ALMOST INDIAN CURRY

Much of my cooking inspiration comes from things I like to eat, as well as what's in my refrigerator on any given day. I love a bargain as much as anyone, and since I did get lucky today with a great markdown in the meat department, I was able to prepare 5 lbs. of beef stew meat (purchased for only $1.99/lb), half of which I used in today's meal, and the other half I am going to freeze to use for a second batch. It's what I call "smart cooking." I have to thank Eddie's Aunty Edie for this tip which she shared with me years ago. This recipe got its name as I was perusing different curry recipes, and decided to combine several recipes I found, and used the vegetables du jour (what I had in my refrigerator today). Some of it is traditional Indian-cooking inspired, some are not. I find this type of cooking works best for me. I hope that you'll agree.

ALMOST INDIAN CURRY STEW:
2 - 2 1/2 lbs. stew starter* plus liquids
2 medium potatoes
1 medium carrot or 1 cup of baby carrots3 small long eggplants
1 medium zucchini
12 small sweet peppers, stems removed
1 1/2 T. curry powder1/2 can of coconut milk
Flour or cornstarch mixture for thickening

Cut all vegetables into evenly sized pieces and add it to the stew starter. Check the seasoning, then add the curry powder. Simmer for 15 minutes, then check vegetables for doneness. Re-season if necessary. The very last step is to add the coconut milk and the thickening. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. When all veggies are completely cooked, serve immediately over basmati rice. Enjoy!

Almost Indian Curry Stew

*STEW STARTER (STEP 1)

5 lbs. of stew meat
5-6 cloves of garlic
2 large round onions
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour for dredging
Oil for browning
Water or broth

To get started I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, then dredged it in flour to begin the browning process. Using a heavy iron skillet, coat the bottom of the pan and begin to brown the meat in batches, taking care to only cook enough meat at a time that will cover the bottom of your pan/pot. Remove each batch as it is browned, and hold it in a large bowl. This process is a labor of love and you cannot cook the entire amount at once. When the entire batch is done browning, return everything to the pot, including any juices which have seeped from the meat. Add two whole large onions, cut into large pieces, plus about 5-6 whole cloves of garlic, smashed and stir that around for another minute or two. Add enough water or broth to the pot, just enough to cover the top of the meat pile. I added salt and beef boullion to the water, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let it all simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the meat is about 90% softened, just before it's soft enough to eat, spoon half of the meat and the liquid into a freezable container. You should be left with the perfect portion to create a nice pot of stew.

Stew Starter
This portion will be frozen for a 2nd batch of stew in the future.
It will cut my cooking time in less than half.

SUMMER ROLLS

My dear friend, Susan, shared her secrets with me on how to make her version of summer rolls. Elyse and I decided to try it, and were pleasantly surprised with the results. The process of rolling it was much easier than I first remembered, but it will take a lot more practice to perfect the tension in the rolling process. Still, they tasted great and we enjoyed them a lot.

FILLING:
1 cucumber
1 medium carrot
Leafy lettuce
1 pkg somen or your choice of oriental noodles
1/2 lb. 16-20 size shrimp or shredded chicken
Mint
Cilantro
1 pkg rice paper (round)
Sweet chili sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS: To prepare your items for filling, slice carrots and cucumbers lengthwise into thin slivers. Wash lettuce leaves and drain well. Set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions, rinse well and allow noodles to drain. Leaving shells on the shrimps, cook in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the shrimps to remain cooking in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Peel the shrimps, cut in half down the center of their backs (along the curve of the body) and set aside.

The rolling process needs to be done quickly. You will get better with more practice. When you are ready to begin rolling, take one sheet of rice paper and dip it completely into a bowl of warm water. Drain off excess water and set sheet on a round plate. Carefully lay 2 pieces of shrimp down on the rice paper, about 1/3 way from the edge (farthest away from you). Lay the "outside" (orange side) of the shrimp down. Next, in the following order, layer the remaining ingredients: lettuce, carrot slivers, cucumber slivers, noodles, mint, cilantro, being careful to leave room (about 1") on both sides (left and right sides) of the paper, and also leave room on the side closest to you. This will be your "tucking" edge.Gently fold in the sides of the rice paper, first from the left, then from the right. Carefully brace the layers of ingredients with your fingers, and fold up the edge of the paper closest to you over the top layer of ingredients (probably the herbs). Try to tuck everything in tightly as you begin to "roll" the paper over the remaining ingredients. It is similar to rolling sushi if you have ever done that. You will see why you faced the shrimps with their color side down. As you begin to form a "roll" the shrimps will show through the rice paper, creating a very pretty effect. It will seal together when the remaining portion of paper makes contact with the rolled end.
Cut rolls on a diagonal and serve with sweet chili sauce. Have fun & enjoy!

SPICY AHI BOWL

1 lb. fresh ahi (or any other type of fish of your choice)
2 T. tobikko (optional)
1 loose handful of sliced green onions
Salt to taste

Dice ahi into small pieces. Add green onions and tobikko, if desired. Squeeze spicy aioli (recipe below) onto ingredients and gently begin to mix. Add more aioli to your desired taste. The fish should be well coated (whiteish in appearance) and well blended with the other ingredients. Serve over hot sushi rice. Garnish with your choice of vegetables (sliced avocados, sliced cucumbers, kiaware sprouts, shogai (pickled sliced ginger), etc. Serve with wasabi and shoyu. Enjoy!

SPICY AIOLI:
1 1/2 cups mayo
Several generous squeezes of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (depending on your tolerance of heat). I use about 2-3 tablespoons for the sake of measurement.

In a quart size ziploc bag, mix both ingredients until well blended. The orange color of the mixture will determine your heat - the darker your mix, the hotter it will be. Adjust as desired. Close tightly and remove all the air from the bag. Snip off a tiny piece of the corner and squeeze mixture into a squeeze bottle. Keep it in your frig for several batches of spicy anything! Use it on omelettes, veggies, sandwiches, or whatever cranks your moment.

QUICHE ME YOU FOOL!

The rain and the wind had me in the mood to create something in my kitchen. When these moments strike, as they often do, I try to start with knowing what ingredients I have on hand, because nothing frustrates me more than wanting to make something, getting all excited about it, then realizing I do not have all of the ingredients. Has this every happened to you? If so, I'd like to hear about it so please feel free to leave me a comment. Well today was different. I quickly thought about what I knew was already in my refrigerator, and with great optimism, I had received a clear sign that I was in the mood for quiche. My mind did a quick inventory, knowing that these items sat waiting for me in the frig: Eggs. Check. Half-n-half. Check. Pie crusts. Check. Broccoli. Check. Cheese. Check. Yes! I was on my way.

The readymade pie crusts I use come in a 2 pack. And I always use the deep dish style, and always try to use both at once. That said, the basic mix recipe will need to doubled for 2 pies.

BROCCOLI AND SALMON QUICHE
Basic quiche mix:
3 lg. eggs
1 c. half-n-half
Dash of nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste

Filling:
Roasted broccoli tops, cut into bite sized pieces
Chunks of smoked salmon (I used re-purposed baked salmon from a dinner I had previously during the week.). This is optional.
Sliced onions
Slivers or small chunks of cooked potatoes
2 cups of grated cheese (swiss, cheddar, monterey jack, asiago, mozzrella or any other type of firm cheese of your liking)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large cookie sheet, spread the broccoli evenly. Lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper, and mix in about one quarter of thinly sliced onions. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables begin to slightly brown.
For quiche pie:
Line a large cookie sheet and place both pie crusts on it. Sprinkle a light layer of cheese on the bottom of each pan. Place a thin layer of potatoes on top of the cheese layer. Add more cheese. Lightly crumble the salmon over the next layer of cheese. Finally, when the broccoli is done roasting, place a layer over the salmon. Top it with the final layer of cheese. Pour the mixture evenly into each pie crust, carefully making sure to fill them evenly, just to the bottom of the "crimped" edge. Do not overflow it. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, then lower heat to 350 and finish baking it for another 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center of the pie. You will see the sides edges of the pies rise up slightly and begin to take on a golden brown color. This is good. Cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes to allow the pie to set. Serve with a side salad and enjoy! This pie is great for any meal.

EGGPLANT DIP

4-6 long eggplants
1 sweet bell pepper
3 roma tomatoes
One whole head of garlic
1 can garbanzo beans
Juice from half a lemon or one lime
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Skin strips off eggplants and cut in half lengthwise. Cut and clean bell pepper, removing all seeds, stem and core. Cut tomatoes in to thick slices. Cut the top layer off of the garlic head, exposing the tops. Place all items on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over everything. Lightly salt to taste and roast @ for approximately 30-40 minutes. About half way through, turn everything over and continue cooking until liquid evaporates from peppers and tomatoes. This may take more than 40 minutes. If so, remove eggplants and set aside until everything else is ready. When all items are cooked, place everything into a food processor. You will need to cut the eggplant into smaller chunks. Add drained garbanzo beans. Add salt and pepper and lemon or lime juice to season. Slowly begin to pulse all ingredients. Your mixture will begin to break down into a pasty concoction. Taste and adjust. Pulse again. Do not overpulse. Your mixture should appear colorful and pretty. Most important, the citrus juice from the lemon/lime will give it a special zing. Spread over crackers or dip some pita bread slices into it and enjoy.

Variations:
Marinated artichokes
Olives
Sundried tomatoes to replace fresh romas.

PORTUGUESE BEAN SOUP

Here's one of our family favorites. I take this to potlucks, I share it with friends who need "comfort" and I make this a meal in itself every couple of months in my household. Elyse loves the soup and the cabbage. My friend Walter loves this recipe so I finally put it down on paper for him. Pastor Sonny loves this soup too. There is something in it for everyone. I hope you enjoy it too. Enjoy!

2 ham shanks
1 med onion
2 medium carrots
2-3 nice stalks of celery
4-5 small potatoes
1/2 head of head cabbage
2 c. uncooked macaroni
2 cans of beans (your choice)
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 -3 quarts of water or stock
1 ring of portuguese sausage
Assorted herbs as desired (bay leaf, oregano, basil, thyme)
Salt to taste

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add ham shanks. Reduce to medium and let cook for approx. 40 - 45 minutes or until meat is beginning to separate from the bone. Remove from pot into a separate bowl and let cool. Peel carrots and chop carrots and celery into bite size pieces. Add to the boiling water. Add salt or chicken/beef boullion and lightly season to taste. Reduce heat and cover it. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. After the ham shanks cool off enough to handle it (about 15-20 minutes), carefully cut off the meat from the bones, and cut into bite size chunks and set it aside. The meat should not be completely cooked, nor falling off the bone. It should be somewhat firm, but not hard. Pliable but definitely not overcooked.

In the meantime, rinse and cut potatoes into bite size chunks. Add potatoes, macaroni, tomatoes and juices to the pot and bring it back up to a boil. Sprinkle herbs into pot, re-season the soup and bring it back up to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and let it simmer until the potatoes and the macaroni are completely cooked. This should be another 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently to make sure that the macaroni does not stick to the bottom of your pot. Add more liquid if necessary and re-adjust your seasoning accordingly. The mixture in the pot will begin to naturally thicken on its own with the starches from the potatoes and the macaroni. Finally add the chunks of ham into the pot. Add beans including liquid. Cut sausage and cabbage into bite size pieces and add into the pot. Cover and let the whole pot simmer again for another 10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Check all veggies for doneness and turn off the stove when done.

Serve with fresh croutons and a salad. Or better yet, fresh cornbread. Yum.

Summer is ending

Here in Hawaii we do not get the obvious seasonal changes, but something about this time of year makes me acutely aware that summer is ending, and we are heading into the cooler fall season. Maybe it is the fact that all the kids are back in school? Maybe it is the temperature in the air? Maybe the sound of the stillness out of doors on a serene Sunday morning? Whatever it is, something gets me thinking about comfort foods. I am a soupy kind of girl, afterall. I created an italian inspired dish, to serve over noodles, but the next day it was easily converted into a delicious soup for the soul. Enjoy!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STEW - DAY 1
6 italian sausages, skinned and broken apart into small pieces (you can do this in the pan while it cooks)
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 sweet bell peppers, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced into large diagonal strips
1 can stewed tomatoes (14 oz)
Italian seasoning

Drizzle olive oil into a heated skillet. Saute sausages and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add in onions and peppers. Stir gently to mix all, and let set for a couple of minutes until the peppers begin to soften. Add in zucchini and stir. Add canned tomatoes and seasoning, and bring everything to a low boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes. Taste. Turn off heat and serve immediately over your choice of cooked pasta.

DAY 2
Turn your leftovers into a delicious soup by putting it into a pot and adding water or chicken broth. If you use water you will need to re-season the mixture according to your taste. Add left over pasta into the soup and serve immediately with croutons. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired.