Nanakusagayu (Seven Herbs Rice Porridge / Congee) - Video Recipe

Nanakusagayu is the seven herbs rice porridge that we eat in the morning of January 7th to bring longevity and health. Perfect for your stomach after a big meal ;)

Nanakusa (seven herbs):
- Seri (water dropwort, Oenanthe javanica)
- Nazuna (shepherd's purse)
- Gogyō (cudweed, gnaphalium affine)
- Hakobera (chickweed, stellaria media)
- Hotokenoza (nipplewort, lapsana apogonoides)
- Suzuna (turnip)
- Suzushiro (Daikon)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubUUTjRz6iY

If you live overseas, you can get freeze-dry ones! OR, you can only use daikon radish or whatever ingredients you like to cook this porridge!

Freeze-Dry Seven Herbs (春の七草フリーズドライセット)
http://amzn.to/2ERMAzI



How to Cook Rice Porridge using Uncooked Rice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je1rwKDMpJk

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Nanakusagayu (Seven Herbs Rice Porridge)

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 10min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
70g Nanakusa (seven herbs)
250g (8.8oz.) cooked white rice (Japanese short-grain rice)
500ml water
a pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Wash Nanakusa. Lightly boil, then drain.
2. Cut off the roots of Nanakusa, and chop the rest into small pieces.
3. Lightly wash the cooked Japanese rice if you do not want a gooey texture. Don't wash if you like a thick porridge.
4. Bring the water to a boil, then add the rice. Add the Nanakusa, and lightly season with salt to finish.

Add toasted Mochi (rice cake) if you like! Mochi goes great with the porridge and fills your stomach ;)

レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.jp/2012/01/blog-post_11.html
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Trip to Okinawa

I am finally posting this today!
My darling and I've been to Okinawa in December. (12/21-23)
It was a real busy three days and two nights trip, but we enjoyed ;)

The tour price was amazing! Everything (plane ticket, hotel, and bus tour) was $299!!! hehe

Day 1

Ryukyu Mura: authentic re-creation of an ancient Okinawan village (琉球村)


Goya (Bitter Melon) Beer (ゴーヤビール)


The photo shows how Okinawan people used to make Sata Andagi (サーターアンダギー): Okinawan Doughnuts


Okinawan Soba (沖縄そば)


Okinawa Brown Sugar Factory (黒糖工場)


Shuri Castle Park (首里城公園)


Yunangi (ゆうなんぎい): they serve Okinawan home-cooked meals! very delicious!!! My darling found the restaurant along the Kokusai Dori Street (国際通り)


Day 2

Manzamou (万座毛)


Nago Pineapple Park (ナゴパインアップルパーク)


Ryukyu Glass Craft (琉球ガラス工房)


Lunch at Goya House (ゴーヤーハウス)


Kourijima Bridge (古宇利大橋)


Ryugujo Chochoen (琉宮城蝶々園): Butterfly Paradise


Churaumi Aquarium (海洋博公園 沖縄美ら海水族館)


Bise (Garcinia) Tree Path (備瀬のフクギ並木)


Okinawan Dinner


Eating Umi Budo (a type of sea kelp that looks like grapes) LoL


Day 3

Mainly was shopping at Kokusai Dori Street (国際通り). We found a cozy cafe restaurant called Zooton's that serves home-made hamburgers ;) Yummy!!!


Last but not least, we had Gurukun Karaage: Okinawan fried fish (グルクン唐揚げ) with Awamori (泡盛): Okinawan sake at the Naha Airport (那覇空港) ;)


I will one day make a video of my recipe that uses Mozuku (seaweed)!

Anyways, next time, I wish to visit the islands in Okinawa!!!

I am sorry for this lousy typing. I hope you get an idea of Okinawa sightseeing :)

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Datemaki (Sweet Rolled Omelet) - Video Recipe

Datemaki is one of the dishes I cook for our Osechi-Ryori (traditional Japanese New Year's food eaten during the first three days of the New Year). But it is also great for bento :) It looks like Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet) but the texture is fluffier and tastes bit sweeter. Ready-made ones are very sweet but if you make it at home, you can control the sweetness, which is good for your health!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi3V_q4dbEQ

Each dishes that make up Osechi-Ryori has a special meaning celebrating the New Year (such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, etc...) and those dishes can last for a couple of days in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature in winter. Usually, they are served in jyubako (重箱: three-tiered bento boxes). In the first tier, we serve colorful festive dishes such as shrimp, black beans, sweet chestnuts, etc... In the second tier we serve sunomono (pickled dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes). And in the third tier, we serve nimono (simmered dish) called Nishime (simmered Japanese vegetables).

Datemaki is for the first tier. I mixed some leftover minced vegetables from decoratively cut vegetables of Nishime to make them colorful and pretty!



Practice makes perfect, so I hope you learn how to make Datemaki by the end of the year ;)

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Datemaki (Sweet Rolled Omelet)

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30min
Number of servings: 4

Necessary Equipment:
blender / mixer
tamagoyaki nabe (rectangular omelet pan) regular frying pan is okay if not available
makisu (bamboo sushi-roll mat)

Ingredients:
A
* 4 eggs
* 50g (1.8oz.) hanpen (fluffy white fish cake)
* 2 tbsp. sugar
* 1 tbsp. sake
* 1 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* a pinch of salt
* a bit of soy sauce
B
* 1 tbsp. minced carrot
* 1 tbsp. minced shitake mushroom
* 1 tbsp. minced mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley)
cooking oil

Directions:
1. Place A in a blender / mixer and process until smooth.
2. Add B and gently mix them with a spoon.
3. Heat cooking oil in a tamagoyaki nabe (rectangular omelet pan), pour the mixture in the pan, cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Check if the bottom is brown or not. If the pan is too hot, cool the pan on a wet towel to prevent burning. After the bottom sets, flip over and cook the other side.
4. Cover the bamboo sushi-roll mat with plastic wrap. While it is hot, score with a sharp knife to prevent breaking, roll the omelet, fasten with rubber bands and allow it to cool until it sets.
5. Cut it into thick slices and serve.

You can bake in the oven, too!

レシピ（日本語）
http://www.cooklabo.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-post_05.html
---------------------------------

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