Tofu

Vegan Mayo
豆腐マヨ

This was created without a lot of thoughts or plans, but the result was amazing.

I liked it so much that I decided to share it here.

Well, this is how it started… I had some tofu in the fridge that I needed to use up.

I was initially thinking about making some kind of sweet cream with it, but at the last minute I changed my mind, and I thought why not trying to make mayo.

I was actually thinking about making vegan mayo with tofu recently.

So this is what I came up with.

This time I remembered to measure the ingredients AND I wrote them down!

Vegan Mayonnaise – makes about 1.5 cup

300g silk tofu
1/6 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1.5 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1~2 tablespoons sugar
salt

1. Mix all the ingredients well using a hand blender until very smooth.

I’m so excited about this mayo, and I’m going to show you what I used this in my next post!

Stay tuned!!

2 Comments

September 17, 2017

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

Turmeric Tofu Pad Thai
ターメリック豆腐パッタイ

I have to say I probably like any type of noodle dish.

If there are noodles in my bowl, I’ll eat it.

I grew up eating lots of fried noodles in Japan, but when I first had Pad Thai (in the US), I fell in love with its unique flavor.

So when I got these beautiful fresh bean sprouts at the local farmers market, I knew that was what I wanted to make.

I was probably a bit too excited, because I ended up with so much; later I realized it was no problem finishing it in a few days.

It’s not a fancy dish, but it’s a great meal for me.

Lots of veggies and again the sweet and tangy flavor combination is so good.

Squeeze fresh lime right before having your first bite.

You can share it with someone.

Or you can keep it all to yourself, too.

You usually serve with peanuts, but I didn’t have any peanuts, so I used macadamia nuts, which was perfectly fine.

Happy Tuesday evening, everyone!

August 22, 2017

by : Reiko Leaf Vegetabes, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Fried Tofu Lettuce Wraps
厚揚げ豆腐レタスラップ

Per Terry’s request, I made lettuce wraps.

Whenever I ask Terry to give me some food ideas, his response is almost always “pizza”, so I was pleasantly surprised when he gave me this interesting idea.

I hadn’t made lettuce wraps for a long time, and I thought it would be a great dish to make 100% plant-based.

First I made the filling.

I used fried tofu that I bought from a local Asian grocery store.

They sell deep-fried tofu.

I like to use the fried tofu for this dish because the crunchiness created from the deep-frying gives a nice texture; a little more substantial than regular tofu.

I crumbled it into small pieces using my hands (I wanted this rough texture, not neatly diced pieces), fried it in a pan, and then coated it with flavorful sauce.

Besides lettuce you’ll see a lot of vegetables in my lettuce wrap.

Super easy to put together.

It’s fun to make your own wraps, too.

Don’t they look fresh and tasty?!

Then I pour sweet chili sauce in a dipping plate.

You don’t “need” this sauce, because the tofu is so flavorful, but some people like extra sauce, like my hubby.

It’s a bit messy, but not too bad.

It’s always fun to eat with hands!

A shot from yesterday.

I went for an early evening walk with Terry and our neighbor friend.

It was a warm day, but I always enjoy walking by the Mississippi river.

Fried Tofu Lettuce Wraps

fried tofu filling
– canola oil
– 4 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
– about 2 cups deep fried-tofu, crumbled
– salt and pepper
– about 2 tablespoons sugar
– about 2 tablespoons soy sauce
– 1/2 teaspoon shisen toban djan (chili bean sauce)
– about 2 tablespoons ten men jan (soy bean paste)
– about 1~2 white vinegar
– chopped scallion
iceberg lettuce leaves
julienned carrot
julienned cucumber
mint
cilantro
sweet chili sauce (optional)

1. Make tofu filling. Cook garlic and ginger in oil for a few minutes. Add tofu and continue to cook. Salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients except for scallion. Continue to cook while stirring. Sprinkle scallion.
2. Serve the tofu filling with lettuce leaves and other vegetables and herbs. Salt.

August 12, 2017

by : Reiko Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu Chorizo Tacos
ちょっぴりスパイシー豆腐タコス

I make tacos often, but I’ve never had the perfect timing to have a taco post on Tuesday.

You know, “Taco Tuesday”.

It seems that everyone does eat tacos on Tuesdays when I check Instagram!

Well, I wanted to have a taco post for Tuesday, but the inspiration to make the tacos actually came from these beautiful tomatoes which were grown at my mother-in-law’s garden.

I love fresh toppings for my tacos.

And sauce.

Terry and I both love anything with extra sauce, and same for tacos too.

I like to add a little bit of Chipotles, which gives a nice smokey flavor.

Chipotle roasted pepper sauce.

The main ingredient for these tacos was tofu chorizo!

I had “tofu chorizo” at the deli section inside Hy-Vee, and I decided to make some myself.

This is a non-stick T-fal pan that I recently bought.

I was being silly in this picture, but I was also excited because when I was taking this picture, I noticed that the pan was made in France!

I had no idea.

I thought it was pretty cool because I don’t find many things that are made in France at Walmart!!

Anyway I love this pan.

One of the good things about using a non-stick pan is that you don’t have to use too much oil.

And of course, clean-up is super easy.

Tortillas were browned and they were ready to be served.

They look messy, but tacos are one of the dishes, the messier they look, the tastier they are.

A little squeeze of fresh lime is a must.

It’s me being Japanese.

Doing the little ceremonial gesture before diving in.

Yep, it’s pretty messy.

Happy Taco Tuesday!

Tofu Chorizo Tacos

tofu chorizo
– 1 package extra firm tofu, microwave for about one minute and remove excess water
– 1/4 cup soy sauce
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– 2 cloves garlic, cut in half
– salt and pepper
– paprika
– cumin
– onion powder
– garlic powder
– dried oregano
– canola oil
– salt and pepper
chipotle roasted red pepper sauce
– 1/3 cup roasted red pepper
– 2 cloves garlic, cooked through
– 1/4 tea spoon chipotle
– sugar
– white vinegar
– salt and pepper
– cumin
tortillas
toppings (chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro)
fresh lime

1. Make tofu chorizo. Roughly mash tofu with a fork. Mix all the rest of the ingredients except for the last two items and pour the mixture over the tofu. Marinate overnight.
2. Using paper towel remove some excess liquid from the tofu. Sautee in oil. Salt and pepper.
3. Make chipotle roasted red pepper sauce. Mix all the ingredients. Puree using a hand blender.
4. Brown tortillas on a pan.
5. Assemble. Squeeze fresh lime.

August 1, 2017

by : Reiko Breakfast, Leaf Vegetabes, Potato/Squash, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Breakfast Wrap
朝食ラップ

It may be a bit hard to see the wrap, but it’s there.

I’ve been really enjoying wraps lately.

Especially these whole wheat wraps are so tasty.

It took me a while to get used to whole wheat food, but they have finally started growing on me.

Lately I’ve been choosing darker colors over lighter colors (e.g., whole wheat vs. regular flour) for food, so my choice was easy when I was out shopping for potatoes.

Yep, sweet potatoes.

The potatoes were coated with a mixture of olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and paprika.

The potatoes were placed on a sheet pan and then salt and pepper were sprinkled before going into the oven.

I typically do not like a mushy texture of vegetables, so I roasted my potatoes at the temperature (425F), probably a bit higher than how people typically roast their potatoes.

They turned out just the way I wanted.

They got a nice slightly caramelized crust outside and the inside was tender but not mushy or too wet.

A breakfast wrap!

This is “before” being wrapped, apparently.

But this way you can see what was inside.

On the wrap are sauteed spinach and kale, roasted spiced sweet potatoes, and scrambled tofu.

It’s a little tight, but you can wrap it. No problem!

And this awesome home cold-brewed coffee makes the breakfast even better.

Tear a small piece, and make a tiny wrap for each bite.

It’s a fun way to eat a wrap.

Breakfast Wrap　

2 whole wheat wraps
roasted spiced sweet potatoes
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 1/4 cup maple syrup
– paprika
– cinnamon
– 4~5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
– salt and pepper
scrambled tofu
– 1 package extra firm tofu, microwaved for about one minute and remove excess water
– canola oil
– salt and pepper
– cumin
– turmeric
1~2 cups sauteed and salted/peppered kale and spinach1. Make roasted sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425F. In a bowl mix olive oil, maple syrup, paprika, and cinnamon. Add sweet potatoes and coat the potatoes with the oil mixture. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer. Salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20~25 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Make scrambled tofu. Roughly mash tofu with a wooden spoon. Sautee the tofu in oil. Salt and pepper. Add cumin and turmeric. Mix well and continue to sautee for another few more minutes.
3. Warm wraps on a pan over high heat for a minute or so each side.
4. Place sauteed kale and spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, and scrambled tofu over wraps.