by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Breakfast, Japanese Food, Vegan Egg

Natto Kimchi Rice with V-Egg
V卵のせ納豆キムチご飯

Once in a while when I have time in the morning I like to make a Japanese meal like this for breakfast.

Natto is such a unique food.

It’s got a very strong smell, and it’s definitely a love-or-hate kind of food, even for Japanese.

Thankfully, I’m one off the “love” group (but unlucky for my husband, who has to tolerate the smell once in a while!).

I like to have small dishes spread out on the table like this.

But it doesn’t have to be anything complicated.

I do like a bowl of miso soup, some type of pickles, and few other veggie dishes.

That’s all.

These vegan egg yolk is so pretty.

I like looking at it, but the really fun part is breaking it and letting it runny.

A drizzle of soy sauce.

Yum.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Tofu

M-G-W-Y-S-I Bowl
まごわやしい丼

The phrase, called “Ma-Go-Wa-Ya-Sa-Shi-I” has been popular in Japan lately.

It’s a kind of reminder or a piece of guidance for healthy-eating.

Each syllable represents a category of food, and they encourage you to include food from all those categories in your meal.

Ma is for Mame: Beans, in general. This can also be generalized for tofu or soy milk.

Go is for Goma: Sesame. This category also includes nuts and seeds.

Wa is for Wakame; Wakame is a type of seaweed, but it can be any kind of seaweed.

Ya is for Yasai: Vegetable.

Sa is for Sakana: Fish. Apparently I skip this as a plant-eater.

Shi is for Shiitake: Shiitake is a type of mushroom, but it can be any type of mushroom.

I is for Imo: Potato. Any type of potato, or squash, or root vegetable.

Can you spot all the M-G-W-Y-S-I in this bowl?

M: Kidney beans; soft tofu

G: Sesame seeds; sunflower seeds

W: Salted kombu

Y: Cucumber; tomato; spinach; arugula; sprouts

S: Enoki mushroom

I: Konjak (it’s made of a kind of potato); Chestnut (this is a tough one! It’s “nut” but the texture and taste are more like potato’s? No?)

We were just in Chicago and we stopped at Mitsuwa, a large Japanese grocery store, on our way home.

It’s pretty easy to find many Japanese food today.

I can find most of the things I need at the local Asian grocery store, and a few things I cannot find there, I can get them from Amazon.

But this salted Kombu seaweed is one of a few things I like but cannot get, so I was happy to find it at Mitsuwa.

They happened to have a flea market at their parking lot, and I bought some old magazines and books.

I got them for a dollar each!

You can buy new Japanese magazines and books, but they are still pretty expensive in the U.S.

(Magazines are usually double the price.)

Even my husband found something he liked at Mitsuwa.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Noodles/Pasta, Vegan Cheese

Strawberry Pasta
苺パスタ

Another dish showcasing the strawberries I picked from the local farm.

I wanted this dish to have some level of sophistication, and I decided to make pasta myself.

It’s always a good idea to make pasta yourself if you have time.

Every time my husband tells me how much he likes homemade pasta ( and so much better than the store-bought one).

The freshly made and cooked pasta was served with olive oil-sauteed garlic and red onion, spiced-roasted crispy chickpeas, homemade vegan goat cheese, fresh strawberries, and spinach chiffonade.

Plus a drizzle of balsamic-soy glaze.

This is another great example that strawberries can be enjoyed in a meal as well!

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Japanese Food, Noodles/Pasta

Super Soba Bowl
ケンコウぶっかけ蕎麦

I make a noodle bowl like this often.

I just add whatever I have in the fridge.

Sometimes I have only a few items and other times there are multiple items.

This one is pretty close to my ideal set of toppings.

Natto.

Perfectly ripe avocado.

(I struggle with the ripeness timing of avocado. When I need it, it’s not ready, and when it’s ready, I have no plan to use it!)

Wakame seaweed.

This has been my recent favorite.

I keep a dried package in my pantry all the time.

In this bowl you’ll also find kimchi and diced tomatoes.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Main Dish, Noodles/Pasta

Deconstructed Lasagna
組み立てないラザニア

I had all the ingredients to make lasagna, but I was not in the mood to construct one.

So going with a deconstructed version was a reasonable plan B.

Lasagna sheets, vegan meatballs (from Ikea), lentils sautéed spinach, tomato sauce (from a jar), roasted pepper/eggplant spread (from a jar), and homemade vegan ricotta.

Constructed or not, it tasted so good!

It’s not that hard to make a bite with all the components together.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
モロッコスパイスひよこ豆ロースト

Roasted chickpeas appear to have become popular lately.

The restaurant we get take-out sometimes offers them as one of the topping options for your make-your-own-bowl.

I liked them very much, but I somehow thought it would be difficult to make at home.

Well, that turned out to be wrong.

Roasted chickpeas are SO easy to make, you can make them as good as (or better than!) store/restaurant ones.

We eat chickpeas a lot as plant-based eaters, and it is a great way to have a variety.

This time I used Moroccan-inspired spices, and they turned out delicious!!

Quick note…

Preheat oven to 450F. Drain, rinse, and dry canned chickpeas. Place them on a sheet pan lined with foil, one layer, and put in the oven for about 3-4 minutes. Take them out. Drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. Combine and coat the chickpeas with oil and spices well. Put them back into the oven. Roast for about 20 minutes or until they achieve preferred texture.

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