Black Soy Beans in Pressure Cooker

I tried to make the new year's Japanese staple dish for good luck in my pressure cooker before, only to end up scorching the bottom of the pan. I don't know what I did wrong. This is a new year, and maybe I'll have better luck this time. 

Victory is mine!

Black Soy Beans in Pressure Cooker

1 cup dry black soy beans
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups water
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 tsp salt

Wash black beans and drain. In a pressure cooker, combine water, 1/4 cup of sugar and black beans. Stir to dissolve sugar and soak it for at least 6 hours. 

Dry black soy beans

Soak it overnight.

Cook beans with high heat until the pressure regulator starts spinning fast, then turn the heat to low for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and release the pressure naturally. Open the lid and add the rest of sugar, soy sauce and salt and continue cooking at low heat until the sauce turns slightly syrupy. Serve at room temperature or serve cold.

Pressure is on!

Nice and tender!

It was a success! A sign of good things to come?

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New Year's Antioxidant Smoothie

Feeling a bit guilty from the overindulgence during the holidays? Here you go, my first smoothie of the year! 

Colors don't frighten me anymore....

Kale, Blueberry and PB Smoothie

1 cup almond coconut milk
Handful frozen kale
Handful frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp chia seeds
4 oz. water
4 oz. orange juice

Blend all until smooth. I made a big batch and had a sip throughout the day. I'm feeling better already! 

Feel less guilty with every sip!

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Crispy Chicken Teriyaki

Crisp up the skin of chicken thighs for this lip smacking teriyaki. The trick is low and slow. Just be patient. The lower temperatures allow the chicken skin to be crispy.

Crispy skin and tender meat.

Crispy Chicken Teriyaki

4 pieces chicken thighs, deboned but skin on
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp mirin
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp sake
Sprinkles of salt and pepper

Debone chicken thighs leaving the skin on. Splash sake and sprinkle salt and pepper. On a cold skillet, place chicken thighs skin side down. Turn the heat to medium/medium low. 

Place them in a cold skillet and turn it up to medium.
Soak up excess oil rendered from the chicken.

Pressing them with a spatula...

"Slow and low" makes crispy skins.

Press chicken with a spatula to help them brown evenly. Soak up excess oil with a paper towel. Be patient and leave them on the skillet until the skin gets brown and crispy. It took me about 10-12 minutes to brown them nicely. While cooking, make teriyaki sauce by combining sugar, mirin, soy sauce and vinegar. Flip the chicken and add teriyaki sauce. Move around the chicken and coat them well with the sauce. Serve warm.

Make the sauce ahead of time in a bowl.

Coat well with sauce by flipping them several times.

Mmm!

Classic teriyaki done right! You will fall in love with teriyaki chicken all over again!

"Bravo!"

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Hello 2014

Happy New Year! We ended up staying up to watch New York's ball drop last night. Dogs didn't like the fireworks in our neighborhood, and they kept us up. My new year has started as ne-shogatsu, a Japanese word for sleeping in at the beginning of a new year. Dogs joined me, too. Don't call us lazy, we're saving our energy for bigger things to come, you see.　

New Year's rice cake offerings for good luck

Dog #1, too much partying...

Dog #2, dreaming...

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