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

Green Cream Soup
きれいな緑色クリームスープ

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I don’t know how people do it.

But I’m always amazed by those food bloggers who have a perfect post to celebrate various holidays.

I wanted to post something green for St. Patrick’s Day, but as you can see, the day came and went without any green food on my blog…

Well, I have a full time job and I have a busy life, but I know as much as you know, it’s an excuse.

And it seems like a lot of fun to celebrate various holidays with food, especially food holidays like National Pie Day or National Cookie Day!

 

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So I got curious, and I decided to see what food holidays exist.

And I was AMAZED!!

According to Foodimentary, there are SO MANY national food holidays.

Almost every single day is assigned for some kind of national food day.

Of course I missed the March 1 National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, March 10 National Ranch Dressing Day, and March 11 National “Eat Your Noodles” Day (I can’t believe I missed this one!).

Anyway, I’m several days late, but this beautiful green soup was supposed to be my “green” food to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

The timing was not great, but the soup was super tasty!

Green Cream Soup

canola oil
3~4 cloves garlic, cut in half
1/3 cup scallion, chopped
1~2 cups lima beans (I used frozen baby lima beans)
water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup cooked white rice
soy milk
sugar
salt and pepper

1. Sautee garlic and scallion in canola oil.
2. Add lima beans and continue to cook.
3. Add water to barely cover the beans. Add a bay leaf. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Continue to cook until all the vegetables are cooked through.
4. Add cooked rice. Puree everything using a hand blender until very smooth.
5. Add soy milk until the soup achieves your preferred thickness.
6. Add sugar, salt, and pepper. Serve with freshly ground black pepper.

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Can you see how creamy the soup is?!

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I love soup like this because it really warms me up from the very core of my body.

And this cup is perfect to hold in my hands.

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This is another beautiful hand-made piece from Japan.

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

Bean Soup
豆スープ

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Is there any dish that receives a lot of compliments and positive feedback maybe more than you feel it deserves.

Well, this bean soup is one of those dishes on my list.

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For some reason Terry loves this white bean soup, and it’s one of a few things he makes a specific request for.

I agree that this soup is pretty tasty, but I also feel a bit guilty because it’s so easy to make!

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But hey, I’m happy he likes this soup and not some kind of elaborate dish that would take days to prepare (lol).

Bean Soup

canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2~4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 can great northern beans, rinsed and dried
water
1 bay leaf
soy milk
sugar
salt and pepper
paprika
olive oil

1. Sautee onion, garlic, and celery in canola oil.
2. Add beans, water, and a bay leaf. Boil and then turn down to low heat. Continue to cook until vegetables are cooked through.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Puree using a hand blender.
4. Add soy milk, sugar, salt, and pepper.
5. Serve with paprika and olive oil.

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I love to experiment all different spices, and just looking at the spice section in any store makes me happy (lol).

If I remember it right, I found this paprika at World Market.

The reason I came home with it?

The design and the color of the tin.

I don’t know where paprika is usually made but “Hungarian” paprika sounds good too, doesn’t it?

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Leaf Vegetabes, Mushroom, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

King Mushroom Cauliflower Red Curry
エリンギとカリフラワーエスニックカレー

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When I want to make something vegan, there are some fabulous vegetables that I can use as a main ingredient for my dish.

Mushrooms and cauliflower are some of those, my go-to ingredients.

Particularly these meaty king mushrooms are wonderful, because of their size and the “meaty” texture.

They certainly look important and it’s hard to not see them.

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I love making curry.

I think adding little bit of this, and a little bit of that, while tasting and adjusting the flavors, trying to get closer and closer to what I’m looking for is such a fun process for me.

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Also I shoulg mention that I finally got to use the wheat berries that I bought a while ago.

I first tried it at a restaurant in Chicago while we were visiting the city, and I fell in love with the texture.

By actually cooking it, I found out that it takes a long time to cook them through, but I still love them.

King Mushroom and Cauliflower Red Curry

canola oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
ginger – about the same amount as ginger
1 onion, chopped
1 package king mushroom, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
water
2 bay leaves
red curry paste
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
white vinegar
1 can coconut milk
cane sugar
salt and pepper
1 cup cooked wheat berries
chopped cilantro
chopped scallion
chopped napa cabbage

1. Sautee garlic and ginger in oil.
2. Add onion and continue to cook.
3. Add mushrooms and cauliflower. Continue to sautee.
4. Add water and bay leaves. Boil and then turn down to low heat.
5. Add curry paste, sun dried tomatoes, vinegar, coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pepper.
6. Add cooked wheat berries.
7. Serve with chopped cilantro, scallion, and napa cabbage.

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

Lima Bean Pasta Salad
ライマビーンパスタサラダ

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At work we usually have a holiday potluck lunch in December.

But last year we were too busy and some people were out of the office for vacation, and we decided to wait until January.

We always have a sign-up sheet in the back of the office, and we write down what we are planning to bring so that not everyone will bring brownies!

I usually bring salad that contains a lot of veggies.

I used to over-think and felt that I had to bring something with meat and not what “I” like to eat.

But over the years my thinking has changed and now I only bring what “I” like to eat.

So consequently the food I bring is mostly 100% plant-based.

No one likes preaching, and I never tell people what or how to eat.

But I do enjoy sharing what I love to eat with others!

No preaching. Sharing.

A lot of people told me that they liked this salad.

The best part was not because it was healthy but because it was tasty!

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Lime Bean Pasta Salad

1/2 pound Fusilli pasta, cooked
1 cup baby lima beans, cooked
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons olive salad
mustard dressing (Dijon mustard, white vinegar, canola oil, sugar, salt, pepper)
chopped parsley

1. Combine all the ingredients.

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Dessert, Pasta/Noodle/Rice, Vegan, Vegetarian

Happy New Year
りんごぜんぜい

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Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you got to celebrate the beginning of the year with good food and great company.

This is one of many New Year dishes traditionally eaten in Japan, Zenzai, sweet red bean soup with grilled Mochi.

A little twist of my version is the addition of baked and spiced apples.

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Apple Zenzai

1 package cooked and sweetened red beans
water
Mochi, individually packaged, cooked in toaster; follow directions on the package
apple compote (1 apple 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice; cooked for a few minutes)
cinnamon sticks

1. Add water to the red beans until it achieves your preferred consistency and sweetness. Warm the soup over medium-low heat. Stir.
2. Serve the sweet bean soup with grilled mochi, apple compote, and cinnamon sticks.

by : Reiko Beans/Lentils, Leaf Vegetabes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Edamame Pot Stickers
枝豆餃子

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I love pot stickers and this is something I was not going to give up when we decided to be on the 95% plant based diet.

So I’ve tried making different no-meat pot stickers, and so far these edamame ones are my favorite.

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Look at this bright green color!

It was exciting!

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And pot-sticker making is one of my favorite food preparations.

It’s always fun to make these, although I do miss my mom I would love to have next to me helping making some.

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Then I line them up like good soldiers on my trusted Zojirushi hot plate.

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Because of the coating you don’t have to worry about your pot stickers sticking to the pan, and you also don’t need a lot of oil.

Still they get browned fast and beautifully.

Add some hot water, cover with a lid, and wait.

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Since there is nothing that needs to be cooked through inside the wrappers, you don’t have to wait too long, which is a good thing.

They look absolutely beautiful!

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I didn’t expect it, but the green color of the filling really came through wonderfully, which was an added bonus.

 

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Edamame Pot Stickers

filling
1.5 cups cooked edamame
1.5 cups cooked and chopped cabbage
3 cloves garlic, grated
1~2 teaspoons grated ginger
3~4 tablespoons chopped Chinese garlic chives
2~3 tablespoons chopped scallion
salt and pepper
soy sauce
sesame oil
pot sticker wrappers
canola oil for frying
sauce (soy sauce, white vinegar, pepper jam from Trader Joe’s)

1. Make filling. Combine all the ingredients. Mix well.
2. Make pot stickers by filling the wrappers with the filling and sealing the edges tightly with water.
3. Cook the pot stickers on a hot plate at 350F with oil until the bottom is browned. Add hot water and cover with a lid. Continue to cook for a few minutes.
4. Serve with sauce.

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