by : Reiko Mushrooms, Potatoes/Squash, Tofu

2023 Thanksgiving
２０２３年感謝祭

This year I have to cook in a new kitchen, where space and the access to the appliances are rather limited.

So I decided to keep the menu simple.

Although the dishes did not require too complicated steps, that doesn’t mean I compromised on taste.

I mostly stuck with the traditional ingredients/dishes but wanted to add some fun flavors.

This was today’s main dish.

Tofu steak with Nira garlic chive “stuffing”.

I’m not a huge mashed potato fan, but my husband is.

So I make it at least once a year, usually for Thanksgiving.

This is garlicky mashed potatoes with Mikan tangerine Shichimi seven spices.

A friend of mine got me this “Mikan Shichimi” spices from Japan.

It’s a great mixture of refreshing and sweet citrus and spiciness.

The label design is lovely, too.

King oyster mushroom gravy.

It was made with garlic, king oyster mushrooms, flour, water, vegetable bouillon, salt, pepper, sugar, nutritional yeast, soy milk, soy sauce, Italian herbs.

This was probably the best gravy I’ve ever made!

Sauteed haricot verts with garlic.

Simple and tasty.

I like that Aldi sells these fancy (skinny) green beans.

Roasted Kabocha squash with cumin cilantro salad.

I was going to make a “hot” dish with the Kabocha, but I thought it would be nice to have something on the lighter side with extra vegetables.

This year I made cranberry sauce myself.

My original plan was to buy canned cranberry sauce, but I did not care for the ingredients of the one I found at a store.

At the same store I saw this bag of fresh cranberries, and it was so cheap, which made the decision easy for me.

Cranberry sauce is so easy to make!

Who knew?!

I added some fresh grated ginger, and I absolutely loved the final result.

Why do I always cook AND eat too much for Thanksgiving???

Cardamom apple upside down cake.

For the dessert I deviated from the traditional choice and went against a pie this year.

I served it with vanilla coconut yogurt.

I was extremely happy with how the whole meal turned out.

It was a bit of challenge not only cooking and baking in a kitchen I’m not too familiar with but also taking photos in a different setting, but it all worked out fine.

Hope your meal was delicious and your day was wonderful as well.

A few day ago I saw this in front of the Union Depot building in St. Paul.

I was surprised to see them putting lights on the tree before Thanksgiving, but I’m okay with that.

I just love this time of the year when things are becoming festive around the city.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Sweets

Apple Hoji Donuts
ほうじ茶りんごドーナッツ

The apple season is here, and I’m so excited.

I love seeing all the baked goods showcasing apples.

What I don’t love is that it is hard to find vegan ones.

So I decided to make some myself.

The local farmers market this time of the year is so pretty with red and orange colors.

The squash is fun to look at, but apples are the ones I came here for.

There are so many different kinds, but it’s nice to see many vendors having descriptions for each and that helps.

When we were leaving the market, we saw a lady carrying a jar of apple cider and asked where she found it.

I was hoping to find apple cider, but for some reason we missed it.

When we went back to the area as told by the lady, sure enough it was there.

So the mission was accomplished!

We got fresh apples.

And apple cider.

If you think these donuts are dark, it is because I added ground Hoji tea leaves.

Hoji tea is a type of Japanese tea, but it is roasted and has a wonderful warm flavor.

I think it was perfect for this fall season.

These were so delicious!

I used this recipe as the base recipe.

https://shortgirltallorder.com/vegan-apple-cider-doughnuts

Check it out if you are interested.

St. Paul is so pretty right now.

This was me a few weeks ago, but now I’m needing a much heavier coat.

Fall in Minnesota comes and goes quickly, and before you know it, winter is here…

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Breakfast

Breakfast Oatmeal Bake
朝食オートミールベイク

When I saw it on Instagram I immediately saved the recipe.

It looked and sounded so good, and I was so excited to finally try it.

I was a bit worried because I had such high hope, and I didn’t want to be disappointed.

But it actually turned out exactly what I had hoped!

I followed the recipe.

It got nice brown color, and the texture was great, not mashy.

That was what I was afraid might happen.

The corner piece was my favorite because I liked the crunchy edge.

I served it with plant-based yogurt, maple syrup, and red currants.

This siggi brand’s vanilla & cinnamon yogurt was delicious.

This was so good!

The recipe creator, Maya, said she used to make it on weekends for her family, and I may start doing it myself too.

Here is a link to the recipe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqqboeKYba/?hl=en

Last Saturday we attended my sister-in-law’s wedding.

It was a farm/barn wedding in the beautiful countryside.

It was a beautiful ceremony.

It was sunny but super windy, and getting pictures taken outside was a bit challenging!

(My hair was a mess. I should have used hair spray!)

After the wedding ceremony we had dinner in the barn (upstairs).

I’m sharing a few more pictures that show the inside of the barn (downstairs).

This place was rustic but very clean and charming.

I loved the lighting.

We took a lot of pictures, but I forgot to take any pictures of the bride with my phone!

I can’t wait to see the family pictures taken by the professional photographers.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Breakfast, Japanese Food, Rice/Grains, Vegan Egg

Natto Rice with Vegan Egg
納豆ご飯、ヴィーガン”卵”のせ

Lately, I’ve been eating bread (multi grain whole wheat) for breakfast, but Natto rice is still one of my favorite breakfast meals.

I had some leftover vegan “egg yolk” from Sukiyaki (previous post), and I generously placed it over my Natto rice.

I used to add just soy sauce to my Natto rice, but now I like using both soy sauce and vinegar.

This exceeded my expectations!

What’s your favorite breakfast food?

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Japanese Food, Mushrooms, Soup/Stew, Tofu, Vegan Egg

Autumn Sukiyaki
秋のすき焼き

Sukiyaki is a popular Japanese Nabe(pot)-style dish.

You cook various meats and vegetable in a soy sauce based sweet broth.

Thin sliced beef is usually the main ingredient.

As you can see, in my plant-based version you won’t see any meats, but instead there are a lots of mushrooms (three kinds!) and two types of tofu (fried and extra firm).

You can basically use any vegetables, but the ones you see here are probably often expected in Sukiyaki pot: Napa cabbage, Shungiku, mushrooms, tofu, carrots, and yam noodles.

Luckily, I can get all these ingredients at the local Asian grocery store today.

One thing that is not authentic is the addition of an apple.

Since it’s in the season and I got beautiful fresh apples from a farmers market that morning, I decided to add some to the pot.

I also used a little bit of the apple cider I also got from the farmers market to the broth.

Not everyone, but many people enjoy Sukiyaki with a raw egg as a dipping sauce.

The Sukiyaki broth tends to be quite strong, and the egg balances it.

I did grow up with this tradition, but I never liked the egg white.

So this time I made my vegan “yolk” with carrots and it worked great!

It was rich, creamy, and the beautiful orange color was bright and appetizing.

It was so delicious!!

Let me share some pictures from my last weekend’s trip to the local farmers market.

What’s your favorite kind of squash?

Love this one!

So beautiful.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Japanese Food, Soup/Stew

Autumn Chestnut Curry
秋の栗カレー

What food come to your mind when you hear “autumn”?

In Japan people list…

Mushrooms, persimmon… and chestnut.

The chestnut is probably one of the most loved fall foods.

It’s usually used for sweets (there is a popular chestnut cake called “Mont Blonc”).

I was tempted, but since I’m watching my sugar intake, I decided to use it for a savory dish.

I made the curry from scratch this time, without using the store-bought “roux”.

My husband said it was better than the store-bought one, which made me relieved and happy.

I got these roasted chestnuts from an Asian grocery store.

Along with the chestnuts, in this curry you’ll find onion, carrots, mushrooms, and Renkon lotus root.

It was finished with spiced roasted crispy chickpeas.

I liked the idea of adding chestnuts to curry, but these particular chestnuts were not as sweet as I had expected.

I will probably use the rest to make something sweets after all.

Do you like chestnuts?

How do you like to eat them?

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Sweets

Almond Apple Galette
アーモンドアップル田舎パイ

I always want to visit an apple orchard this time of the year.

I happened to see a big sign advertising this orchard while driving on a highway, and I got excited because it was not too far from our house.

It was a beautiful property.

There is a lake right next to the orchard.

I didn’t realize apples grow this close, concentrated!

I even got to try my first-ever corn maze!

There were several letters hidden inside the maze, and if you find the right word that use those letters, you can get a prize, an apple!

It was the last hot/humid day, and we were sweating so bad.

So, we gave up finding all the letters, but we were (my husband was) still able to guess the word, and we were (he was) right!

They also had a pumpkin patch.

Some orchards allow you to pick apples yourself, but not this one.

Instead, you can purchase their apples here at the barn.

They had several different varieties, but I decided to get Lakeland because it was recommended for pies and eating fresh both.

I was thinking about getting 2 pounds.

When my husband asked the lady at the store how much is usually needed to make a pie, she said “3 pounds”.

I told him that I wouldn’t need much because I would make a galette, not a pie, and he told the lady that we would buy 2 pounds.

Interestingly, when we brought the bag handed by the lady to the cashier, we were told that it was 3 pounds.

I guess the lady wanted to make sure I had enough to make a pie?! :O

I’m not complaining, though.

I definitely did not need all to make my galette, but we certainly enjoyed eating the rest, no problem.

I just thought it was kind of funny.

The Lakeland apple has a nice tartness and keeps its shape when cooked, so it was really great for the galette (or pie).

I put almond paste/crumble on top, and I loved the flavor combination.

I served it with vanilla sauce.

The crust recipe I used was a Japanese recipe, and it was apparently much smaller than the American size.

I had a lot of filling left over, so I decided to make bread pudding.

This turned out great, too.

I love baking with apples.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Breakfast, Sweets

Bergamot Tea Cinnamon Rolls
ベルガモット紅茶風味シナモンロール

There is something so satisfying about baking on the weekend.

It was a bit cloudy last Saturday, and I didn’t feel like going out.

So, it turned out to be a perfect day for me to stay in and spend some time in the kitchen.

There was a cinnamon roll recipe I wanted to try, but I also wanted to add some interesting flavor.

So when I found this at my tea station, I knew this would be a fun project.

I ground the tea in my mill and generously added it to the dough.

They turned out great!

The recipe is a Japanese recipe, and the recipe creator call it “Starbucks” Cinnamon Roll Copycat.

Apparently, the cinnamon rolls sold at Starbucks in Japan look like these.

These are baked in the muffin pan, so they are smaller than what is expected in the U.S., and also has a nice height.

I actually really liked their size and shape.

I am particular about the amount of icing on my cinnamon roll.

I don’t want too much or too little.

A good thing about making your own is that you can adjust these things.

They look so good!

I was ecstatic about the result.

I like my cinnamon rolls with black coffee.

I don’t drink a lot of coffee, probably less than once a week.

So whenever I do have coffee, it makes any occasion special.

Time to taste!

It was perfectly soft, and perfectly delicious!

I used this recipe (Japanese) as a base.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsJFmglS5HN/?img_index=1

I made a few changes to the ingredients (milk -> soy milk; butter -> vegan butter; cake flour/bread flour -> all-purpose flour; honey -> maple syrup).

These freeze well and get thawed well in a microwave oven.

I will definitely make these again for sure.

Because of the smaller size I can enjoy it for my 3 o’clock snack or even an after-dinner snack.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Eating Out

July 2023 Restaurants No.2
２０２３年７月レストラン記No.2

One of my favorite neighborhood cafes.

It’s actually a restaurant/bar/coffee shop.

It’s very spacious but a comfortable place.

I had iced Chai.

Their coffee is very good too.

https://lostfoxlowertown.com/

This is one of our favorite places to go for lunch.

This time we went to celebrate my husband’s July birthday.

It’s called the Market at Malcolm Yards.

https://malcolmyards.market/

There are eight different vendors inside, but Advellum is our go-to place.

https://advellumvegetableeatery.com/

This is one of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever had.

Their Miso, wild rice, mushroom burger is so good.

It’s served with yummy Napa cabbage coleslaw.

Herbivorous Butcher’s vegan BBQ ribs.

(My husband ordered, and he liked it. I didn’t try.)

Slammin Salmon.

Grilled Salmon, Carrot-Tahini Puree, Kale, Grilled Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

Apparently not vegan, but it was a nice pretty dish.

All vegan crepe and ice cream shop in Minneapolis.

https://www.crepeandspoon.com/

We went there for a dessert after his birthday meal.

They have a lot of interesting flavors, but I always end up with this one, Ube.

It’s delicious!

It should be noted that they are closing after this season, though.

Sadly…

Hi Flora! is a newly opened all vegan restaurant, owned by the creator of Root to Rise, Heather.

https://www.hiflora.restaurant/

The decor is so beautiful, and the whole space is nice and airy.

Their drink menu is large.

It’s an alcohol-free establishment, but they serve THC drinks.

Interesting, right?

We didn’t try their drinks, but they looked popular (everyone else at the restaurant appeared to be enjoying their drinks).

They have a lot of small plates, and it’s fun to order several and share.

Hi! Quesadilla.

Shroomy Shawarma.

We were initially planning to order one more dish after these, but we were full.

They now serve brunch on weekends.

So, I would like to come back for that next time.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Sweets

2023 Hubby’s Birthday Cake
2023年夫の誕生日ケーキ

My husband has a birthday in the middle of July.

I offer buying a birthday cake from a professional baker, but he says he wants me to make one, which makes me happy.

He is lucky to have his birthday this time of the year because there are a lot of beautiful produce available, especially in my mother-in-law’s backyard.

I enjoy showcasing them on his cake.

I’m so grateful that my mother-in-law always invites me to pick her red currants.

We pick them together, but she is so much faster than I am and lets me take some of what she picked.

They are so pretty.

Look like jewelry!

They are easy to remove from the stem when frozen.

This time I removed the seeds because my husband and I both like our jam smooth, without seeds.

Currants have a lot of seeds.

The ruby color is amazing, and it tastes absolutely delicious, perfectly sweet and tart.

It turned out to be a bit less thick than I expected, but it’s okay.

I also got something else from her garden I wanted to use for his cake.

Freshly harvested rhubarb!

By the way, their leaves are huge!!

Rhubarb ribbons are what I wanted to try making for the first time.

Peel the rhubarb into thin strips.

Cook them at a low temperature.

Sprinkle sugar.

I’ve seen completely dried version, but these stay soft after cooked.

If interested, check out Carleigh’s post ↓ .

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuP4mkLp5_B/

There are a lot of vegan cake recipe out there, but this has been my (and my husband’s) favorite so far.

https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-lemon-cake/

It does not require any special ingredients, and it’s so easy to make.

It’s a very moist cake, which we love.

Making the cake sponge is an easy part.

But I struggle to come up with an idea of what to serve the cake with.

I’m not a huge traditional frosting fan as it tends to be a bit too sweet for me, so I’ve been experimenting with other options lately.

This time I decided to make something similar to diplomat cream, but a vegan version.

I made my pastry (custard) cream first and then mixed it with coconut cream.

It turned out great!

Smooth, creamy, and delicious!

I made it vanilla flavored and carefully controlled the sweetness.

I used the recipe on this page to make vegan custard/pastry cream.

https://sideb.culinarytribune.com/recipes-ive-tried-and-liked/

I kept the decoration simple as usual.

I like my cake to look rustic.

The frozen red currants looked so pretty on the cake.

Just in case if you were wondering what happened to the sugared rhubarb ribbons.

I made roses with them!

Yes, you can eat them, and they are tasty!

And no, I didn’t forget about the currant jam either.

I drizzled the jam on the serving plate.

It was mainly for the look, but it turned out that the tartness of the jam went so well with the vanilla cream.

He loved the cake!

We are planning to have my mother-in-law over today to celebrate his birthday together.

I hope she likes the cake!

Leave a comment