Kudzu Mochi Modoki - Arrowroot Mochi Style Soymilk Jello

Easy to make Japanese style gelatine dessert. I used jelly made with Soymilk instead of Kudzu (or Kuzu) Mochi, molasses instead of Kuro Mitsu (Japanese style brown sugar syrup).


What I used (Makes 4 servings):

• 2 envelopes KNOX unflavored gelatine
• 1/2 cup cold soymilk
• 1 1/2 cup soymilk, heated to boiling
  
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened Kinako (click for the recipe)
  
• 1/4 cup of molasses

Directions:

1. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of soymilk in a small container or bowl and let stand 1 minute. Add hot soymilk and stir until gelatin completely dissolves, about 5 minutes.
   
2. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. Cut into 1-inch squares.
3. Devide jelly cubes into four dishes. Sprinkle unsweetened Kinako and molasses over the cubes to your liking.

"It taste like sweets grandma serves at her house in Japan!" is my daughter's comment. You can use green tea or coffee in place of soymilk for variations.

Please check my other posts for Japanese Desserts also! If you have a chance to try out any of the recipes, please let me know how you liked it.

Kinako Mochi Recipe - Japanese Rice Cake covered with Soy Bean Powder

These are Kinako Mochi made with my whole wheat Mochi!


You just cover Maru-Mochi (round rice cake) while they are still moist and soft with Kinako (soy bean powder with sugar). I would like to keep mochi in a dish full of powder for about 1 to 2 hours and roll them occasionally. With the moisture from Mochi, Kinako makes a nice thin paste over mochi this way!

I have recipes for Mochi and Kinako in separate blogs.

Please check my other posts for Japanese Desserts also! If you have a chance to try out any of the recipes, please let me know how you liked it.

Kinako Recipe - Soy Powder for Japanese Sweets

I'm not sure if you can call this a recipe, but I thought some people might want to know how to make them....


What I used:

• 1 cup of dried soy beans
• 1 cup of sugar

Directions:

1. Roast soy beans in a pan slowly in a medium heat on a stove top for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. You want to make them nicely browned. Once you count more than 10 beans pop, you are done.
   
2. Grind the roasted beans in a grinder.
3. Add sugar and mix.

The above is a photo of Kinako Mochi (Rice Cake covered with Soy Bean Powder). If you are lucky enough to live close to a Japanese/Asian grocery store, you can buy pre-made Kinako powder. You can also check Japanese Food Gifts. Asian Food Grocer offers great variety in Asian foods and food-related items, including utensils, cookware, recipes, snacks, candy, and much more.

Please check my other posts for Japanese Desserts also! If you have a chance to try out any of the recipes, please let me know how you liked it.

Whole Wheat Mochi Recipe - Japanese Rice Cake Recipe

This is a non-traditional recipe for a pretty traditional tasting mochi using a grinder and a pressure cooker. You can use a microwave instead of a pressure cooker also. 5 to 10 minutes depends on microwaves.

What I used:

• 1 cup of whole wheat sweet brown rice (you cannot use regular short grain sushi rice )
  
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
  

• Some cornstarch to keep mochi from sticking to each other

Directions:

1. Grind sweet brown rice with a grinder. (you can use store bought sweet brown rice powder if you want. I just can't get them at where I live.)
2. Mix the ground rice with water well. Use a mixing bowl you can put in a pressure cooker.
3. Add some water in a Pressure cooker, put the bowl with the rice mixture in the cooker. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes after the pressure regulator begins to rock. Let the cooker cool - do not put a cold water to let it cool faster.
4. Put the hardened mochi dough onto a hard surface. Use water to keep the dough from sticking to things. Add salt and kneed dough by folding for 3 to 5 minutes. Add water if necessary to make the dough moderately stiff, but still elastic. Now your Mochi is done!

How to make Maru-Mochi (round mochi):

1. Divide the dough into 12 pieces.
   
2. Shape each portion into round. Use water to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
   
3. Dust them with cornstarch.
   

How to make Noshi-Mochi (flat square mochi):

1. Move the dough onto a baking sheet, plastic wrapped and powdered with cornstarch, and spread it flat by hands to about 1/2 inch thick.
   
2. Sprinkle cornstarch on top, cover the top with a plastic wrap as well.
3. Once the dough is hard enough - 2 to 4 hours in a fridge should do - cut them into about 2 inchs by 3 inchs rectangles. Dust the cut surfaces with cornstarch.

These Mochi should stay soft for a couple of days in a fridge. You can freeze them also. When you are ready to use them, you can just pop them into a toaster oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Please check my other posts for Japanese Desserts also! If you have a chance to try out any of the recipes, please let me know how you liked it.

Okara Waffles - Waffles with Soy Pulp

I got more Okara today, yeah! This recipe is based on the waffle recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I added Okara, took part of flour and milk out.


What I used:

• 1 cups wholewheat flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup Okara (Soy Pulp)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl; set aside
   
2. In another bowl beat eggs slightly; stir in soy milk, cooking oil, Okara, and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. (batter should be slightly lumpy).
4. Pour 1 to 1 1/4 cups of batter onto grids of a preheated, lightly greased waffle baker. Close lid quickly; do not open until done. Bake according to manufacturer's directions.

It will take a couple of minutes longer to bake than regular waffles.

Please leave me a comment and tell me how you liked the recipe! Please try out my other Okara Recipes also!

Okara Scone - Scone with Soy Pulp

Another batch of Soymilk and another try for a recipe with Okara!
This Scone turned out great! Both my husband and I like not so sweet scones, so you might want to add more sugar, or glaze it.


What I used:

• 2 cups of wholewheat flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/3 cup of cold butter
• 1 cup of Okara
• 1/4 tablespoon of soymilk
• 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and flour them.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. In a separate bowl put Okara, soymilk, and an egg. Mix them really well.

5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

6. Put dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a circle (about 8 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick). Cut them into 8 pieces like you would cut a pie.

7. Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool them on a wire rack.

You can put powdered sugar over it if you want!

Please leave me a comment and tell me how you liked the recipe! Please try out my other Okara Recipes also!

Cute Caffe in Nelson, BC

We are on our annual Ski Vacation in Nelson, BC, Canada. The city of Nelson is in middle of nowhere, but their streets are like the ones in San Francisco. Very, very cute town.


We had nice espresso drinks and the best Chocolate Zucchini Bread this morning at "grounded - An organic coffee house" on Vernon street!