by : Reiko Potatoes/Squash, Sandwiches, Uncategorized

Taro Croquette Sandwich
里芋コロッケバーガー

I’ve been going to the local Asian grocery store, Ha Tien Supermarket, almost weekly since they opened.

I don’t do all my grocery shopping there, but I go there rather for certain specific things.

One of the things I like to look at in the store is their potato/squash section.

They have a wide variety of potatoes/squashes, and the prices are always very good.

When I saw this beautiful taro root, I had to buy them.

This was how they looked after cooked and peeled.

I made it into cheesy croquette.

The taro root is extremely smooth when mashed, and I loved the contrast of the crispy outside and the creamy inside.

Bagel from one and only Eureka Compass , taro croquette, ketchup-Worcestershire sauce, shredded Asian cabbage, tomato slices, and homemade vegan mayo.

Super yum!

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by : Reiko Sandwiches, Tofu

Garlic Herb “Ticken” Sandwich
ガーリックハーブ“ティキン”サンドイッチ

When I received a food request from my hubby that is not “Swedish Meatball” I do accept it (lol).

(He says “Swedish Meatball” too many times, and sadly it is often dismissed…)

He wanted a sandwich with some kind of chicken-like meat and lingonberry.

So this is what I came up with.

When I want a really firm texture that will resemble that of chicken, I like to use a specific tofu from Trader Joe’s.

I forgot to take a picture before I took the tofu out, but at least you can see the package.

This is super firm, and my husband really likes it when I cook it like chicken.

Doesn’t it look good?

For the bread I used vegan croissants from my favorite local vegan bakery/Bodega, Eureka Compass Vegan Food.

Homemade vegan Swiss cheese also gets recruited to the sandwich.

Vegan croissant, garlic herb “ticken,” homemade vegan Swiss cheese, arugula, homemade vegan mayo, and lingonberry jam.

The jam is from World Market.

They recently changed their label, and it’s very pretty.

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by : Reiko Breakfast, Sandwiches, Tofu, Vegan Egg

Mom’s “Egg” and Lettuce Hot Sandwich
母の”玉子”レタスホットサンド

Is there a dish that you grew up eating all the time as a kid because your mom made it, and then later as an adult you realize that no one else makes it?

This “egg” and lettuce hot sandwich is one of those foods.

My mother made this for my sister and I all the time when we were kids, and I thought everyone else was eating it too.

I was apparently wrong.

You spread mayo and mustard on two slices of bread.

Place generous amount of lettuce leaves and soft scrambled eggs.

Sandwich and then cook it in an oven toaster.

Of course to make it vegan, I used soft tofu to make the scrambled “egg” and my own homemade mayo.

I also added mayo later after the sandwich was out of the oven because I was not sure how my mayo would react the high heat (I didn’t want my mayo to become liquid oil during the cooking process).

This was actually my second attempt to make this sandwich.

The first attempt was rather disappointing.

I thought it would be better to add lettuce later after the cooking to keep it fresh, but it was a big mistake.

Cooking the lettuce along with the eggs really makes this sandwich special.

The lettuce gets soft and almost sweet, but not soggy.

Of course you have to eat quickly as soon as it’s out of the oven, but it’s not a problem (lol).

The other key is the mustard.

You cannot skip mustard in this sandwich.

It’s a must.

It tasted exactly like the one my mother used to make.

Loved it.

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by : Reiko Sandwiches

Vegan Reuben Sandwich
Vルーベンサンドイッチ

Reuben used to be one of my favorite sandwiches.

So when I made my first Swiss cheese (see my previous post), I knew this is what I wanted to do.

Making a vegan Reuben Sandwich!

Here is my vegan Swiss cheese I just made.

Easy Russian dressing, made with homemade vegan mayo.

For the meat I sliced and cooked my homemade seitan meat and flavored it with corned-beef inspired spices (cinnamon, all spice, ginger, coriander, onion powder).

For the cabbage, I cooked my cabbage instead of using sauerkraut.

The only thing I didn’t care for when I would eat Reuben at a restaurant was that sauerkraut was sometimes too salty for my taste.

I simply sautéed cabbage with oil, added salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar, and cooked a little more.

It was SCRUMPTIOUS!

My husband and I both devoured it.

Addendum:　I was asked to share this “meat” recipe. I don’t have a detailed recipe, but here is a rough description of how I made this. I used this seitan steak recipe to make the steak first. After you steam it, slice it thin and sautee with oil until slightly browned and crunchy. Add some water to loosen the “meat.” Add soy sauce and sugar, and then spices (cinnamon, all spice, ginger, coriander, onion powder). Continue to cook until it achieves your preferred texture.

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by : Reiko Sandwiches

Vegan Feta Cheese
ヴィーガン・フェタチーズ

It’s been really fun experimenting with vegan food.

Different types of plant-based cheese makes our meals exciting.

This was my first try making vegan feta cheese.

I used the recipe in this book.

I’ve tried their blue cheese recipe as well, and they are both excellent except that I will reduce the amount of salt in feta cheese next time.

The flavor and the texture were both spot-on!

This is delicious when spread on baguette or crackers.

Or sprinkled on salad or pasta dishes.

It also makes delicious creamy dressing.

I mean, really, if you can have homemade plant-based feta cheese, cheddar, blue cheese, steak, and meatballs, you can’t say plant-based eaters meals are boring!

 

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by : Reiko Bread, Sandwiches

Mini Cheeseburger On A Stick
ミニチーズバーガー串

Well we live in Minnesota, and their state fair is famous for serving a lot of food on a stick.

So why not putting the most popular American food on a stick?

My homemade cheddar cheese ,

Makes beautiful slices.

Is it just me?

But anything tastes better when on a stick!

What you see is crusty bread toast, arugula, vegan burger, ketchup-Japanese Worcestershire sauce, cheddar cheese, and tomato.

The bread, burger, and cheese are homemade.

It turned out to be a fun light lunch for my husband.

He requested five sticks, and that’s what he got.

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by : Reiko Sandwiches

Jackfruit Cake Croissant Sandwich
クロワッサンサンド

Eureka Compass Vegan Food makes awesome vegan baked goods.

I love their stuffed croissants, but I also like to get some extra plain croissants.

I have used them to make bread pudding, but usually I enjoy making sandwiches with them.

I’m a strong believer that bread is as important as (or more important than) what gets sandwiched.

I happened to have something fun to use for my sandwich.

I had just found and bought Jackfruit Cakes at Trader Joe’s.

The ingredients look decent.

Looks pretty good.

I got other components ready.

Ready to put it all together!

Arugula, Jackfruit Cake, tomato, cabbage, and homemade spicy mayo.

Lovely!

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by : Reiko Sandwiches, Tofu

Tofu Cutlet Wanpaku Sandwich
豆腐カツわんぱくサンド

I was in the mood for a big sandwich, and I decided to make Wanpaku sandwich for the second time.

Wanpaku sandwich is a popular Japanese sandwich.

I’m not sure exactly what is the definition, but basically it’s a sandwich with a LOT of stuff sandwiched.

Like those New Jersey deli sandwiches, as my husband says.

(“Wanpaku” means naughty or mischievous, typically used to describe physically active young boys.)

These tofu cutlets are so delicious!

People say anything deep-fried tastes good, and I do agree (lol).

The first time I made Wanpaku sandwich a few years ago, it was a disaster.

Although I was still not sure how much I could actually pile up, but I wanted something really voluminous.

I’m happy to announce that this time I succeeded.

Inside this sandwich you’ll find spinach, carrots, tofu cutlet with Japanese worcestershire sauce, radish, and purple cabbage.

By the way, I baked pullman bread for this sandwich.

This was not only pretty but also delicious!!

I could eat this everyday.

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by : Reiko Sandwiches

Mock Oyster Po’Boy
MODOKI 牡蛎ポーボーイサンドイッチ

Who would have thought I could still eat Oyster Po’Boy Sandwich?!

Well, it’s thanks to Ms. iina, the author of this wonderful cookbook called “MODOKI” (“modoki” means “mock” in Japanese).

If interested in the mock fried oysters, please see my previous post.

My beautiful mock fried oysters and fresh veggies were generously placed on my homemade bun.

Mayo (homemade)-based sauce.

A bit spicy, a bit sweet, and a bit tangy.

One more shot to admire the beautiful “oysters”, before covered with the sauce.

This sandwich was ridiculously delicious!!

My husband, who is not a big fan of oysters, even loved it!!

(Again, please do not ask for the mock fried oyster recipe, as its ownership belongs to the book author, Ms. iina. Thank you!)

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