Lighter Onolicious Butter Mochi

It has been a while... My day job has been getting the best of me last year. I have been working long hours as usual and all my energies have been focused on work. Don’t get me wrong – I have been cooking, but it was mostly for sustenance. I have been relying on the cooking experience that I had in the previous year to add some variation, but I have had no time to read up on trends, new techniques, or even watch cooking shows. Honestly, I miss it... a lot!


However, it's a new year. I had time to relax and somewhat catch up. What the New Year also means is making mochi for our dojo's new year celebration. We celebrate Kagami Baraki every year, and one of the traditional treats is mochi. I feel compelled to somewhat maintain tradition - perhaps in a non-traditional way.

I have a small batch mochi recipe that I've been using when I have the urge to make mochi. But that is usually good for only 2-3 people (or one very hungry cook). I do not think that would be good for a potluck though, plus I am not looking forward to rolling mochi balls for 20 people (Watch out for it on a future post, though).

I found a recipe for Butter Mochi a while ago and decided it was time to make it for this year's party. It's not quite Japanese mochi, but I think this reflects my personality especially at the dojo: Slightly Japanese, slightly Hawaiian - although I am neither (I'm Filipino). In reading the reviews, some people said that this recipe reminded them of Filipino bibingka. So, this is almost perfect...

The one that I found originally had adzuki beans and I could not find it. Luckily, this one from allrecipes was very similar. The bonus was it had a high ranking.

What I don't like about it was it seemed to be too rich - eggs, butter, condensed milk, coconut milk - oh so yummy, but so high calorie. Besides, with all the rich foods everyone has been enjoying through the holidays, I thought a lighter version would be more appropriate, but being cautious not to sacrifice flavors.

Since the holidays allowed me to rest my brain cells, I believe I have come up with very good, if not excellent, substitutions. If it were last year, I'd probably come up with zilch. 

This is what I have so far… as always, let me know what you think.



Lighter Ono Butter Mochi

Based on Ono Butter Mochi from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mochiko (1 box)
• 1 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 cup lite coconut milk (I can)
• 1 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or more)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp of salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x13 inch baking dish (or if you prefer thinner cakes, 2 8 x 8 inch baking dishes).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and milk.
• In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. Mix in melted butter. Pour into the prepared pan(s).
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Cool completely, then cut into squares to serve.

Verdict:

Butter Mochi: The crust is the best!

As the Hawaiians would say, Auwe! This was a hit at the party. The kids loved it, and asked me to make it again soon. The adults even asked me for the recipe. I was quite flattered. My self-proclaimed non-dessert eating husband even had seconds!

I brought some extras at the office, and one of my office mates said that it reminded them of an Indian snack called Pitha. According to her, pitha also has rice flour, coconut milk, sugar - but no eggs. Another office mate said it tasted like a Malay snack called kuay. No sure of the spellings though…

One change that I would make is to figure out how to half the recipe. This resulted in two 8 x 8 pans (I made them thinner) and while that is awesome, I think that may be too much. I have some ideas... But I need to experiment. I guess no one would complain if I make some more.

As a side note... It really feels good to write again. I really do hope I have more opportunity to do so in 2017. I have a list of projects to share specifically those inspired by our last trip to Kona in Hawaii last summer. Unfortunately, this year is going to be busy again... No complaints... it's job-security. I am wishing for more time to write.

Here’s to more creativity and more writing. Happy New Year!!!

Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Meat Soup)

Homemade Kjötsúpa

My Icelandic food saga would not be complete without a post on Kjötsúpa or Icelandic Lamb soup. In our 10 days in Iceland, we probably had soup almost every day, and in almost half of those days, we enjoyed a bowl of lamb soup. My hubby and I could not get enough of Icelandic lamb. It has a very mild flavor and very tender. During the fall in Iceland, this warm meaty broth was the perfect lunch after a morning of activities.

I wanted to get an Icelandic cookbook while I was there, but things were rather pricey. It’s quite understandable: they had to ship everything in. Fortunately, I found a lamb soup recipe in, of all things, the free Visitor’s guide. Score! This will allow me to get more souvenirs.

Kjötsúpa from Old Iceland, Reykjavík

The recipe also calls for a tablespoon of herbs - but it was not very specific. I am guessing that this refers to Arctic herbs. I looked around and the price point was a bit too steep for me and it had added salt (which was probably key). I decided not to get it. However, one of the chefs shared with us that he used a combination of oregano and parsley. I also read that arctic thyme is part of the blend, so I added a teaspoon of that. In place of the added salt, I used a combination of salt and celery seeds to reduce the sodium impact.

Since I’ve been learning a lot of technique from watching Food Network (Chopped or Beat Bobby Flay, nowadays), I decided to add some twists to the original recipe: browning the lamb, pan roasting the veggies to bring out the natural sweetness, and adding the dried herbs at the beginning to bring out the flavors. I can use any extra flavor that I can get since I do not have Icelandic ingredients which benefit from the clean environment (no GMO’s) and glacier clear water.

Here’s what I have so far. Try it and let me know what you think.

Kjötsúpa (Traditional Icelandic Lamb Soup)

Based on a recipe from the Iceland/Reykjavík Visitor’s Guide

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 14 oz of lamb (best to get the end of the neck, I was lucky enough to get some)
• 3 1/4 cups of water
• 1 medium sized onion (about a cup)
• 1 cup of sliced rutabaga
• 1 cup of sliced carrots
• 1 potato (about a cup)
• 1-2 Tbsp of rice
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 2 tsp of dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp of celery seeds
• 1/8 tsp of salt (use up to a 1/4 tsp, if you prefer)

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Brown lamb on both sides for about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer lamb to a plate and set aside.
4. Add onions and cook until onions begin to soften.
5. Add rutabagas, carrots, potatoes, salt, and herbs. Cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Return lamb to the pot and add water. Cook at low heat for about 45 minutes.
7. Add rice (At this point, you can shred the meat too and add it back in).
8. Cover. Simmer until rice is cooked and vegetables are tender.

Simmer, simmer, simmer

Verdict

Kjötsúpa from Fjallakaffi, Modrudalur

I love this recipe. It did bring me back to our first evening in Reykjavík or that rainy day, in the middle of nowhere, where we saw an Arctic fox outside of the cafe or that other rainy day right after seeing the grandeur of Strokkur. This is a good local substitute without the airfare to Reykjavík.

Of course, this soup is not the same without the same quality ingredients as what you get in Iceland. Icelandic lamb is very good quality meat since the sheep in Iceland roam free in the hillsides and feast on grass all year. The water used in the broth is probably the best in the world. This is glacier pure water, so it is drinkable from the tap. This same water irrigates the herbs and vegetables in the soup and grass that the lamb munch on. This is what makes the soup so delicious.

In retrospect, I should have bought herbs from the local grocery store (which I love to visit) and could have purchased them at a more reasonable price than in the tourist shops. Of course, I am not sure how the TSA would react to bringing in herbs into the country. 

Kjötsúpa from Geysir Cafe - humble plating, but meaty!

Also, I did learn that each family had their own unique recipe. Some may not have any grains, while others may prefer oatmeal or barley. The vegetables may vary too depending on what is available in the market.

I am thinking this recipe will evolve with our family: most likely starting with the use of quinoa for grains and oh, do I dare say, adding kale! I think its a State law now in California that you must add kale to anything when you're cooking (joke).

Hope you enjoy!

Hafraklattar (Icelandic-style Granola "Bars")

I am a grazer. Although I do not skip meals, I usually have smaller meals and have snacks through the day. When we visited Iceland over the fall, I was no different. Whenever I have a chance, I would stock up on nuts, fruit like apples or bananas (lemons too), dark chocolate or breakfast items. Also since I really cannot enjoy buffets anymore (doctor’s orders), I usually have something handy in the event that I cannot find an appropriate breakfast… or lunch. Plus, I love trying out the local treats.

Yum! Morgunverður með kaffi - Breakfast with coffee.

I believe I bought my first hafraklattar in my first day in Reykjavik.  This hafraklattar from Matarkistan seems to meet all the criteria of a light breakfast or a big snack: portable and quick. Most importantly, it looks somewhat healthy although I do not know what the ingredients are… yet. It took me a couple of days for the jet lag to pass and consult Google Translate - on my phone - to figure out what is in it. Thank goodness WiFi was everywhere (even on the buses).  I did find out later that hafraklattar was relatively healthy: made with oats, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, apple sauce, butter and sugar. All were organic too.

Now that I am back at home but mentally still in Iceland…my mission is to replicate what I enjoyed in Iceland. Obviously, the bars in Reykjavik became my reference of what hafraklattar should look like: square and bar-like, much like a brownie. However, in my research, I found that these are actually normally round like a cookie. 

Ingredients: Relatively Healthy!

Also, I had to interpret the recipes that I did find because Google cannot translate everything perfectly. As an example, one of the instructions in the recipe translated to “Butter and sugar mix well”. Since I remember that the hafraklattar in Reykjavik was soft, I decided that it would be better to cream the butter and sugar mixture.

Also, since I am trying to have more gluten-free food – I used GF flour for this recipe. I really was not too sure about spelt flour, which is what most of the recipes called for. So, I just used a combination of oat flour and rice flour. I also tried to cut down on the butter and substituted half (about 1/4 cup) with unsweetened applesauce. The ingredient list in Matarkistan used applesauce, so I was encouraged. However, I was not sure what the proportions were. My test ratio, surprisingly, worked out very well. 

Here’s what I have so far. Why don't you give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Hafraklattar (Icelandic-style Granola Bar)

Based on a recipe from Tastebook.com by Auður Karitas Þórhallsdóttir

Makes about 9 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used 2/4 cup of oat flour and 1/4 cup of rice flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup soft butter, room temparature
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/4 cup chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a bowl.
4. Fold in applesauce.
5. Fold in dry ingredients to wet.
6. Mix oatmeal and if using, the chocolate and raisins.
7. Created balls the size of tomatoes and slightly flat out (I used an ice cream scoop).
8. Bake at 375 F for about 13-15 mins.
9. They should be a little soft when they are taken out, but harden as they cool.

Verdict:

I really like this "bar". It actually has a consistency of a cookie – so I feel like I am having cookies for breakfast. Unlike a cookie, this is also quite filling. I am finding that a cookie and a half is more than enough. I may make smaller ones next time.

I may try to change the add-ins next time, maybe use dried blueberries, cherries, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, or nuts… definitely add nuts... I am nutty that way. Also, I may make a crunchier version. No butter creaming, just melt it – or use coconut oil. But that may not be considered hafraklattar anymore.

Also, I am not sure what Hafraklattar translates to. All I know is it is an Icelandic-style granola bar/cookie. I hope some of you can shed some light to it.