Baked Kinako Rice Pudding (Gluten-Free)

Have you ever been making a rice dish, be it casserole, onigiri or stir-fry, and found that it was too mushy to be used as is? Don't fear - if you just have some sugar, organic soybeans and peanut butter you can have an absolutely mouthwatering and addicting, enjoyable dessert. This sweet and salty treat is traditionally served on Japanese new years in squares after being broiled in the oven until puffy in crispy, then it is quickly dipped in hot water and rolled in sugar, salt and roasted soy beans. It is so delicious and, in my opinion, the best type of mochi there is - even besting my coconut mochi

(Ingredients)

• About 1 cup of cooked Mixed Rice (Brown + White)
• 1/4 cup of Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup of Raw Sugar
• 4 tbl Vegan Margarine
• Toasted and Ground Soybeans
• Water to Mix
• Salt to taste

(Directions)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Take about half of your mushy rice and place into a blender with some water. Blend until it is a thick paste and mix with your rice and other ingredients other than the soybeans.
• Pack into a parchment-paper lined baking dish and then coat liberally with more sugar and a bit of salt, being just as liberal with your beans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, take out and see if it is done - if it is still sticky but has started to brown then you are at a great place.
• Using a large and clean knife, cut into sizable squares and crank the heat up to 400 degrees. Continue baking until it has finally started to crisp and finally be fully cooked.
• Allow it to rest slightly but keep it warm, and give a slice to everyone with a nice small scoop of vanilla ice cream or to add more fun to it. You could also put each slice on a stick and let everyone (under careful supervision) toast their mochi pudding to their liking in a nice toaster oven.
• Enjoy!

Double Bento - Walking Dead and Ice Cream

This first bento was my attempt at some nori art - what's supposed to look like his beard ended up looking like cheeks and the hat was all wrong. Can you tell who I was going for? Because I barely can - even though I did make an attempt at making this into Dale from "The Walking Dead". In this bento are some carrot flowers that I lightly steamed, banh pho, peppers, radishes, cucumbers and broccoli. Later on I added some delicious mochiko tofu and on the side is some mochiko garlic bread.

This bento is my absolute favorite, it has some "torn lasagna" in it with shocked broccoli, a pear, a tomato, cucumbers peppers, carrots, a vegan egg and a tiny dot of "ice cream" rice cheese. This is meant to be a delicious ice-cream themed bento, but either way its great. I had to rush with this but what do you think?

Lasagna Noodles Recipe:

1 and 1/2 cups of Flour

A pinch of Salt

Enough Water to bind it

Mix the ingredients together with your hands and knead until everything comes together. Let the paste rest for thirty minutes under a damp towel, roll it out and then cut into your desired pieces. Roll out each piece as thin as possible, flour lightly and boil. When the noodles rise to the top you can add them to your lasagna.

Lasagna Ingredients:

Mushroom Sausages (Button Mushrooms spiced with Italian Spices)

Tomato Pepperoni

Spinach

Spaghetti Sauce

Onions, Peppers and Black Olives

I hope that you guys enjoyed this - I'm off to create more recipes and bentos for you guys!

Blueberry Mochi Pancakes

These blueberry pancakes are light, slightly fluffy and crisp where it counts. Absolutely delicious and just a few will fill you up - although you'll probably eat them all anyways.

(Blueberry Mochi Pancake Ingredients)

• 3/4 Cup Mochiko
• 3/4 Cup All-Purpose or Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 Cup of Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt


• 1 Cup of Soy/Rice Milk
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/8-1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup of Blueberries
• 1 tbl Vanilla Soy-Yoghurt (optional

(Directions)

• Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, then mix them together until they are a medium-thin batter.
• Fold in your blueberries and cook your pancakes until well-crisped and browned.
• Serve plain or with syrup and enjoy!

Sugar-Free Chocolate Daifuku

Rushed perfection (aka - sorry for the blur)

Normally I'll only eat mochi if it has sauce with it (in the case of dango) but in my attempt at another Ghibli treat I discovered something absolutely delicious. It was a combination of chocolate, strawberry and marshmallow (flavor and texture). It only takes a few minutes to prepare and it's absolutely delicious!

Chocolate Daifuku Recipe:
1 and 1/2 Cups Mochiko
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/4-1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup of Cold Water (plus more for boiling)
1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Mix the ingredients together with your hands until they become firm but still easily moldable. Wrap a piece onto one your cleaned strawberries and make sure that none of the fruit is poking out. Take a piece of cheesecloth and wrap it around the daifuku, making sure that it is in an upright purse position. Tye it with twine and begin to boil a small amount of water (enough to bobble in). Cook them for about 5 minutes on medium heat and then turn the heat up to high at the last 30 seconds or so. Remove them from the water and let them cool until you can touch the cloth, unwrap and then enjoy!

Signed,

<3 Bou Shin <3