Cooking skills are amazing! Two warm recipes that will make your body happy: "Once you learn these, you can use them for the rest of your life"

Happy New Year. I am Ayumi Nakaganji, a chef.

Now, with the New Year's holiday festival upon us, we are all craving foods that are easy on the stomach. How is everyone feeling?

This time, we will introduce you to some hearty, warm recipes that are easy on the stomach.

1. "Daikon Tatatan" - a soup made with thickly shaved bonito flakes

As shown in the photo below, thickly cut bonito flakes are used to make a rich, fragrant and flavorful bonito stock, which is then used to cook daikon radish. This rich stock is also recommended for noodle soup and miso soup. The pleasant aroma of bonito fills the room, making for a happy time.

Still, boiled radish is almost like a drink, as it disappears so quickly.

If you cook a lot of rice at once and store it, it will come in handy on busy days.

Image: Ayumi Chuganji

■ Bonito stock
[Ingredients] (finished product 800ml)
Water・・・1000ml
Thickly shaved dried bonito flakes・・・40g

<How to make>

(1) Put the ingredients in a pot and heat. Don't bring it to a boil, but keep the water bubbles small and skim off any scum that appears. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

(2) Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.

(3) Place a paper towel in a colander and strain the mixture.

■ Cooked radish
[Ingredients] (easy to make amount)
Daikon radish...1/2 (about 500g)
Bonito stock・・・500ml
Light soy sauce・・・1/2 tablespoon
Mirin・・・1 tablespoon
Rice・・・1 tablespoon
Salt...1/2 teaspoon

<How to make>

(1) Cut the daikon radish into 3cm slices (about 6 pieces) and peel it thickly.

(2) In a large pot, add enough water to cover the daikon radish (not included in the recipe) and raw rice, place on medium heat, and once boiling, reduce heat to low-medium. Boil for 60 minutes. *If you have rice water, use it instead of the raw rice.

(3) Drain in a colander and rinse each piece thoroughly to remove any slime. Return the daikon to the pot in which it was washed, add the bonito stock, light soy sauce, mirin, and salt, and simmer over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes.

(4) Once cooled, place in a container along with the juice and store in the refrigerator.

Image: Ayumi Chuganji

It can be heated up each time and is delicious as is, or topped with grated kelp or bonito flakes as shown in the photo above.

I like to save the skin of daikon radish because it would be a waste to throw it away, and mix it with natto. If you chop it finely and mix it in, you'll get an addictive crunchy texture. It's also great as an ingredient in miso soup.

2: The delicious flavor of the dashi permeates every part of your body! "Dried scallop Chinese porridge"

The other day, I made a warming porridge using some dried scallops I received as a souvenir from Taiwan.

Scallops also contain taurine, which supports liver function. (※1) It's perfect for those who are tired from overeating and drinking too much.

The rice is boiled in the water used to soak dried scallops, so the flavor is concentrated in each grain of porridge. The delicious aroma fills the room while the rice is cooking, making you happy.

Image: Ayumi Chuganji

[Ingredients] (Serves 2)
Rice・・・75g (1/2 cup)
Dried scallops・・・30g
Water: 700ml
A. Pickled mustard greens... appropriate amount
A Green onion (finely chopped) - appropriate amount
A Sesame oil...appropriate amount
Salt...a little

<How to make>

(1) Wash the rice and place it in a pot with water and dried scallops and soak for an hour.

(2) Loosen the dried scallops with your hands.

(3) Place the pot over medium heat, and once it boils, stir from the bottom, then reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid slightly open for 30 minutes (add more water as it becomes less concentrated).

(4) Turn off the heat and eat with toppings (A) to your liking. Add salt if you want a stronger flavor.

Adjust the water ratio to about 1 part rice to 7 parts water to 1 part rice to 10 parts water.

You can choose your toppings as you like, but pickled mustard greens are a must! We also recommend condiments such as sesame, seaweed, shiso leaves, and ginger.

You can also add the seven herbs to the rice porridge on January 7th, the Jinjitsu Festival. Wash the herbs thoroughly, boil them quickly in plenty of water with a little salt added, then transfer them to cold water, drain and chop them finely, then add them to the porridge before turning off the heat.

These two dishes are truly delicious. Please give them a try. (Text by Ayumi Nakaganji)
*This article is based on information at the time of publication. (*1) Food Composition Database (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)

#recipe Check them all out!
#Homemade meal　#cooking
⇒【NEW】Click here for the latest information on Fukuoka

＜Other articles you may like＞
◆[Hakata Station] Great for souvenirs: Caramel sweets
◆[Iizuka] A popular cafe serving parfait-included lunches
◆[Miyama] Best value steak lunch