by : Reiko Main Dish, Noodles/Pasta

Vegan Beef Stroganoff
ヴィーガン（って分からない）ビーフストロガノフ

My husband doesn’t cook much.

But he does make a few things.

One is pizza.

And the other is “Hamburger Helper”.

Since we don’t eat meat anymore, I should say the other “was”.

I’m usually not a big fan of box food, but when you are the cook 99% of the time whatever someone else makes for you tastes so good.

And he was a good “Hamburger Helper” maker, and I liked his Beef Stroganoff a lot.

Well, it’s been a long time since I made beef stroganoff.

But I just recently realized Next Meats vegan meat is perfect for this dish because it is a fillet type.

This turned out scrumptious!

Fettucine was perfect, in my opinion.

(I am a long pasta kind of person.)

Well, I like vegetables for every meal.

The figs from Trader Joe’s were perfectly ripe and DELICIOUS!

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by : Reiko Asian Food, Noodles/Pasta

Tsukemen: Dipping Noodles
こってりつけ麺

Have you tried dipping noodles?

I’ve always liked this type of noodle dish.

I made the dipping sauce and noodles cold, and it was perfect for a hot Minnesota day.

I made the sauce with tahini and miso.

So it’s a rich sauce.

You can use any type of noodles.

Can you see how well the sauce sticks to the noodles?

Or if dipping is not your thing, you can always put the whole noodles in the bowl and enjoy it this way too.

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by : Reiko Japanese Food, Noodles/Pasta

Hummus Soba Salad
フムスそばサラダ

This morning we got up earlier (than usual for Saturday) and went to an outdoor brunch.

After that we visited Minnehaha Falls, and then explored the neighborhood around it.

We visited a few vintage shops, and when we were done with some grocery shopping, we were ready to take a nap.

It was a hot day.

Although we avoided the highest temperature for the day, the heat really got to us.

So for dinner I wanted something fresh and light.

I just placed all my favorite veggies along with freshly cooked Soba noodles and then put hummus on top of the soba.

It was served with non-oil dressing, but it was so good and satisfying as the hummus added wonderful creaminess.

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by : Reiko Main Dish, Noodles/Pasta, Vegan Egg

Vegan Black Carbonara
ヴィーガンブラックカルボナーラ

I always liked Carbonara.

Well, in fact I liked eggs a lot.

So it took me a while to get used to the plant-based diet first

But then, I began learning some tricks, and now I can make vegan eggs, and other “egg” dishes including Carbonara.

Okay, this looks more like carbonara right?

This was already tasty, but I wanted to finish it a bit differently this time.

I made black oil by mixing this black garlic puree and truffle oil.

The black oil was drizzled.

And then smoked vegan skirt steak and a vegan egg were added.

For the meat I used Next Meats.

The nice fatty taste and texture from their skirt steak were perfect for this dish.

This was delicious.

The black oil added depth to the flavor.

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by : Reiko Main Dish, Noodles/Pasta

Black Garlic Cream Pasta
黒にんにくクリームパスタ

We just got back from our quick getaway to Milwaukee.

I like to bring from our trip something that I can use to make a new dish.

I found this at the public market, and I thought it would be fun to try it.

It’s pureed black garlic, which is aged and fermented and gives a rich flavor.

I added the black garlic puree to my creamy bechamel sauce.

Because I had time today I decided to make pasta myself.

This eggless “egg” pasta is my favorite.

For two…

3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup chickpea flour, salt, 1/4 cup water

Mix, knead, let the dough rest.

Flatten and cut.

Cook for a few minutes in boiling water.

This turned out delicious!

The black garlic puree takes the usual cream pasta to the next level.

It definitely gives a depth in flavor.

I also tried the pasta with just the puree.

It wasn’t bad, but I definitely preferred the cream version.

Later I added red pasta sauce to it, and it became so much better.

In my opinion, this black garlic puree is better when combined with something rather than itself.

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by : Reiko Asian Food, Noodles/Pasta, Soup/Stew, Vegan Egg

Summer is Coming! Cold Noodle Soup
もうすぐ夏~!ピリ辛冷スープ麺

It’s not quite summer yet.

But I know once winter is over, summer comes quickly here in Minnesota.

The soup is cold.

Spicy.

Sweet.

And a bit sour.

It’s also got texture, from onions, ginger, and sesame seeds, which cling to the noodles so well.

In addition to a lot of veggies, I added vegan omelet (homemade) and vegan mini egg rolls (from Costco).

I have a feeling that I will be eating this a lot for the next several months.

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by : Reiko Asian Food, Noodles/Pasta, Vegan Meat

DanDan Noodle Soup with Sundried Tomatoes
タンタン麺、サンドライトマト入り

I was in a mood for ramen noodles with rich soup.

I happened to have cooked ground “meat”, and I thought dandan noodles would be perfect.

The vegan “meat” is made of tempeh and super firm tofu.

I like the combination of these two, as they create interesting texture.

I also added something unusual for dandan noodles, sunddried tomatoes!

I roughly chopped the tomatoes into small pieces and added them along with extra oil.

The combination seems a bit strange, as the noodle dish is Asian, and the sundried tomatoes are considered Italian.

But hey, if they taste good together, it doesn’t matter where they originated.

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by : Reiko Leaf Vegetables, Noodles/Pasta, Vegan Cheese

Shungiku Cheese Pasta
春菊チーズパスタ

This is a delicious but light pasta dish perfect for lunch.

I have talked about this leaf vegetables many times in this blog, but really if you’ve never tried it, you should.

It has a wonderful fresh bitterness that can be used for so many dishes like salad, soup, and pasta.

They sell it as “Tongo” here, but we call it “Shungiku” in Japan.

My pasta dish usually has other things, like veggies, more than pasta.

My homemade vegan cheese added nice creaminess and richness.

Bon Appetit!

I recently found this apron.

I bought it a long time ago thinking it would make a great gift for a dog lover.

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by : Reiko Japanese Food, Noodles/Pasta, Vegan Egg

Hiyashi-Chuka Cold Noodles with Gochujang Sauce
きつね冷やし中華、コチュジャンだれ

Some parts of the world are probably enjoying a nice warm weather, but in Minnesota spring weather does not really come until May.

I know I should have waited a bit longer for this, but I was in a mood for this Japanese style cold noodles, called Hiyashi-Chuka.

It’s basically Chinese style noodles served cold with various meat, vegetables, and a drizzle of sweet soy-based sauce.

You can use any meat and vegetables, but a few things are a must, such as julienned omelet, cucumber, and ham.

I made this vegan omelet with chickpea flour, and it turned out great.

I used marinated soy curd instead of ham.

Pickled red ginger is also popular, but I used pickled beets instead.

The sauce is usually made of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil.

I added a little gochujang for a kick.

It’s such a nutritious and tasty dish.

Isn’t it beautiful with all the bright colors?

Now, this is controversial topic.

Should you eat Hiyashi-Chuka with mayo or without?

I grew up with mayo, but apparently it’s a regional thing, which I didn’t realize until not long ago.

It was sweet and spicy, and so good!

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