by : Reiko Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Potato/Squash, Vegan, Vegetarian

Fresh Pea and Herb Pasta
グリーンピースパスタ

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I love peas and I always keep a bag of frozen peas in my freezer.

When I saw fresh peas at the farmers market last weekend for the first time this year, I had to buy them.

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Look at these beautiful peas!

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I decided to use this beautiful green spinach pasta (also from the market) to make lunch with the peas.

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Mise en place!

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I decided that the main ingredients were peas and fresh herbs (dill and taragon), but I wanted to add some non-green color, too.

The yellow squash I got from the market was just perfect for that.

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Fresh Pea and Herb Pasta

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 cup fresh peas, blanched
200g pasta, freshly cooked
1/2 to 1 tablespoon Dill mustard
salt and pepper
freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (I used dill and taragon)

1. Sautee garlic in oil.
2. Add yellow squash and peas and continue to cook for a few minutes.
3. Add cooked pasta.
4. Add mustard, salt, and pepper.
5. Serve with fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs.

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by : Reiko Potato/Squash, Seaweed, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu Pot Stickers 豆腐餃子

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Yep. Pot stickers again!

It’s like pizza for Terry.

When I ask Terry what he wants for dinner, he will say “pizza!”

When he asks me what I want for dinner, I will say “gyoza (pot stickers in Japanese)!” probably 80 percent of the time.

The problem with this is that you can’t call to have pot stickers to be delivered or my mom’s homemade ones won’t magically appear on our dinner table. (I wish they did!)

So I make them myself.

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And a lot of them!

I always take pictures before I cook them.

Because 1. they look pretty!

and

2. I could mess them up in the process of cooking. They do stick to the pan sometimes…

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Everyone has his or her own way to fold them.

Me?  They have to have five ridges.

I don’t know why, but it just seems right to me (lol).

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There is a reason for these being called pot stickers, but it makes me so upset when they actually stick to the pan!

I feel so defeated when that happens.

Now I’m wise enough (or I’ve made the same mistake too many times) to only use a non-stick pan.

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Tofu Pot Stickers

filling
– 1 package extra firm tofu, microwaved for 1 minute or so to remove excessive water
– 1/3 cabbage, blanched and julienned
– 1/2 cup chopped Chinese garlic chive
– 2 potatoes, peeled and grated
– 1 sheet roasted Nori (Japanese seaweed) torn into small pieces
– 1/4 cup chopped scallion
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
– sugar
– salt and pepper
– 1/2 ~ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1 tablespoon corn starch
pot sticker wrappers
canola oil, for frying
dipping sauce (soy sauce, white vinegar, Trader Joe’s sweet chili jam)1. Make filling. Combine all the ingredients. Mix well.
2. Wrap the filling in wrappers.
3. Use a non-stick pan. Heat canola oil in a pan. When the oil is hot (350F), place the post stickers. Cook for a few minutes until the bottom is browned and crispy. Add hot water. Cover with a lid. Turn down to low-medium heat. Cook until the water is gone.
4. Serve with dipping sauce.

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I’m on Instagram.

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

Japanese “A-GE” Potato Stew あげじゃが

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Niku-Jaga, or Japanese potato stew, is definitely one of the comfort foods for many Japanese people.

I didn’t think much of it when growing up in Japan, but having been living in the U.S for over 15 years I do get craving for this stew more often than I though I would.

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The main ingredients of this stew are meat and potato; “Niku” means meat and “Jaga” means potato in Japanese.

But I wanted to keep my stew vegan this time, so I used “A-GE (pronounced like “ah-geh”)” which is a fried tofu product.

This should be probably called “A-ge-Jaga” instead of “Niku-Jaga”!

“A-ge” gives additional richness to the broth, and because of its porousness it absorbs the broth so well.

When you bite into it, the flavors burst into your mouth!

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This dish is not something you go to the restaurant for, but rather something you see at the dinner table as a side dish that your mother prepares.

Nothing fancy. It’s flavored with very basic Japanese staples, like soy sauce.

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A-ge Potato Stew

canola oil
1 onion, sliced
4 a-ge (fried tofu), cut into bite sized pieces
4 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
1 package Konjac yam noodles, cooked in boiling water for a few minutes, drained
1 large piece Kombu (Japanese dried seaweed)
2 cups water
3 tablespoons sake
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
salt

1. Cook onion in oil. Add “a-ge”, potatoes, carrots, and konjac yam noodles. Continue to sautee for a few minutes.
2. Add Kombu, water, sake, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Cook until potatoes and carrots are cooked through.

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I made a big batch, so I decided to make a few lunch boxes for the following work week.

In this bento box you’ll find brown rice, ume-boshi (pickled Japanese plum), sesame spinach, and A-ge-Jaga.

If you are interested in other versions of Japanese potato stew (Niku-Jaga) I’ve made, check out this, this, or this.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Today I’m baking a cake to bring to our tomorrow’s family get-together at my mother-in-law’s house on a lake.

I’m on Instagram.

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, Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Potato/Squash, Vegan, Vegetarian

Indian Curry with Roasted Veggies 野菜たっぷり本格インドカレー

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We are big curry lovers.

Every time we go to our favorite local Indian restaurant for a lunch buffet, I realize how much I love Indian food.

Last time I was at the restaurant, I even said I might have to pick Indian food if I could only choose one food to eat for the rest of my life.

I know it’s kind of cheating, because it’s not just one dish, but I would want different Indian dishes.

But I think that illustrates how much I love Indian flavors.

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This time I wanted to make authentic Indian curry, and I decided to combine spices myself.

First time I used garam masala, I was a little shocked by its bitterness, and I’ve been avoiding using it.

But this time I decided to try it again, and for some reason, it worked just fine!

Maybe the harmony with the other spices was probably right this time.

I wanted to keep this curry vegan, so I used roasted sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, instead of meat.

I love the natural sweetness created in these vegetables from the roasting process.

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Indian Curry with Roasted Veggies adapted from this recipe

5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch long ginger, peeled and chopped
canola oil
4 cloves
1 star anise, whole
3 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 onions, diced
2~3 cups of roasted vegetables (I used cauliflower/brussels sprouts/sweet potatoes roasted in 400F oven for about 30 minutes)
2 cans diced tomatoes
garam masala
ground coriander
ground cumin
turmeric powder
cayenne pepper
sugar
salt and pepper
water
fresh lemon juice

1. Place garlic and ginger in a small food grinder and puree them until smooth.
2. Put canola oil, cloves, star anise, bay leaves, and cinnamon in a pan and cook over a medium heat. When the oil is hot enough add onion and continue to cook until the onion is dark brown.
3. Turn the heat down. Add the garlic/ginger mixture and continue to cook over a low heat.
4. Add roasted vegetables and tomatoes.
5. Add spices, about 2 teaspoons or so each of garam masala, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper. Add sugar, salt, and pepper.
6. Continue to cook. Stir. Taste. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time, if preferred to achieve the right consistency and taste. Simmer.
7. Add fresh lemon juice right before serving.

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A lazy weekend afternoon. Me hanging out with Marcie at Rice Park.

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

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

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Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

You find cool stuff on facebook sometimes along with a lot of cat pictures (lol).

Although I don’t go to the site very often and I don’t post much myself, I like to stay connected with people, especially the ones I don’t get to see in person very often, like my family back in Japan.

I recently got connected with some of my cousins some of whom I hadn’t seen since they were 7 or 8, and it is absolutely priceless to see pictures of them with their kids (and their kids are getting big!).

Recently a friend of mine who now lives in South Korea was posting this really cool thing (Terry first told me about it) on facebook, and I had to try it.

I made a few changes like adding mushroom to the filling and using Boursin cheese/cream cheese mixture instead of feta cheese, but this turned out to be absolutely delicious!!

Loved the natural sweetness and the beautiful orange color of the sweet potatoes.

This also makes the quiche feel lighter compared to the traditional ones with pastry crust.

This was such a huge hit at our house.

For more quiche ideas, check out this, this, or this, or this.

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Can you see the beautiful orange crust?!

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Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

1. Follow the instructions in this video.

*I added about one cup of baby bella mushroom slices to the the other veggies and cooked with them.
*I used 5 whole eggs instead of 4 eggs and 2 whites and I used about 1/3 cup of heavy cream instead of 1/2 cup of milk.
*I used a mixture of Boursin cheese and cream cheese (about 4:1) instead of feta cheese.

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