Shiitake and Shimeji Mushroom Okayu

First, I want to say the 5-DAY BREAKFAST CHALLENGE is going down this week. Today’s recipe is: Shiitake and Shimeji Mushroom Okayu.

Second, I want to quickly introduce you to Noelle and tell you about the challenge. Her blog, xobreakfast is crisp, funny, and packed with thoughtful, purposeful recipes. I see her every week because our kids have a standing play date, but really we use the time to talk about food (and these days, potty training).

Noelle talks about food with specificity and a glimmer of excitement in her eye that tells me we are like-minded when it comes to eating and cooking. She’s the reason I don’t bother to pound my chicken breasts flat (and let the butcher do it instead!). She got K to eat (and not spit out) the food she detested most—raw tomato. And she introduced me to wild spinach (a revelation!).

We were both in a cooking rut (and let’s face it, a blog rut). Breakfast, especially, because it’s easy to go on auto pilot first thing in the morning. I challenged Noelle to cook 5 new recipes every day this week. She was game and suggested we post the photos and recipes on our blogs before midnight each day.

So here’s my day one. My daughter eats and likes most things but she is crazy about shimeji mushrooms. I’ve been having a hard time getting her to eat first thing in the morning, so this breakfast is for her.


Shiitake and Shimeji Mushroom Okayu
干ししいたけとしめじのおかゆ

Adapted from きょうの料理ビギナーズ 2010年3月
Makes 2 servings

I washed and drained the rice the night before and soaked the dried shiitake overnight.

4 dried shiitake mushrooms
100 ml rice
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 package shimeji
shoyu, to taste

Rehydrate shiitake by placing in a bowl with plenty of water. Set aside.

Wash the rice and drain for 30 mins.

Once the shiitake is soft, pull from water and trim the stem, and slice thinly. Save the shiitake soaking liquid.

In a pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, then add the shiitake and fry until incorporated. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until it is evenly coated in oil.

Pour the soaking liquid into a measuring cup and add more water until it measures 600ml. Add this to the pot, along with the salt. Raise the heat to high until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 mins, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface.

In the last 5 mins, stir in the shimeji. Ladle into bowls and drizzle shoyu to taste.

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