Spicy Kabocha Pumpkin Soup

This is a variation of the standard pumpkin soup that uses Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin/squash). Kabocha is naturally sweeter than the regular pumpkin. It has a nutty flavor and is great for digestion.

Ingredients:

1½ lbs Kabocha pumpkin, quartered, peeled and seeds removed

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

sea salt and pepper to taste

cilantro for garnishing

plain yogurt or cream for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat some oil in a large pan and gently fry the leeks and garlic until softened. Add the spices and stir for a minute.

2. Add the pumpkin, chicken stock and season to taste. Bring to a boil for about ½ hour, until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from heat to cool.
3. Process soup in batches in a blender or food processor. To serve, simply reheat soup in warmed bowls, with a swirl yogurt or cream on top and garnish with cilantro.

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Braised Baby Onions with Raisins

If you like baby onions, you will love this piquant and flavorful dish. It is simple to prepare and great served with skewered meat, such as lamb or beef.
Ingredients:
20 baby white onions, peeled
½ cup red wine winegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey or sugar
½ cup raisins
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Add all the ingredients in a saucepan with 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Cook until onions are tender and most of the liquid has thickened.
2. Remove bay leaf and season to taste. Serve warm.
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Cheesy Potato Cakes

I found an old recipe book on potatoes and the different ways of cooking this spud. Here's a simple and easy one flavored with fresh dill and lemons from our garden. Great for an afternoon snack or a side dish.

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized potatoes

4 ozs goat cheese or plain feta cheese

1 bunch scallions, diced finely
2 Tbsp. dill, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for frying
all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Washed potatoes and boil them in their skins with a pinch of salt. Cook until they are soft. Drain, then peel while still warm. Put them in a mixing bowl and mash them.
2. Crumble cheese with your fingers into the potatoes and add the scallions, dill, egg mixture and lemon juice. Season with pepper and salt (lightly) as cheese is salty. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients.
3. Cover the mixture and leave in the refrigerator to chill when ready to fry.
4. Divide the mixture into golf-sized balls, flatten slightly and dredge them with flour to coat. Repeat the same with the rest of the mixture.
5. Heat a non-stick pan with some oil and fry the cakes on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
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Lemon Barley Chicken Soup

Whenever I have some leftover cooked chicken, I would prepare his simple and tasty soup. This is an adapted version of the famous Avgolemono, a Greek soup. I used barley instead of the orzo pasta and added celery to the soup. You can use home made chicken stock or substitute with 3 cans of low-sodium chicken stock instead.
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded finely
½ cup celery, finely diced (about 3 sticks)
3 Tbsp. barley, washed and drained
1 Tbsp. onion, finely diced
3 eggs, beaten
juice of 1 large lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a large pot, heat some oil and fry the onions until soft, then stir in the celery and fry for about 5 minutes. Add in the stock and barley and bring to boil and cook until barley is cooked, about for 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix the lemon juice to the egg mixture and a ladleful of the warm chicken soup. Stir this mixture into the soup, season with salt and pepper. Do not let soup boil once you've added the egg mixture as this will cause the eggs to curdle. Remove from heat and serve with lemon slices.
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Potato Dumplings/Gnocchi

Gnocchi, pronounced as "nyo kee" is one of our favorite Italian dishes. The word, Gnocchi is the plural for the word, gnocco which is the singular form. It is a small dumpling made with potatoes, flour, and sometimes with cheese. The shape of this dumpling is form and cut by hand, and pre-cooked in boiling water. It is served in the same manner as any pasta, favorably with either a white, red sauce, or a simple dressing with your favorite vegetables to bring out the freshness and lightness of these dumplings. I have seen it pan fried in oil and tossed with mixed greens. For this installment, I am going to serve it with a simple tomato sauce with artichokes and basil.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
a pinch of salt
a sprig of sage
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
Method:
1. In a large pot, steam potatoes until they are tender and soft, about 30 minutes. Drained and mash finely into a bowl or a floured board. (If you have a vegetable mill or potato ricer--this will work nicely)
2. In a large mixing bowl, add egg and salt to the center of the mashed potatoes. Stir the egg into the mashed potatoes and once it is mixed in, add in flour and fold in to mix. When it starts to clump together knead gently to form a smooth dough.
3. On a floured surface, roll and cut the dough into pieces with a floured knife. Using the palm of your hand shape each pieces into a long thin roll and cut each roll into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch). Lay all the cut pieces of dough on to a floured tray and sprinkle some flour to prevent it from sticking. Using the tines of the fork with the concave part facing up, dip the tips of your fingers with flour; take a piece of the dough and press it down against the tines of the fork. This will form a nice indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other. You can also press the dough on a cheese grater if you like. Continue in this manner with the rest of the dough.

5. Bring a large pot of water to a fast boil. Add the sage and a pinch of salt. In the meantime, set another bowl of ice water near the stove.
6. Drop pieces of dough into the boiling water and cook until they float. Remove them with a slotted spoon into the ice water to stop the cooking. Let it sit in the water for about 5 minutes, drained and add to a bowl. Toss in the oil and store in a cool place. In the meantime prepare your favorite sauce or vegetables. Serve warm.
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Almond Flavored Rice Pudding

Rice for dessert, unheard of! Being an Asian or just plain me, I was not accustomed to cooking rice with sugar or milk and eating it as a dessert. Rice to me is commonly served plain with other dishes. Well, I was curious and so I’ve decided to give it a try. On my first attempt, it was so thick and gluey that I can stick a spoon on top of the pudding. After the second and third attempts, it finally comes close to a decent rice pudding---good enough to eat! This version is a simple and delicious alternative to an old-fashioned rice pudding.
Ingredients:
¾ cup short-grain rice, washed and drained
½ cup almonds, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1 small piece cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp cinnamon spice)
½ tsp. almond extract
2½ cups milk
¼ cup condensed milk
3 Tbsp. rose or orange blossom flower water (optional)
½ cup dried raisins or currants
4 Tbsp. butter
pinch of salt
ground cinnamon and nutneg for garnishing
toasted slices of almonds for garnishing
Method:
1. Soak rice with some water and a pinch of salt. In a food processor or blender, add the chopped almonds with ½ cup hot water. Process until very fine and strain into a saucepan.
2. Add 1½ cups of water into the saucepan and bring to a boil, then add in the rest of the milks. Drain the rice and add to the milk mixture, together with brown sugar, dried fruits, cinnamon stick and half of the butter, and almond extract. Stir well to mix and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, adding more milk or sugar if necessary.
3. Continue to cook and stir the rice mixture to prevent burning at the bottom until it becomes thick and creamy. When the rice is of the right consistency, stir in the rose flower water, then season to taste for sweetness.
4. Serve pudding warm with a dollop of butter and sprinkle with sliced almonds, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Savory Meat Pies

I have some leftovers from making the savory rice dumplings. This gave me an idea for a quick and easy snack.
Ingredients: (makes about 10 pies)
400 gms. chicken thigh meat, cut into small cubes
200 gms. roasted peanuts, grinded finely
100 gms. dried shrimps, presoaked and chopped finely
5-6 dried mushrooms, presoaked and chopped finely
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 medium-sized shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 beaten egg mixed with some milk
1 box Pillsbury Pie crust, thaw at room temperature
Non-stick baking tray
Method:
1. Heat oil in pan and fry garlic and shallots until soft. Add in mushrooms and dried shrimps and fry until fragrant. Then add the chicken meat and seasonings and stir until cooked. Season to taste with salt and/or sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. When completely cool, add in the peanuts.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll out pastry and cut into rounds. Put a tablespoon of filling in middle, moisten edges with some water to seal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds on top. Bake for about 10-15 minutes till golden brown. Serve warm.
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