CT Side-B – Page 126 – Unexpected greatness on the other side of the culinary world

Birthday Party with Tacos!
タコスでバースデーパーティー

Today we had an official birthday party for my husband.

Celebrated it with the family, and it was great to see everyone.

It was originally my mother-in-law’s idea, and she even offered her place for the party.

Since my husband always tells me not to throw a surprise party, so I didn’t hide the plan from him.

At the same time, I felt a bit bad because my mother-in-law maybe wanted it to be a surprise for him, and I took the fun away.

We decided to keep things simple and decided to make tacos, because we thought it wouldn’t be too complicated to feed vegans (basically the two of us) and non-vegans (everyone else).

I cooked non-vegan “meat” and my mother-in-law made the actual meat version.

(One of the guests thought the tofu was “chicken”!)

I also made black bean corn quinoa salad and baked three different kinds of cookies.

I initially thought about making a cake myself, but since I haven’t perfected the frosting (non-coconut flavored) yet, I decided to order it from Dulceria Bakery.

My husband picked this Mexican Cajeta Cake (caramel cake).

I thought it was a bit too sweet for me, but he liked it, so I was happy.

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July 14, 2018

by : Reiko Sweets

Yes We Can! V Anzac Cookies
イエス・ウイ・キャン! Vアンザッククッキー

These Anzac Cookies are one of my favorite cookies that my mother used to make when we were little.

Later I learned that my mother got the recipe from my and my sister’s English teacher who used to live in Australia.

Well, that makes sense, as Anzac Cookies are popular in Australia and New Zealand.

I asked my mother for the recipe several years ago, and I’ve made them several times, but this was the first time I made them vegan.

There are a few ingredients that are not vegan-friendly, but I felt pretty confident that I could overcome this.

And I think I did!

My husband is not a big fan of coconuts, but he said he liked them; the one which is missing from the pan was already in his tummy.

My husband suggested opening this fancy box of tea he recently received as his birthday gift.

The flavors are all so unique and interesting.

After going back and forth, we decided to try Chocolate Rose.

It was wonderful!!

The tea bag has a leaf at the end of the string.

Love the sophisticated design.

Have a great weekend everyone!

We’ve been celebrating my husband’s birthday last and this week.

We took a week-long trip to the North-West coast, and we had a blast.

I grew up in the culture where we have different ways to express love to loved ones than actually saying “I love you”, like you know, you do in many western countries.

So leaving a long “I love you” message to my husband on facebook is not my style.

But he is really the best husband, and I don’t know why I got so lucky.

Love you sweetie so much!

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July 13, 2018

by : Reiko Noodles/Pasta, Salad

Mamma Mia Spaghetti Dinner
マンマ・ミーア・スパゲッティプレート

Who doesn’t like spaghetti dinner?!

I grew up in Japan, but “Spaghetti with Meat Sauce” was definitely on top of my list.

Since we don’t eat meat anymore, the preparation for the “meat sauce” takes a bit longer.

First I make a meatloaf, and then I crumble it into smaller pieces.

So, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce is usually made the day after a meatloaf dinner at our house, but sometimes I make a meatloaf just because I want to have the spaghetti dish.

Well, it’s worth it.

I keep my “meat sauce” simple with only a few ingredients.

My “must” is a can of “whole tomatoes”.

It always makes my sauce taste better than when a can of diced or crashed tomatoes is used.

The spaghetti was served with Carsar salad.

In my world, this is the best thing to go with this spaghetti dish.

Doesn’t it look tasty?

My trusted nutty parm was generously sprinkled.

Voila!

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July 12, 2018

by : Reiko Sweets

Strawberry Fields Forever Cake
ストロベリーフィールズフォーエバー・ケーキ

Making non-chocolate vegan cake has been a struggle for me.

I did find a trusted vegan cake recipe here, but finding a good vegan frosting recipe has been challenging.

I’ve tried a few recipes, and I also tried to come up with my own recipe, without success.

Then I found this recipe, for “cream cheese” frosting, and decided to give it a try.

I did need to go shopping first, but I didn’t mind because I always have fun trying new products.

I didn’t even know that such things like coconut butter or cacao butter existed (I didn’t need cacao butter, but at that time I was thinking about making her other recipe that does list cacao butter as one of the ingredients).

I used coconut cream instead of coconut milk, but that was the only change I made to the recipe.

The frosting was amazing!

This was not only delicious but also that the consistency was just perfect!

I went to the local farmer’s market looking for the best fruits I could use to decorate this cake.

Lucky me!

These strawberries were so adorable and super sweet.

These locally grown strawberries are so different from those you find at grocery stores, in so many positive ways.

I love this simple and rustic, yet elegant look.

It really showcases the beautiful strawberries.

Who wouldn’t want to try it?!

You can see how beautiful and perfect the cake sponge and the frosting look.

This cake will be a perfect dessert to enjoy with your family and friends for the Fourth of July celebration.

I actually made this cake thinking that this could be the cake I could prepare for my husband’s birthday which is coming up in a few weeks.

My husband is not a big coconut fan, and I personally did not think the coconut taste was that strong in the frosting, but unfortunately it was for him.

So, this is not going to be his birthday cake, but this will definitely go on MY list.

Have a wonderful 4th of July everyone!

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July 4, 2018

by : Reiko Asian Food, Fruit, Jackfruit

Bulgogi JF Tacos
プルコギ風タコス

Happy Taco Tuesday!

These tacos were famous Korean meat dish, Bulgogi, inspired ones.

Bulgogi means “fire meat” according to Wikipedia, and my beautiful jackfruit from Trader Joe’s was cooked over high heat after marinated overnight.

The trick is that you really want to get the charred look and flavor to the “meat” at this point.

If you ask me, the fixing is as important a part of any tacos.

This time I prepared napa cabbage slaw and home-pickled Shiso (Japanese basil) cucumber.

Also mashed avocado.

Don’t they look fabulous?

This was a bit messy to eat, but I never mind getting messy when I’m eating something delicious.

By the way, I finally had a chance to eat ripe fresh jackfruit at a party thrown by a friend who is from Cambodia.

She said her dad did all the work, and pulled apart the fruit, which I hear is a lot of work.

It was so delicious that a few days later I went to a local Asian grocery store and bought some.

Thankfully, they had a package of fruit that has been already taken out of the whole thing.

It’s a bit expensive, but I LOVE this fruit.

Very tropical, and a mere bite instantly takes me to the imaginative tropical island!

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July 3, 2018

by : Reiko Leaf Vegetables, Noodles/Pasta

Green Goodness Spinach Pesto Pasta
グリーンなほうれん草ジェノベーゼパスタ

One of the great things that came with my experience of switching to the 100% plant based diet is that it forces me to think out of the box.

Well, after realizing that so many foods that I believed were NECESSARY for many years are not only unnecessary but also easily replaceable.

So when I think of “pesto”, in my mind it can be made with anything, well, anything green.

So when I got this giant bag of spinach from Costco, pesto seemed like an awesome idea.

There is no meat on this plate.

Everything you see are plant-based, and this makes me smile.

So next time you are in a situation where you have so much spinach you don’t know what to do with, think of “pesto”.

A few evenings ago my husband and I were having dinner at fig + farro, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, and we met a lovely young couple.

They were eating at the table next to us, and we noticed that they were ordering almost exactly the same dishes we did.

So that’s probably how we started a conversation, and we learned that the young lady is a college student and has been on a plant-based diet for a couple of years.

She said she was looking for nutritional yeast while she was in town, and I couldn’t help but recommend Trader Joe’s.

I’ve tried another brand, thinking it would taste the same, and I quickly realized that I was wrong.

So now I stick with Trader Joe’s.

I used to be a bit skeptical about nutritional yeast, but after I learned that it’s “not bad for you”, I now use it quite often.

(This is an interesting read about nutritional yeast.)

Red is supposed to enhance your appetite, but green does pretty much the same to me!

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July 2, 2018

by : Reiko Japanese Food, Potatoes/Squash

Mmmmm… Roasted Satsuma-Imo
うまっ！焼き芋

Although Japanese cuisine has become pretty popular around the world, there are still so many amazing Japanese foods people are missing out on.

One of them is Satsuma-Imo, or Japanese sweet potato.

Yes, it’s a personal opinion, but a lot of people who did try it, including my husband, as well as many Japanese people who live abroad would agree with me.

In the U.S., they may be sold as “Oriental Sweet Potato”, “Asian Sweet Potato”, “Japanese Sweet Potato”, or “Satsuma Potato”.

They have unmistakably dark maroon colored skin (inside is white).

The ones (above) I picked up are a bit chubby, but usually the shape is just like regular sweet potatoes.

How do you cook it?

Well, the best way is roasting it.

When roasted, it brings intense sweetness.

During the roasting process, I noticed that syrup-like liquid was woozing out of the potatoes, which really shows how sweet these potatoes can be.

I love the taste, but the texture is also wonderful.

It’s soft and moist, but not too moist and it keeps the texture satisfying and pleasant.

You can add it to your dinner plate, but it also makes a great snack as it is.

The potato is just so delicious as it is that I typically do not add anything.

No salt, not syrup (please DON’T), no sauce, but the only thing I may do is putting a little piece of butter, which is a whole another story and will probably deserve its own post about it (lol)!

Other ways I enjoy Satsuma Potatoes include tempura and miso soup.

So yesterday we checked out a cactus shop that recently opened in Minneapolis.

This (above) was one of the cacti I really liked, but I came home with…

This one!

It was love at first sight for me.

Isn’t she just lovely?

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July 1, 2018

by : Reiko Drinks

Pretty in Pink Strawberry Milk Sake
プリティ・イン・ピンク苺ミルク酒

This may look too pretty to drink, but I guarantee you will finish it in no time!

This pretty pink sake drink is sweet, refreshing, and as well as pretty…

Just a perfect little drink for a little get together with your girlfriends.

What are in this delightful drink?

Strawberries syrup (strawberries, sugar), almond milk, and “Sayuri” nigori sake.

This sake is my favorite, and I keep a bottle for a little after-dinner drink or even for cooking.

I’m not a big fan of regular sake, but I love the mildness and the depth created from this “nigori” type of sake.

I always get a bottle from Costco.

This is how it looks when you pour the mixture to glasses.

But it’s even prettier when you add a few drops of extra strawberry syrup right before serving.

I’m glad that I had perfect outfit for the drink.

Looks lovely, doesn’t it?

Target has been one of my recent favorite places to shop for clothes.

They now have several different clothing lines, and it’s fun to check them out.

I go there all the time anyway, so it’s convenient, too.

The destination of my today’s outing was a bit unusual.

I recently found that a new cacti shop opened in Minneapolis, and I decided to check it out.

The shop is called Madre Cacti, and the place is amazing!

Filled with cacti with various kinds and sizes.

Really a cool place, especially found in the Midwest!

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June 30, 2018

by : Reiko Salad

Veggie Carpaccio
べジなカルパッチョ

Carpaccio is always a great way to showcase seasonal produce.

It’s such a light dish, so it can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a snack.

This was what I got from the local farmers market.

The colors are just amazing!

You can hand-cut them, but a slicer makes the process so much easier.

You can basically place the slices any way you like.

There are no rules.

This is where you can play with your food without feeling guilty!

Since the veggies are so delicious as they are, I could have just eaten them simply with salt.

But it was also delicious when served with chickpea white miso dressing and fresh mint.

My husband and I enjoyed it as a pre-dinner snack, and we finished it in no time.

Near our house a new boutique opened several weeks ago, and I absolutely love their selection.

If I see something I like, it will be hard for me to not buy it, so I usually try not to look at their window when I walk by them.

But today after having lunch at a local deli, I decided to “just look”, and I fell in love this this cute pants suit.

This was a perfect kind of clothing to wear on a hot summer day like today!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I’m hoping my husband takes me out for a nice dinner tonight, so I can wear this suit.

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June 29, 2018

by : Reiko Fruit, Pizza/Flatbread

Uchi Pizza with Pistachio Avocado Cream
うちピザ、ピスタチオアボカドクリームのせ

My husband and I had Uchi Pizza for lunch today, because we were both working from home.

What’s Uchi Pizza?

Well, “Uchi” means “home” (in Japanese), and as you can guess, this was made and eaten at home.

This pizza was not only homemade, but also a result of good teamwork.

My husband made the crust (the night before), and it made our kitchen smell like heaven.

The crust turned out just the way we like it.

Thin, crispy, and light, yet, still having some nice chewiness.

I used to think every meal has to contain some sort of meat or seafood.

I was so wrong!

This pizza was loaded with seasonal veggies (this time we used yellow squash, red onion, green peppers, tomato, and purple cabbage); The cabbage was sprinkled after the pizza was cooked.

And it was absolutely perfect and satisfying.