Mochi Sweet Brown Rice

Mochi puffed up like a pastry once heated: in oven, taster or grill

GHEE - clarified butter

Mochi might be very new to you. The Japanese have been preparing mochi for thousands of years. Traditionally they enjoyed serving mochi on the Japanese new year, and other festive holidays. It is called O - Mochi = meaning honorable. It’s that special!

When I first came to New York in the 1980’s I met with Michel Abehsera (teacher, mentor, author of Zen Macrobiotic Cooking, The Healing Power Of Clay, Cooking With Care & Purpose, Cooking For Life, and The Possible Man. He was my teacher par excellence, teaching me how to lesson my load and focus on foods for healing. I was desperately looking for a holistic way to heal my skin rashes from inside out. I was done smearing cortizone creams all over my body and then to find that the rashes returned. I wanted to get to the root cause of my eczema rashes. I followed a zen macrobiotic cooking life style diligently, and enrolled in a macrobiotic cooking school in NYC under the guidence of Ann Marie Colben, founder of The Natural Gourmet Cookery School. Within time my skin began to heal, my gut felt nourished, and my glow shined through. I was smitten by natures power of healing foods and emotional balance.

I fondly remember eating mochi decades ago. SatisfyIng is an understatement! I ordered plenty of Mochi to travel with me this summer. Mochi and Ghee in my luggage! (Yes, I travel with my clarified butter, too). Ghee deets below…

Our culture is so intimidated by starchy foods - let alone healthy fats. Ever wonder why people are edgy, moody, deprived of tastes, gut issues, and have dry skin? We oil our cars, doors, even our hair (coconut oil in our hair is medicine for follicles and hair strands). When we eat all food groups in moderation and at the right time it warrants a happier, more satisfying existence. We’re happiest when our belly is happy, our skin is hydrated, and our brain is functioning at high gear. Good quality oils and balanced meals does us good!

Benefits of Sweet Brown Rice Sprouted Mochi
- gluten free with a gluten flavor - sticky and chewy
- good for digestion - if week intestines - easy to digest
- mochi softens and puffs up like a pastry - 400 degrees for 10 minutes
- delicious with ghee (clarified butter), shoyu (soy sauce), or in miso soup
- enzymes
- supports nervous system
- kidney health
- warms the body - our gut loves warmth - building digestive fire
- increases energy - sumo wrestlers eat Mochi for energy and strength
- anemia - mochi is great for people who feel weak
- blood sugar imbalances
- pregnant, nursing, lactating women - strengthens both mother and baby
- nourishes the pancreas, spleen and stomach

What is Ghee
- In Ayurveda - the science of life - Ghee is one of the most healing foods
- clarified butter - removes all milk solids, remove lactose and casein
- nutty flavor
- fatty acids are very important to your health - improves leaky gut (gut permeability) and inflammation
- butyrate - helps gut health - strengthens microbiome
- heats at high temp - 485 degrees Fahrenheit (great for cooking), and butter 300 degrees - please do not cook butter at high temp, it will brown and become rancid
- fat soluble vitamins A, E, K - great for vision and glowing skin
- strengthens bones
- promotes healthy weight loss and fat burning - pretty cool!
- taste is decadent

Sources
-Michel Abehsera - teacher, author of many books
-Sheri Demaris - Macrobiotic TV personality, The Spirit Of Sweet Rice
-Dr. Josh Axe - Holistic Doctor: topic: Ghee
-Michio Kushi - Japanese educator who introduced macrobiotics in the US in the 1950’s
-George Ohsawa - Japanese educator who was the founder of the macrobiotic diet. He wrote 320 books (wow - 300 in French and 20 in Japanese). He defined health on the basis of 7 criteria: good sleep, good appetite, good memory, good humor, precision of thought and action, and gratitude

Mochi for breakfast or snack. I love spreading ghee in my mochi

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips
Even though Sweet Rice Mochi is so specific in its preparation with cleanliness and simplicity - only a few have a certified kosher label on their packages. The few I’m mentioning are non-gmo and organic. Eden Foods, Rapsity, and kosher: Japanese Daikunu Mochi Sweet Rice Cakes

You can make mochi from scratch using sweet brown rice, soak over night, use pressure cooker, wooden mallet to pound the rice when it’s all cooked in the pressure cooker and then form mochi balls. But, I go simple and order my Mochi on line. I trust the process.

Please remember that we’re all bio individuals. There’s different ways to plan our meals depending on body type, health conditions, and goals.

Recipe

• one mochi square or more for others

• prepare parchment paper on tray

• place in oven, toaster, or grill at 400 degrees for 10 minutes - on the grill watch for mochi to puff up, add your spreads and enjoy

• the Mochi will puff up like a pastry - it’s super hot, be mindful

• remove and place on dish and add your fave toppings - shoyu (soy sauce), jam, GHEE or butter

• eat right away and enjoy every chewy, crunchy, sticky mochi

  Much Love,
  Genia