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

Tofu Portabella Banh Mi
豆腐きのこバインミー

I like Banh Mi but it’s not very easy to find a good one.

However, the Asian grocery store 10 minute from our house recently opened a deli inside the store, and I found their Banh Mi quite tasty.

The one reason I was not 100% satisfied was that they only serve the meat version.

So I decided to make a plant-based Banh Mi myself.

Inside my plant-based Banh Mi you’ll find Renkon lotus Cashew pate, garlic tofu, roasted portabello, pickled radish and carrot, jalapeno slices, and cilantro.

The sandwich was absolutely delicious.

Love the freshness of all the veggies, but more than anything, the combination of everything is so amazing.

I just recently found these adorable wood crates and tray at Target for amazing prices.

The Farmers Market logo is just awesome.

When you pack the sandwich with fresh fruit like this in the crate and bring it to a park with lemonade, it can be a perfect picnic lunch, don’t you think?

Tofu Portabella Banh Mi – This is rather a note for myself. The amount of each ingredient should be adjusted and modified to your liking.

4 soft crust buns for sandwich
Renkon lotus cashew pate
– about 1 cup sliced Renkon lotus braised in soy sauce(2 parts), maple syrup(2 parts), white vinegar(1 part), salt
– about 1/2~1 cup cashew nuts soaked in hot water and rinsed
– 3 cloves garlic, cooked in boiling water until cooked through
– about 1/2 tablespoon mustard
– about 1/2~1 teaspoon lemon juice
– salt
– sugar
– water in which garlic was cooked
Garlic tofu
– 1 package fried tofu, thinly sliced
– canola oil
– 2~3 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2~3 tablespoons maple syrup
– garlic powder
– salt and pepper
Roasted portabella
– 3~4 portabella mushrooms (roasted with olive oil/salt/pepper at 400F for about 20 minutes, then sliced)
Lightly pickled radish and carrot
– 1/2~1 cup julienned radishes
– 1/2~1 cup julienned carrots
– about 2 tablespoons sugar
– about 2 tablespoons white vinegar
– salt
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks
A few jalapeno slices
Cilantro

1. Make pate. Combine all the ingredients. Use a band blender and puree until smooth. Add water where garlic was cooked 2 table spoons at a time until it achieves the preferred texture.
2. Cook tofu in oil. Add soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook until the sauce coats the tofu.
3. Make pickles. Combine sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add vegetables. Let them pickled for about 15 minutes.
4. Assemble sandwiches. Slice the buns. Spread the pate. Place the tofu, the portabella, and the veggies.

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, 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 Sandwich, Vegan, Vegetarian

Pulled JF BBQ Sandwich
ポーク風サンドイッチ

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BBQ Sandwich with creamy coleslaw.

Anyone?

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Looks good, right?

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If someone asks what is “JF”, well, it’s the fun part of this dish.

There is no meat in this sandwich.

The pork-like yummy looking thing is jackfruit!

When I first tried jackfruit at this vegan cafe, I was blown away.

The look and the texture is so much like pulled pork.

And I like the fact that this is not “processed” vegan meat. It’s whole food!

The pulled JF BBQ was perfect with creamy garlicky (no mayo) coleslaw.

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Pulled JF BBQ Sandwich

creamy coleslaw
– 1/2~1 cup cashew nuts
– 2~3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
– white vinegar
– Dijon mustard
– sugar
– salt and pepper
– cabbage, julienned
pulled JF BBQ
– 1 can jackfruit, rinsed and dried
– canola oil
– salt and pepper
– BBQ sauce (I use Trader Joe’s Kansas City style and add soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, etc.)
buns, toasted

1. Make coleslaw. Boil water. Add cashew buts and garlic. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until garlic is cooked through. Remove the nuts and garlic and put in a a tall container; keep the water. Add vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Puree by using a hand blender. Add the water until it achieves the consistency you prefer. Continue to puree until it’s very smooth. Dress cabbage with the dressing.
2. Sautee jackfruit in oil. Lightly mush it with a wooden spoon to “shred” the “meat”. Continue to cook until browned and the “shredded” parts are crispy. Salt and pepper. Add BBQ sauce. Continue to cook until it’s slightly caramelized.
3. Serve the JF BBQ and coleslaw on toasted buns.

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Have a great weekend, everyone!