First Fall Morsels

 You're here, Fall, and everyone's talking about you. Your brisk morning air, your pumpkin spice lattes, your back to school sales. By the sounds of it, no one would know you've only been here for two days. I think you've been in our sights and in our hearts for much, much longer.

feeding the chickens at Red Barn Farm

 pumpkins of a different color

 thank you Hannah for sitting down longer than 4 seconds

 following the drinking gourd with Amy

three generations of apples who don't fall far from the tree

When I draw from my bank of Fall vocabulary, a few of the words I find are Crisp. Fresh. Cool. Fragrant. Crunch. Sweet. Orange. Harvest. Pick. Leaves. Squirrel. Nuts. Squash. Figs. Apples. Pumpkins. Wheat. Gather. Wind. Tea. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Simmer. Golden. Brown . . . a bevy of words that taste good because, Fall, you are a time of harvest and plenty. A time of food. What better way to celebrate your return than a bag of apples and a fistful of recipes?

 Apples from Vaughn's Apple Orchard in Weston, Missouri. Some of the only ones left after the windstorm two weeks ago.

 Apple turnovers, recipe here.

Apple strudel, recipe here.

  and my favorite so far, Apple Risotto, recipe here.

Persian Basmati Rice Pilaf

I've had this little thing up my sleeve for years now, and I can't believe I never posted a recipe!

Persian Basmati Rice Pilaf

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cup rice* (if using brown you'll probably need more water)
1/2 cup raisins
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

*Obviously this calls for Basmati rice, but any type will do. I personally like Jasmine rice. If you are using brown rice, you'll need to add more water and increase the cooking time.

Sautee onions in butter until they begin to soften. Add almonds and garlic, then sautee until almonds begin to brown. Remove from heat.

In a pot or rice cooker, combine rice, sauteed mixture, raisins, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper, and broth. Cook according to instructions on rice package, or press "start" on rice cooker and forget about it. :)

Lemon Caper Tofu

This recipe, originally meant for chicken, is from my sister. I have no idea where she got it, but we found out that tofu works just as well! Be careful when working with hot oil. When I was laying the tofu steaks in the pan, my fingers were covered in egg and flower, and I didn't realize I was actually dipping my finger in the oil! Ouchy!

Lemon Caper Tofu
Makes 6-10 servings

2 packages extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch steaks (this made 14 for me)
1 cup all purpose flour
Seasoned Salt (or salt, pepper, paprika, and whatever else you like)
2 eggs
2 whole lemons
1 small jar capers
Olive or Canola oil

Drain tofu and slice into 1/2 inch steaks:

 

Lay tofu steaks on several paper towels, and using more paper towels gently press and soak some of the liquid out of the tofu. The drier your tofu is, the better it fries up.

Mix flour with seasoned salt and pour onto a plate. Beat eggs in a bowl big enough for dipping the tofu. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of your skillet, then dip tofu in eggs, flour, then lay in the pan to fry. Cook each side until golden brown, then remove from pan.

 

 

 Keep the frying oil to make the sauce, unless the drippings are too burned, in which case you can heat a new pan of  about 1/8 cup oil over medium-low heat and add a tablespoon or two of the seasoned flour. Squeeze lemons into pan and stir until sauce thickens a little. Remove from heat and add drained capers (If you've never cooked with capers, taste them first - they pack a punch! I love them, so I used a whole jar, but use your own discretion)

 

Pour sauce over tofu and you're done! This is great with roasted vegetables and Persian Basmati pilaf, for which I have another wonderful recipe that I'll share soon. Enjoy!

Hummus

I'm hoping this will open a tasty dialogue with my fellow hummus-makers. Below is a pretty basic recipe that I found on this website (which, by the way, has a lot of FABULOUS Mediterranean recipes!). I really like this recipe because of the creaminess the yogurt lends. I think the liquid from it also makes blending MUCH easier. I usually double this recipe:

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4-1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup yogurt (non-fat is good)
3-4 leaves fresh mint, chopped
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (she suggests 1/4 cup, which I don't like)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cloves minced garlic

Mix in blender until smooth or desired consistency. If the hummus is too thick, add water by the tablespoon, blending in between to check consistency. If you're making it for a party, you can garnish your hummus with parsley, cayenne or paprika, olives, bell peppers, whole garbanzo beans, and a little olive oil drizzled on top.

If you're like me and could eat hummus all day, every day, here are some extras you can add to the blend for a little variety (use your discretion on how many to add!):

Roasted red bell peppers
Cilantro
Sundried tomatoes
Basil
Parsley (flat leaf is best, in my opinion)
Roasted Garlic
Oregano

What are some other things you add to your hummus? How do you get the best consistency? Do share! In the meantime, feast your eyes on this magnificence:

How Hummusing . . .

Veggie Kabobs

This recipe is mostly by-guess-and-by-golly, but these sure were tasty!

Vegetables we used this time:

Small yellow potatoes (washed and boiled for 15 minutes)

Onions

Mushrooms

Cherry tomatoes

Bell Peppers

I've also tried:

Yellow squash

Zucchini

Whole garlic cloves (yum!)

Fennel

Parsnips

Pineapple

Mix and let sit for 10 minutes:

1/3 cup olive oil

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground rock salt

1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Toss vegetables in herb mixture until evenly coated. Arrange on skewers and grill for 10-15 minutes. So easy!

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Toasted Cumin Seeds

Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Toasted Cumin Seeds
4 to 6 servings

1/2 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup uncooked white basmati rice
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Stir lentils into a medium saucepan of boiling water. Boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes; drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cumin seeds and cook just until sizzling. Add lentils along with rice, vegetable stock and salt.* Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the stock is absorbed and the rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast chopped walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle over the pilaf and serve.

*This is what is written in "The Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking," but my experience with lentils is that they don't cook or soften as nicely when you add salt to the water. I suggest leaving the salt out until the rice and lentils are fully cooked.

Greek Spinach and Cheese Pie (Spanakopita)

In light of that last post I figured a little recipe-sharing was in order. :) I made this for my family the other night with pilaf and veggie kabobs, which I'll also post recipes for. Mom found a vegetarian "Joy of Cooking" cookbook at a used book store, and I've been drooling over this recipe ever since. I LOVE Greek food with all of its spinach, feta and kalamata olives. Not a lot of Greek cooking is vegetarian though ("He don't eat no MEAT?!?! Ok, I cook lamb!"), so finding recipes can be tricky!

Keep in mind that "vegetarian" does not always mean "low fat," and even though you might want to stuff your face with this entire spinach pie, it does include an entire stick of butter, so tread lightly. :)

Greek Spinach and Cheese Pie (Spanakopita)

Makes about thirty 2-inch squares or diamonds. Ahem, or sixteen 3-inch ones. :)

2 pounds (or three 10-ounce bags) fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup snipped fresh dill or chopped fresh parsley

4 large eggs

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons grated kefalotiri Greek cheese or Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

several grinds of black pepper

Pinch of freshly grated or ground nutmeg

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 pound phyllo dough*, thawed if frozen

*I bought a 1-lb box of phyllo, and only ended up using half of it, so maybe this should call for 1/2 a pound, and the other half can be for baklava!

Working with Phyllo: "Phyllo, literally meaning leaf in Greek, is available frozen in most grocery stores or fresh from Greek and Middle Eastern bakeries. It is essential to keep the thin sheets from drying out. If using frozen phyllo, thaw it slowly, without unwrapping, in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Once it is thawed, unwrap the phyllo and remove only the number of sheets required for the recipe; re-wrap the remaining sheets in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator or freezer." - Joy of Cooking: All About Vegetarian Cooking

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and scallions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped spinach a handful at a time. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the liquid is released, 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is evaporated and the spinach is dry, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the dill or chopped parsley. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then squeeze to remove the excess liquid.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat 4 large eggs. Add the cooked spinach mixture with feta cheese, grated Greek or Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Mix gently.

Lightly oil a 13x9-inch baking pan. Melt butter. Unroll phyllo dough on a dry work surface (be very careful, it's sooooo easy to tear!). Lay 1 sheet of phyllo in and up the sides of the prepared pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each one lightly with butter. Spread the spinach mixture over the layered phyllo. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each one with butter, including the top sheet. Roll the overhanging phyllo from the sides to form a border all the way around. With a thin, sharp knife, cut the pie into squares or diamonds, but do not cut through the bottom or the filling will leak onto the pan. Refrigerated for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the spinach pie until crisp and golden, about 45 minutes (check after 30 minutes - if the edges are getting too brown you can cover them with foil). Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes. Cut the squares or diamonds right through to the bottom and serve.

. . . and serve, and serve and serve . . .

Naan

This recipe is from Weight Watchers' New Complete Cookbook. If you are a weight watcher, each serving is 2 points. I don't like keeping points for a lot of things, least of all food, so this recipe will probably undergo tweaking in the near future. It turned out kind of like a thick biscuit, which was good, but not what I like from a flatbread. For the next batch we're going to try low fat yogurt instead of milk for a softer, chewier texture. I'll let you know how that works out. :) Until then . . .

Naan
(makes 8 servings)

Ingredients
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1. In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg. In a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. With the machine running, pour the milk mixture through the feed tube until the dough forms a ball. Kneed the dough by pulsing until it is smooth, about 30 times.
2. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough "rise" or rest in a warm, draft-free place for 3 hours.
3. Place a large baking sheet on the center oven rack; preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly sprinkle a work surface with flour; turn out the dough. Divide the dough into 8 pieces; flatten each into a 3/8-inch-thick* teardrop shape. Transfer the teardrops to the baking sheet. Bake until firm, 10-12 minutes. If you like, run briefly under a broiler to lightly brown the tops. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*We found this to be too thick, thus the biscuit-like "flat" bread. I would roll them out a little thinner.

Dry Potato and Pea Curry

This was by far my favorite discovery in the curry and chili cookbook. I grew up with two Nepalese girls across the street, and this dish tastes like something their mom used to make. It's so flavorful, and the mustard seeds are such fun!


Dry Potato and Pea Curry
(serves 4)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (I use curry powder)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala*
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1. Heat the mustard seeds in a dry pan until they start to pop. Add the oil, onion, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until the onion is soft.
2. Add the turmeric, chili powder, cumin, garam masala and potato, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the potato is coated with the spice mixture. Add the water and simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potato is just tender. Stir occasionally to stop the mixture sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the peas and stir until well combined. Simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes, or until to the potato is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the mint and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


*garam masala mix:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Chickpea Curry

This recipe is similar to the chickpea curry I posted a while back, but I like it better because of the spices. :) If you can plan in advance, give the flavors a chance to blend by refrigerating your curry overnight before serving. Then you can have it for breakfast (which is not unheard of in this household)!

Chickpea Curry
(serves 4)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric (I used curry powder - it's tastier)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon garam masala*

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until the onion is soft. Add the chili powder, salt, turmeric, paprika, cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in the chickpeas and tomato. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the garam masala. Simmer, covered, for a further 10 minutes. Serve with rice or naan.

*garam masala mix:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Hi there.

He he . . . hi. Sorry I suck at blogging lately. Seems like every time I sit down to write, Hannah cuts a new tooth, or falls off the table she was climbing, or pukes an entire bottle of milk, or eats a lego, or is just simply too cute to resist chasing around the house until I've had my fill of tummy and toes. I love being a mom.

So, to make it up to you faithful readers (cough), I'll be posting three curry recipes I tried the other night, plus a recipe for Weight Watchers naan that my sister made to accompany them. All three of the curries are from the "Step-by-Step Curry and Chilli Cookbook" that I picked up at Borders' bargain section for $3.

Curried Zucchini
(serves 4)

Ingredients
1 lb. zucchini
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala*
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water (use less if your like your zucchini a little crunchy)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped


1. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut into large pieces about 2 inches long.
2. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based pan and cook the onion over low heat. Add the cumin, coriander and half of the garam masala. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Toss the zucchini through the spice paste. Add the vegetable stock or water and lemon rind and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the tomato and remaining garam masala and stir through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve as a side dish with curries, rice, yogurts and chutneys. For a variation, substitute trimmed okra for zucchini.


*garam masala is a mixed spice used in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. It can be tricky to find at your local grocery store, but here's a mix that works just as well (makes about 1 3/4 teaspoons):
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Spicy Cauliflower

The stars aligned for this dish. I found this recipe on a package of sun-dried tomatoes I'd grabbed from the half price bin at an import store a couple weeks ago. Then I found cauliflower, which is usually difficult to find in this area (it's more of a cold-weather crop), for 100 yen a head at the grocery store! I usually don't make side dishes. With only two burners on my stove, I'm more of a one-pot cooker. But I needed a use for the cauliflower (I bought it not knowing what to do with it - a hundred yen!), and I'm also trying to use all of the canned and dried goods in my cupboards. I was really impressed with how this turned out. Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients
(serves 4)

1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup vinegar
50 g sundried tomatoes (about 1/4 cup)
1 kg cauliflower (I used one head, but could have used more)
2-3 tablespoons crushed chili pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
4-5 cloves minced garlic

7 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock or broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Revive the tomatoes by soaking in warm water and vinegar for 15-30 minutes. Rinse well and julienne them with a sharp knife.

Cut the cauliflower into florets.

Sautee crushed chili peppers, chili powder and garlic in olive oil until golden, then add the cauliflower tops and cook for ten minutes to flavor.

Add the tomatoes julienne, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, pouring a little vegetable stock over the cauliflower every 10 minutes or so.

Can be served warm or cold!

I've done it.

Like many other "starving" Americans in Japan, the food I crave the most is also the most difficult to find - Mexican. I like to think I've successfully produced just about every Mexican dish that can be wistfully pined for . . . but my search for the perfect tortilla recipe has thus left me unsatisfied, angry, and sore (YOU try rolling out that many failed tortillas, and then we can talk). A while back I posted this tortilla recipe, but it is by no means the low-fat, whole wheat concoction I KNEW I was capable of making with my newly-purchased 2-kilo bag of organic whole wheat flour.

So I searched for a whole wheat recipe and came across this monstrosity. Everyone who commented said theirs turned out so nice, and even gave suggestions for making them healthier (using olive oil instead of shortening, using ALL whole wheat flour instead of a mix, adding a teaspoon of baking powder for fluffiness, etc). I tried these suggestions, and after ONE HOUR of just trying to roll these impossibly hard, saw-dust dough balls into something resembling more of a cumulus cloud than a tortilla, I balled up my flour-covered apron, ready to call it quits and either stop making Mexican food (unheard of) or start breaking the bank to buy tortillas again.

And then . . . a miracle. A blog devoted entirely to Tex-Mex cooking and a recipe for the fluffiest, chewiest, healthiest most delectable tortillas I've tasted. Seriously, you could wrap my foot in one of these and I'd eat it. And they're so easy - especially the rolling! The recipe says to let the dough sit for 20 minutes as a big ball, then 10 more minutes after dividing it, but as I was letting the dough rest, Megumi showed up at my door, reminding me that today was Hannah's 18-month check-up. I left the dough to sit for the next four hours before dividing, rolling and cooking and they were AWESOME. I don't know if my way is better, but they turned out so well I'm afraid to try any other way. So, like I've said, get yourself one of these:

. . . and forget about her 18-month check-up until right after you've made the dough! (By the way, she is now 24 lbs and 33 inches tall. And she has 10 teeth - with gaps. I'm so glad we have doctors to tell us these things.)

I am well aware that my blog is quickly turning into a recipe cache, and that people might thinking I'm trying to compensate for something. And I'm ok with this.

And now, without further ado . . .

Las Tortillas Perfectas
(makes 8 tortillas - yes, you should double it.)

Ingredients:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil (woo hoo!)
3/4 cup warm milk (skim works nicely)

Directions:
1. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Add the oil. "Crumble" with your fingers until the flour is like a coarse meal.

3. Slowly add the warm milk. Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

4. Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.

5. Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes (or the length of a socialized-medicine 18-month checkup, plus lunch).

6. After the dough has rested, cut into 8 sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren't touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It's very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won't roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

7. After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it's thin and about 8-10 inches in diameter. Don't overwork the dough , or it'll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.

8. In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it's done.

Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat. Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil. While you probably won't have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Eggplant-o-rama

Courtney, whose husband is allergic to all purple foods, came to Takamatsu bearing NINE gorgeous eggplants from a student's garden - a veritable treasure bag of juicy, purpley antioxidants begging for Italian cooking. Lacy (another teacher) took three of these beastly fruits, leaving Janelle and me with the remaining SIX to deal with. And deal with them we did . . .

Let me just say that Janelle in a shirt that says "Garlic Beams" plus six juicy eggplants, tomatoes and an entire bulb of garlic equal the most fun I've had cooking in a long time. I can't believe we still had two left after all of this (they went into this week's fajitas). These recipes are completely flexible, and I highly recommend you be creative with them. Janelle is learning quickly that I'm not very good at following the recipe, even the first time we try it (sorry, Janelle). I can't help it. When you buy a kilogram of garlic for three bucks, you inevitably want to add as much as possible to your cooking! Also, if you have the time, homemade tomato sauce would make a WORLD of difference - a corner we were willing to cut given our hunger and time constraint. This eggplant Parmesan is adapted from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com (I wanted one that didn't involve frying), and the stuffed mushrooms were our own creation. Feast your eyes . . .

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
3 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch)
2 eggs, beaten (more if you run out - use just the whites to lower the fat)
4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs*
1 cup flour
6 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 oz) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

*We used paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder and a pinch of salt to season our bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Salt the eggplant slices in a colander and let them "sweat" for 30 min. to an hour. Rinse them well with cold water and pat dry with a clean dish cloth or paper towel.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175-180 degrees C).

3. Dip eggplant slices in flour, egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes on each side*.

4. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of baked eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

*We ended up with quite a bit of eggplant slices left over. If this happens, dip them and bake them, then store them in a freezer bag in your freezer for an easy meal another day!

Eggplant-Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
24 Shiitake mushrooms, stems cut off (other types will work too, but the bigger the cap the better!)
1 eggplant, finely diced
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (more if you can handle it!)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high. Add diced eggplant, garlic, oregano and salt. Sautee until eggplant becomes soft. You may need to cover your skillet for a minute or two to let the juices cook out of the eggplant. Add the tomatoes and pine nuts and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until most of the juice cooks off (this is important for flavor). Add fresh basil in the last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

3. Spread a little olive oil on a baking pan (make sure it has a lip to catch juices - and oh, will there be juices!) and arrange mushroom caps on the pan.

3. Spoon a small heap of eggplant mixture on each mushroom cap and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Food nerds - I love it!

Breakfast burritos

Makes enough for 2.5 people

Ingredients:
olive oil - 1 tsp
Egg whites - 4
1 medium tomato, diced
firm tofu - 1/2 cup, cubed (optional)
fresh spinach - 2 cups, chopped
chili powder - 1 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
garlic or onion powder - 1 tsp
black pepper - a couple shakes

white or whole wheat tortillas
low-fat shredded cheese or ricotta (optional)
sliced avocado (not optional)

Directions:

1. Mix egg whites, spices and tomatoes in a bowl.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high. Pour egg and tomato mixture into the pan and scramble (don't overcook!).

3. A little bit before the eggs are fully cooked, add the spinach and cover the pan to let it "sweat" some juices out. Once the spinach is cooked, remove from heat and toss in the tofu cubes.

4. Serve on a tortilla (I just made whole wheat ones last night - looked horrible, tasted great) with a little cheese and sliced avocado.

These are amazingly easy and good! And if you're like me, you might wonder, "but the yolks! What do I do with the yolks folks?! I can't just throw them away!" That's why you get yourself one of these:

. . . and you scramble those yolks with a little chili powder and grate some parmesan cheese on top and voila! Chili-cheese eggs! I discovered, much to my dismay, that Hannah does NOT like much garlic in her food (whose child IS she??), but she does like a dash of chili powder. I can work with this . . .

Curried Split Pea Soup

This started off as a pretty boring split pea soup recipe that I couldn't help but experiment with. Only problem (IS it a problem?) is that everything I experiment with somehow turns into curry. I'm also aware that this bowl of brown goop with carrots is beginning to look awfully familiar. Oops. :) So in case you like brown goop with carrots, here's what I came up with:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
4-5 cups of water (use 4 at first, add more if it's evaporating too fast for the peas to cook)
1 cup dried green split peas
2 chipotle chiles, chopped (dried red chilies work well too)
2 medium potatoes, cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cube bouillon
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ginger powder
salt to taste

toppings:
raisins
sliced almonds

1. Heat the oil in a 3-4 quart saucepan, saute the onion and garlic on medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for another 3-5 minutes. Add the water, peas, and chipotles (if desired).

2. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender (about 30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally.

3. When the peas are tender, add the potatoes, bouillon cube, curry powder and ginger and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. By now the split peas should be pretty mushy. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with raisins and sliced almonds and serve with slices of crusty multigrain bread and fresh pineapple.

Summer fajitas

Good Mexican food is so hard to come by in Japan. If you crave it like most of the teachers here, a good supply of chili powder, cayenne, red chilis, and mixed seasonings for tacos and fajitas can go a long way in staving off the homesickness. These are some fajitas I made with onions, bell peppers, yellow zucchini, okra and tomatoes. Saute everything except the tomatoes until they are as soft as you prefer for fajitas. Add the tomatoes last and saute for a couple minutes more. Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning and you're good to go! I have a recipe for tortillas, but you can also find flour tortillas at APrice and some other grocery stores. For toppings, try shredded cheese, salsa, and instead of sour cream I use non-fat plain yogurt - it really tastes the same, and the sour cream in Japan has the consistency of cream cheese - blech. Sometimes you can find a good avocado at the supermarket, too.

P.S. For those who don't really care for my recipe and food blogs, I'm sorry. I wrote these up and saved them as drafts a couple weeks ago . . . you know, for a rainy day. Or week. This happens to be one of those weeks (literally and figuratively), so food it is! More personal stuff when my writing fingers heal . . .

Mushroom barley soup

I love soup season. Janelle and I made this soup from my Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, and it was fantastic. Plus, cooking is always more fun with friends. :) The cookbook is meant for college students who only want to make 2 or 3 servings, so we doubled the recipe. Other changes we made are in italics. Bon apetite!

1 tablespoon chopped dried shiitake mushrooms (we used more - like a handful)
1/2 cup hot water for soaking mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced carrot (about 1)
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper
we also added 2 bouillon cubes for taste - 1 for a single batch

1. Soften the shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes, then dice the fresh mushrooms. Reserve the soaking liquid. Heat the oil in a 3-4 quart pot (bigger for a double batch) over medium heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms, onions, fresh mushrooms, carrot, celery and barley. Saute on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the vegetables and barley do not burn. Keep an eye on the bottom of the pot and reduce the heat if the saute is sticking or browning too quickly.

2. Add the flour, stirring continually for 1 minute. Immediately add 3 cups of water and the mushroom soaking liquid. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a big spoon to incorporate any flour that may stick to the bottom. This step is important because the flavor from the saute is in the stuff that may be on the bottom of the pot. Continue scraping and stirring until the bottom of the pot feels smooth, about 1 minute.

3. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the barley is tender. Stir the pot occasionally as the soup cooks. Taste for seasoning, then add salt and pepper if necessary.

Makes 2-3 servings

Spinach Pineapple Pizza

I have dolphins, fools' parades, a 50-mile bike ride across 6 islands, a floating torii, taiko drum festivals, books, music and more to write about, and after caring for a sick baby all day, all I want to do is collapse on my bed and read Kafka on the Shore while listening to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band instead. So here's a pizza recipe! Hannah loved this, which made me happy because she usually hates spinach. You can, of course, choose your own toppings. These are just my favorites.

Crust
1 1/4 C warm Water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
3- 3 1/2 C Flour (I like to use half white flour, half whole wheat)
fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, or whatever you have and like)

Dissolve Yeast in Water, let sit until foam forms on the top. Add sugar, salt, & 2 1/2 C flour. Mix to form dough. Add up to 1 C more flour. Mix 3 minutes. Add herbs (I think rosemary is the best).

Roll out thin or thick. A thin crust will make you about 3 good sized pizzas.

Toppings:
Tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese
Fresh or frozen spinach
4 cloves garlic, 2 minced, 2 sliced or chopped (so you have some chunks)
1 small onion, sliced
Sliced mushrooms
Pineapple chunks
Basil
Tomatoes

Sautee the onions until a little soft. Add Mushrooms and garlic. Add a teaspoon of water to release juices. Add spinach last, sautee until it is soft (fresh) or warm (frozen).

This was the morning after . . . sorry. It was still good!

Layer sauce, sauteed mixture, cheese, pineapple, basil and tomatoes however you want.

Bake at 425 degrees (220 celsius) for 10- 15 minutes, depending on how thick the crust is.

You'll probably look like this when you're done but it's so yummy you won't care. :)