by : Reiko Bread

Rice (No Flour) Bread
生米ぱん

Making bread using rice flour has become increasingly popular with the jump in demand for gluten-free bread in the United States in the recent years.

It’s the same in Japan as well, but rice flour bread seems to appeal to not only gluten-free dieters but also to a larger population, mostly because of their all-time love for rice.

This bread is a new kind of gluten-free bread.

You don’t use rice flour, instead, you use rice straight up.

Very innovative.

Yes. Just like this.

The result was amazing!

It looks like bread, smells like bread, and tastes like bread.

And a good one!

It’s crispy on top, and the inside is so soft and moist.

It gets sliced well too.

You can eat it untoasted to enjoy the softness of the bread.

Or you can toast it too.

Absolutely delicious when toasted.

It’s crunchy outside and the inside has wonderful chewiness.

I followed this recipe (in Japanese).

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by : Reiko Breakfast, Sweets

Monkey Muffins
モンキーマフィン


So we had 12-year-old twin nephews overnight last weekend.

They are picky eaters, but I know they both like sweets.

I wasn’t sure how long they were going to stay the second day, but I wanted to be prepared to have all the ingredients if I wanted to make something sweet for them.

Well, every kid likes banana and chocolate, right? (lol)

Unfortunately, they had to leave right after breakfast, so these muffins were not ready when they left.

But the muffins were fully enjoyed later by my husband, who is not even a fan of banana!

 

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by : Reiko Bread

Cheesy Garlic Chive Bread
チーズガーリックチャイブぱん

Usually I know exactly what I want to do in the kitchen, but once in a while I need some idea.

The other day I knew I wanted to bake bread with garlic chive, but I wasn’t sure what I should pair it with.

When I asked for advice, my husband said “cheese.”

Hmmm, that’s not a bad idea!

Remember?

This is the garlic chive I used.

I don’t see this too often, but I really like it.

Just the name indicates, it gives really great garlicky flavor.

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by : Reiko Noodles/Pasta, Tofu

Pasta Bolognese
ボロネーゼパスタ


Last weekend I wanted to bring some food to a family member who had just had medical procedure.

Of course what I make is all vegan, but I wanted to make sure that what I made is something she would enjoy eating.

So here is one of the dishes I made.

Pasta Bolognese.

Plant-based.

I talk a lot about Koya Tofu (freeze-dried tofu), but I don’t think I’ve ever showed a picture of it.

Well, it looks like this just out of the box.

You soak it in water for a few minutes.

At this point it’s ready to be cooked.

This time I processed it in a food processor to give the look and texture similar to those of ground meat.

So good!!

Here is another dish I brought.

Cheesy Wild Rice.

It was a big hit, too.

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by : Reiko Sweets

Vegan Cheesecake
ヴィーガンチーズケーキ


Since I started the plant-based diet, there have been a lot of surprises.

Meat dishes without meat, fish dishes without fish, and egg dishes without eggs, they all exist.

By now I know so many delicious things can be made with plant-based ingredients.

But I’m still amazed that a delicious cheesecake can be made without cheese!

I have made vegan cheesecake before.

But my husband declared that this is the best cheesecake I’ve ever made.

And I loved it too.

It’s delicious as is, but I dressed it up a little with lemony persimmon sauce.

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by : Reiko Breakfast

Kinako Matcha Waffles with Okinawa “Black” Sugar Syrup
きなこ抹茶ワッフル、沖縄黒糖シロップがけ

We had our nephews overnight last night.

These 12-year-old boys can be picky about food, and we usually take them out for meals so that they can get what they want.

But I do make them breakfast.

The first thing in the morning, my question for them is always the same, “Pancakes or waffles?”

I know they do eat either one of them.

Of course I don’t tell them they are “vegan.”

(Well, one of the twins asked if they were, so I had to tell him. But he said “it tastes just like the regular waffles,” so I take it as a compliment (lol) with a relief.)

The one I’m posting here is not what I made for them, though.

They like their waffles plain, and today I noticed that they don’t even put butter on them.

Just syrup.

So here was the waffle I made for myself after the boys finished their breakfast.

I was in a mood for some Japanese flavors, and Kinako (roasted soy powder) and Matcha instantly satisfy the craving.

I also sprinkled black sesame seeds.

The syrup was made with “black” sugar from Okinawa, which complemented the Kinako and Matcha perfectly.

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by : Reiko Japanese Food, Soup/Stew

Dad’s Miso Soup (Sakekasu Miso Soup)
父の味噌汁（酒粕味噌汁）

When we stayed at my parents’ house during our recent vacation in Japan, my parents were so supportive of our diet.

My mom and I did the grocery shopping together, cooked together, and may parents ate the same thing we did for dinner every night.

They are awesome.

My mom wanted to learn about vegan cooking/baking, and I learned something new from them too.

Apparently, my father likes sakekasu.

He likes it so much that he puts it in his miso soup every night.

They were not sure how we would react to Sakekasu, but we were instantly hooked!

It gives such interesting and rich flavor to the soup.

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by : Reiko Japanese Food, Rice/Grains

Natto Arugula Fried Rice with Balsamic Glaze
納豆ルッコラ炒飯、バルサミコだれ添え

I grew up in Japan, so when it comes to rice, I like Japanese rice, which some people call “sticky rice,” mostly because it’s familiar to me.

But we keep other types of rice in our pantry as well.

One of them is Basmati brown rice.

It’s not for sushi but great for fried rice.

Basmati brown rice was fried with Natto, and then served with fresh arugula, sliced radish, and sweet Balsamic glaze.

I usually like my Natto with soy sauce, but it was delicious with balsamic as well!

That’s why I like trying new things.

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