First, combine 2 ¾ tsp each turmeric and black pepper, 1 ¾ tsp salt, and 1 ¼ tsp cayenne in a small bowl. Second, wash and trim 1 lb okra. Carefully cut a slit into each okra pod, then using a teaspoon, gently stuff each okra pod with the seasoning mix (about 1/8 tsp per… Continue reading Indian stuffed and sautéed okra
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Indian sweet and spicy butternut squash
Peel a butternut squash (about 2 lbs), then cut into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Heat 4 Tbsp oil in a Dutch oven, then add ½ tsp cumin seeds. When seeds start to pop, add the squash chunks, ½ tsp salt, and a ¼ tsp each turmeric, cayenne, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to… Continue reading Indian sweet and spicy butternut squash
Indian spiced fruit salad (fruit chaat)
This is a simple salad of various fruits cut into bite-sized pieces (here, 3 small guavas, a red delicious apple, a red pear, a plum, 1 cup red grapes, and 1 banana) tossed with the juice of one lime, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp each cayenne and black pepper. The addition of savory spices… Continue reading Indian spiced fruit salad (fruit chaat)
Hawaiian spam musubi
Recipe from: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/04/tutorial-how-to-make-hawaiian-spam-musubi-sushi.html. In terms of spam seasoning, I combined ½ tsp sugar with 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce and 1 Tbsp mirin, but used only about half of it. I also used Spam Lite, and I couldn’t tell the difference from the original version (at least in this preparation). If you tightly wrap each… Continue reading Hawaiian spam musubi
Banana french toast
Using a blender, mix 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, ¾ tsp cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 ½ ripe bananas (reserve the remaining half-banana for garnish). Pour mixture into a shallow dish, then dip a slice of bread (here, thinly sliced ciabatta) into the mixture, coating each side (the recipe calls for 6 slices, but… Continue reading Banana french toast
Slow-roasted spiced strawberries in balsamic vinegar and red wine
I replaced red wine with pomegranate molasses. Keep a close eye on the dish so that it does not reduce too much (as it did here). Details here: http://www.eatthelove.com/2011/04/slow-roasted-spicy-strawberries-in-balsamic-vinegar-and-red-wine/ (Aug. 2015)
Korean chicken soup with hand-cut noodles (dak kalguksu)
This is one of my favorite dishes, but I haven’t had it in years. This is my first time making the recipe at home. Recipe from Maangchi: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dak-kalguksu (Aug. 2015)
Korean-Chinese black bean sauce over noodles (jja jang myun)
This dish brings back many childhood memories of eating at Korean-Chinese restaurants with my family. My family’s recipe never tasted like the restaurant version. Thanks to Maangchi, I finally found the restaurant version that I loved so much: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/jjajangmyun (Aug. 2015)
Korean sweet rice pancakes with sweet red bean filling (bukkumi)
Recipe here: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bukkumi. This was my first attempt using sweet rice flour. (July 2015)
Korean hand-torn noodle soup (sujebi)
This brings back a lot of happy childhood memories for me. We used a recipe from Maangchi’s Real Korean Cooking. I had only tiny anchovies, so I used about 40 tiny ones rather than 12 large ones (about ½ cup). We also have used 1 potato (instead of 2) and replaced the second potato with… Continue reading Korean hand-torn noodle soup (sujebi)
Cooking Adventures 