Beans/Lentils

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Dessert, Vegan, Vegetarian

Raspberry Dango Balls
ラズベリー団子

I talked about Dango balls in this post, and that is typically a traditional way to eat them.

This time I decided to stuff balls with sweet bean paste.

It’s also a popular way to enjoy them.

Some people who are familiar with Japanese sweets probably know red bean paste.

This time I decided to use white bean paste.

White bean paste is also a popular ingredient for traditional Japanese sweets.

Unlike red bean paste, white bean pasts is harder to find at stores (even at Asian grocery stores), so I decided to make it myself.

It’s not difficult to make, but you have to take the skin off the beans and it is a tedious job.

This was the mountain of the bean skin when I was finally done with the process.

This time I decided to flavor some of the paste with raspberry powder (ground freeze-dried raspberries).

This is a white Dango ball stuffed with raspberry bean paste.

And this is a raspberry ball stuffed with plain white bean paste.

They were both so good.

Have a great weekend everyone.

June 29, 2017

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Root vegetable, Seaweed, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sticky Noodle Salad
ねばねば麺

Yesterday was my first day back to work after a long vacation.

I was waking up way before 8 a.m. during my vacation, yet, it was so hard to get up at 8:15 yesterday morning.

I did it though.

I survived my first day and I hope it’s going to be easier for the rest of the week.

When I got home from work I wanted something comforting, and sticky noodle salad seemed like a good idea.

What makes this salad sticky?

Well, this Naga-Imo yam is certainly one of them.

And don’t forget “NATTO” (fermented soy beans).

I know sticky foods are not very popular in the U.S., but they have been loved for many years in Japan.

Sticky foods are in general often considered to have many health benefits, too.

Mise en place.

In addition to those sticky food, on this plate you see Hijiki seaweed, tomato, scallion, and Thai basil.

You place everything on freshly cooked noodle and serve with homemade soy sesame maple dressing.

Yum!

Sticky Noodle Salad100g cooked noodle
1/4 cup chopped naga-imo yam
1/4 cup natto (Japanese fermented soy beans)
1/4 cup cooked hijiki
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped scallion
1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil
soy sesame maple dressing
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
– 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
– 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
– a few drops sesame oil
– salt and pepper

1. Make dressing. Combine and mix well all the ingredients.
2. Place yam, natto, hijiki, tomato, scallion, and basil on cooked noodle.
3. Serve with the dressing.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

May 31, 2017

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Bread, Breakfast, Vegetarian

Red Bean Cream Cheese Toast
クリームチーズ小倉トースト

This was actually made before my recent trip to Japan, although it screams Japanese (lol).

Buttered toast with sweet red bean paste is a local favorite breakfast choice in the Nagoya region where I grew up in.

But when I saw a combination of read bean paste, cream, and fruit confiture/jam on a toast on Instagram, that intrigued me.

Apparently a cafe called “Coffee House Kako” is famous for making this.

They use butter, sweet red bean paste, whipped cream, and jam/confiture.

My version is a bit different because I used cream cheese instead of whipped cream.

I personally think cream cheese is a better choice because of its texture and taste particularly for breakfast.

This time for jam/confiture I used store-bought cheery, marmalade, and lingonberry. I made kiwi confiture myself.

Red Bean Cream Cheese Toast

1 toast
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
4~6 tablespoons sweet red bean paste
2~4 tablespoons cream cheese
jam/confiture

1. Spread butter on a toast. Cut the toast into four pieces.
2. Spread red bean paste. Place cream cheese and then jam/confiture on top.

May 26, 2017

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Potato/Squash, Soup, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Kabocha Tofu Chili
南瓜と豆腐のチリスープ

Chili is one of my favorite dishes to make.

Especially since we stopped eating a lot of meat, I’ve become more creative and started experimenting with various ingredients.

What I’ve found is that you can’t really go wrong with chili, whatever ingredients you use!

This is no-meat Kabocha Tofu Chili.

In this chili along with Kabocha squash and mashed extra firm tofu, you’ll find black beans and onions (I was planning to add green peppers and I forgot).

This was so tasty!

I really liked the sweetness from the Kabocha balancing the spices.

Chili is such a great one-bowl meal.

Packed with nutrients and makes me stay full for a long time.

Kabocha Tofu Chili

canola oil
3~4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups cubed Kabocha
1 package extra firm tofu, microwaved for about one minute and excess water was removed
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 6-oz can tomato paste
cumin
chili powder
sugar
2~3 teaspoons chipotle sauce from a jar
salt and pepper
hot sauce
japapeno peppers from a jar, chopped
chopped cilantro

1. Sautee garlic and onion in oil.
2. Add Kabocha and continue to cook.
3. Add tofu and continue to cook. Salt and pepper.
4. Add water and bay leaves. Boil and then turn down to a low heat. Continue to cook until Kabocha is cooked through.
5. Add beans, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, sugar, chipotle paste, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Mix well.
6. Serve with chopped jalapeno peppers and cilantro.

April 18, 2017

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Egg, Tofu

Stinky but Tasty Tofu Bowl
納豆キムチ豆腐

One of the mysterious things in the culinary world is that some stinky food tastes so good.

A good example would be blue cheese.

Don’t you agree?

Well, in Japan there are a lot of stinky food that are so tasty like the ones you see in this bowl, Natto beans and kimchi.

Kimchi, a spicy pickled Napa cabbage, is technically a Korean food, but it has been loved by many in Japan the past several decades and it has become increasingly popular in the U.S. the past few years.

Natto, fermented soy beans, is, however, a different story.

It has been around in Japan for many many years, however, it has never been introduced to other countries, and it will probably stay that way, mostly because of its very strong and unique (stinky!) smell.

This is one of those “love or hate” food, and I’m definitely a Natto lover.

In this beautiful bowl, you’ll find tofu slices, kimchi, Natto beans, a boiled egg, radish, and Shiso (Japanese basil).

It’s packed with protein and is an ultimate power meal for me!

Terry: I can’t believe you ate Natto and kimchi.

Terry: I told you they are banned in our house.

Reiko: But they are so good…

*This is a fictional conversation. We were at a local baseball stadium and Terry was focused on the game.

April 14, 2017

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

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.