by : Reiko Bread, Sandwich, Vegan, Vegetarian

Avocado Pita Sandwich
アボカドピタサンドイッチ

Avocado toast is so popular now.

I make avocado toast often myself, too, like this one.

I was in a mood for avocado, but something a bit different.

I had freshly home-made pita bread, and I thought it would be a fun to make a pita sandwich to feature avocado, like the avocado toast.

What do you think?

Sprinkle salt and pepper.

So fresh and lovely looking.

This is delicious as it is, but you can also add olive salad as a topping or pour green sauce if you are like me, make homemade green sauce, and happen to have some in your fridge.

Avocado Pita Sandwich

1/2 pita bread; I used my homemade whole wheat pita bread
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup spinach
1/2 cup corn
2 tablespoons chopped radish
salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive salad (optional: I use the one from Costco)

1. Warm pita in a microwave.
2. Stuff the pita with avocado slices, spinach, corn, and radish. Salt and pepper.

If you chop up too many veggies (like I always do), they will make an awesome snack when scooped up with your favorite chips.

Summer in Minnesota is so beautiful…

by : Reiko Bread, Breakfast, Vegan, Vegetarian

SB & F Open Sandwich
SB & F オープンサンド

You may be wondering what SB and F stand for.

Well, we probably have to talk about PB & J first.

I’m not a huge fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I do like peanut butter but jelly makes the whole sandwich a bit too sweet, and I feel like something is missing… freshness, maybe.

So, as you can see in this post, I like to add fresh fruit.

In this particular post I used jelly but I usually leave jelly out, so my PB & J is technically more like PB & F: peanut butter and fruit.

This time instead of peanut butter I used sunflower butter, so that’s where the name comes from.

Sunflower butter and fruit, SB & F.

It’s like a cousin of PB & F (lol).

This was my first time to try sunflower butter.

One of my Instagram friends posts a lot of pictures with sunflower butter, and that inspired me to try it.

It’s very creamy, and my first impression was “it tastes like sunflower seeds!”

The flavor is unique (a bit milder or more sophisticated? than peanut butter), and it is a great addition to my small nut butter collections.

So just because I wanted to try this new butter, I baked bread.

This is 2/3 whole wheat bread (2/3 of the flour used was whole wheat flour: 1 (all purpose flour): 2(whole wheat flour).

I usually hesitate to buy strawberries because there are wide variables in the taste quality, and I have been unlucky coming home with almost tasteless strawberries often recently.

But finally luck was with me, and these strawberries were so sweet!

I generously spread the sunflower butter on the toasted bread slices.

Aren’t these open sandwiches pretty?

This makes a perfect breakfast.

I enjoyed the sandwich with a cup of coffee.

I just bought this mug, and I absolutely love it.

It’s from Anthropologie.

SB & F Open Sandwich

– 2 toasts
– 2 tablespoons sunflower butter
– fruit; I used a banana and strawberries

1. Spread sunflower butter on toasts.
2. Place fruit on top.

by : Reiko Bread, Vegan, Vegetarian

BBQ Tempeh Pizza
BBQテンペピザ

Pizza!!

Anytime when you hear “pizza” in our house, it’s a happy day.

Especially when it’s homemade, and we get to make it together, it becomes a really fun meal preparation time.

100% plant-based Pizza doesn’t have to be boring.

Our whole wheat homemade crust with BBQ tempeh, mango, pineapple, scallion, and cashew cream is absolutely delicious!

Who needs pepperoni?

Really!

Terry and I don’t care much for pre-made (store-bought) vegan cheese, but we love our pizza with a big drizzle of my homemade cashew cream.

Bon Appetit!

A little beauty found during our last night’s walk in the city…

by : Reiko Bread, Vegan, Vegetarian

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
全粒粉ピタパン

The whole wheat wrap in the previous post was store-bought, but most of the bread we eat at our house are made home (by me).

Baking is a kind of an art project to me.

I get to use my hands to create something.

Something pretty awesome.

I really enjoy the process.

This whole wheat pita bread is dark, imperfectly round, and beautiful in its own way.

I’ve learned from my past mistakes, and now I wrap them in a cotton towel when they are just out of the oven to keep the moisture inside and help them stay soft.

by : Reiko Bento/Lunch Box, Bread, Mushroom, Peppers, Sandwich, Vegan, Vegetarian

Portobello Philly Sandwich
きのこフィリーサンドイッチ

Philly or cheese steak sandwich was never on top of my list, but it was one of Terry’s favorite sandwiches.

So I thought it would be fun to make it with portobello mushrooms.

You don’t want to be skimpy with mushrooms.

Then sauteed onion and green peppers go on top of the mushrooms.

And here is another important part of the sandwich, cashew cream, which gives another layer of flavors.

The sandwich has the rich flavors you get from the philly sandwich, but you don’t feel heavy after you finish the sandwich.

It makes a great lunch when served with fresh fruit.

Porobello Philly Sandwich

canola oil
2~3 portobello mushrooms
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
Japanese worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
cashew cream
– 1 cup cashew nuts
– 1~2 cloves garlic, cut in half
– water
– Dijon mustard
– sugar
– lemon juice
– white vinegar
– salt and pepper

1. Sautee portobello mushrooms in oil. Salt and pepper. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and worcestershire sauce. Continue to cook for another minute or so until the sauce coat the mushrooms.
2. Clean the pan. Add oil. Sautee onion and pepper. Salt and pepper.
3. Make cashew cream. Put cashew nuts and garlic in a small pot. Cover with water. Boil and then turn off heat. Let the nuts and garlic soak for a while. Remove the nuts and garlic, and place them in a tall container; keep the water. Add mustard, sugar, lemon juice, white vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the water where the nuts and garlic were cooked in, little by little until the sauce achieves a preferred consistency.

by : Reiko Bread, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cornbread
コーンブレッド

Cornbread!

I love everything about cornbread, but particularly the unique texture.

Any dish that comes with cornbread becomes extra special to me.

I thought about maybe using a round pan, but for some reason, I always have this idea that cornbread has to be square (lol).

You may ask, what made me decide to make cornbread.

Well, I thought it would be perfect to serve with my Chili with Blackened Corn.

This turned out to be an awesome lunch plate.

Tasty chili, flavorful moist cornbread, and a glass of homemade cold brew coffee.

Corn Bread

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
5 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups soy milk
6 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch baking dish with foil.
2. In a bowl combine flaxseed meal and water. Mix well.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Combine well.
4. Pour the batter to the dish.
5. Put in the oven. Once the door is closed, turn the oven to 425F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes and a knife inserted into the middle of the corn bread comes out clean.