Bean, Peanut, and Vegetable Stew

We all need to keep an open mind about cooking and I'm glad Shelley is taking us on the world taste tour -- it's causing me to step outside my comfort zone.  Actually, first it made me realize I had a kitchen related comfort zone and then it pushed me outside of it.  Don't get me wrong, I love new flavours and experimenting with recipes, but I generally have eaten the dish before or have an idea of how it will taste when I make it.  This tour around the world keeps introducing me to these new and wonderful dishes previously unknown to me.  Today is no exception.

This in another recipe I found on the internet, and it has various names and combinations, but I like the following ....

Spicy Peanut and Bean Stew 
Oil for sauteing -- about 1 tbsp.
1 Large Yellow Onion
4-5 cloves Garlic (chopped fine)
2 cups Coarsely Shredded Carrots
2 cups Chopped Tomato
1 Green Pepper (Chopped)
Spicy Fresh Pepper such as Poblano or Jalpeno
2 cups of Beans -- cooked or canned.
3/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter or Ground Peanuts.
3/4 cup of Hot Water

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok.  I used canola oil, but it seems like peanut oil would be appropriate.
• Chop the onion and saute it in the oil until it's soft and starting to caramelize.
• Add the tomato, garlic,carrot, and green pepper and let it cook.
• The spicy pepper is optional and depends on individual taste.  My preference is a whole poblano pepper, but I only had jalapeno, so I used just half of a large one.
• While the mixture is cooking, combine the peanut butter and water in a bowl.  It's best to slowly add the water to the peanut butter bit by bit, making sure to stir it in thoroughly.
• Add the beans then peanut butter to the mixture and stir it all together.
• Let this cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
• This would be good either on its own, with rice, or with Shelley's Ugali.

Irio

This dish is my new comfort food.  It's easy to make and seems like home at the same time.  I'm surprised it's not served more often -- it will certainly be a regular coming out of my kitchen.

I found quite a few recipes for this dish, but all were pretty much the same.  The big differences seemed to be in the texture of the finished product, much the same way that mashed potatoes vary from cook to cook.

Irio

1 1/12 pounds Potato
2 cups Frozen Peas
2 cups Frozen Corn
2 tbsp Butter
Salt to Taste

• Cut up the potatoes into 1/2 inch slices.  I leave the skins on instead of peeling, although most recipes for Irio I found instructed to peel the potatoes.
• Put the potato and peas in a pot and cover with water.  Boil until the potatoes are ready for mashing.  My test:  I poke them with a fork and it slides in easily, but the potatoes are not at the stage where they are falling apart.
• When the potatoes and peas are nearly done, bring the corn to boil in a separate pot.
• Back to the potatoes -- drain the potato/pea mixture but save the liquid.
• Mash the potatoes and peas.  The peas can be stubborn, so try and be thorough to make sure most are smashed at least a little.  A number of recipes call for putting the mixture through a ricer, but I prefer to skip that step.
• Drain the corn (no need to save the water this time unless you have another purpose for it).  Add the corn to the potato mixture.
• Also add the butter and salt.
• Start off with adding about a quarter cup of the saved liquid, then stir the mixture until the butter has melted and everything is evenly combined.  If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add additional liquid until is has a consistency that pleases you.
• Enjoy as a main dish or as a side.

First Try at Kenyan Cuisine

I don't know what made me think I would like anything made with ground corn.

Ugali is the National dish of Kenya, and is made by cooking corn flour and water in a pot on the stove or over a fire. My pot is still soaking...

I made it the traditional way, and didn't add any butter, but I'm sure that would have made it a little tastier.

It was interesting the say the least, and I can say I tried it. The juice from the salad I had along side certainly helped.

Most recipes I found were for crowd size, and I did make a smaller portion. It's not something I would have wanted as leftovers (the fan I am) and is best served warm. Although I may try it again with a little butter, then refried in a pan with oil...

Ugali

4 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 cups corn flour (or corn meal)

Boil the water and salt on high heat, and add the corn flour, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat and cook until you will be able to form a ball.

It's served with almost all dishes, shaped into a round. Coat you hands with cold water to do this.

Next Stop...Kenya!

As I'm writing this it's 2:00AM, a chilly 12c with a humidity of 94% in Nairobi Kenya. 

The Republic of Kenya is located in the Great Lakes region of Africa, and borders Lake Victoria, the world's second largest freshwater lake, with Tanzania and Uganda. 

Kenya's climate varies from tropical in Mombasa along the coast to cooler inland. Average temperatures in Nairobi range from the low to mid twenties during the day, and 11 - 14c overnight. 

The country has at least 40 different ethnic African groups. Kenya is also home to large populations of Europeans, Arabs, Indians, and Pakistanis.

A safari is on my bucket list, so I thought a good place to start researching the food. It seems that on "budget" safaris, preparing your own food is part of the deal. How fun that would be! Maybe one day when I am retired I'll make the trip.

The food prepared is very simple, and some recipes use only salt as flavouring, although in the more urban areas there is an influence of Indian cuisine and spices.

One of the best known Kenyan specialties, "Nyama Choma", Swahili for roast meat, is served at any gathering or road side stand, and is eaten with your hands. From what I can find, goat is the meat of choice cooked over a charcoal fire and is the national dish, although beef works just as well.

After being in Vietnam and preparing recipes with the spices from Asia, Kenya may be quite a change.

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I hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew...oh...pardon the pun.

We're getting ready to announce our next country. Getting out our comfy walking shoes...and dusting off the wide brimmed hat....maybe a little bug spray in the virtual knapsack....stay tuned!

Banh Mi Takeout

Yesterday was an unofficial cheat day for me in at least two ways.  First, I bought dinner instead of making it.  Second, bread and sweets are not exactly ideal foods for losing weight.  However, it's important to sensibly indulge occasionally.

While researching Vietnamese food, I kept coming across Banh Mi, which are a type of Vietnamese sandwiches.  Being a huge fan of bread and not having had it for a while, I decided to find a local restaurant and try Banh Mi.

The first restaurant I tried was closed, but I found another not too far away.  The Banh Mi on the menu were only three dollars each, so I decided to try one each of vegetarian, grilled chicken, and barbeque pork.  As good as they were for dinner warm, the leftovers were just as great for breakfast this morning.

The sandwiches are served warm and have all kinds of tasty and interesting ingredients: a pickled carrot and daikon mixture (daikon is a mild member of the radish family), cilantro, cucumber, fish sauce mixed with mayo (I think).  There were even a couple of hot spots that tasted like jalapeno, but warmer.  It was a bit of a shock to my mouth, but the fire subsided after a few minutes.  I'm anxious to have these again!


The deli where I purchased the Banh Mi was also a bakery and had some Vietnamese desserts for sale.  How could I resist.  To be honest, I didn't know what these items were when I bought them, but they looked interesting so I gave them a try.  I've looked for them on the internet and asked a couple of friends and here is what I think they are....

• Above, Top Right -- Banh Bo Nuong.  It was my favourite and hard to describe.  I think it's also made with pandan leaf and has a texture half way between cake and jelly.  It's very good.
• Above, Bottom Right -- a center of mung bean paste with a very firm jelly shell that I think is made with pandan leaf.
• Above, Top Right -- a mung bean paste/pate.  This was mild flavoured, not sweet, but not savoury either.  It may not have been a dessert. 
• Below -- I believe this is a savoury version of Banh Bong Lan which is a sponge cake.  This one had onion and thinly sliced jalapenos. The combination of the slightly sweet cake and the onion was amazing.

BBQ Pork Vietnamese Style

And to think I wasn't going to make this since we are getting ready to take down the tent and move on...

This recipe was supposed to be yesterday, but I neglected to read the instructions through and initially missed the part that said marinate overnight or 24 hours.

I kept the pork chops intact rather than cutting up the meat and either adding to skewers, or grilling in a basket that I don't have.

The result...I can't say enough about how flavourful and juicy. Definitely on the list to make again!

Vietnamese BBQ Pork
(enough marinade for 4 pork chops)
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon balm
1 Tbsp lemon pepper
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp canola oil

The lemon thyme, lemon balm, and lemon pepper were all used as a substitute since I didn't have lemon grass.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, and add to a heavy baggie.

Add the pork chops, and coat well.

Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Flip the baggie every few times you open the fridge.

Remove from the baggie, and cook on high heat on an outdoor grill.

Serve with any vegetables or salad of your choice. I made a quick salad with cabbage, carrot, onion, and a sprinkle of peanuts. I used a store bought Asian dressing.
(Shelley)