Food By Ayaka - Page 2 of 3 -

Spaghetti With Fresh Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes (Vegan)

Tomorrow will be my first day as a junior in high school. The back-to-school season is always bittersweet, as I’m sad to see summer go, but excited for fall and everything that it brings. The pumpkins, the colorful leaves, the Halloween decorations… it’s all so fun! The cooler weather is also a refreshing change from…

Vegan S’more Brownies

Summer vacation may be coming to an end, but I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye to my favorite season. I still haven’t gone swimming enough times, or eaten enough watermelon, or soaked up enough sunshine. To be honest, I really haven’t done much at all this summer, at least compared to previous years….

Barbecue Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches With Mayo-Free Coleslaw

August is here, which means summer is officially more than halfway over. But don’t be sad, because there’s still a whole month left for the fun to continue! I don’t know about you, but I’ll be soaking up every last bit of sunshine before going back to school. I plan on attending as many pool…

Sesame Crusted Tofu and Broccoli

Unlike most American children, I grew up eating a lot of tofu. My Japanese mother cooked all my meals for me until the end of middle school, when I began learning to cook for myself. She usually made me traditional Japanese meals, which differ greatly from the typical American cuisine. For breakfast, I often had…

Coconut Berry Acai Bowls

In an ideal world, I would wake up every morning, go to the gym, do my hair and makeup, pick out a cute outfit, and stop at a healthy café for breakfast, all before starting my day. That would be great, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, real life doesn’t usually allow for this kind of a morning…

Pecan Crescent Cookies (Gluten-Free/Vegan)

Growing up, shortbread cookies always had a special place in my heart. Every time we would fly to Japan, my mom would allow me to buy some Walker’s shortbread at the airport, so I could eat it as a snack on the airplane. I don’t know if you’ve ever had Walker’s shortbread, but it’s not…

Vegan Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls (With Maple Cream Cheese Glaze)

Lately, I have been watching a lot of TV, mostly the show Shark Tank. Although I’ve seen nearly every episode already, I’ve been continuously rewatching episodes over and over again. I’m obsessesed with the show, mostly because I hope to journey down the path of entrepreneurship one day. Seeing other entrepreneurs and the businesses they…

Fishless Tacos With Easy Vegan Sour Cream

Long before I ever considered going vegan, I went through a phase of pescatarianism. In fact, I avoided all meat (except seafood) for over a year after my dad made a joke about cows being hamburgers. Although I did eventually go back to eating meat – mostly due to my mom’s exasperation at having to…

Chocolate Cupcakes With Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream (Vegan/Gluten-Free)

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Is it vanilla? Or chocolate? Or strawberry? Personally, I’ve always been a mint chocolate chip type of gal. Sure, the classics are great, but nothing will ever beat the cool, refreshing taste of peppermint in my mind. Shamrock shakes, candy canes, peppermint patties… I love it all! In…

Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you were to ask 20 Americans what their favorite type of cookie is, I’ll bet that at least 15 of those people would choose chocolate chip. For some reason, chocolate chip cookies are extremely popular in America. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a party or event serving desserts where there…