Side Dish

Umeboshi Gohan (梅干しご飯) — Pickled Plum Rice

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In episode 4 of our new podcast, The Onigiri Chronicles, my best friend Noriko and I discussed all things ume–the sour Japanese fruit that they use in Japan to turn into all sorts of wonderful things, like ume syrup and my favorite, umeboshi (pickled plums).  We talked about making umeboshi gohan (梅干しご飯), or pickled plum […]

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Roasted Broccoli Shira-ae (Roasted Broccoli in Tofu Dressing)

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We are currently in Japan!  (I can’t tell you how giddy that makes me to type that!)  Mr. Fuji had a 2-week business trip to Tokyo and about halfway through his trip he found a really good deal on tickets and booked a trip for the rest of us to fly out and meet up […]

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Vegan Japanese Potato Salad

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Potato salad is a classic summer food in my mind.  It goes so perfectly with other picnic foods or foods that you might cook on the grill.  My FAVORITE style of potato salad is Japanese potato salad, which I’ve written about before.  

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Instant Pot Ratatouille and a Vegan French Feast

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During the summer of 1998 I was in Rome when France beat Italy in the final game of the FIFA World Cup.  Europe is a super fun place to be during the World Cup, with large screens and chairs set up in town squares, and lots of excitement in general (even if you happen to […]

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Marinated Scallions — Negi No Doresshingu Zuke

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My friend Noriko makes the best marinated naga negi (negi no doresshingu zuke . . . “dressing preserved onions”).  She has made them the last couple of times we have visited and I’ve had to restrain myself from being rude and eating the whole batch.  

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Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

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Why didn’t the mother potato want her daughter to marry the famous newscaster?  Because he was a commentator.  Bahahahahahaha!  Ok, sorry, I’ve got kids, remember?  I currently live in the land of corny jokes!  But in all honestly, I don’t think that “common-taters” exist.  I love all taters.  But sweet potaters do take the tater […]

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Baked Avocado Falafel with Avocado Lemon Tahini Sauce

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I love falafel.  Though love may not be a strong enough word.  Seriously.  I recently combined falafel and avocado, and putting two of my loves into one dish is just about giving me heart palpitations.  I whipped up some baked avocado falafel that are light little pillows that are made even more delicious when combined with […]

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Simmered Daikon Radish

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Happy 2017 my friends!  I have been taking a much needed break to focus on our sweet new baby girl and moving.  We sold our previous home and finished moving out the week before last and are now temporarily living with my in-laws while our new home is being built. (Squeeeeee!!!!!)  Talk about starting the […]

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Veggie Salad Stuffed Avocados

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My in-laws live in Draper, Utah, a city just north of us.  Every summer they have Draper Days, an event that lasts for about a week in July and is filled with everything from a children’s parade, to a rodeo, to evening concerts in the park, followed by fireworks.  It’s a blast.  This past July we […]

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Grilled Corn with Vegan Avocado Crema

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Remember that Grilled Corn with California Avocado Crema that I told you about at the beginning of the week?  Well I promised you a plant-based (vegan) version and today I’m delivering!  With summer winding down we have got to take advantage of all the wonderful produce, including corn and avocados!  This version replaces the crema […]

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