New Year’s Day 2016

January 4th, 2016 by justJENN

This last year was a big one, full of excitement and changes and I’m looking forward to seeing what 2016 will bring! After three days of prep and two days of cooking my annual Oshogatsu was bigger than ever this January 1st with over 30 family members attending. I think I stretched my limits as far as what I could cook but I say that every year. Here’s a rundown of the dishes I made to bring on all the food luck for the upcoming year!

Check out even more food from past New Years: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 & 2014.

Root Beer Pulled Pork on King’s Hawaiian rolls
Crock Pot Chili
Lilikoi Chicken Wings
Kalbi
Somen Salad (noodles for a long life)
O.G’s Potato Salad
Spinach Salad
Spam Musubi
Sweet Chili Sauce Shrimp
Tazukuri (teriyaki fish for a prosperous year)
Kuromame (black beans for health and success)
Kurikinton (sweet potato w/chestnuts for wealth)
Gobo (burdock root for a strong family)
Ozoni (traditional new year’s day soup)
Mochi (longevity)
Kamaboko (joy, happiness)
Broken Glass Jell-o Bundt
Pink An (azuki bean) Mochi
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Oranges (long, happy life)

Root Beer Pulled Pork on King’s Hawaiian rolls
Root Beer Pulled Pork is one of my most requested recipes and it’s perfect for a party because it’s always a crowd pleaser, at the end of the day it’s always gone!

Crock Pot Chili
Japanese-Americans love chili and rice, so this is always a plus to have on a buffet table plus it easily feeds a crowd!

Lilikoi Jelly Chicken Wings
I’ve started making this every year because it’s easy to grab and go when you’re at a party buffet. I normally use guava jelly but wouldn’t you know, there wasn’t a jar to be found. So this time I tried using Lilikoi jelly and it turned out even better. The fragrant passion fruit was a great compliment to the savory chicken.

Kalbi
Kalbi requires more work than I like for parties but you can’t deny the popularity of this dish. It was gone before I had a chance to even put down the plates! I’m pretty sure it’s the secret ingredient that makes it so popular…

Somen Salad
Another great family recipe from the O.G. Favorite Recipes cookbook.

O.G’s Potato Salad
From my O.G. cookbook, when she ate it at the party she said it was the best salad she’s ever had. Um, probably because it’s her own recipe.

Spinach Salad
I’m a big fan of spinach and this salad has a sweet dressing that makes it irresistible. For texture I added cranberries and honey roasted sliced almonds.

Spam Musubi
Spam isn’t for everyone but when you make it into Spam Musubi it’s always a hit. I made two cans and they were the first thing gone from the buffet table. I may have to step it up and make a third batch for next year.

Sweet Chili Sauce Shrimp
I had been trying to find an easy recipe for shrimp for years since shrimp is a big part of oshogatsu. This is it, this is the one. Wrapped in bacon and broiled, the prep and cooking for this dish is simple and easy to serve.

Goldfish Mac n Cheese
No significance for this dish obviously except that kids love it and it’s always best to have a cheesy dish for kids at any party.

Tazukuri and Kurikinton
These little teriyaki fish and ‘golden’ yellow Japanese sweet potatoes with candied chestnuts will bring you wealth, like gold in the new year.

Kuromame
Black Beans will bring you good health and success.

Gobo
Burdock root makes your family ties strong in the new year.

Ozoni
A bowl of ozoni on New Year’s Day with fresh mochi ensures an excellent year ahead!

Broken Glass Jell-o Bundt
Guest always marvel at this Broken Glass Jell-o in a bundt shape which is why I request that The FoodLibrarian brings it for me every year. After all she’s the queen of Bundts!

Pink An Mochi
If I could live off mochi every day I would. This sweet red bean filled treat is a must for New Year’s Day and I absolutely must make it pink.