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

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich
テンペサンドイッチ

The first time I tried tempeh I didn’t like it.

The second and the third time I didn’t like it either.

So I stopped trying.

I didn’t think I would ever try tempeh again, and I didn’t eat it for several years.

Then a few months ago Terry had BBQ Tempeh Picnic Sandwich at Mendocino Farms in California, and with his strong encouragement I took a bite.

Guess what?

I liked it.

Well, I actually really really liked it.

I didn’t know why first, but then I realized that this was the first time I ate tempeh when it was called “tempeh”, and not as fake meat.

In the past every time I tried tempeh it was presented to me as “fake meat”, and it has never tasted like meat, which I now think was the big reason why I felt disappointment.

So I bought tempeh for the first time.

I love its very short list of ingredients which always makes me happy.

I marinated tempeh in my homemade BBQ sauce before baking them in the oven.

This is my simple coleslaw made with cabbage, radish, and kohlrabi.

Put everything on my homemade bread as well as sweet mustard sauce.

Voila!

This was super tasty!

I’m so glad that I got reunited with tempeh.

I have a feeling that our relationship is going to last for a long time this time.

by : Reiko Bread, Breakfast, Vegan, Vegetarian

Steamed Carrot Muffins
にんじん蒸しパン

I’m always looking for a new snack I can make on the weekend and take to work.

I bought a steamer as part of a set of pots and pans many years ago, but I’ve never used it.

I’ve always liked the moist texture of steamed buns, and I decided to make steamed muffins for the first time.

I also liked the idea that I don’t have to use the oven!

I wanted to make something I could enjoy for breakfast and not for dessert, so I though carrot muffins would be perfect.

The natural bright orange color from the carrot is absolutely beautiful.

This is a simple recipe made with a short list of ingredients including a small amount of sugar.

These muffins were so good and perfect for someone like me who enjoys the natural flavors of the ingredients that are not overwhelmed by excessive sweetness.

Steamed Carrot Muffins makes 7~8 muffins

100g thinly sliced carrots
200cc soy milk
2.5 tablespoons sugar
200g all-purpose flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil

1. Combine carrots, soy milk, and sugar. Puree the carrots until smooth using a hand blender.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and mix well. Add the carrot mixture and coconut oil. Mix until combined.
3. Pour the batter into muffin cups.
4. Steam for about 12 minutes or until cooked through.

Okay, using the steamer was the first for me, but using silicone cups was another thing I’ve never done before either.

When the So-Zai Bread unexpectedly stuck to the paper cup, Terry ordered these silicone cups at Amazon for me the same night.

These silicone cups worked wonders.

I was comfortable putting them in the steamer (I wouldn’t use paper cups), and the muffins came out of these cups super easily.

I like the idea that these are reusable, too.

The only thing I’m not sure is the bright colors…

Why is it so hard to find simple white colored silicone cups?

2 Comments
by : Reiko Bread, Dessert, Vegan, Vegetarian

Matcha Doughnuts
抹茶ドーナツ

I was planning to post something else today.

But when I checked Instagram this morning, I quickly found out that it’s National Doughnut Day today.

(You can tell I’m not a full-time blogger.)

So I changed my plan.

I got my new KitchenAid out and got busy.

Love this machine.

It makes dough-making so much more fun.

To celebrate National Doughnut Day I made Matcha Doughnuts, filled with Matcha custard cream.

I made extra custard cream for dipping if someone (me for one) wants extra cream.

Last time I (thought I) made doughnuts, my mother-in-law told me that doughnuts have to have a hole, so this time I made sure to make a couple that have a hole.

Loved the green on green.

The custard is creamy and flavorful, yet not too heavy.

Another cute disposable container from a 100-yen shop in Japan.

National Doughnut Day ends in a half hour.

I made it. Barely.

Matcha Doughnuts makes 12 doughnuts

dough
– 140cc soy milk, warm
– 3g dry yeast
– 2 tablespoons sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1 tablespoon Matcha powder
– 200g bread flour
– 30g coconut oil
– Canola oil for frying

filling
– 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
– 4 tablespoons cane sugar
– 1~2 teaspoons Matcha powder
– a pinch salt
– 1 teaspoon canola oil
– 400cc soy milk
– vanilla extract

sugar for dusting
– cane sugar

1. Combine milk and yeast in a bowl. Mix well until yeast dissolves.
2. Add sugar, salt, Matcha powder, flour, and coconut oil. Knead and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Let it rise for about 1~2 hours until it doubles in size.
4. Make filling. Combine flour, sugar, Matcha powder, salt, and oil in a pot. Slowly add milk. Cook over medium-high heat constantly stirring until it achieves the preferred thickness. Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract. Cool. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
5. Form 12 balls. Let it rise for another 30 minutes or so.
6. Fry them in 300 F oil, for 1 to 2 minutes each side.
7. Remove from the oil. Set them on a plate lined with paper towel.
8. Fill the doughnuts with the Matcha custard filling.
9. Dust the doughnuts with cane sugar.

by : Reiko Bread

So-Zai Bread with Corn
お惣菜コーンパン

We were in Japan for two weeks, but we visited so many cities and we didn’t have a lot of time to spend at my parents’ house, but when we did, I had a great time shopping, lunching, and cooking with my mother.

My mother is not only a great cook but also a great baker, and she has made so many different kinds of bread over the years.

This type of savory bread that is typically enjoyed as a meal is called “So-Zai” bread in Japan.

So-Zai means “deli” food.

My mom makes her So-Zai bread typically with corn, tuna, ham, or sausage.

When my mother and I had one morning open, we decided to make this together, and they were as tasty as I remembered.

Last weekend I decided to make them again, this time by myself.

I didn’t want to wait too long because I didn’t want to forget how my mom made them.

The recipe for the bread is mostly the same as my mother’s, but I substituted 1/3 of the bread flour with whole wheat flour, per my husband’s request.

I wasn’t sure about this change, but it turned out just fine, and I actually enjoyed the taste and the color created by the whole wheat flour.

This is how they looked right before going into the oven.

My mother makes her corn version with simple corn salad (corn, onion, mayo, parsley), but my husband and I decided to add some few other things, such as cheese (Parmesan, cheddar) and curry powder.

I also made mayonnaise myself; simply because we usually do not keep store-bought mayo in our house.

They were perfectly baked!

Don’t they look tasty?!

You can make a little care package if you have a disposable container like this; I found this at a 100-yen shop in Japan.

As I wrote a few days ago, there are so many cool things found at 100-yen shops.

by : Reiko Bread

Mom’s Pullman Bread
母レシピで食パン

My mother has been baking pullman bread every week with the same recipe for many many years.

I asked for the recipe a few years ago and since then I’ve been making it myself.

But when we were staying at my parents’ house during our stay in Japan this month, I realized that my mom’s bread tasted different from mine, even though we use the same recipe. I mean hers was better.

One day I had a chance to watch my mom make her bread, and I saw her using her “mochi” mixer to knead the dough.

The result was amazing!

The dough was so smooth and beautiful, different from mine which is hand-kneaded, and when it was sliced the inside looked silky.

Terry agreed that her bread was better when he tried a slice toasted, but Terry also thought their bread was toasted better.

So, yesterday Terry and I went to Williams and Sonoma to look for a new toaster.

And we came home with a Breville Toaster Oven AND a KitchenAid Mixer!

We were not planning to get the mixer, but when we saw it at the store, Terry and I looked at each other, and we both thought of the same thing; this will make a smooth bread dough like my mother’s.

Yes, we treated ourselves a bit, but we absolutely love them.

These are not only functional but also beautiful in our kitchen.

As soon as we got home I baked this pullman bread using the new mixer, and it turned out great.

We tried a slice toasted with our new toaster this morning, and it was delicious.