Simmered Root Veggies

Hi all, hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas! 

 

I keep saying time flies, and wow…the year of 2021 is ending in 2 days! Can you guys believe how quick the days passed? And as the new year is approaching, I’m busy preparing the traditional food to be enjoyed on new year’s day. 

 

For some of you who are new to my blog, I’m originally from Japan and have spent the last 15+ years in the US, mostly within the west coast. I love American food but still my foodie soul nurtured in my original country is alive, so this year I’m making traditional food to enjoy the new year’s day in Japan. 

 

All food consumed in the first 3 days is prepared beforehand to secure relaxing time for the home chef, so this will be stored for a few days from today (except the portion for taste test that’s a little too much according to my dinner buddy, Mr. husband)

 

My favorite root veg in this recipe is small taro, the sticky little potato cooked in the holy trinity of Japanese cooking(soy sauce, sake, sugar) so please enjoy and have a wonderful new year’s day!

 

Let’s cook!

 

<Today’s Recipe>

Simmered Root Veggies

 

<Ingredients>

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• 3~5 dried shiitake mushroom
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 3~5 small taro – peeled and sliced into a bite size
• 1 medium carrot – cut into a bite size
• ½ can water chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cooking sake
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Some salt to taste
• Some edamame – steamed and removed from the pod

 

<Directions>

1. Prepare dried shiitake mushroom – soak dried shiitake mushroom in lukewarm water for about 30min. Squeeze out liquid(Don’t throw away the liquid! We’ll use it later) and slice into halves. Set aside.
2. Prepare small taro – fill water in a pot and put small taro in it. Bring it to a boil. When the liquid starts to boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 min. Drain and set aside.
3. Add soy sauce, cooking sake, sugar in a pan and bring it to heat.
4. When the sauce gets warm, add carrot, taro, shiitake mushroom and water chestnuts. Stir well for a few minutes and when the liquid starts to boil up, pour the shiitake water(the leftovers from the direction 1.) Close the lid and when the liquid starts to boil, reduce heat to medium low.
5. Simmer until the liquid is almost boiled up.
6. Add edamame for garnish and serve hot. Enjoy!

 

<Cooking Tips>

• Play with what root veg you want to put. The traditional one we eat on the New Year Day contains carrot, small taro, lotus roots, snow peas, burdocks, and chicken but I couldn’t get some of them so I used substitutions and omit chicken as I’m trying to stay plant based.
• You can skip step 2 if you like small taro’s sticky texture.
• Edamame(snow peas) is just a garnish, so add them right before you serve it to secure the beautiful color of green.

Mmm,  I think my mom is making this one for new year’s day’s breakfast/lunch/dinner too! 

 

So talking about my family in Japan…Because the Omicron variant case is spreading, Japan closes the gates to all foreigners. Therefore, I thought the plane ticket must be cheaper than usual, so I checked the price, similar to the term when I was a college student. I didn’t plan going back this year because it will be full of conflict under this situation but well, I wanted to just yell “hey the plane ticket to Japan is too cheap! Look!!” to my dinner buddy. 

 

But…surprise!! The plane ticket price was 1.5~3x this year!! I thought I was checking business class but no, the economy class’ cheapest direct flight(yes that’s also the same condition back when I was a college student) was priced at $3,000! 

 

If I’m just a tourist, I’d pay $3,000 and be told that I can’t enter? And the flight ticket isn’t refundable, right? Wow…this year has gotten so crazy…

  

I’ll be a couch potato this upcoming new year day but I hope everyone will be having a wonderful time with family.

 

Cheers!

 

<Other Japanese Traditional Food Recipes>

The traditional celebration food! Osekihan

This is vegan friendly too! Stir-fried Dried Radish

Popular snack! Sweet Potato Yokan

Enjoy home cooking and your own creation of homemade food:)