So first of all, I have had like no motivation to cook. But I like refuse to eat fruits, nuts, and yogurt all day, even though I love them, so I got my arse in the kitchen.
My mom has been incredible since the break-up. She's such an amazing woman, and one of her best and her most amazing skills is her ability to heal sadness both with love and food.
So here's to you mom. Of course it will never be as comforting as eating your version, but here is my Hijiki No Nimono, dedicated to you.
Hijiki No Nimono
Japanese Home-Cooking=No Measuring of Ingredients! But here's what you need:
Dried Me-Hijiki Seeweed
Renkon (Lotus Root)
Carrots
Abura-Age
Soy Sauce (about 3 TBSP)
Mirin (about 3TBSP)
Sugar (about 3 TBSP)
*Some other vegetables you can use are burdock, green peppers, shiitake mushrooms, etc.
First: Rehydrate the Hijiki. I didn't know how much the seaweed would grow, so I put about a cup of dried Hijiki in a bowl. It made a lot. Let's just say the end result produced about 4 cups of Hijiki No Nimono.
After about 10 minutes of soaking in water, drain and rinse in a colander.
While the seaweed is soaking, chop up the veggies and abura-age into thin strips.
Here's what abura-age looks like. It's fried tofu skin.
I had made Inari-Zushi a few days prior and had a few Inari Pockets left over, so I used those.
Then, sautée up the hijiki, veggies, and abura-age in some oil in a deep pan.
Add the mirin, shoyu, and sugar and stir well.
Add enough water to cover the Hijiki and simmer for about 20 minutes until the flavors are soaked up and the veggies are tender.
Taste it and see how the flavor is. If you like it sweeter, add more sugar. If it's just lacking flavor in general, add some more soy sauce. Just play with it :-)
Hijiki No Nimono over rice is one of my favorite meals. It's the perfect lonely, one-person meal :-)
2 comments:
Gods Cake
Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely Mom, I love your cake.'
'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers.
'Yuck' says her daughter.
'How about a couple raw eggs?' 'Gross, Mom!'
'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'
'Mom, those are all yucky!'
To which the mother replies: 'Yes , all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! '
God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!
I love that.... :-) it's giving me a lot of hope!
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