Pressure Cooker Saimin
This morning, during meditation, I imagined what my future self would look like. I imagined what my future self would say to me. I imagined my successful and fulfilled life.
So, this is what I pictured in my head:
I’m in a therapist’s office (it’s the most welcoming and calming space EVER – I’m just imagining things😂).
My future self is sitting across from me with a warm smile on her face telling me it’s going to be ok. She looks professional, yet inviting. The window in her office is half-opened, and I could feel the subtle ocean breeze. I could smell the salt water. The beautiful morning sunlight was shining into the room. The whole time, I felt so calm and at peace. In a way, my future self brought me a sense of comfort.
It was such a nice feeling, and I felt validated that whatever I’m doing right now makes sense. Whatever I’m trying to achieve in life just makes sense. I think that that feeling of comfort is so important. We often get anxious, we feel doubtful, we feel uncertain. It really opens your eyes when you envision your future self and ask yourself:
What can we do now at the present moment?
Really knowing that it’s going to be ok and being confident about the future can bring you a great sense of comfort and a clear mindset of the now. My life will fall into place the way it’s supposed to. I am ok and I will be ok.
Speaking about comfort, I think that food can also bring you comfort. Food for sure brings me comfort!
I want to share with you this classic Hawaiian cuisine: Saimin. Saimin is the kind of food that would make you feel more whole (in my opinion at least). It is the kind of food that puts me at peace.
When I was little, I used to visit Hawaii every year. There’s a popular local fast food chain called Zippy’s and my mom and I would go there all the time. She would get an apple pie and I would get a saimin with spam. This saimin really took me back to those days and I felt that same comfort I felt years ago😌
So, here’s the recipe❣️
Saimin
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 rack pork ribs (about 3 pounds)
- 1 chicken
- 8 cups water
- 1 sheet dried kelp
- 1 cup dried shrimp
- 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 6 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 leek (only the white part, sliced)
- 1/2 ginger root (sliced)
- 1 carrot (sliced)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish stock powder (hondashi – can find it in any asian grocery stores)
- a pinch white pepper
- 6 packets ramen noodles (fresh ramen is preferred)
- 3 stalks scallions (sliced)
- fish cake or imitation crabs (sliced)
Instructions
- Put the ribs, chicken, and water into the pressure cooker. Cook for 45 minutes on low pressure (I used an instant pot). Once done, release the pressure and take the meat out.
- In large bowl, place dried kelp, dried shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, leek, carrot, and ginger. Pour the broth through a mesh strainer into the bowl.
- Stir and let it steep for 50 minutes.
- Pour the broth through a strainer into a large pot and turn on the heat to medium low. Keep warm.
- In a separate pot, bring water to boil, add ramen noodles and cook till it's done (I used fresh ramen noodles, but normal packet noodles work fine, too!). Drain.
- Add soy sauce, hondashi, and white pepper into the broth and stir.
- Pour about 1½ to 2 cups of broth into a serving bowl, add the noodles, and garnish with scallions and fish cake! (I didn't have fish cake, so I used imitation crab legs)