Sweet Potato, Tofu, and Onion Mole

Again, no recipe. However, my recipe was adapted from an online one (link at bottom). Sorry, but I'd say it's rather impossible to find the ingredients in Japan. Mole is quite a culturally significant dish for me. Nobody I know in my family has ever made it from scratch, we have always relied on the pre-made jar of sauce. So for me to make it in Japan (using ingredients I brought back with me that my grandma and extended family helped me acquire when I visited this past summer) is sort of a personal accomplishment for me. Food for me is one of those things that touches our cores, and so the dried smoked chiles, the block chocolate, and the almonds in this recipe are more than just ingredients, they're expressions of my individual culture. Making the mole is how I pay respect to my roots, many of which I still don't know much about, while simultaneously creating my own traditions and customs. Mole is an ancient food, very complex in flavors, chock full of vitamins, incredibly stunning in color and fragrance, and of course, excellent in taste. So here's a picture of the beautiful mole I made today:



Not to mention, it came out so much better than the jar we are used to. I can't wait to make a fresh batch for my family. Here's the link to the recipe I used as a sort of "guideline," because of course I adapted it to my tastes. I also substituted oil for the lard to make it veggie friendly (another reason I'd prefer to make my own):

http://allrecipes.com.mx/receta/775/mole-poblano.aspx

Hummus

No recipe per se. Just a picture. I'm still figuring out what sorts of spices and portions I want to use in my hummus, so it's a work in progress. I would search the web to get ideas and adapt the recipes to your likes. If you can't find garbanzo beans (chickpeas), you can actually use the red adzuki beans instead. And if you can't find tahini, ねりごま(練り胡麻)"nerigoma" is basically the same thing. You should be able to find it next to the sesame seeds at the grocery store. Also, I read (and it works) that if you whip the lemon juice and the oil in the blender first before adding the other ingredients, it makes the batch of hummus fluffier. My batch this time around:

Veggie Charro Beans

Beans, such an important asset to my diet. Charro beans are pretty traditional Mexican fare. Basically, you throw a whole bunch of stuff in a pot with the beans and cook it. They tend to have some sort of pork, but obviously, my version does not. I add some dry chipotle I brought back with me to add a very nice smoky and spicy flavor. You can toss in any seasonal vegetables as well. I've used okra, but you could also throw in some zucchini too, add this in when you add the chile peppers. Anyway, this recipe is fairly easy to make (just takes a long time to soak overnight and then cook), and you can use whatever beans you like really, not just the black beans I used. I'm sure you can even mix types of beans too (my next idea!). I usually make a huge batch and eat them throughout the week. Beans always make me light up inside ha ha. ALWAYS be sure to clean your beans. I usually dump out all the dry beans on my table and put them into a pot after I've inspected them in small batches removing any ones that are super grungy and of course any rocks or pebbles.



Makes one hell of a large pot of beans, so adjust portions accordingly. 8 hours overnight soaking plus 1 and a half or up to 3 hours cooking time.

Ingredients:

Beans; pinto, black, any type of bean should be alright, but keep in mind taste will differ. I use about 5 to 6 cups.
Clean, wash, and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large pot, and add water to cover them with twice as much water as there are beans. The beans will soak up the water and the amount will about double. Leave them in a pot overnight or for at least 8 hours. Yes, this amount of time is essential. You will be very disappointed if you try to cook unsoaked beans.

Oil, for cooking
Mild to Spicy Chiles of any kind, cleaned and seeded, about 1 cups worth, less if they're really spicy
Onion, about 1/2 cup, diced
Garlic, 5 to 7 cloves, diced

Herbs and spices such as:

Black pepper, 2 teaspoons
Oregano, to taste
Cilantro, to taste
Cumin seeds, a small pinch
Whatever else you have in your cabinet really

Tomato, 1 to 2 medium sized, diced
Tomato paste, about 6 tablespoons (because the paste is sold in little packets here, ok...) or one small can if you can get it
Bay/Laurel leaves, about 4
Salt, to taste. I don't like salt much so I use only about 1 teaspoon for a batch this huge, but you can add more

Strain the overnight soaking water out from the beans. Place the beans in a different pot than the pot you'll use to cook them in.

In a very large pot where you will cook the beans, heat some oil on medium heat. Add the onion, and the garlic. Mix around with a wooden spoon. Once the onions and garlic are well toasted, add the spices, lower the heat, and let everything cook for about another 2 minutes or until everything smells nice but isn't burnt.

Add the chile peppers and cook everything for a bit. Then add the diced tomato and cook for about another minute, mixing constantly.

Add the beans, and use a glass to pour water into the pot. Put enough water to cover the beans well. You don't want watery bean soup, but you also don't want the beans to run out of water while cooking (because then they won't cook). Finding this amount may take practice, but is well worth the effort. If you put too little, be sure to add a bit more during cooking and make a mental note for next time. The beans should always be submerged by at least a small amount of boiling liquid.

Once the water is added, add the tomato paste, the Laurel/bay leaf, and the salt. Mix around to integrate the tomato paste. Cover the pot. Turn up the heat to medium. Once everything is boiling, turn the heat to the lowest setting and allow the beans to simmer for 1 and a half to 3 or more hours. Beans are ready when they are soft and not crunchy when you bite into them. Try not to uncover the pot too much during cooking either.

Note: How long it takes to cook will depend on your range. Back at my parent's house I cooked it on a super low flame for 4 hours, but the lowest setting on my stove here is still rather high for my likes, so my beans cook in about 1 and a half hours. The lower heat with longer time really allows all the flavors to get deep into the beans, so try not to make a "super quick" batch of beans. You will taste the difference ;)

Green Coconut Curry with Eggplant, Goya, and Tofu

This green curry was relatively simple to make, just took a bit of prep work. The key ingredients here are the fresh peppers, the coconut milk, and the garam masala. Peppers seem to be in season on the island right now, so I'm buying massive amounts of these green pepper like things that look like jalapeños, but are not very spicy. So I add some of the red peppers I get there too that have a bit more of a kick. You can honestly use whatever spices you have around and that you might like, I got creative. It came out delicious! If you have any fresh herbs like basil or mint, I would definitely throw that in their too. P.S., I now have a blender[YES!!], so many of my recipes may require one (as this one does).



Makes a medium size pot of green curry

Ingredients:

Lots of fresh peppers, more green than any color for a green curry, or whatever color you like really. Cut and seeded. About 2 to 3 cups worth
Shallots, peeled. Or about 1/2 cup diced onion
Garlic, I like garlicky flavors, so I used about 7 cloves (peeled of course)
Ginger, about 1 tablespoons worth, diced up coarsely

A Shitload of dried herbs and spices, to taste, such as:

Garam Masala, about 1/2 tablespoon (this is required)
Cumin seeds, a pinch
Anis seeds, a pinch
Dried basil, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Curry powder, to taste (the one I buy is usually just ground turmeric, coriander, and cumin)
Oregano, to taste
Cilantro, to taste
Cinnamon to taste

Cooking oil (I like olive oil, but any veggie oil is good)
Coconut milk, 2 eight ounce cans
Laurel/Bay leaves, about 3
Red chile powder, 1 teaspoon (optional)
Eggplant, 2 medium, cut in half and then into thick pieces
Goya (bitter melon), cut in half, seeded, then cut into thinnish pieces
Soft Tofu, 1 block, diced

Put the seeded peppers aside in a blender.

In a medium fry pan, heat about 3 tablespoons of oil a bit, then toss in the shallots(or onion), garlic, and ginger. Use a wooden spoon to make sure nothing burns and turn down the heat. Once the stuff in the pan has fried a bit and become lightly toasted, add the shitload of spices, fry a bit longer, and let everything become wonderfully fragrant, making sure not to burn anything to the pan.

Add the contents of the pan into the blender. Shake 1 can of the coconut milk (because it settles), rinse the top off, open, and pour the contents into the blender. Cover the blender and blend until everything is smooth and there are no more chunks of anything, about 1 or 2 minutes.

Pour the contents of the blender into a deep medium pot. Shake the other can of coconut milk, rinse the top, and pour it into the deep pot as well. Throw in a teaspoon of chile powder (optional). Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the eggplant, goya, tofu, and bay leaves (and any chopped fresh herbs you may be lucky enough to have). Bring everything to a boil on medium heat, then turn down the heat. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. The curry might be thick, so be sure to mix it every so often while simmering so nothing boils over and makes a mess. It's ready when it smells nice and the eggplant is no longer spongy but is now soft.

Note: You can taste the sauce once it starts to boil to see if you think it may need any other spices. Keep in mind that the boiling at low heat for a long time makes all the flavors pop out, so don't add too much spice just yet if the curry doesn't taste "spicy" enough quite yet. The heat and time will make stuff mesh better, trust me.

Enjoy!