Caterpillar Roll

“What do you feel like eating?” It’s a question that many families (ours included) face with dread. That question is usually followed by an increasingly heated debate and stubbornness. Dumpling wants Italian. Baby Corn wants Nepali. It’s up to Sweet Potato and me to decide. If we choose either cuisine, we end up disappointing one daughter to a certain extent. One of the tricks up my sleeve to ensure everyone’s happiness is to turn the situation around and say, “Okay, so let’s go to Shojin then.” All of a sudden, everyone in the family is happy and excited. That’s the type of power that Shojin has over our family, and it’s an indication of how good they are.

Sesame Seitan Soba

Located in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center at 333 S. Alameda St., #310, Shojin is organic, vegan, and fabulous. We’ve been going since they were 1 month newly opened, and loved it from the get go. At first we were thrilled that we could get any vegan Japanese food in SoCal. For years, the Bay Area has had Cha-ya, and we were left with going to regular sushi places and ordering special rolls down here. Often a frustrating experience, we just avoided Japanese food down here (unless we made it ourselves) Enter Shojin. It began with a much simpler menu, and we’ve really enjoyed seeing (and tasting) how the menu has changed over time. A variety of noodle soups were added. New appetizers showed up. A plethora of desserts were tested, added, and improved. And let’s not forget about the amazing selection of vegan sushi. With homemade seitan, okara, and tempeh, you can’t go wrong here with your protein sources… or really anything on this great menu. Shojin is definitely one of our family’s favorite restaurants ever in the entire universe.

One of the most gratifying things is discovering how much the Shojin staff appreciates the customers (new and repeat ones alike). They are always asking how we enjoyed certain dishes. They check to see if we feel that limited edition specials should be added to the regular menu. And most of all, they listen. When we let them know that we thought the soba noodles were good, but the broth was just a touch salty, they modified it. Now, like the rest of their menu, the broth is balanced with a complexity of flavors that meld salty, sour, sweet, spicy, and a deep earthiness. It’s the variety of friendliness of staff, the menu options, and the balance of flavors that really keep us coming for more.

Pumpkin Tart with Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Other than the regular menu items, there’s always a weekly special that includes an appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert. The specials are great! The chefs are able to experiment and introduce new items without much risk involved. If it’s popular, they add it to the main menu. If it’s not as popular, they can just let it fade away. Invariably, the specials become regular items (like the sushi and the okara fish fillet).

One of our favorites is discovering new desserts through their specials. Masters at creating “cheese”cakes and rice or soy ice creams, Shojin has just begun introducing a variety of parfaits and tarts as well. On a recent visit, we had a chance to enjoy the Pumpkin Tart with a creamy vegan chocolate ice cream. The girls love the various ice creams. Although they probably lean towards the chocolate (for good reason), I’m a big fan of the sesame ice cream.

Baby Corn loves the sushi and will almost always order the Caterpillar Roll (seitan inside of seaweed and rice with avocado around it). Dumpling loves all the soba noodles. Sweet Potato and I like the bento boxes or the weekly specials because we love the variety. You really can’t beat the bento boxes for variety! With four compartments to fill, you always get a salad, appetizer, and two entrees along with your rice. To keep up to date on their specials, be sure to check out the Shojin blog where they talk about what’s new and special that week. It’s especially fun to see pictures of all your vegan friends celebrating birthdays and anniversaries at Shojin.

In the end, great food is only part of the reason we love it here… the service is what helps drive us back for repeat visits. The chefs are ever gracious and kind. Ken is excited to see repeat and new customers alike and is always accommodating. And us… we’re just grateful that we live in LA where we can finally enjoy vegan Japanese food… Really, I should say that it’s just amazing Japanese food. The fact that it’s vegan is a bonus.

Shojin sho is good!

Most people I know are busy. I know that I am. Life just seems to be filled with work, family, chores, hobbies, and more! Somedays it feels like even non-work time has “duties as assigned.” Free time is something we actually have to make time to enjoy. That’s why I like trying to find simple quick recipes to create. That’s not to say that I dislike complex, multi-step recipes… in truth, most of my cooking is relatively complex, but on days that I get back from work late because of meetings, errands, or (most likely) Baby Corn’s hockey practice, I like finding simple, quick meals to create.

One of my secrets to faster cooking is to get some help from food vendors. For example, the Trader Joe’s ready-cooked lentils are one of the staples in the fridge for our family. Yes, lentils are a pretty fast legume to cook (especially the red ones), and there’s nothing like slow cooked beans or legumes, but when you’re in a hurry, and the lentils are already cooked, then it makes creating a dish so much easier!

One of my family’s favorite dishes is a quick Indian-style lentil stew (aka dal). With layered flavors, and a touch of spice, this dish is a pleaser because it’s fast and versatile. Another thing I really like about this dish is that it’s easy to adapt. If you have more time, you can add different ingredients like diced potatoes or chopped tomatoes. You can add other herbs and flavorings to make it really pop. Like it spicier, then make it spicier!

Suffice to say that it’s something that our whole family enjoys and it’s easily done by the time the rice is finished steaming (unless we put the timer on it to be done when we get home from work)… and for me that’s the ultimate fast food. I want the rice to be the last thing holding us back.

Quick Indian-Style Lentils

Ingredients:

• 1 package of the pre-cooked Trader Joe’s lentils (or two cans of lentils drained and rinsed)
• ¼ to ½ of an onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 1 to 2 Tbs curry powder
• 1 C. or more of vegetable broth
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp agave nectar or sweetener of choice
• safflower, olive, or canola oil for cooking

Directions:

Heat the pan on medium-high heat. I use a medium or large sauce pan, but you can use a smaller dutch oven, or whatever your favorite pot is. Add about ½ tablespoon of oil to the frying pan. Add the onions and fry for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cumin seeds and continue frying till fragrant. Add the garam masala and curry powder and cook for a few seconds just to warm and release the aroma.

By this time, the pan is probably getting a little dry. Try not to burn the spices. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the broth to deglaze the pan and get all the spiced goodness to come together. Add the lentils and mix thoroughly. Add enough broth to cover the lentils. Bring to a boil and lower the heat so that it’s gently boiling or simmering in a lively manner.

Add the salt and agave and simmer for about 20 minutes. Put into a serving bowl and top with chopped cilantro or other fresh herbs. Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

Variations: For a spicier dish, add more curry and a ¼ teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper. For a different depth of flavor, add about 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest. You can even add diced potatoes to make a heartier dish.

Purple and Green Long Beans

What? Purple long beans? Yep! Fans of Chinese and Vietnamese food may be familiar with long beans. These are a lot like green beans, but they’re thinner, don’t have strings, and… you guessed it, they’re longer. They have a slightly deeper flavor and crunchier texture than blue lake green beans. I’ve really enjoyed long beans for pretty much my whole life. I remember my mom used to fry up the long beans with a ground meat of sorts (not sure what meat it was… and at this point in my life, I probably don’t want to know). So it was with a lot of curiosity and happiness that I saw some fresh purple long beans at the Alhambra Farmer’s Market. Being an adventurous cook (and eater), I bought the purple long beans and decided to try and recreate the family favorite, but make it vegan.

I think it turned out pretty well. If my family is any indication, then it definitely was a success. Our little girl, Baby Corn, had about five servings of it. The flavor of the purple long beans was a little stronger than the green ones. The texture was a little tougher, but not in a bad way. Kind of al dente if you will. The most fascinating thing was the fact that the beans themselves turned green-ish after cooking. The purple kind of disappeared. Kind of like eggplant. When you cook eggplant, it can also lose a certain amount of the purple coloring.

Stir-fried Purple Long Beans with Mushrooms, Corn, and Veggie Meat

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch of purple long beans
• 1 package of mushrooms (button, cremini, or fresh shiitake)
• ¼ cup corn kernels (fresh cooked cut from the ear is best, but frozen is pretty good too)
• ½ package Ground Round or other veggie ground “meat”
• ½ tablespoon oil (this might vary depending on the pan you fry with)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 
• ¼ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos or soy sauce (or a combination thereof)
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian stir-fry sauce (many different brands like Lee Kum Kee or Amoy)
• ¼ teaspoon sweetener (organic sugar, agave nectar, or whatever vegan sweetener you like)
• Slurry of arrowroot powder with a little water or broth

Directions

Wash and cut the purple long beans into approximately 2-inch pieces (you don’t have to be fanatical about this. The most important thing is to have them about the same length so they cook in the same amount of time). Wash mushrooms, trim ends, and cut into chunks or quarters or strips… just don’t leave them whole.

Heat the wok or frying pan on medium-high heat. Add about ½ tablespoon of oil to the frying pan. This really depends on your pan. My wok is really well-seasoned, so I can get away with less oil. If you’re using a stainless steel frying pan, then you may need more oil. Add the garlic and fry until aromatic and just beginning to brown slightly. Add the mushrooms and continue frying, stirring constantly. If the mushrooms look a little dry, add a bit of the vegetable broth. After frying for about 2 minutes (when the mushrooms begin to look a little wilted and begin to release their juice), add the purple long beans and stir-fry for another minute. Add the rest of the broth, stir, and cover for about 3 minutes. This method of steam-frying helps reduce the fat and cook the veggies faster.

Remove cover, add stir-fry sauce, liquid aminos (or soy sauce), and sugar. I also sometimes use a vegetarian, non-MSG flavor enhancer called Po Lo Ku. There are a few different choices here. Most are made of concentrated, powdered mushrooms or veggies. For this amount of veggies, I use about ½ teaspoon or so. Really, it’s to taste.

Add the corn kernels and veggie ground meat, stir, and cook till heated through. Push all the solid ingredients to the side so that you see mostly sauce. Add the slurry slowly while stirring the sauce to thicken. When the sauce loses the powdery (opaque) look, mix the veggies with the sauce thoroughly, turn off the heat, pour into serving dish, and enjoy!