Spicy Garlicky Pumpkin Seeds

I found this little recipe from a spicy-foods cookbook called Red Hot. I had huge hopes for it when I saw the ingredients... it came out fine, but not as special as I'd hoped
Prepare:
-1 cup pumpkin seeds
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tsp dried chili flakes
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp caster/icing sugar
Cook:
-In a fry pan on medium heat, cook the pumpkin seeds for a couple minutes till they swell and brown a little bit-Add garlic and cook for a couple minutes more-Add red pepper flakes and salt and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes
-Turn off heat, sprinkle with sugar
Tips:
-The book also states that you can sprinkle lime juice on it and eat right away; otherwise, store in an airtight jar

Melon Oatmeal

I make smoothies/juices often and usually there some left. I put it in a tupperware and freeze it and then use it to "kick-start" my next smoothie. Somewhere down the line, I was hankering for some oatmeal (I use rolled oats) and thought, "hmm, instead of milk or water, why don't I use smoothie?" I did and it worked.
Yesterday morning I got up, hankering for some oatmeal. I didn't have any smoothie but what I did have was some canteloupe and watermelon. So I did it.
Prepare:
-3/4 cup of rolled oats (1 cup is a big portion)
-about 5 big bite-size pieces each of watermelon and canteloupe
Cook:
-Seed and blend the melon
-In a small pot on medium heat, mix the oats with the melon puree-Cook for about 5 minutes or until consistency you like is reached. If there's too little liquid after a couple minutes, add some milk/water/more puree

Creamy Chumus

I'm made hummus before, but it didn't turn out the way I like it: it was good, but didn't have the creaminess of the Israeli chumus that I like so much. My older brother emailed me a recipe for the creamy kind and, while a bit labor-intensive, turned out just how I wanted it.

Prepare:
-Over night, soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas in 4 cups of water and 1tsp baking powder (use a large pot)
-Ready 1/3 cup tahini, 1/2 cup lemon juice (I used the juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime), 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp coarse salt, 2 tbsp olive oil
-Get out your food processor

Cook:
-Drain water from soaked chickpeas, fill pot back up with 4 cups water and 1/2tsp baking powder - bring to a boil and simmer for about 40 minutes (skimming off some foam from the top), until each chickpea is consistently yellow all the way through (ie they're edible)-Drain (but save water) and cool water and chickpeas down to room temperature and then stick in the freezer for about 30 min (or fridge for 2hrs) until well chilled-Process chickpeas with lemon juice and salt until even and creamy. It should be thick but not too thick. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of the cooking water to thin it out a bit-Add garlic and tahini and process completely
-While processor is still running, drizzle olive oil into it
-Taste and decide how to adjust (add more tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, etc)

Tips:
-Well, this turned out how I wanted it. It was a bit plain and so next time I'll go for a garlickier item, or perhaps make it spicy
-Originally, the recipe called for 1/4 cup lemon juice and I added 1/2 by accident and it turned out perfect. Normally I don't like things too sour, too, and I was fine with it
-The recipe called for 1/2 cup tahini but even with 1/3 cup the tahini taste was still quite noticable
-In the recipe, they mention in the stage between lemon juice and tahini to spread chickpeas on a "fine mesh sieve" to get out the peels. I tried with a paper-towel and (obviously) couldn't get anything out, so I just skipped that step and it turned out fine
-My processor was a bit too small for all the stuff, so I separated everything in two and mixed it with half the ingredients, then mixed the stuff back together

Zucchini and Basil

This is a pretty simple and wonderfully delicious side dish that I whipped up for dinner tonight. I got the recipe (idea...inspiration) from this site. Modified it a bit for my own tastes, of course. This makes about 4 persons worth of side dish, but I ate half of it for most of my meal tonight...
Prepare:
-Slice 3 zucchini and 2 button squash (total of about 2 1/2-3 cups of sliced veggie)
-Chop 1 medium onion (I did 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
-Chop 1/2 cup worth of basil
-Crush 4 cloves garlicCook:
-On medium heat, in some olive oil, cook garlic first for about 1 minute, then add the rest of the ingredients, except only half the basil. -Lightly fry for 7-10 minutes or until zucchini starts to get tender. Add salt, cracked pepper, a bit of soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil, and some sesame seeds-Take off heat, mix the rest of basil into it
Tips:
-Adding chili oil/freshly chopped hot peppers would be a spicy side
-I found eating it with white rice, wrapped in seaweed, was quite a treat
-This is very simple and any vegetable you liked could be cooked this way. I think broccoli, carrot, snow-peas, pumpkin or sweet potato (the last two would need longer time to cook... perhaps steamed for 5-10 minutes before frying would be good) would all work wonderfully.

Hummus

I got a new food processor for my birthday and so tried to inaugurate it with hummus. I love the Israeli style hummus (pronounced ch-oo-moos), which is much creamier and richer and less grainy than the hummus available in most stores. I failed, however, in making it and instead made a more Western-style hummus. Still tasty but not my cup of dip.
Prepare:
-1 can of chick peas, drained and rinsed (I should have used the fresh, maybe, and also removed the peels... but I didn't)
-1/3 cup tahini
-Several cloves of garlic
-Some olive oil
-Juice of 1/2-1 whole lemon, pending your taste
-1/2-1 tsp pending on your taste of the following: cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt
Cook:
-Roast the garlic in the peel in a toaster oven for about 20 minutes or until soft
-Process the chick peas first

-Add garlic, oil, lemon juice, and spices
-Add oil/water until reaches desirable consistency and flavor
-Garnish with some olive oil, parsley, and pine nuts, and enjoy with fresh pita, bread, or crackers

Granola

I love granola but getting the good stuff is pretty pricey. I set about trying to make it myself, to see if that could make it any cheaper. It turned out delicious but, unfortunately, not much cheaper. I got the recipe from my friend Bowen, to whom I dedicate this post (but not this granola, unfortunately, as it has nuts and would kill her). I modified it a bit so if it doesn't turn out to your liking, blame me and not her. The most arduous part of the granola is getting all the ingredients... after that, it's too easy. This makes about 10 good size bowls.
Gather:
-3 cups of oats
-1 cup each sunflower and pumpkin seeds
-1/2 cup each walnuts, pecans, almonds, and sesame seeds
-1/4 cup flaxseed (linseed)
-1/2 cup shredded coconut
-1/4 cup oil (I used olive)
-5 tbsp honey
-1 tbsp blackcurrant jam (use any dark, sweet fruit-full jam)
-2 tbsp warm water
-1/2 tsp salt
-~1 tsp each cinnamon and vanilla (more or less pending on your tastes)
Cook:
-Mix it all in a large pot and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or less-Place on a greased baking pan and bake 275F/160C for about 50-70 minutes (it should be crunchy and tasty)-Store in an airtight container. Tips:
-You can add a bit of brown sugar if you like a sweeter cereal
-The original recipe called for maple syrup instead of honey, but as I didn't have it I didn't use it... I bet it would be delicious if you used it
-Dried fruit (raisins, currants, cranberries, dates, etc) go fantastic with granola but, I read online, should be added individually with your bowl because if it's mixed in with the granola, it causes it to moisten a bit
-Enjoy in a big bowl with some fresh fruit, your favorite milk (I think soy milk + granola = heaven), and a bit of yogurt and thank me later

Gluten-Free Cheese Balls

This was another dish that I made so my Coeliac's teacher could eat without intestinal problems: this food is a pretty quick and easy savory snack that has an interesting texture and pretty unimpeachable taste. The recipe that I used claims that these balls originate in Brazil and are called 'Pao de Quiejo'.
Prepare:
-In a saucepan on medium heat, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 cup milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it starts boiling-Remove from heat, add 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour, mix and set aside for 5 minutes-Mix in 1 egg, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and whatever flavoring you would like: I used garlic salt, dried basil, and Korean pepper powderCook:
-Preheat oven to 375F/180C
-Separate the dough into 12 balls, place evenly on a sheet of baking paper on a pan-Bake for ~20 minutes, flip over (bottom should be browning), turn down heat a bit and then bake around 10 minutes more. Make sure to do the toothpick testTips:
-These are very sticky when raw! You may want to flour your hands ahead of time - I was able to spoon the balls out but it wasn't the most pleasant thing ever

Sweet Potato Oven Fries

I love sweet potatoes and am always looking to eat them. I'm happy to simply steam them and chomp down, but decided to go for something a little more civilized this evening.
Prepare:
-Slice sweet potato length wise, into pieces about the size of a finger. Peel if you'd like (I like the peel and it's a good source of fiber, so I leave it on)
-Place in a plastic bag with a bit of olive oil... start off with 1 tbsp-Seal and shake up well, till it appears that all the surfaces of the potatoes are coated. Add more oil if necessary
-Into the bag, add any spices that you like: I added cumin, Korean pepper powder, pico de gallo, and garlic salt (1/2-1 tbsp each) - enough so it's well coated-Lay out on a oven-safe pan, with a raised edge
Cook:
-Preheat oven to 375F/180C
-Cook for about 20 minutes, take out and flip the pieces over, cook for another 10-15 minutes or until potato is tenderTips:
-This delicious dish would be a great side or light meal. You can substitute/add regular potato, yams, or pumpkin even in the flavoring
-I also included in the roast some garlic (still in the peels) and onion, because I love roasted garlic and onion too much to not include them in a roast
-You can adjust your spices pending on what you like: cinnamon and brown sugar for a more "traditional" sweet potato taste; turmeric and coriander for an Indianesque flavor; sea salt and cracked black pepper for a neutral pleasure
-I know it may seem wasteful to use a Ziploc bag for this, but I used one that I had previously used for sandwiches - recycle!

Dal

Lentils has always been something that I knew about, but never wholly embraced. After a camping trip where a friend whipped up a simple yet sumptuous meal of dal and rice, I was hooked.
Prepare:
-Get 1 cup dried lentils and soak for 1-10hrs in 3 cups water (I used a 'soup mix' that had lentils, split green peas, beans and other pulses and it was great)-Chop up an onion, some zucchini, and 1 medium-heat pepper
-Crush 3-8 cloves garlicCook:
-In a large pot, lightly fry onion and half the garlic in olive oil
-After a couple minutes, add the zucchini-Once onion starts to become tender, add the lentils with the water they were soaking in (alternatively, you can drain them and add fresh water/stock... I used the same water and added stock powder)-Add the rest of the garlic, pepper, and other seasonings that you want (I used hot pepper powder)
-Bring to boil and then lower heat to low and cook for about an hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes-Garnish with fresh spring onion or cilantro
Tips:
-This hearty and delicious food could be eaten as a main meal or as a side dish. I ate mine with some roasted chicken.
-Adding cumin, turmeric, and other Indian spices would give it more of an Indian-feel. Other good things to add would be ginger, coriander, cilantro, Moroccan seasoning, curry powder, etc.
-Broccoli or cauliflower would definitely go well with this

Cauliflower Popcorn

I like raw cauliflower so much that, besides for throwing it in stirfrys, I don't do much else with it. Well, I had an excess of cauliflower and bread crumbs from previous cooking, so I decided to give cauliflower "popcorn" a shot. It would make a good appetizer or side dish to a meal.

Prepare:
-Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, brush with olive oil (alternatively, beaten egg)-Prepare bread crumbs. You can use plain but I decided to make it more flavourful and so mixed in Korean pepper powder, cumin, turmeric, salt, dried basil, and shredded Parmesan-Spread on a baking panCook:
-Preheat oven to around 350
-Place in oven for 10-15 minutes, mix up, then bake another 10 minutes
Tips:
-I had extra bread-crumb mix and so decided to not be wasteful. I cracked an egg into the crumbs, and mixed it to make a batter. Then, I sauteed some garlic and onion in olive oil (med heat) and threw the batter in, flipping it after 5 minutes. It made for a nice and tasty patty

과일빙수 (Kwah-Il BingSu: Fruit Ice Bowl)

During the summer in Korea, these kinds of dishes are a very popular dessert item to refresh and cool down. Sold in most coffee shops, ice cream parlors, and spas, the exact contents vary but usually accord in a few base ingredients. The most common kind is 팥빙수, Pat BingSu, which has a sweet red bean mixed in. Unfortunately, I didn't have that lying around the house. The other really Korean ingredient that is really necessary is 선식, SunSheek, a cereal powder made from tons of different grains, rice, vegetables, and other dried goodies (website in Korean but a pic with all the contents). If you don't feel like purchasing it, it could be substituted for crushed cereal crumbs/crushed granola/etc. Regardless, it's very easy and tasty and a welcome change from the typical bowl of cereal in the morning.
Prepare:
-Peel and dice the fruits that you like/have: I used kiwi, banana, orange, and dried datesCook:
-Crush several cubes of ice, pour into a large bowl-Add fruit
-Add cereal powder on top-Add 1-2 tbsp of yogurt (I used vanilla)
-Mix up and enjoyTips:
-Other fruits that go well would be strawberry (or any berry), peach, pear, nectarine, or (seeded) grapes
-You could sprinkle some cocoa powder on top for a chocolatey taste, or some crushed mint