Thai-flavored Pea Soup

Split pea soup is a simple favorite, especially for this cold weather. My preferred way to cook split pea soup  is in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients
½ cup green split peas
1 Tbsp grated ginger (or galangal)
1 tsp lemongrass powder
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp green curry paste
1 14 oz. can light coconut milk
salt to taste

Vegetables: red and green bell peppers, chopped finely; spring onions chopped finely for garnish

Preparation

1. Add all the ingredients except coconut milk, in a pressure cooker and cook till done
2. Meanwhile, saute the vegetables, and prepare the garnish
3. When pressure cooker is ready to be opened, mash the cooked split peas if needed
4. Stir in the coconut milk and heat up the soup gently; add the sauteed vegetables
5. Serve warm, topped with spring onions and croutons if preferred

Gold Beets and Chard with Toasted Walnuts and Pine Nuts

The flavor of golden beets is milder yet robust compared to the strong earthy sweetness of the red beets. I love the bright yellow of it, almost as if it was steeped in turmeric powder which is a staple in my kitchen.

I usually cut them into wedges and cook them in the microwave till done - firm, not mushy. Then, heat oil in a cast iron skillet and pan roast them till golden brown. Toss some into lettuce salads, or use these roasted golden beets to make the beet-feta salad.

Here, I simply add chopped rainbow chard to the same cast iron skillet where golden beets are roasted; when chard wilts enough, season to taste; serve warm topped with toasted walnuts and pine nuts.

Sweet Sour Spicy Bitter Melon, Eggplant, Bell Peppers

I had half each of bitter melon, long eggplant, red and green bell peppers and decided to make a sweet-sour-spicy dish. It can be served with warm jasmine rice or even simple roti or naan. The picture shows it served with a small portion of chicken breast per the Other Half's request.

I salted the bitter melon for 10 minutes; rinsed and patted dry; then par-cooked in the microwave.

For the sweet-sour-spicy sauce:
2 tbsp sambal oelek
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 tbsp mirin

Stir the sauce ingredients. Adjust to taste as preferred. Heat some oil in a caste iron skillet, add the veggies, saute; add the sauce stir well and cook till desired doneness of the veggies. I like them crisp-tender.

Stuffed Bitter Melon

Bitter melon aka bitter gourd is a favorite with the adults in the house. The standard bittergour pitlay, tamarind flavored crunchy bitter melon, pan-fried, oven-baked, bitter gourd sesame pachadi... so many ways to enjoy this fairly bitter fruit.

Here, the fairly large Chinese Fu-gwa is stuffed with some flavored Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).

Cut the bitter melon in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. Salt it and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Par cook it with some water in the microwave till just tender but still holding shape. Drain and pat dry.

Prepare the stuffing: Saute some onions and red bell peppers with favorite herbs and spices, add some TVP and just enough water to cook through.

Fill the bitter melon halves with stuffing and bake in a 425°F for about 10 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with cilantro and spring onions.

Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

Much like the classic Potato Skins and Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes, this Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins are quite easy to make and can be a delicious side or meal.

Rather than the bell peppers and mushroom stuffing/filling as below, I went with leftover baked tofu, bean sprouts for the version in the picture. To moisten the stuffing, I added some warm vegetable broth, just enough to keep the stuffing together.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Wash and clean the skin of the sweet potato thoroughly.
2. Prick the sweet potato with a fork in several places and microwave for a few minutes till cooked and firm, not mush (cooking time will vary depending on the microwave)
3. Slice the cooked Sweet potato in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the middle leaving a ¼ inch thick flesh attached to the skin - this will be the "Sweet Potato Skin" (SPS) from now on. Save the scooped pulp for filling
4. Brush the SPS with olive oil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, first with the cut side down, then with the cut side up
5. Meanwhile, sauté some diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms with some spices and seasoning, then off heat stir in the mashed innards of the cooked sweet potato that was scooped out earlier; adjust flavors to taste
6. When SPS comes out of the oven, scoop the filling into the hollows of the halves and garnish with spring onions and serve warm