Lenny Kravitz ~ I Love The Rain
Aerosmith ~ Crazy
Willie Nelson ~ Always On My Mind
Scorpion Child ~ Keep Goin'
The Eagles ~ Take It Easy
Bach: Cello Suite #3 in C
The Union ~ Amazon
Clawfinger ~ The Truth
Bowie ~ Blue Jean
The Band Perry ~ You Lie
Deap Vally ~ End Of The World
Bryan Adams ~ I'll Always Be Right There
ABBA ~ Chiquitta
No Doubt ~ Hella Good
Mochi, mochi, mochi...where have you been all my life? Well, always there but I didn't know about it. What is mochi? Or mokee as I used to call it until I was educated in its pronunciation...mo-chi! Mochi is simply brown rice that has been steamed and then pounded into a paste. It's usually a short grain gelatinous rice but I used Clearsprings Brown Rice Mochi because I am a brown rice kinda gal. You can use it in sweet and savoury dishes and as I prefer savoury that's how I always intended to use mine.
When making my selection for my Suma Blogger Network basket of groceries I was practically giddy when I turned the page and found the Clearspring advert. The brown rice mochi was selected and the rest they say is foodie history.
Mochi is Japanese in origin and I wanted to keep this recipe simple and I wanted it to echo its Japanese roots. My mind was filled with ideas of fresh beautiful vegetables that were delicately steamed to keep their unique flavours. As I had never tried mochi before I wanted to make it a layer of flavour and texture in this dish rather than be mixed into it. I wanted to know I was eating mochi. The sauce would bring together the two elements...I wanted it to be packed with flavours and warmth.
NB: For the vegetables I took some time to sit with them and prep them into individual shapes that brought out the individuality of each veggie. But this isn't necessary and you could simply prep them anyway you choose. They will all taste the same, eh? I find veggie prep quite relaxing so for me it was a pleasure.
Mochi is an unusual texture...quite sticky...but I loved it. The flavour is mild but not bland. When combined with the steamed veggies and the warm, spicy and wholesome sauce it bursts into your mouth with flavour. I really hope you give it a go...go on...its delicious.
I had two recipes for my Suma Bloggers Network submission this time. So next month I will be back with a festive loaf...thanks to the lovely folks at Suma Wholefoods
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| Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce served over vegetables |
Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce Serves 4 as a starter
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)
Vegetable Base:
Radish, Mooli, Courgette, Carrot, Swede, String Beans, Yellow & Red Bell Pepper,
Spring Onion, Celery, Sugar Snap Peas (see notes above)
2 pieces of Clearspring Brown Rice Mochi, cut into 4
Sweet Miso Sauce:
4 spring onions, trimmed and cut into half
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger pulp
juice of one lime
1 hot red chilli, de-seeded
3 tbsp sweet white miso
4 tbsp boiling hot water
pinch of low sodium salt
scant drizzle of agave syrup
1 tsp Braggs/soy/tamari
Heat a good sized wok over a med/high heat. Add some just boiled water to cover the base and then layer the vegetables starting with the hardest to cook. ie carrot, swede, spring onion, string beans, peppers, radish, mooli and sugar snap peas. Making sure the water is bubbling, place a smaller than the wok lid into the wok to hold down and cover just the veggies. Leave to cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are cooked to your preference. Drain and place back into the wok with the lid to keep warm until serving.
Place all the sauce ingredients into a small blender and blitz until smooth. Then add to a small pan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to bubble for 5 minutes. Don't allow the sauce to reach a fast boil or it will lose some of its flavours. When ready to serve remove from the heat and cover.
Heat a small skillet and add the mochi pieces to it. Heat the pieces for a few minutes and then flip them over and repeat. Be warned...keep them apart otherwise you will be prising them apart...often.
Layer a mound of hot veggies onto a dish followed by a piece of mochi and then drizzle over some sauce. Serve immediately.
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| Rocket & Roses Brown Rice Mochi with a Sweet Miso Sauce...gratuitous foodie close up |
Enjoy!
Thanks to Suma Wholefoods for providing such great ingredients. Thanks for stopping by and I hope your week is being kind to you...
~Red~
NB: This is my creation and I have no problem with you using it or sharing it. I simply ask that you give credit where its due as I always try to. Many thanks...Namaste. ~R~
