Updated 10 Jan. 2016.
While living in Japan, I often got frustrated with the availability of ingredients, recipes that didn’t work in my moven, and other challenges to cooking in a Japanese kitchen. Now that I’ve repatriated, I wanted to have a special place on this blog to share Japan-friendly recipes, both my own and those of others, for foods from all over the world. * = original recipe may contain non-vegetarian elements (dashi, okonomiyaki flour) that can be substituted for vegetarian I’ve written notes about dietary restrictions, ingredients, and measurements (US/metric if it only includes one or the other) if applicable. Itadakimasu!

DIY (Ingredients)

• Applesauce [vegan] [vegetarian] [gluten-free]
• Vegetable Stock [vegan] [vegetarian] [gluten-free]
• “Vegetarian/Vegan Dashi (Japanese Stock),” Just Hungry [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Yogurt [vegetarian] [gluten-free]

Breakfast

• Buckwheat (Soba) Apple Muffins [vegetarian]
• Coconut Muesli [vegan] [vegetarian]
• Fig-Almond Muffins [dairy-free] [vegetarian]
• Millet Muffins [vegetarian]
• “Okara blueberry-corn muffins,” The Okara Project [vegetarian] [vegan] [US] I used applesauce for the oil; an equivalent amount of whole-wheat flour for the corn meal. Since homemade okara is wetter than store-bought, I added another 1/3-1/2 cup water.
• Overnight Oats [vegetarian] [gluten-free]
• Pumpkin-Orange Scones with Candied Ginger [vegetarian]
• Satsumaimo (Sweet-Potato) Pancakes [vegetarian]
• Whole-Wheat Bagels [vegan] [vegetarian]
• Whole-Wheat Blueberry-Lavender Muffins [vegetarian]
• Whole-Wheat Ginger-Squash Muffins with Chocolate Chips [vegetarian]

Salads

• “Tofu Avocado Salad,” PBS Food [vegetarian] [vegan] [US] Excellent without the cilantro if you can’t find it or don’t like it.

Soups

• Carrot, Ginger and Orange Soup with Star Anise, Cook Eat Live Vegetarian

[vegetarian] [metric] Star anise is usually stocked with the Chinese and Korean spices; it’s called stâ anisu (スターアニス), hakkaku kûikyô (八角茴香), or dai kûikyô (大茴香); I skipped the cilantro; and I used yogurt for the topping.

• Curried Tomato and Brown Rice Soup with Fried Paneer, Naturally Ella + Paneer, The Ishikawa JET Cookbook

[vegetarian] [US] Paneer is very simple to make at home. I used the recipe in the Ishikawa JET Cookbook, but if you are vegan or can’t be bothered, fry up some cubed firm tofu (drained) instead.

• *Spring Miso Soup [vegetarian] [vegan]
• “Tex-Mex Cream of Tomato Soup,” Inheriting Exile [vegetarian] [US]

Appetizers, Dips, Spreads

• Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant and Sesame Spread) [vegan] [vegetarian] [gluten-free]
• Kabocha Hummus [vegan] [vegetarian] [gluten-free]

Pasta

• Summer Pasta with Eggplant Sauce [vegetarian]
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Soba Noodles with Ginger-Honey Sauce, Naturally Ella [vegetarian] [US]

Grains

Breads

• Cornbread [vegetarian]
• Oatmeal Banana Bread [vegetarian]
• Whole-Wheat Bagels [vegan] [vegetarian]
• Whole-Wheat Pita [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough [vegan] [vegetarian]

Okazu and Side Dishes

• *Aka-Kabocha with Sesame Sauce [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles (Red-Taro-Stem Vinegar Pickles) [vegetarian] [vegan] [gluten-free]
• Kabocha-Apple Whole-Wheat Turnovers [vegetarian]
• Kabocha Soba Oyaki [vegan] [vegetarian]
• *Na no Hana (Brassica napus) in Ponzu [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Nasu Dengaku – Eggplant Broiled in Miso, Closet Cooking [vegetarian] [vegan]- works great in a fish grill on the oven range!
• Sautéed Fiddleheads [vegetarian]
• Sesame-Roasted Kabocha [vegan]
• Steaming Vegetables Recipe, 101 Cookbooks [vegan] [vegetarian] How to use a bamboo steamer.
• Stuffed Zucchini [vegetarian]

Vegetarian Entrees

• *Kabocha-Stuffed Okonomiyaki [vegetarian]
• Korinky Squash Chijimi [vegetarian]
• Summer Pasta with Eggplant Sauce [vegetarian]
• Vegan “Unagi” with Shiitake [vegan] [vegetarian]
• Vegetarian Curry Nabe [vegan] [vegetarian]
• Winter Vegetable & Tofu Korma [vegetarian] [US] [metric] Use regular yogurt or strain plain yogurt through a coffee filter. Includes US and metric measurements.

Fish

• Foil-Wrapped Miso Salmon, No Recipes Broiled Sawara with Paprika [gluten-free]
• Curried Cauliflower with Tuna [gluten-free]

Meat (non-fish)

• “Omurice,” No Recipes. Japanese fried-rice omelet. [chicken]
• “Southwest Chicken Melt” & “Adobo Chicken,” Inheriting Exile [chicken] [US]
• “Cooking a Turkey in Japan,” Inheriting Exile

Desserts

• “Making Annin Dofu [Almond Jelly] From Scratch!” Super Happy Awesome.
• Avocado Almond Cookies [vegetarian]
• Black Sesame Cake (from The Minecraft Cake) [vegetarian]
• The Blanton’s Cake (Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake) [vegetarian]
• Brownies [vegetarian] Chocolate Yogurt Cake (from “The Minecraft Cake”) [vegetarian]
• Kabocha Pie, Hokuriku Expat Kitchen [vegetarian]
• Matcha Cupcakes (Mameshiba Cupcakes) [vegetarian]
• Mini Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies Recipe [vegetarian]
• Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding, New York Times– use kinugoshi (絹ごし) tofu. Firm tofu (momendofu, 木綿豆腐) will yield ice-cream-like texture. Would be great in a pudding-pie. [vegan]
• Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Brownies [vegetarian]
• Sakura Matcha Muffins [vegetarian]
• Spiced Persimmon Cake [vegetarian]
• White-Pepper Ginger Cake [vegetarian
• Whole-Wheat Ginger-Squash Muffins with Chocolate Chips [vegetarian]

Beverages

• Homemade Sakura “Latte” (Sakura Steamer) [non-caf] [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Overnight Cold-Brewed Coffee [vegetarian] [vegan]
• Pumpkin Spice Latte with Kabocha Purée [vegetarian] [vegan]