by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Curried Kale Chips
カレー味ケールチップス

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When I go to the farmers market I get excited about all the fresh produce and buy things without having a solid plan on how to use it.

I do that a lot with kale.

I think it’s the dark green color that’s so appealing to me.

But then I forget about it and a few days later I realize there is a large bunch of kale in my fridge that I should use soon.

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When that happens, making kale chips is always a great idea.

You can basically flavor them with anything you like, but this time I decided to go with curry.

This was absolutely delicious!

There are so many things you should make at home instead of buying, but kale chips are definitely one of them as they are so easy to make and much cheaper!

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I have a feeling that not all potters are cooks.

I say this because there are many pretty plates and bowls, but it’s so hard to find plates and bowls that look good with food on or in them.

There are several factors that I look for when choosing my dishes.

One of them is that the color or the design from the outside continues to the inside.

There are so many pieces that are beautiful outside, yet it’s so boring inside.

So these bowls are some of my favorites.

As you can see, the cute design continues inside, all the way to the bottom.

When I finish eating whatever was served in this bowl and see the design at the bottom, it always makes me smile.

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Curried Kale Chips

1/2 bunch kale leaves, torn into large pieces
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8~1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Combine all the ingredients.
3. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread them into a single layer.
4. Bake for about 20~25 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway.
5. Cool the kale on the sheet for a few minutes before serving.

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by : Reiko Bread, Leaf Vegetabes, Mushroom, Vegetarian

Maitake Mushroom Pizza Two Ways 舞茸ピザ二種どっちが好み？

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I found beautiful Maitake mushrooms at the local Asian grocery store, United Noodles, and after seriously giving thoughts to how to use them, I decided to go with pizza.

I also found some cool stuff at the store, so I made two kinds of pizza to showcase them.

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Pizza 1: Maitake Shungiku Pizza
Maitake mushrooms, Shungiku, red onion, Gruyere cheese, olive salad, (and a squeeze of lemon juice right before serving)

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Light, fresh, and delicious!!

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Pizza 2: Maitake Shiso Pizza
Maitake mushrooms, Shiso (Japanese basil), red onion, Gruyere cheese, sweet miso sauce

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“Yummy” (Terry says ).

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Which one would you like to try?

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by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sesame Spinach
ほうれん草のおひたしナムル

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I like food, but I also like plates and bowls.

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This is a unique piece I had a pottery store ship from Japan.

I love the texture, which is rough and organic.

You can almost picture the potter’s strong hands and his free spirit!

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Now I should probably talk about the food.

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The star of this dish is of course the spinach.

This spinach from the local farmers market is so beautiful and tasty, and I wanted to showcase it without overloading with heavy flavors.

This dish is something like a hybrid of Japanese Ohitashi and Korean Namul.

The spinach was quickly blanched and flavored lightly with salt, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and sesame oil, and then served with grated sesame seeds.

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Sesame Spinach

4~5 bunches spinach
a pinch salt
a pinch sugar
a splash soy sauce
a splash sesame oil
grated white sesame seeds.

1. Cook spinach in boiling water for a few seconds. Remove from the water and put them in ice cold water. Drain. Dry.
2. Sprinkle salt and sugar. Splash soy sauce and sesame oil. Sprinkle grated sesame seeds.

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by : Reiko Breakfast, Egg, Leaf Vegetabes, Mushroom, Potato/Squash, St. Paul, Vegetarian

Omelette with Creamy Morel Sauce オムレツきのこソースがけ

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This is my first time cooking Morel mushroom!

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One of our favorite local pizza restaurants, Big River Pizza , is selling Morel mushroom, and Terry got some for me when he had lunch there one day this week.

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The Morel mushrooms were sliced and made into creamy mustard sauce and served over an open omelette with potatoes and asparagus.

Love the flavor and the texture of the Morel!

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This breakfast plate was also full of seasonal vegetables we just got from our local farmers market this morning.

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Aren’t these veggies simply beautiful?!

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Omelette with Creamy Morel Sauce

Morel sauce (makes enough for 2~4 servings)
– canola oil
– 1 clove garlic, chopped
– 1/2 onion, chopped
– 1/2 cup Morel mushrooms, sliced
– 1~2 tablespoons flour
– 1.5~2 cup soy milk
– 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
– sugar
– salt and pepper
2 eggs
soy milk
salt and pepper
canola oil
4~5 stalks asparagus, grilled
1/2 potato, sliced, boiled, and then fried
chopped scallion or parsley

1. Make Morel sauce. Sautee garlic and onion in canola oil for a few minutes until cooked through. Add Morel mushroom and continue to cook for another few minutes. Sprinkle flour and cook for a minute or so while stirring constantly. Add milk, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook while stirring. If it gets too thick add more milk.
2. Mix eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Make a thin omelette.
3. Serve the omelette with boiled and fried sliced potatoes and grilled asparagus. Serve with Morel sauce. Sprinkle chopped scallion or parsley.

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by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Mushroom, Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Vegan, Vegetarian

Linguine with King Mushroom えりんぎとルッコラのパスタ

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I’m a big noodle lover, and any pasta dish makes me happy.

But pasta with lots of veggie like this one makes me SUPER happy!

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I’m also a big mushroom fan, and I had to have them when I saw this beautiful king mushroom at the local Asian grocery store.

The size is amazing and it really deserves that name!

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Arugula basil sauce.

I do not call it “pesto” only because there is no cheese in it.

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Linguine with King Mushroom

arugula basil sauce (arugula, basil, olive oil, cooked garlic, water where garlic was cooked, lemon juice, salt, pepper, nuts, sugar, salt, pepper)
olive oil (for sauteeing)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 king mushroom, cooked in salted boiling water for 10~15 minutes, sliced
salt and pepper
200g linguine, cooked
1 cup fresh arugula
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon (optional)
salt and pepper

1. Make arugula basil sauce. Combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth.
2. Sautee garlic in olive oil. Add king mushroom slices and continue to cook. Salt and pepper.
3. Add freshly cooked linguine to the mushroom. Pour the arugula basil sauce. Mix well.
4. Serve with fresh arugula, grape tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze lemon (optional). Salt and pepper if needed.

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by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Other, Vegan, Vegetarian

Shungiku Smoothie 春菊スムージー

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We are on the 95% plant based diet, but we sometimes do eat a lot more meat than we are supposed to.

Interestingly, our bodies usually notice something is different and “tell” us that we need to go back to our diet.

After a few meat-heavy meals, we wanted to make smoothie.

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Here are the main ingredients: Shungiku, pineapple, and apples.

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Find out interesting nutritional facts about Shungiku.

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Initially I was thinking about buying pre-cut pineapple, but when you compare the prices and how much you get, choosing a whole pineapple is a no-brainer!

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Especially if you know how to peel and cut a pineapple!

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Shungiku Smoothie

2 cups of peeled and cut pineapple
2 cups of cut apples
2 cups of shungiku
1/2 lime, peeled
soy milk (to achieve preferred consistency)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.

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I found this cool denim apron at a store attached to the restaurant called Machine Shed.

When I saw it hanging on a rack in the corner of the store, I knew I wanted it. When I looked for a price tag, I couldn’t find it, but I did see a name tag attacked to it instead.

That’s when I realized that it was not for sale but it was one of the employees’ uniform apron!

The store manager kindly went to look for a new apron in their office and sold it for me.

It’s funny but I tend to want things that are not for sale!

(Another apron I fell in love with was also initially seen at a store where the employees were wearing it.)

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I love unique details like this button.

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