Bean, Nut, Tomato sauce with Rice

I was in school one day and I saw my friend, Ben, eating his leftovers from last night. It looked a bit weird/gross and I asked him what it was. He explained that it was some South African dish and offered me a taste. I was hooked. Though I don't know the name. I quickly scribbled down the recipe and planned to make it. Trust me, it's better than it looks.
The bean used for the dish is called a Borlotti bean, an Italian bean, commonly sold here in Australia. Other names are cranberry bean, saluggia, or shell bean. They are quite tasty. I bought a can, since it was easier.
Prepare:
-Buy a can of Borlotti beans, drain and mash-Dice half an onion, about a cup of zucchini, 1 chili pepper, crush several cloves of garlic-Peel and dice 2 or 3 roma tomatoes (or buy them in a can, which is what I did since I was lazy)
-Prepare nuts. The recipe called for peanuts, which I didn't have, so I used cashews and it was good
Cook:
-Cook 1-2 cups of rice
-In a wok/pot heat up some olive oil, medium heat
-Throw garlic in
-Sautee onion, nuts, zucchini, and chili pepper for about 5-7 minutes, or until veggies are ready-Add beans and tomatoes -Cook for about 10 minutes, crushing tomatoes as well as you can until it's all broken up, season with salt, pepper, and a bit of soy sauce and ginger
-Low heat and let simmer for another 10 minutes-Serve on top of rice with some fresh cilantro

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

When I was making the pumpkin soup a couple days ago, I was sure to save the seeds. Toasted pumpkin seeds are a relatively easy and delicious snack, not to mention fairly healthy.
Prepare:
-Seed a pumpkin, separating the seeds from the pulp as best you can. It will be a bit slimy
-Wash the seeds. I placed the seeds in a bit of water and let it soak for about 5 minutes, twirling every so often - this helps to further separate the pulp and leave just the seed. Scoop or sieve out the seeds (but not the pulp) and spread out on a plate
-Leave the plate out and let the seeds dry overnight. I left mine for two days (due to time constraints) and they were still good-Once they're dry, toss them in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, so they're all covered
-Lay them on a oven-proof pan/foil and sprinkle seasonings on top: salt, pepper, cumin, etc... whatever you like. I used garlic salt and red pepper powderCook:
-Preheat oven/toaster oven to 250F
-Place pan in oven
-Toast for one hour, mixing up the seeds every 20 minutesUpdate:
-I made this again with cracked black pepper, garlic salt, and cumin and it turned out quite well. I think my next go will be in a different vein: brown sugar and cinnamon
-I made brown sugar and cinnamon and it did not turn out well at all, sad to say. Either the butter or the sugar were unable to withstand the temperatures of the toaster oven for an hour, since it charred. Also, the seeds hardly tasted sweet or cinnamony. Oh well - I guess I'll stick with savory

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Toast

I love soups. You may have noticed. Usually I just through a bunch of vegetables in a pot, boil it, puree and eat. This time I decided to focus the veggie a bit and add a little depth to the meal. I got the idea to serve the creamy pumpkin soup with cinnamon toast from a recipe on allrecipes and I decided it was just crazy enough to work.

Prepare Soup:-Peel and cube a bunch of pumpkin, maybe 3 cups worth. I find that peeling a pumpkin with a peeler is not fun and so I just used a knife and sliced off the rind. Alternatively, you could steam/boil the pumpkin for about 10 minutes and then the peel comes off easily. Also remove the seeds (but don't throw them away!)-Dice about half an onion. It doesn't matter the size of the pieces as you will be boiling and pureeing them
-Optional: get a hot pepper. I find that the pepper doesn't detract from the taste and gives it a nice kick. I used 1 habanero and that was just fine.
-Ready (soy) milk, cornflour, bay leaf, salt, oil or butter, some crushed garlic, cheese, and any other spice you like
Cook:
-Lightly fry the garlic and onion in butter or oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion is tender in a decent-sized pot-Throw in the pumpkin for about a minute or two, letting it coat itself in oily goodness-Add water: the level should be a bit short of the height of the pumpkin (the pumpkin condenses as you cook it and you don't want the soup too watery... as long as you mix every 5-10 minutes then everything should cook evenly)
-Add crushed bay leaf and other spices.
-Lower heat, cover, and let simmer for an hour, mixing every 10 minutes until the pumpkin is at the level of the water
-Puree once everything is very cooked-Put back on medium heat, mixing in 1/4 cup -1/2 cup of milk and a bit of flour to thicken it up. You can also add some cheese to give it a nice creaminess (I used fresh mozzarella)
-I like to throw fresh spring onion on top, adding to it a crisp oniony flavor

Prepare Toast (2 slices):
-Preheat (toaster) oven to 400F
-Melt a tbsp of butter (more if you like a more buttery toast)
-Mix with 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (more if you like cinnamony taste)Cook:
-Toast for about 10 minutes, or until top is bubbly/browning
Tips:
-I also fried up some bacon for this dinner. The salty smokiness of the bacon is really complementary with the creamy pumpkininess of the soup and the cinnamon sweetness of the bread
-You can quarter or eighth the toast and mix it in the soup
-You can fry the bacon with the onion when making the soup originally, and make it a pumpkin and bacon soup.
-Some people like this soup curry style and so add curry powder or cumin and tumeric as well as coconut milk for the milk. Others like it sweet pumpkin-pieish and so add cinnamon, nutmeg, etc

Eggplant Parmesan with homemade Spinach & Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Eggplant Parmesan is a tasty little dish. Moderately healthy and meat-free, this dish take a bit of work but is worth it. I decided to make my own tomato sauce, just to make it more work.

Prepare Tomato Sauce:
-Dice some tomatoes (I used 2), as well as some onion, garlic, mushroom (I used portabella) and shred some spinach
Cook:
-In a pot or wok, sautée garlic and onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes-Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes
-Add spinach and cook until wilted-Throw in some salt, pepper, basil (fresh or dry if you have it, I didn't!)
-Add diced tomatoes and 1 can of crushed, peeled tomatoes, reduce heat-Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring constantly, until most of the tomato is reduced-Puree-Mix in cheese if you'd like (I used cream cheese to see how it'd be, but I think something like parmesan or even feta would be good)
*note: it pains me to say this, but my sauce was not that great. I was not pleased. The cheese helped a lot, as did adding some more salt, sage, and chives, and cooking longer to reduce it further, eventually it got alright... okay enough for the parmesan


Prepare Eggplant:
-Preheat oven to 350F
-Peel the eggplant and cut into slices lengthwise, so you get around 4-5 slices per eggplant-Put salt on the surfaces, rub it in, and put it in the fridge for an hour (this sweats the eggplant and reduces the bitterness. It's optional but getting a big bite of bitter eggplant is unpleasant)
-Rinse the eggplants and thoroughly dry them
-Beat 1-2 eggs (1 egg per eggplant)
-Prepare batter mixture: breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan and dried basil is ideal. I had none so I used flour-Lay eggplants in egg, then breadcrumbs (on both sides) and set on an oven pan
-Meanwhile, slice cheese. I used a mixture of fresh mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar. I also had some grated parmesan
-Optional: dice some broccoli. I find that broccoli works amazingly in this dish and so I throw it in
Cook:
-Put pan in oven for about 5-10 minutes, until starts to crisp, and then flip over and another 5-10 minutes-Alternatively, you can fry the eggplant... this is a bit easier but less healthy, so do as you wish
-Layer eggplant in casserole/any deep oven-proof dish as such: eggplant (+ broccoli), sauce, cheese,eggplant, sauce, cheese, eggplant, sauce, cheese, with the parmesan on the topmost layer, if you have fresh basil, you can put that on top too-Put in oven for about 25 minutes, or until top is bubblyTips:
-Enjoy with a nice wine and salad. I made a simple lettuce, lime juice, olive oil, and salt salad and roasted some pumpkin
-I'm pretty sure this exact recipe would work for chicken, veal, or even plain lasagna. Feel free to add any vegetables that you like in the mix, like (roasted) pepper or sun-dried tomatoes or somethingUpdate: I made essentially the same thing with chicken. I sliced chicken breast halfway through (so less wide) and baked on each side for ~15 minutes (note, it shouldn't look "done" in the way fried chicken works one both sides, as that dries it out... when you take it out it should be moist and a tiny bit pink)The ones in the top rack are good, the ones in the bottom were too cooked!

김밥 (Kimbap: Korean Sushi Rolls)

Kimbap, literally meaning 'seaweed rice', is a ubiquitous delight in Korea. Their version of the California Roll, this filling and fairly healthy tidbit can be found on any block in any peopled area, usually for a dollar. Two if it's got extras like kimchi, meat, tuna, cheese, or everything.
Prepare:
-Slice vegetables lengthwise; carrot and cucumber are the usual culprits. A normal addition in Korea, but you will need to buy in a specialty store in the States, is 단무지 (danmuji): sweet pickled turnip-Beat a couple eggs, about 1 per 2 rolls, with a bit of milk
-Prepare anything else that you think you'd like: meat such as steak, chicken, pork, or any ground meat work well; avocado is great, as is cheese.... have everything prepared so it's long and thin-Buy some seaweed. These will be called "sushi seaweed" or "nori sheets" or something. Should be a bit smaller than a piece of paper and will come in a pack of 8 or 10; you should be able to find them in any Asian grocer or big grocery stores
Cook:
-Cook rice: about half a cup per sheet of seaweed, with a little more water than normal so it's a bit soggy - preferably medium-grain or "sushi rice". Once the rice is cooked, mix it with about 1-2 pinches of salt, 2 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, and some sesame seeds-Cook the eggs like you would an omelette, trying to keep it thick. Cut it so it's also long and thin
-Place a sheet of seaweed on a flat, hard surface, shiny side down
-Put about a handful of rice on one half of the seaweed, spread out evenly-Put the innards ontop of the rice-Roll carefully up, until there's about 1/2 an inch of seaweed left. At this point you can either put a bit of rice along the edge or lick it, in order for it to stick-Slice into bite-size pieces or cut in half for a hand-held food item and enjoy!
Tips:
-If you want tuna (which is very popular in Korea) you should mix it with a little mayonnaise and, though I don't know if you can find it in the States, some perilla.
-This stuff doesn't last very well - one day tops. So eat it right away.

순두부찌개 & 계란찜 (Soondudu Chiggae: Tofu Stew &Kehranjim: Omelette Soup)

Continuing with my Korean tradition of soup-loving, here are two more dishes that my girlfriend made for me one Tuesday afternoon. The soondubu chiggae is along the same lines as the kimchi chiggae I made earlier, except the main thing is soft tofu. To go with it, I had her made for me one of my favorite side dishes, which is typically served in a barbecue-meat restaurant, a kind of omelette soup.

Prepare Soondubu Chiggae:
-This one starts a bit weird: mash some dried anchovies and seaweed to make a great stock base. I know that this may be out of the range of most Western kitchens, and so dissolving some regular stock powder would be okay. Mix with 3-4 cups of water-Dice some carrot, zucchini, hot pepper, green onion, and any other vegetable you like (it's blasphemously inauthentic but I love throwing in broccoli and cauliflower)
-Prepare your Asian spices and sauces: sesame oil, soy sauce, hot pepper paste and hot pepper powder (고추장 and 고추가루)
-Own soft tofu - this is very different from the regular firm tofu that we find. It's sometimes sold in tubes and should not hold shape on its own well at all
Cook:
-Set the water/broth to boil. Throw in some garlic, pepper powder and paste, a bit of soy sauce, and a hot pepper, as well as some ginger and sesame oil
-After a couple minutes of boiling, add the tofu and vegetables-A couple minutes later, crack an egg into the soup
-Let simmer for a long time, till it reaches a nice red level

Prepare Omelette Soup:
-Very finely dice green onion, garlic, carrot, and mushroom - about a tbsp of each
-Whisk two eggs with the vegetables, add a bit of salt and pepper, as well as some milk to fluff itCook:
-Set a bit of water to boil in a small pot. You can add a bit of the stock powder that you used above. The volume of water should roughly be equal to the volume of the omelette solution-Once its boiling, pour the egg in. You can mix. Lower the heat, cover, and let cook for about 7 minutes
Tips:
-For the water for the soups, a Korean trick is to use the water that's had rice soaking in it. It's supposed to up the flavor.
-Enjoy with rice (obviously), kimchi, and a nice cold beer.