A Change of Direction

I initally attempted to focus on food, as I have always done, my entire life. Not because it's such a "hip" thing to do, but because I was cooking a lot.. And a lot of weird foods. However, at this time, I've gone on a diet and really, I prefer rambling about nonsense to actually writing out recipes. That's so much harder.
So, for the time being, I'm going to make this a completely self-indulgent record and I'm sorry if that inconveniences anyone.

Rice with Pigeon Peas and Collard Greens

I found this wonderful recipe and I loved the taste, but the first time I made it, I made it as advised. Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the recipe, I am a person who CANNOT make rice on the stove. It's something that I try, try again and still have yet to master. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the source recipe and if you're skilled at stove/rice concoctions, then I would absolutely suggest trying it as it was written. But I've written it out in my own convoluted way to suit my needs, the needs of person who must first turn to her rice cooker.
Rice with Pigeon Peas and Collard Greens
adapted from this recipe at Fat Free Vegan

1 C uncooked long-grain white rice

1 can coconut milk (appx. 2 C of coconut milk)

1 cup of vegetable stock

1 large red onion, chopped finely

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 chopped scallions

1- 10 oz package of frozen collard green

1- 15 oz can of pigeon peas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandules)

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste

In large pan, heat approximately 1/4 C of coconut milk. When hot, add chopped onion, pepper, garlic, and scallion. Stir over medium-high heat until milk evaporates and the mixture begins to brown (5-8 minutes). Turn heat down to a medium flame.

In rice cooker, put the one cup of rice, 1 1/2 Cups of coconut milk, a cup of vegetable stock and half of the browned garlic/onion/pepper mixture, a dash of salt, and set to cook. (I like my rice quite dry- for more moist rice, use 3 cups of liquid.)

Add the last 1/4 C of coconut milk to the pan with the remaining pepper/garlic/onion mixture, along with the package of collard green and drained can of pigeon peas. Stir and allow the mixture to cook over medium heat. Add the thyme, allspice, cumin, and red pepper flakes. The collards should start breaking up and giving off liquid, which should keep the mixture from sticking. If it does begin to stick, turn the heat down. Continue to stir and turn heat to low once the mixture has heated through.

In 20-25 minutes, the rice should be finished. Remove it from the rice cooker and add to the greens/peas mixture. Stir thoroughly until the rice, greens, and pigeon peas are distributed evenly. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.

This dish is unique, but very mild. It goes great as a side or works just as well for a meatless dish. Hopefully some day, I will learn to cook rice on the stove. Some say it's easy, but I'm pretty sure they're wrong.

It's Finally Autumn!:Pumpkin Pie Season

It's that time of year again.. When global warming whisks us from balmy 95° days to an instantaneous 55°. I kid. Kind of.
It seems like that segue the last few years has been short, if non-existent, but I could just be holding over romanticized memories from my childhood. Ahem.
Pie. Pie. Pie. (Even the Pushing Daisies people recognize its potential for loyalty and promotion-)
I've never really understood why pumpkin pie is the default dessert of Thanksgiving. I mean, I think there are far more interesting pumpkin desserts, but pumpkin pie is nice and that's what I've decided to kick off the Fall Baking Season with..
A while back, my best friends sent me a limited 75th Anniversary Edition of Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook with a note attached (and I'm paraphrasing) "We bought this for you as a wedding gift, but we decided that you didn't need a man to have a good cookbook so we're giving it to you now." (They obviously think I'm never getting married) That is a sentiment I can whole-heartedly agree with. . .

Caramel-Pecan Pumpkin Pie
(adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

1 prepared pie crust (I used this oil pie crust recipe from All Recipes )

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1- 15 oz can of unsweetened pumpkin

1/4 C half and half (or light cream)

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

1/2 C chopped pecans

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Get your pie crust ready to go (rolled out and put in the pie pan or pulled out of the packaging in the freezer).

2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the two eggs with fork. Add the pumpkin and half-and-half and stir until mixed.

3. Add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Stir all the ingredients until evenly mixed.

4. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust and cover the edge of the crust with foil (to avoid burning it). Bake the pie in a 375° oven for 25 minutes.

5. While waiting for the pie to set up in the oven, mix the chopped pecans, brown sugar, and butter in a medium bowl. (I cut it together using a fork until it was evenly mixed.) After the initial 25 minutes of baking is over, remove the foil and sprinkle the pecan sugar mixture over the top of the pie. Bake for another 20-30 minutes (until knife comes out clean). Allow to cool after removing from the oven and refrigerate. Best garnished with homemade whipped cream.

Spicy Chickpeas

In this spree of almost healthy eating, I have finally gotten around to *gasp* a recipe out of a cookbook!

Pardon the gratuitous link, but you should check it out. I love this book just for the reading, but I just now got around to actually cooking a recipe from it.

The organization is a bit weird, but neat. Instead of being arranged by meal type or course, it is organized by spices. Spice mixtures, dried herbs, nuts, et cetera. It talks about how each spice is grown, what it looks and tastes like, how to store it, its other (sometimes medicinal) uses, its culinary uses- and then it gives two or three recipes that showcase said ingredient. Again, the format takes some getting used to, but it's great as a reference book.

Anyway, I attempted a recipe called Punjabi Chhole (from the Asafoetida section) and it turned out well. The Man said that it was like no other chickpea recipe he had ever tasted (in a good way.)

Spicy Chickpeas

(adapted from the Punjabi Chhole recipe in The Indian Spice Kitchen by Monisha Bharadwaj)

3-15 oz cans of chickpeas (appx. 4.5 Cups cooked chickpeas)

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp asafoetida

3 onions, chopped (I used yellow onions)

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 green chillis, chopped

1 small can of tomato paste

(though one tomato mashed would probably work well)

1 Cup vegetable stock

1.5 tsp chilli powder (I used ancho. sacrilege.)

1.5 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp mango powder (amchur)

1 Tbsp rajmah masala (or garam masala)

salt and pepper, to taste

chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a heavy pan, heat the oil over med-high flame until almost smoking. Add the cumin and asafoetida and when the seeds begin to pop, immediately add the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and chillis. Stir occasionally until mixture is lightly browned.

Add the tomato puree and stock and stir it in, with all your might. Turn the heat to medium and add the chilli powder, turmeric, mango powder, and rajmah masala. Stir and allow the mixture to simmer and cook slightly, 3-5 minutes.

When the mixture is a loose paste and lightly "browned," add two of the cans of chickpeas WITH their liquid. I personally am not a fan of this, but some people advocate for the can liquid. However, in this recipe, it works, so go with it. Stir the mixture. For the last can, drain the liquid and pour half the beans into the pot and mash/puree the other half. Add the puree to the gravy and stir. Cover and simmer on low, stirring occasionally for approximately ten minutes. Add salt to taste and serve with a garnish of chopped cilantro.

The chickpeas should be intact and the gravy should be thick, a deep brownish-red. It's very rich and would go well with bread or rice. I would definitely make it again.

Lemon Rice

My loved one is feeling under the weather, which led me on a search to find foods with both healing and comforting qualities.
This led me to Lemon Rice.
It contained many ingredients with curative properties - Haldi (turmeric), Hing (asafoetida), Ginger, etc.

I've adapted the Lemon Rice recipes from Show Me the Curry and Sailus Kitchen . There are a ton of wonderful lemon rice recipes recipes out there and I would encourage you to check them out if you have the time. It's a beautiful dish, if somewhat of an acquired taste, but can be prepared quickly if you have all your ducks in a row.



















Lemon Rice

2 cups long-grain basmati rice, uncooked

Juice of 2 lemons

1 cup roasted, salted peanuts

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 Tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 Tbsp Cumin seeds

1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp asafoetida

1 Tbsp Channa dal

1 Tbsp Urad Dal

4-5 slit green chillis

2-3 Tbsp chopped peeled ginger

15-20 curry leaves

1/2 Cup roughly chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish

Cook rice according to package directions (I cook mine in a rice cooker, using 3 cups water to 2 cups of rice with a dash of oil and appx. 1 tsp salt). It should yield between 3.5-4 Cups.

While Rice is Cooking:
In non-stick pan, heat peanuts over medium heat, stirring constantly, for approximately one minute, or until lightly browned. Set peanuts aside.

Over medium heat, add oil to the same pan and when hot, add the mustard, cumin, and coriander seeds. Shake the seeds constantly in the pan and when they begin to pop, add the Channa and Urad Dal and continue to stir over the heat until the dals turn a deep brown (you might sample a piece of the dal to make sure it is sufficiently roasted- i.e. not still hard). Add the asafoetida and turmeric, stir, then add the ginger, chillis, and curry leaves. Keep stirring until everything is mixed and the ginger, chillis, and curry leaves start to brown (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.

In large bowl, mix the rice and peanuts. Stir in all the seasonings (seeds, dal, ginger, etc.) from the pan into the rice. Add the juice from the two lemons and the chopped cilantro to the rice mixture. Stir until everything is evenly incorporated and enjoy!

The rice should have a slightly yellow hue and be loose, but not soggy. It's even better the second day. As noted at Sailus, this dish "keeps" and is ideal to take along for lunch or a picnic.

Special Soup

Poor The Man has come down with a cold and so I made the soup I always make in such a situation- Special Soup.

Special Soup is strong. It tastes good, but it's seasoned with the intention of being therapeutic. Very good for when you're feeling under the weather, need to clear out your sinuses, or just if you like a spicy soup.

Special Soup

2 heads of garlic, peeled and chopped

approximately 4-6 Tbsp ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 bunches of scallions, cleaned and sliced

6-10 dried chillis, a few torn open so the seeds can fall into the broth

3-4 Tbsp frozen chopped lemongrass (if you can't find lemongrass, feel free to substitute lime or

lemon juice, to your taste)

half a head of cabbage, cored, washed, and roughly sliced into strips (bok choi or another hearty

green makes a good substitute, if you have access)

1-1.5 lbs of firm tofu, patted dry and cubed, sprinkled with a few dashes of soy sauce

2 quarts of vegetable stock

1 can of coconut milk

1-2 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat approximately 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (preferably in a non-stick pan) over high heat and add cubed tofu. Let brown, turning cubes every few minutes (for approximately 10-12 minutes), until all sides are lightly browned and the cubes are no longer fragile.

In separate pan, heat 2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil over high heat and slowly add the garlic, ginger, scallion, chillis, and lemongrass. Continue cooking over med-high heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture has begun to lightly brown (usually 3-5 minutes).

Add the chopped cabbage and stir. Keep over med-high heat for another few minutes, stirring, until the cabbage begins to wilt.

Turn heat to high and add the vegetable stock and can of coconut milk. Add the dried basil and the tofu cubes (which should be ready or close to it by now). Bring to a boil, stir and then lower the heat to a medium flame. Allow the soup to simmer for 15-25 minutes (depending on how soft you want the cabbage), stirring occasionally.
Taste the broth and add salt and pepper as needed.






The recipe lends itself to a large number of changes. It's good to add a little sesame oil at the end. It's great with added mushrooms (dried or fresh). You can substitute pre-made dumplings for the tofu (or tofu puffs, if you can find them). You can also garnish with a little lime juice. You can even omit the coconut milk (obviously) if you're looking to make it a lower-fat recipe. The main and most important ingredients are the garlic, ginger, and chillis. But honestly, this soup, as is, turned out quite well. So if you're looking for an alternative to the chicken noodle soup next time you need a pick-me-up, you should definitely give this a try.

You say Tayota, I say Chayote

Tayota, Chayote, Mirliton. There are a million names for it and yet I so rarely see it mentioned at all.

I had never in my life attempted to prepare Chayote. . . until last week, that is.

My closest supermarket, though at best a third rate grocery (they literally make you check your bags so you don't steal anything), has a surprisingly diverse selection of "international" foodstuffs. This includes boniatos, plantains, and yuca. But I decided to finally try my hand at chayote. My lack of planning led to the necessity of a relatively simple recipe and so I found this recipe at Epicurious and adapted it accordingly.

Also note that I've read that you can eat both the skin and the "pit," but I decided to forgo both.

Spicy Sauteed Chayote

3 medium chayote, peeled

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium red onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced (adjust accordingly to your tastes)

1&1/2 tsp whole cumin

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and quarter chayote. Remove pit. Cut into medium small cubes and salt lightly. Heat oil on high heat in a large non-stick pan.

When hot (but not smoking- olive oil has a lower smoking point), add the whole cumin. Let the cumin sit in the hot oil for five to ten seconds until it begins to pop and then immediately add the chayote.

Let the chayote cook and brown on med-high heat. Let it cook for approximately ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally (the length of time you let the chayote cook alone depends on how browned and dried you want it, so just watch it, taste it, and adjust accordingly).

Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until sufficiently softened and starting to brown. Turn heat to medium and add the garlic, oregano, and crushed pepper. Cook for approximately another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until garlic appears lightly brown and all the ingredients are mixed evenly. Taste and season accordingly.

The Man's verdict was that the flavor was great and the outside crisp, but the inside still too "moist." It is a very "wet" fruit and despite cooking it for a long time, it will retain that moisture to some extent. He much preferred it as leftovers because he found the microwave dried it out. If you don't have any textural quirks, it should not be a problem. It is a great side to a protein or served with some cilantro lime rice. And even if you don't try this recipe, you should definitely try chayote when you get the chance.

finis.