by : Reiko Bread, Nuts/Seeds, Soup/Stew

Cheesy Chili
とろーりチーズチリ

This is the chili I made the other day.

At the last minute we decided to visit my mother-in-law, and we offered to bring lunch.

(that makes things easier because she doesn’t have to think about what the heck she can make for us to eat(lol).)

We brought this chili, homemade sourdough bread, and a bag of Asian salad (that she likes, from a grocery store close to her house).

For the “meat” I used seitan meat and walnuts.

I’m so grateful that my mother-in-law is always so open to new food.

She finished her chili saying it was very good.

Later we accidentally found out that she had been at my brother-in-law’s place the night before and chili was served for dinner…

I usually go for cornbread when I have chili, but I found sourdough as a good option too.

We like our chili with homemade vegan cheddar.

It definitely adds extra depth and richness in flavor.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Asian Food, Rice/Grains, Soup/Stew

Cheese Soy Tteokbokki
チーズ揚げトッポギ

Several weeks ago I started this little project, visiting ethnic grocery stores in the Twin Cities area, one a weekend.

I’ve been rather busy the past few weeks, and I’m taking a little break from it.

But the last store I explored was a Korean store, and some of the things I bought included this Korean rice cake.

This was my first time to cook it, and I decided to serve it in a traditional way.

I didn’t buy these from the particular store, but I’ve already had them in my pantry/fridge.

I don’t know much about Korean cuisine, but I believe these are some of the things they use a lot, and I was glad I got to use them for this dish.

My first impression after my first bite was “HOT!!”

But after the first bite, I really enjoyed this dish.

Yes, it is spicy, but it’s also very flavorful.

My husband and I don’t do well with spicy food (we always ask for “mild” whenever restaurants offer that option!), but we both agreed that this was a good spicy dish.

Leave a comment
by : Reiko Noodles/Pasta, Soup/Stew

Spicy Pumpkin Coconut Ramen
ピリ辛パンプキンココナッツらーめん

Here is another dish I made utilizing the leftover food from my birthday dinner takeout.

The spicy pumpkin coconut Thai soup was turned into this ramen dish!

I added a few things (Kombu broth, sesame oil, etc.) to the soup to make it more appropriate for ramen.

The main purpose of doing so was to thin the soup and add another layer of flavor.

Tasty!!

Leave a comment