stir until smooth and well combined.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 1 minute. Remove and stir with spatula.
4. Return covered dish to the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir.
5. Microwave another 30 seconds and stir.
6. Finally, microwave another 30 seconds and stir. Mochi needs to be smooth and sticky.
7. Microwave times may vary because all microwaves are different.
8. Spread potato starch on work space, and plop mochi on the potato starch.
9. Cut small pieces of mochi and form into a circle.
10. Wrap anko covered strawberries with mochi, placing seal at the bottom.

* I am part of Amazon Affiliates program so I can earn a few pennies if you purchase something - at no cost to you.

Music in video by Ben Sound. Thank you!

  

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli / Cauliflower

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

In the last post, I mentioned my Tanaka Farms CSA. Today, I tweeted a photo of this green vegetable found in my CSA box with the questions: what is this vegetable and what should I make w it? 

My twitter friends came to the rescue! Thanks dessertbycandy, misschiffonade, valgriswold, justjenndesigns, janeofmanytrades, michele_james, robinreads, bluechefk for the help!!

Some sources call it the Romanesco Broccoli and some call it Cauliflower. I'm going with awesome looking veggie!

My twitter friends suggested some delicious recipes and I'm saving them for later! Today, I simply roasted it (like I would a cauliflower) with Tanaka Farms carrots and potatoes I picked up at the Farmer's Market.


I love the wonderful design and color of the Romanesco. If you haven't picked one up, please do so.

Recipe:

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli/Cauliflower, Potatoes and Carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. I used the "Convection Roast" setting on my oven...it is wonderful for roasted veggies. Cut veggies to size and toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place potatoes & carrots on a sheet pan and roast for 7-10 minutes. Then add the Romanesco and cook until done (depending on your oven), turning the veggies once or twice. (I started the root vegetables earlier because they usually take longer to roast than the rest of the veggies, but it depends on your preference and size of your veggies.) Next time, I'd like to throw in a handful of pine nuts at the end too. Enjoy!

Vegan Cocoa Cake with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Vegan Cocoa Cake

Happy New Year! How is 2012 treating you?

I sort of missed the first half the month... sick on New Year's Eve with days of sinus infection...and a Z-Pack that killed my stomach for a couple days. Then I almost broke my 4th toe (what's that called? The "ring" toe?) yesterday hiking up a mountain. Well, you can replace "hiking up a mountain" with "in my house, moving junk around." Sigh.

Why don't you start of your 2012 with some vegan cocoa cake with a light cinnamon sugar topping. I found this recipe in Hawai'i's Best Local Desserts by Jean Watanabe Hee. The fact that it's vegan isn't mentioned in the cookbook, but as I started to assemble the ingredients, I noticed it was vegan! The resulting cake is very moist. I cut it when it was still warm so the edges are all ragged...but it was still enjoyed at the library!

Recipe:
Vegan Cocoa Cake
Adapted from Hawai'i's Best Local Desserts by Jean Watanabe Hee

2 1/2 cups flour (350 grams)
1 1/2 cups sugar (300 grams)
1/2 cup cocoa (40 grams Hershey's cocoa)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oil (I used canola oil)
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoons vanilla
2 cups cold coffee or cold water (I used two packages of Starbucks Via. I dissolved the coffee in 1/2 cup boiling water and then added ice and cold water to get 2 cups of cold coffee)

Topping (combine together in a small bowl):
1/4 cup sugar (50 grams)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla and coffee/water to the bowl. Stir together with a whisk - but be sure you don't overbeat. Do not make this in a KitchenAid mixer or electric mixer - a fork or whisk are just fine. You'll see bubbles because of the reaction of the baking soda and vinegar.
4. When combined, immediately pour into the 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar topping.
5. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
6. Let cool and cut into squares.

Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins

Vegan Chocolate Banana Muffins

I woke up Saturday and wanted to bake something for the library (yeah, most days are like this). Working on Saturdays isn't always the most fun...especially when it's 85 degrees outside and the A/C in the library is broken.

However, I opened the refrig and realized I was out of eggs. What?! Out of eggs? What kind of baker am I? Anyway, I didn't find any eggs, but I did find some old bananas.


So, I searched for a vegan recipe and found Love and Olive Oil's Chocolate Banana Cupcakes. Her recipe has a frosting, but I skipped that so I'm calling them muffins.


The recipe includes coconut milk, banana, cocoa powder and a bit of cinnamon. I doubled the amount of cinnamon because I love it.

Quick and easy to make...the resulting muffin is moist. If you are vegan or don't find any eggs in your refrig, give these a try!


Recipe:
Love and Olive Oil's Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
Notes:
1. I used 1/4 t cinnamon instead of 1/8.
2. I did not make the frosting.
3. I used Callebaut Dutch processed cocoa powder.
4. I overfilled my muffin tins and got 10 muffins. Baked for 24 minutes. Next time, I will definitely shoot for 12 muffins!

Agar Agar or Kanten Fruit Jellies (aka Vegan Jello)

Fruit Jellies made with Agar Agar or Kanten

Whew. Tomorrow a new oven gets installed. My cousin bought a double oven. Sweet. I'll be a baking machine in the mornings. But, until then, I'm continuing on my no-bake desserts! Today, more freaking Jello...but this time it is made with agar agar or kanten!

Today, I'm going to my roots for Agar Agar or as it is called in Japanese, Kanten. Oh, Google the term and you'll get lots of info. It's made from seaweed (The Tokyo Foundation has a photo essay). The last time you saw it was probably at the bottom of a petri dish in 8th grade science. You may have seen it in a Japanese restaurant as Anmitsu, a fruit cocktail, red bean and kanten cube dessert.

Agar agar has lots of advantages over gelatin or Jello. First, it doesn't smell like gelatin. When you bloom unflavored Knox gelatin, you know there's gelatin in the room. Second, Agar Agar can withstand warm conditions. Most Asian countries use agar agar and it gets damn hot in the summer. It sets up super fast, even without refrigeration (although I recommend refrigerating your dessert). Since it is made from seaweed, it is vegan and kosher. It's also a "diet" food in Japan. They were on a big kanten craze because it has no calories and lots of fiber...making you feel full. Of course, I add sugar to mine, so don't hop on my diet train.

However, the texture is different! Agar Agar is definitely firmer than Jello - it doesn't giggle or melt on your tongue. Not everyone will like it, but that is their loss. :)

There are a bunch of different products out there. Kanten sticks (found in a Japanese grocery store), agar agar powder and flakes. You need to soak the sticks before use, and I read online that different brands/types might set up different...so I'm making no guarantees on this recipe.

Since I bought my Kanten powder at the Japanese store, the instructions were in Japanese. I photographed the instructions and sent them to my friend, Yuko in Japan to translate! Thanks so much Yuko!! Each envelope has 4 g of powder. I've seen large bags of Agar Agar in the Chinese market too. Everyone says it is crazy expensive in the health food store or vegan section...so you may want to wander into an Asian market if you have one nearby.

By the way, you need to check out Vivienne from Green Cilantro's absolutely beautiful fresh fruit mold - stunning! She's a creative genius! I'm definitely going to try this!

For these treats, here is what I did:
1. Place 2 cups (about 500 cc) of water in a pot.
2. Sprinkle one 4 g envelope of powdered agar agar into the pot.
3. Add 1 cup of sugar (I wasn't adding any fruit juice (a popular option) because I wanted the jelly to be clear...but it was a little too sweet. Sorta like eating firmed up simple syrup. Next time, I'd cut the sugar)
4. Bring to a boil and stir to make sure the agar agar dissolves. Boil for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour into molds. Remember, agar agar makes things firm up super quick so you need to have everything ready! I used my mini tartlet molds and one ramekin, with fresh raspberries and canned mandarin oranges (my favorite comfort food). I don't use the tartlet shells very often, so it was fun to pull them out!