Recipe - Takikomigohan

Takikomigohan spice up our dining at home from the usual white rice that most often is what our meals are based around. Takikomigohan is rice that is cooked up with whatever you are keen on throwing into the pot. It is an efficient way to use up small bits and pieces that are leftover in the fridge. Scraps of vegetables like carrots, mushrooms, and burdock root. Meat can be thrown in (chicken or pork) or grilled bits of fish if you like.

Rinse the rice as you normally would. Put it into the pot and add your vegetables and protein. Then add the liquid as you normally would. To add depth to the rice, add dashi or some sake, soy sauce, and mirin to the water.

Once the rice is cooked toss it. The takikomigohan here has mushrooms, chicken, kombu and burdock root. After it was cooked I added some toasted sesame seeds.

Here you see the rice served for breakfast with miso soup and in Shinji's bento for his lunch.

Recipe - Karashisumiso Octopus からし酢みそ

Karashisumiso is a great dressing to have on hand in the kitchen. It is based on sweet white miso made from rice that is thinned out with rice wine vinegar and Japanese karashi mustard. It is particularly great in the summertime as it is refreshing on the palate. In this dish the dressing is tossed with tender boiled octopus, thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers, and wakame.

When purchasing the miso look for either Saikyo miso or komemiso (rice miso). It will be very light in color and on the palate slightly sweet.

2 Tbsp. sweet white miso
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
karashi mustard (to taste)

Mix the miso, vinegar, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add karashi mustard to taste. Toss with octopus, cucumbers, and wakame.

Miso

Wakame