Seaweed

by : Reiko Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Seaweed, Vegan, Vegetarian

Veggie Sushi Rolls
ベジ巻き

I make sushi rolls with anything everything.

Mango Rolls, Italian Rolls, Fried Soy Curd Rolls, and Beet Rolls are some of the examples.

These are beautiful veggies from the local farmers market.

I was gonna say green beans are my favorite, but then I like the other veggies as well and it’s hard to pick a favorite.

Load as much as you can.

It’s always fun to make sushi rolls.

I get such a feeling of accomplishment from this (lol).

Bon Appetit!

Veggie Sushi Roll

sushi rice
– 1 cup cooked rice, warm
– 1 tablespoon white vinegar
– 1/2~1 tablespoon sugar
– salt
1 sheet nori roasted seaweed
vegetables

1. Make sushi rice. Combine all the ingredients. Mix well. Do not mash rice. Let it cool.
2. Spread the rice on nori roasted seaweed.
3. Place vegetables on the rice. Roll it. Cut into bite size pieces.

I’m on Instagram.

July 28, 2016

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

Tofu Pot Stickers 豆腐餃子

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.

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…

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).

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.

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.

I’m on Instagram.

June 9, 2016

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

Soba Soup with Basil Sweet Potato Tempura

Soba Soup with Basil Sweet Potato Tempura

I like refreshing soba salad like this one, but this time of the year hot steamy soba soup is delicious of course!

This is a pretty traditional Japanese dish. Everyone loves tempura soba in Japan. It’s a bold statement but it’s true (lol).

But sweet potato and basil tempura is a bit different, and you probably won’t find it on the menu at soba restaurants in Japan.

When you hear the word, tempura, a lot of people probably picture shrimp tempura, but you can make tempura with basically anything.

I love vegetable tempura and this one, made of sweet potato, onion, and basil, is a good example to show that you can mix and match various vegetables. This type of veggie tempura is called “kakiage”.

The crunchy tempura, the natural sweetness from the sweet potato, the bright orange color of the potato, and the unexpected freshness from the basil came together so well, and I loved it.

Soba Soup with Basil Sweet Potato Tempura

soup
– 2 cups water
– 1 tablespoon Japanese shio kombu seaweed (salted kombu seaweed)
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1/2 ~ 1 tablespoon sugar
– salt
basil sweet potato tempura
– 1/3 cup julienned sweet potato
– 1/3 cup onion slices
– 1/2 tablespoon basil leaves, chopped
– tempura batter (all purpose flour, baking powder, ice water)
– canola oil, for frying
– salt
100g soba noodle, cooked
scallion, chopped
Shichimi (Japanese seven spices)

1. Make soup. Add salted kombu to water. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Add soy sauce, sugar, and salt.
2. Make tempura batter. Combine all the ingredients. Mix sweet potato, onion, and basil. Dip them into the batter. Deep fry in canola oil at 350F until cooked through and crunchy. Remove from the oil. Place on a plate lined with paper towel. Salt.
3. Serve cooked soba noodle in the soup. Place the tempura on top. Sprinkle chopped scallion and Shichimi spices.

I’m on Instagram.

2 Comments

March 6, 2016

by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Root vegetable, Seaweed, Vegan, Vegetarian

Beet Shungiku Sushi Roll
ビーツ春菊寿司

Beet Shungiku Sushi Roll

Do you like your food pretty or tasty?

Continue reading “Beet Shungiku Sushi Roll
ビーツ春菊寿司”

November 28, 2015

by : Reiko Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Seaweed, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mango Sushi Roll
マンゴーの巻き寿司

Mango Sushi Roll

I know this might sound a bit unusual.

Continue reading “Mango Sushi Roll
マンゴーの巻き寿司”

July 7, 2015

by : Reiko Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Seaweed, Vegetarian

3D Flower Sushi
立体！花寿司

3D Flower Sushi

When I was little, I was told not to play with food. I had a lot of fun making this. I hope my mom is okay with me playing with food like this as I’m an adult now and I WILL eat the food I played with! Today I just suddenly got this idea of making a flower using the pickled radishes I had prepared last weekend. Sliced cucumber, hard boiled egg yolk, spinach leaves, and nori seaweed were also used for making this flower sushi pretty!

Click here for recipe information.