by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Bread, Breakfast, Vegetarian

Red Bean Cream Cheese Toast
クリームチーズ小倉トースト

This was actually made before my recent trip to Japan, although it screams Japanese (lol).

Buttered toast with sweet red bean paste is a local favorite breakfast choice in the Nagoya region where I grew up in.

But when I saw a combination of read bean paste, cream, and fruit confiture/jam on a toast on Instagram, that intrigued me.

Apparently a cafe called “Coffee House Kako” is famous for making this.

They use butter, sweet red bean paste, whipped cream, and jam/confiture.

My version is a bit different because I used cream cheese instead of whipped cream.

I personally think cream cheese is a better choice because of its texture and taste particularly for breakfast.

This time for jam/confiture I used store-bought cheery, marmalade, and lingonberry. I made kiwi confiture myself.

Red Bean Cream Cheese Toast

1 toast
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
4~6 tablespoons sweet red bean paste
2~4 tablespoons cream cheese
jam/confiture

1. Spread butter on a toast. Cut the toast into four pieces.
2. Spread red bean paste. Place cream cheese and then jam/confiture on top.

by : Reiko Bread, Vegan, Vegetarian

Rice Flour Pullman Bread – Vegan
ココナッツオイル入り米粉食パン

Not so long ago I made this Rice Flour Pullman Bread.

It was my first time to use rice flour for bread and I really liked the texture the rice flour created, and this time I decided to make it vegan and used coconut oil in place of butter and used soy milk instead of water and powdered milk.

I also made some other changes to the recipe based on my past experience.

The result was amazing!

Can you tell how soft this bread turned out?

Loved the texture and I don’t think there was anything missing due to the use of coconut oil.

I actually liked this version better than the first one.

I like a little thicker slice like this one.

But my husband prefers much thinner slices.

The bread is delicious when just out of the oven, but it’s also great for toast, too.

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy a toast.

Terry calls it a “monkey toast”!

Peanut butter (creamy, always!) and banana slices.

Yum!!!

And my husband’s homemade cold brew coffee completes my favorite breakfast.

Rice Flour Pullman Bread with Coconut Oil (for one 4.5×4.5×7-inch pan)

250cc soy milk, lukewarm
6g dry yeast
6g salt
2 tablespoons sugar
300g bread flour
30g all-purpose flour
45g rice flour
30g coconut oil
canola oil (for greasing the pan)

1. Put soy milk in a large bowl.
2. Add yeast, salt, and sugar to the milk. Mix well.
3. Add flour. Kneed.
4. Add coconut oil and continue to kneed until it’s manageable and you can form a smooth ball.
5. Cover with plastic. Let it rise for about one hour.
6. Push the dough down. Divide the dough into two balls. Cover with a towel and let them rise for about 20 minutes.
7. Roll them out and fold the both sides in. Roll them to make two logs. Set them in a greased pan.
8. Preheat oven to 400F.
9. Let the logs rise until it comes up to almost the top of the pan.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes.

6 Comments
by : Reiko Bread

Rice Flour Pullman Bread
米粉入り食パン

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I’ve noticed that rice flour has been popular in Japan the past few years.

A lot of recipes with rice flour are everywhere.

I’m not sure if it is because more people are interested in the gluten-free diet like in the U.S., but I’m not sure.

Based on my casual observation, however, people simply seem to like the unique texture the flour creates.

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I found this recipe on the largest online recipe site in Japan.

I call this “Rice Flour Pullman Bread”, however, it’s not solely made of rice flour, therefore, it is NOT gluten-free.

Actually the portion of the rice flour is quite small; the large portion is a mixture of bread flour and all-purpose flour.

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I hope you can tell how soft this bread is from this picture.

Although the amount of rice flour is not too large, it definitely creates a unique texture.

It’s soft and chewy at the same time, and absolutely delicious!

I really enjoyed this bread when it was just out of the oven.

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It’s also wonderful when toasted.

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I wanted some fresh flower in the house and looked at the flower section in the local grocery store this morning.

I tend to be attracted to plants that are often seen as “background”, something you’ll see in a wild field.

So, I came home with this.

The tag attached to it said “Solidago”.

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Recipe Credit: commeline (recipe in Japanese)

by : Reiko Bread, Sandwich, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu Burgers
豆腐バーガー

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I love tofu burgers.

These are a smaller version, and they look adorable.

Perfect for lunch or snack.

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First, I bake buns.

This is me impatiently waiting for buns to be ready.

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So happy with the result.

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And I make tofu burgers.

These are so easy to make, yet, delicious!!

I like tofu burgers better compared to bean-based ones, because tofu burgers (at least this one) tend to have the texture that I prefer; bean burgers tend to be a bit too mushy to me.

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These burgers are tasty as they are, but this time I coated them with Sriracha teriyaki sauce. Yum.

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And then I slice the veggies I want in our burger.

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These were so good.

Definitely one of my favorite sandwiches to make and share with my hubby.

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You can probably get a better idea of how small these burgers are in this picture.

Well, just to let you know Terry was working on his car right before lunch, so he looks like a hard-working man; and he is!

Tofu Burger

1 bun (I used homemade one)
tofu burger (make 8~10 small burgers)
– 1 package extra firm tofu, microwaved for about one minute and excess liquid was removed, and then mashed
– 1/2 cup mini frozen Lima beans, thawed and chopped
– corn starch
– sugar
– salt and pepper
– chopped scallion
canola oil
Sriracha teriyaki sauce
– 1/3 cup cane sugar
– 1/3 cup soy sauce
– a few drops Sriracha sauce
sweet mustard sauce (Sorry no measurements. Taste frequently to get the right balance you like.)
– tahini
– Dijon mustard
– sugar
– white vinegar
tomato slices
onion slices
Shiso (Japanese basil leaves)

1. Make tofu burgers. Combine all the ingredients and make form burgers.
2. Cook tofu burgers with oil, for a few minutes each side, until browned. Remove from the pan.
3. Make Sriracha teriyaki sauce. Add all the ingredients in the pan. Cook and reduce until the sauce it thickened.
4. Put the cooked burgers back to the pan. Coat them with sauce.
5. Make sweet mustard sauce. Mix all the ingredients with a hand blender well until creamy.
6. Assemble.

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by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Bread, Dessert, Sandwich

Japanese Red Bean Butter Sweet Sandwiches
あん（プレーン・苺・抹茶）バターサンド

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In my recent post I talked about how much more aware I’ve become about Japanese food trends since I started using Instagram.

The inspiration for this sandwich was also found when I was browsing pictures on Instagram.

I was instantly attracted to the red bean butter sandwich served at this cafe in Kyoto, Japan when I saw its pictures.

It’s a simple sandwich.

Butter and sweet red beans are sandwiched in buns.

This combination of butter and sweet red beans may sound strange to Westerners, but it’s nothing new, and something similar, called “Ogura Toast” which is a toasted slice of bread is served with spread of butter and sweet red beans, has been a popular dish for many years in the Nagoya region where I’m from.

I think this sandwich style became a hit because of its cool (or cute) look and using butter in the solid form not melted.

Now, the idea definitely came from this cafe’s sandwich, but I’m proud to point out that there are a few things very cool about my sandwiches.

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One is the buns.

Well, these are homemade, and they are soft, slightly sweet, and delicious!

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The other thing is this butter.

In addition to regular butter, I decided to use two flavored butter: Matcha and strawberry.

Aren’t these pretty?

These are actually not only pretty but also absolutely DELICIOUS!!

You can use these for anything, a simple toast, waffles, pancakes, bagels…

Matcha Butter
– salted butter
– matcha powder, sifted
– honey

Strawberry Butter
– salted butter
– ground and powdered freeze dried strawberries, sifted
– honey

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I used Trader Joe’s freeze dried strawberries.

They also have other freeze dried fruits, such as blueberries and raspberries, and I like to keep them in my pantry.

These are great for baking when you want to add some natural flavor and color but you don’t want to add any liquid.

The flavors are packed in these freeze dried fruits like any dried food, and I love it.

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The regular butter version.

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The strawberry butter version.

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The Matcha butter version.

I tried to pick a favorite, but each is just so great in its own way!

Loved them all!

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Here is what it looks like inside when they are cut into quarters.

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Have a great rest of the weekend!

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by : Reiko Bread, Potato/Squash, Vegan, Vegetarian

Double Kabocha Pizza
ダブルかぼちゃピザ

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There are different kinds of squash, and everyone is unique in terms of taste and texture.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I would have to say Kabocha is one of my favorites.

Yes, it’s a Japanese squash, but that’s not the only reason!

Probably the three main things I like about this squash are its dark yellow color, sweetness, and texture (less moist compared to other squash).

The fact that you can eat the skin and you don’t have to peel is another plus.

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I have made Sweet Potato Crusted Pizza before and I loved it, and I decided to make a pumpkin version, but this time there is pumpkin “in” and “on” the crust.

Can you see the beautiful color of the crust?

I was in love.

This pizza is not only pretty but also very tasty.

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Double Kabocha Pizza
The measurements are still a VERY rough estimate; this is mostly for my personal note. So please feel free to use this as a rough idea, but do NOT follow this recipe/measurements without adjusting them to your liking.

Kabocha crust
– 1/2 cup roasted kabocha, pureed
– olive oil
– warm water
– 1 tablespoon yeast
– 1 tablespoon salt
– 3~3 1/2 cups flour (bread, a-p, whole wheat)
BBQ sauce
toppings
– sauteed crimini mushrooms
– cooked broccoli
– sliced and roasted Kabocha
cashew cream
– 1/2 cup cashew nuts, soaked in hot water
– white vinegar
– Dijon mustard
– sugar
– salt
– water
chopped scallion
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper

Oven: 425~450F
Cook crust. Brush olive oil on the edge of the crust (optional). Spread BBQ sauce and place toppings. Cook until the crust is crunchy. Serve with cashew cream, green onion, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.