I was trying to think of different recipes to do for this round of AniMAY and we haven’t really been playing many games recently that have a ton of food to choose from, but I’ve been playing this mobile game called Pokemon Sleep, that has been a fun way to wind down the day feeding random Pokemon with biscuits and food and tracking my lack of sleep with Pikachu singing me lullabies.
In the game, you feed a Snorlax along with the rest of your team with various recipes using ingredients your Pokemon have collected while you sleep and you can create a bunch of delicious looking recipes, including this one! And so, since it is technically an animated game, I thought that this recipe would fit the theme really well.
I originally was going to create these recipes on my own since I figured no one would have anything for this random mobile game, but to my surprise, I actually found a website where they made irl recipes for four of the recipes in the game, in collaboration with a Japanese nutrition/calorie counter app called Asuken. Though, because these recipes were in Japanese, I did have to translate them manually, but I think they did a great job of mimicking the in-game recipe, both in terms of looks, but also in terms of the ingredients used to make it in game.
This recipe is actually based on a layered salad recipe that was first invented in the former Soviet Union called Mimosa Salad, which got its namesake from the appearance of the grated egg yolks looking like mimosa flowers sprinkled on top. This game typically names its recipes revolving around the world of Pokemon, so naming this after the Pokemon move, Petal Blizzard, makes a lot of sense since it looks like a blizzard of various vegetables and flowers.
The Petal Blizzard Layered Salad requires at least 25 Fancy Egg, 17 Pure Oil, 15 Soft Potato, and 12 Bean Sausage to make in game, and this recipe did a really good job of using all of these ingredients in the real life version to create a perfect replica. And just like in the game, you can also add extra ingredients to your version, such as some corn or tomatoes, to really customize the dish to your preferences.
But, whether or not you have chronic insomnia like me, this delicious salad will be a great way to help you get better sleep by getting some more protein and fiber in your diet and it adds a little Pokemon nostalgia element to your dish, making it extra special and fun!
Ingredients:
- Potato Salad Layer
- 2-3 potatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 2-4 oz ham (optional)
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- Some salt and pepper
- Veggie Salad Layer
- Some leafy greens (I like 50 / 50 Spring Mix and Spinach for the Variety, but any greens will work)
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 1-2 persian cucumber
- Some salad beans (such as green beans, peas, chickpeas) (for beans that require cooking such as garbanzo beans, I recommend getting precooked or canned ones since they’ll otherwise require an extra step of boiling before using them. I’ll be using these premade crispy chickpeas to add some crunch and textural variety)
- 1-2 eggs
- Dressing
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Some salt and pepper
Step 1: Prepare Potatoes & Eggs & Prepare Water for Both for Boiling
First, we’ll prepare the potatoes and eggs since these will take the longest to prepare, so for your potatoes, peel and quarter them into smaller pieces.
Then, fill two pots for the potatoes and the eggs with water enough to cover 1 inch above each, and add your peeled potatoes and some salt to one of them, and add your eggs to the other, and then set them both to boil.
Step 2: Prepare Rest of Ingredients, as Needed
While we wait for those to boil, we’ll prepare the rest of the ingredients, so for your onion for the potato salad, dice this up into small pieces and slice up your ham into small pieces, as well.
Then, for your red onion and red bell pepper, slice these into thin slices, along the grain.
For your cucumbers, slice these into thin rings.
And for your peas and green beans, cut these into pieces as well.
Step 3: Once Water is Boiling, Continue Cooking Eggs & Potatoes
Once your water is boiling, give your eggs a stir, cover the pot, and remove it from the heat and then let this sit for 10-12 minutes. For your potatoes, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook them until tender for 10 to 12 minutes as well.
Step 4: Once Eggs & Potatoes are Done Cooking, Deshell & Grate Eggs; Mash Potatoes & Mix Together Potato Salad Ingredients
Then, once your eggs and potatoes are done, drain the water from both and for your eggs, place them immediately into an ice bath to help with the peeling process.
And once your eggs have cooled, deshell your eggs. Don’t worry if they don’t come out perfectly, since we’ll be separating the boiled egg whites and yolks anyway.
Next, strain each part through a colander or grater, to create the grated egg topping.
Then, for your potatoes, in a bowl, mash up your cooked potatoes and then add in the diced onion, ham, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and give this a mix.
Step 5: Arrange Potato Salad into Wreath, Place Leafy Greens & Other Veggies on Top, Add Dressing & Grated Egg, & Enjoy!
Next, arrange your potato salad layer on a plate in a wreath shape.
Then, place your leafy greens on top of the potato salad, and then evenly top this with your red onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, and salad beans.
Then, drizzle this with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
Garnish the salad with your grated egg, and with that, your Petal Blizzard Layered Salad is ready to eat.