Magnificent Mochi

Mochi is one of my favorite macro comfort foods. It is a sticky rice that has been pounded or processed into a glutinous cake. Mochi is traditionally made into treat and eaten for celebrations around the Japanese New Year. However, the rice is very versatile and can be made into all types of sweet and savory dishes.
Mochi is fun and simple to make at home, here you can find a simple recipe that I have used in the past: Homemade Mochi. Be sure to use a short grain organic brown rice in place of the white in the recipe. High in fiber and a slow release carbohydrate, brown rice is also loaded with selenium and manganese. Brown rice is a macrobiotic staple that is prized for balancing yin and yang.
Today I used a store bought version to create an apple cinnamon mochi danish. Mochi can be found in the cooler sections at Whole Foods or your local health food store. Baked in the oven it reminds me of a soft fresh baked bite of bagel.

Simple Apple Cinnamon Mochi Danish Bites
-Mochi cut into 1"-2" squares
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-raisins
-1 apple chopped
-brown rice syrup/ maple/ or coconut nectar (optional)

 

Pre-heat oven to 400. Place your mochi squares at least two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake the mochi for 10-12 minutes until it puffs up and just begins to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool just a bit. Use a small knife to pierce a hole into each piece of baked mochi. Stuff the mochi pieces with one or two pieces of apple and raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with syrup. Place the tray of prepared mochi danish bites back into the oven for a few minutes just to warm. Enjoy!