How to Make Super Quick Homemade Adzuki and Sweet Potato Yokan

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The ingredients needed to make Adzuki and Sweet Potato Yokan:

1. Make ready 200 grams Sweet potato
2. Make ready 100 grams Koshi-an or tsubu-an
3. Take 1 pinch Salt
4. Prepare 1 tbsp Maple syrup
5. Get 100 ml Water
6. Prepare 2 grams Kanten powder

Our last trip to the local Asian supermarket to buy pulses resulted in the familiar split peas and butter beans, plus something called red cow peas. Early yokan was mushi-yokan (steamed yokan) made by mixing adzuki beans with wheat flour or powdered arrowroot. Imo-yokan (yokan containing sweet potato paste) and Uiro (a sort of sweetened steamed cake made of rice powder) were derived from mushi-yokan. In those days, sugar was very valuable because it was not produced domestically.

Steps to make Adzuki and Sweet Potato Yokan:

1. Put the sweet potato in a rice cooker with 500 ml of water (not listed). Press Start and wait until the cooking is finished. Check with a skewer to see if it's cooked through. If it is not cooked enough press the Start button again until it's done (you can also microwave or boil the sweet potato if you'd prefer).
2. Peel the sweet potato and mash. Add salt and maple syrup and mix well.
3. Make the kanten solution. Combine water and kanten in a sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring with a balloon whisk. After bringing to a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook and stir for 1 minute.
4. Take 3 tablespoons of the kanten solution and add to the adzuki bean paste. Mix well.
5. Transfer the bean paste to a container (I use a 15 x 10 x 4 cm plastic container). Flatten the surface and get rid of bubbles.
6. Add the rest of the kanten solution to the sweet potato mash. Mix well.
7. Transfer Step 6 to the container with the bean paste (make sure the anko has settled for at least 2 minutes before to let it settle a little and it will be easier to form). Press down tightly and do not leave bubbles between the adzuki and sweet potato.
8. Place in the fridge and chill until set. (It will set even at room temperature.)

Imo-yokan (yokan containing sweet potato paste) and Uiro (a sort of sweetened steamed cake made of rice powder) were derived from mushi-yokan. In those days, sugar was very valuable because it was not produced domestically. Mizu Yokan is a traditional Japanese dessert, or wagashi, as it is known in Japanese cuisine. Yokan is a general term which refers to this jelly dessert made of red azuki beans, agar, and sugar. The red azuki beans are in the form of tsubuan (smooth red bean paste) or koshian (coarse red bean paste).

Try Using Food to Boost Your Mood

A lot of us have been trained to think that comfort foods are terrible and are to be avoided. Often, if your comfort food is a sugary food or another junk food, this is very true. At times, comfort foods can be very healthy and good for us to consume. Several foods honestly do improve your mood when you eat them. When you are feeling a little down and are in need of an emotional pick-me-up, try a couple of these.

Eggs, believe it or not, are terrific for helping you battle depression. You need to make sure, though, that what you make includes the egg yolk. The egg yolk is the most crucial part of the egg iwhen it comes to helping elevate your mood. Eggs, particularly the yolks, are full of B vitamins. B vitamins can actually help you improve your mood. This is because these vitamins help your neural transmitters–the parts of your brain that affect your mood–run better. Consume an egg and feel happier!

Put together a trail mix out of seeds and/or nuts. Peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and so on are all terrific for helping to raise your mood. This is possible as these foods are rich in magnesium which promotes your production of serotonin. Serotonin is known as the “feel good” chemical and it tells your brain how you should be feeling all the time. The more of this chemical in your brain, the happier you’ll feel. Not only that but nuts, particularly, are a fantastic protein food source.

Cold water fish are great for eating if you are wanting to fight depression. Salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, trout, etcetera, they’re all high in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA are two things that actually help the grey matter in your brain run a lot better. It’s true: consuming a tuna fish sandwich can seriously boost your mood.

Some grains are actually great for driving away bad moods. Quinoa, barley, teff, millet, etc are all wonderful for helping you feel better. These grains can help you feel full for longer as well, which can help your mood too. Feeling famished can be a real downer! The reason these grains elevate your mood is that they are not difficult for your body to digest. They are simpler to digest than other foods which helps kick up your blood sugar levels and that, in turn, improves your mood.

Green tea is truly good for your mood. You were simply expecting to read that here, weren’t you? Green tea has a lot of an amino acid referred to as L-theanine. Studies prove that this specific amino acid can basically stimulate brain waves. This helps sharpen your mental energy while at the same time calming your body. You likely already knew it is not difficult to be healthy when you drink green tea. Now you know it can help you be happier too!

You can see, you don’t have to turn to junk food or foods that are terrible for you so you can feel better! Try some of these hints instead.