gluten-free vegan yaki udon

This has quickly become one of our favorites. It comes via FitGreenMind, aka Maya from Germany on Instagram. That girl has great recipes, but I had to change a couple things for us with what we have available here in Japan. 

You'll need:

• gluten-free udon noodles, cooked according to package directions (they come in small individual-sized packets here, so I get four for us)
• veggies of choice (I use cabbage or komatsuna greens, plus onions and carrots)
• hard tofu (I buy a 300-gram pack), drained and cut into cubes
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
• salt to taste
• a little bit of water 
• chopped green onions

Do this:

Stir fry the veggies in oil, then add in the cooked udon noodles and brown a little bit. Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over, then add your cubed tofu. Stir it all up till browned and sticky. Top with chopped green onions. 

All of us love this.

Go yaki some udon already! 

gluten-free vegan blonde brownies

 

These gluten-free vegan blonde brownies come by way of FitGreenMind on Instagram, the popular account of a German girl named Maya who makes great videos and comes up with delicious recipes. 

You'll need:

• 1 can (450 g) chickpeas
• 1/4 cup (75 g) peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (40 g) flour (I use a gluten-free baking mix)
• 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
• dark vegan chocolate (a bar, chopped, or chips)

Do this:

Drain the chickpeas and rinse them, then add to a food processor with all the ingredients except for the chocolate. Process until smooth.

Add the batter to a bowl, then stir in the chocolate. 

Line a loaf pan with baking paper and add the mix, flatten it out, and bake at 170 C for 35 minutes. Let it cool completely, then cut into bars.

These are so more-ish! 

quick and easy gluten-free oyakodon (Japanese chicken and egg dish)

I've been making oyakodon, a Japanese chicken and egg dish to put on top of a bowl of rice, for years and years. The recipe I had was a bit complicated and time-consuming, so I was happy when a friend here in Japan passed along a simpler version. I can't remember where it's from exactly, and I've changed it a little bit anyway, so here's my take. This makes enough for four people. 

You'll need: 

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped in bite-sized pieces
• 1 bunch of spinach, washed and chopped
• any kind of mushrooms, chopped
• 2 onions, sliced
• 6 eggs, beaten
• oil for cooking
• 4 tablespoons cooking sake
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup homemade dashi (with konbu and katsuobushi flakes)
• 4 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce

Do this:

Heat up your oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken till all the pieces are browned. Add the mushrooms and onions, then all the liquids and sugar. When everything is soft, add the spinach for a minute and then dump the eggs over it all and let it set till cooked. 

Serve over rice in a bowl, and add all those delicious juices and then eat with a spoon. 

easy chili

 

I served this with grated soy cheese, tortilla chips, and salad. (Would be great with cornbread too!) Normally I do a chili with kabocha squash, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, but it was nice to have a more traditional one for a change.

You'll need:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 piman (small Japanese green peppers, chopped (or 1 chopped regular green pepper)
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 kg ground beef
• 2 450ml cans kidney beans, drained
• 2 450ml cans chopped tomatoes (add water to the empty cans to swish out the tomato remains into the chili pot, for a total of about 1 can of water)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

Optional additions: Sometimes I leave out the green peppers and add kabocha and corn.

Do this: 

Saute the onions, green pepper, and garlic in oil in a soup pot, then add the rest of the ingredients and stir till the ground beef is in small pieces. Simmer about 20 minutes or more if you have time.

Options: 

Substitute half the ground beef with cooked lentils.

Add a teaspoon of cumin if you like it. 

dairy-free turmeric latte + dairy-free gluten-free turmeric latte pancakes

I've been making turmeric lattes (or golden milk) for a long time, but then completely forgot about them until my friend reminded me again the other day. Now I'm making these delicious healthy drinks about every other day! I originally got the recipe from BBC Good Food. 

Well then I brainstormed and thought why not make some turmeric latte pancakes! They were easy and spicy and delicious, and I topped them with soy cream that I whipped with a little vanilla and powdered sugar, then a drizzle of honey. 

First, the latte.

You'll need (for two lattes):

• 350 ml or so of dairy-free milk (I use soy)
• 1/4 t. ginger powder
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. turmeric
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 t. honey
• black pepper to taste

Do this:

Throw it all in a pot on the stove on medium flame/heat and whisk till hot and frothy.

Now for the pancakes! 

You'll need:

• 150 g gluten-free and dairy-free pancake or baking mix
• 1 egg
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1/2 t. turmeric
• 1/8 t. black pepper
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ginger powder
• 1 T. honey
• 1/2 t. vanilla

(For the whipped cream I whipped 200 ml soy cream with 1/4 t. vanilla and 1 t. powdered sugar.)

Do this: 

Whisk the pancake ingredients together and cook on a griddle or frying pan in a little oil on both sides. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of honey.

This made about 12 small pancakes. 

Joy joy enjoy! 

sweet and spicy nuts

 

A lovely friend shared some of these sweet and spicy nuts with us on her boat on the Thames last summer, and when I asked for the recipe, she wrote it up in her beautiful handwriting and mailed it to me. It came originally from Gordon Ramsay.

You'll need:

• 300 g mixed nuts (whole, blanched, unsalted)
• 2.5 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• black pepper

Do this:

Mix nuts, powdered sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper in a big bowl, then grind over some black pepper. Tip the nuts into a hot wok/frying pan, then sprinkle over about 1 tablespoon of water to help it all caramelize. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring or shaking constantly till browned. Dump it all onto a baking tray lined with baking paper in a single layer. Put in 140 C oven for 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Serve with love in a glass jar on a boat on the Thames or in a bowl in your living room in Japan. Give as gifts in jars for birthdays or just as a love-note of crunchy joy. 

favorite new year's black-eyed peas

I've experimented through the years and riffed many times on my grandma's black-eyed peas New Year's Day tradition. We think this year's was the best so far.

And I believe that part of the flavor came from gratitude; I finished cooking this pot of beans on January 1, 2024, just before our Ishikawa Prefecture earthquake hit at 16:16. We survived and so did our black-eyed peas. (Normally I would serve these with cornbread, but after evacuating from the house and coming back later in the evening, I shakily defrosted some frozen rice instead.)

You'll need:

• Bacon fat
• Chopped bacon
• Onion
• Garlic
• Komatsuna greens (mustard greens)
• Salt and pepper
• Green beans
• Veggie bouillon
• Tomato paste
• Bay leaf
• Dried thyme
• Dried parsley 
• 500 g dried black-eyed peas
• Cayenne pepper
• Paprika

Do this: 

In a stock pot, saute onions, garlic, bay leaf, and komatsuna greens in a big wad of bacon fat. Add in the chopped bacon and cook through, then some chopped green beans. Next, add the black-eyed peas that you have soaked overnight in the fridge and then drained. Cover all of it with water and throw in your seasonings and tomato paste. Simmer until the beans are soft and a lot of the liquid has evaporated.

The only measured ingredient was those black-eyed peas. All the rest was conjured with love. 

Add in or detract as you desire. You know what your family likes. 

Everyone in mine said this was the best version yet.

gluten-free dairy-free seafood tomato chowder

I bought frozen shrimp and frozen katsuo fish (skipjack tuna), knowing I would come up with something delicious. Riffing off this recipe for spicy tomato seafood chowder, this is my Mamatouille version, using ingredients available in Japan. 

You'll need:

• olive oil
• onion, chopped
• celery, chopped
• garlic, minced
• potatoes, peeled and chopped
• carrot, peeled and chopped
• one bunch of komatsuna greens or spinach, washed and chopped small (including stems)
• one bay leaf
• 6 cups water + 2 beef, chicken, or veggie bouillon powder sticks
• salt and pepper
• cayenne pepper
• dried parsley
• paprika (powder)
• 2 small jars (about 8 oz. or 240 ml each) tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• seafood of choice (I chopped shrimp and katsuo fish)
• top with grated non-dairy soy cheese

Do this:

Saute the veg in big glugs of olive oil, add water and bouillon, and simmer till the veg are tender. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bubble, bubble, toil, and no trouble. 

Serve topped with grated non-dairy soy cheese and a side of rice-flour bread rolls.

Peachy poinsettias are optional but add a festive touch. Stacks of paper and books are a must. 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! I'm gonna add this recipe to my recurring repertoire for 2024. 

gluten-free and dairy-free kabocha pumpkin and veggie chili (no beans)

 

I've made this for years, and originally borrowed it from Practical Paleo, where I think it was called Butternut Squash Chili or something similar. Here's my take with ingredients I can procure here in Japan. 

You'll need:

• about 1 kg of ground meat (in Japan they have a mix of beef and pork)
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (about 450 g each)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 Japanese sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• a bunch of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 of a kabocha pumpkin, chopped small
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1.5 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Do this:

Cook your ground meat in a pan on the stove, then bung that with the rest of the ingredients in a slow cooker and whack it on high heat for the day. Enjoy with cornbread and salad and friends. Just don't eat the friends. 

french carrot salad (salade de carottes rapees)

 

(Check out the beautiful orange salad in the bottom right corner of the bento box.)

I don't know where I found this recipe, but it's absolutely sweet, vinegary, and citrusy, so I always double it. The recipe below is half of what I normally make, although finely grating two carrots is a chore in my book.

You'll need:

• 1 carrot, finely grated
• 1/2 navel orange, segmented
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Dill leaves (I always leave these out because I never have them)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Do this:

Combine and chill, man.

tabasco popcorn

 

Pop the popcorn on the stove. Add salt. Melt margarine (or butter if you can have dairy) and Tabasco together and pour over. Husband will hand you a box of tissues because he thinks you might get goopy hands, but actually said tissues will be used for copious tears at the ending of The Return of the King film.

vegan tofu raisin banana bars

 

Great portable snacks for a train trip!

I got this recipe from Nutritiously.com, but of course I changed it a bit. Here's my version.

You'll need:

• 2 cups oats
• 300 g soft tofu
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 2 bananas
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoon mixed nut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Do this:

In the food processor, blitz one cup of oats into powder. 

In a big mixing bowl, mash the bananas and tofu together, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the walnuts and stir well. Pour into an 8X8 inch/20X20 cm baking pan lined with a piece of baking paper. Toss the walnuts on top and mash into the batter a little bit. 

Bake at 180C for 20 minutes. Cool down, cut, and then cut your teeth on these guys. We all love them. 

pineapple chutney

 

This was a treat at Christmas, but I think it would be good any time you have ham or chicken for a meal. I'll bet it would be tremendously delicious on a ham sandwich, too, and I'm going to try it on vanilla ice cream sometime. It was packed full of spice, tartness, sweetness, and just overall perky deliciousness. 

(Borrowed from The Healthy Foodie, but I've slightly changed it.)

You'll need:

• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 large pineapple, finely chopped (I used pre-cut pineapple in chunks, but then I had to chop it into tiny bits)
• 1 dried Japanese chili, deseeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 3 T. grated ginger
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
• a pinch of ground cloves

Do this:

Saute the onion a few minutes in a frying pan, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat about an hour, until most of the liquid is gone. 

Serve with a festive meal or whenever you darn well feel like it. 

curry fried rice

 

I aggregated a few recipes plus my own ideas for this yummy curried fried rice, which one of our sons loves and one doesn't. I happen to be in the love camp. (I served it in my bento with carrot sambharo, another delicious concoction, and yogurt with honey, lettuce, tomato, and a lemon wedge.) 

You'll need:

• ground pork, about 500 g
• garlic cloves, minced, about 5 or 6
• ginger, grated, about a 1-inch or 4-cm knob
• cooked rice (I used 3 cups, pre-cooked)
• 1 or 2 carrots, chopped finely
• 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• frozen peas, about 200 g
• salt and pepper to taste
• Worcestershire sauce, about 1 T. 
• soy sauce, about 2 T. 
• ketchup, about 1/4 cup
• cooking sake, about 2 T.
• turmeric, about 2 t. 
• Japanese curry powder, about 1 T. 
• 4 eggs, beaten

Do this:

Saute the onions, carrots, cabbage, garlic, and ginger in a tablespoon of neutral-flavored oil, then add in the pork and stir till cooked through. Throw in those peas. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, cooking sauce, and ketchup along with your spices, then add in the cooked rice. Cook till you get little crispy rice edges in some places, then pour over your beaten eggs, let set a few minutes, then stir again before serving. 

If you need to do a little happy-taste-buds-dance, I won't stop you. 

gluten-free and dairy-free potato rosti quiche (from nadiya hussain)

 

I'm not sure if I got this recipe from the show "Nadiya Bakes" or "Nadiya's Time to Eat," but it's lovely and it disappears in one sitting down our four gullets. I've amended it just slightly.

You'll need:

• 1 white potato
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 t. paprika
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 1 T. onion granules (I left these out because I didn't have any)
• 1 t. sea salt
• 40 g flour (I used 20 g rice flour + 20 g almond flour)
• 6 eggs
• 200 ml milk (I used soy)
• 150 g grated cheese (I used soy "cheese")
• (optional extra: I thought I might add a teaspoon or so of nutritional yeast powder next time to give it an even bigger cheesy taste)
• chopped chives or green onions

Do this:

Grate the potatoes (no need to peel) over a tea towel and then squeeze the liquid out. Put the drained grated potatoes in a big bowl and add the paprika, garlic powder, onion granules if you have them, sea salt, flour, and 1 egg. With your hands, squish it all together. 

Grease a pie plate and mash the potato mixture in using a round jar with a flat bottom. Bake it at 170 C about 13 minutes or until a little bit crispy. Beat an egg and put an egg wash all over the crust, then bake 5 minutes more. 

Beat together 200 ml of milk and 4 eggs. You could season with a little salt and pepper at this point.

Put the grated cheese into the bottom of the crust, pour the egg and milk mixture over, then sprinkle with green onions or chives. I cover my crust with a lovely red silicone crust cover so it doesn't burn. 

Bake at 160 C for about 30 minutes (might need more). Let it rest for 30 minutes out of the oven, then dive in!