$4 Umami Rice Cooker Mushroom Rice
and black sesame Reset Bar!
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
Inner monologue: Recipe testing & sampling Reset Bar
Recipe: Umami Rice Cooker Mushroom Rice
REMINDER:
- This month’s theme for the Weekly Cooking Challenge on Discord is National Days. For example, the theme last week was Chocolate, in honour of National Chocolate Chip Day on May 15. It’s free! It’s fun! The link to join is here.
- You can get 30% off your order of delicious plant based protein powder at goodprotein.ca using the code SERENAMD30. (My code changed recently).
Updates on Reset Bar
I was at a flea/free market last weekend. I gave out 50 samples of Reset Bar (and swapped houeshold items with neighbours). The feedback was overwhelmingly positive!!
But I’ve learned through my time in tech startups that when talking to users and customers it’s important to give them space to give negative feedback.
If I say “Hey, I made this bar, wanna try it?” it’s unlikely someone will say, “Wow, this bar sucks because XYZ.” They’re far more likely to be nice to my face.
But if I say “Hey, my friend made this bar, wanna try it?” then they will be more likely to say how they really feel. Maybe it does suck! And if it sucks, I want to know!
Just because people said they liked the bars to my face doesn’t mean they actually liked it. But I’m going to keep going with Reset Bar. This week I tried a new flavour idea: Black Sesame. It’s my favourite so far.
If you want discounts, more behind the scenes, or are just morbidly curious about whether or not I succeed, then subscribe to my new Substack:
So you probably know by now that I always say I hate cooking, but it’s not the act of cooking I hate. It’s the whole process, and the time it takes.
If I didn’t work then I’d be in the kitchen all day lol.
My job is demanding, and like many of you, I’m always feeling a bit burnt out. That’s why I cook quick and simple meals that leave me enough time to focus on relaxing, and being mindful. A large part of my idea with Reset Bar is to help you work on your mindfulness, too :)
Anyways, here is an Umami Rice Cooker Mushroom Rice. Perfect for days where you want something more than white rice, but you don't want to put in the effort (so.. everyday?).
I recommend eating this with extra soya sauce upon serving, or your sauce of choice. Enjoy it with tofu, steamed veggies, or mock meat. Or whatever!
Total cost: about $4, but it depends on where you buy your mushrooms. They can get expensive!
Umami Rice Cooker Mushroom Rice
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Tools:
Ingredients
1 ½ cups rice (I used white rice)
1 ½ cups water
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce (vegetarian)
2 cups assorted mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, minced
Method:
Prep: Wash your rice, wash your mushrooms. If they are small, then no need to cut them. Otherwise, cut into bite sized pieces. Mince your garlic and ginger.
Add the washed rice to your rice cooker.
Add water: place your fingertip on top of the rice and add water until it reaches your first knuckle. This should be about 1 1/2 cups of water.
Add the remaining liquids: soya sauce, oyster sauce.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and ginger on the top of the rice so that everything is submerged, but make sure it’s on top of the rice!
Cook! If you have a fancy rice cooker then use the “mixed” setting. Otherwise use the regular setting - you might need to add extra water and recook at the end if that’s the case.
Link to printer version.
Can I make this in an instant pot? Yes! Cook like you would cook white rice.
Can I make this on the stove? Yes, definitely. You could cook it like you would cook white rice.
What mushrooms should I use? Any mushrooms you like, it’s up to you :) Sorry, a bit of a cop out answer, but it’s true.
Want more umami? Add 1 tbsp of miso paste before turning on your rice cooker.
Want it spicy? Add your favourite chili oil, like Lao Gan Ma. Yum, I love that stuff.
Want to add some fat? Fat is delicious, and is lacking in this recipe. I get it.
Try drizzling some tahini on top, either before or after cooking. It will turn out fine either way. I love the combination of tahini and mushroom!
And/or, add 1 tsp of sesame oil before cooking.
Ginger & garlic: Feel free to omit. But it’s a pretty simple dish in terms of ingredients and flavours, so I would recommend keeping them.
Water: For extra flavour, substitute water for vegetable stock, or miso soup.
Soya sauce: Use miso paste instead, using a 1:1 ratio.
White rice: You could use brown rice, just make sure to use the “brown” setting, and use 3 cups of water instead of 1 1/2 cups.