Malaysian Sweet and Sour Eggs

Servings: about 3
Time: about 30 minutes

* 4-5 eggs, cooked well done
* 1 onion, cut into rings and then cut into half
* 1/2 red chili, sliced thinly
* 1/2 stalk scallion, sliced diagonally
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 3 1/2 tbsp sugar (extra to taste)
* 3 tbsp cooking oil
* tamarind pulp, the size of a small ping pong ball
* 1 cup water

Note: We couldn't find any tamarind pulp, so we used nectar of tamarind instead and did NOT add the sugar to the recipe. It worked out just fine that way.


1. Fry the eggs well done and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, add one cup of water to the tamarind pulp and soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind pulp to extract the juice. Use only the juice and discard the pulp.

3. Heat up your wok and add in the cooking oil. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until they turn slighly brown or aromatic.

4. Add in the eggs and do a quick stir.

5. Lower the heat, add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil.

6. Add in sugar, salt, scallion & chili. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.

Vegetarian Hungarian Goulash

* 1 cup potatoes, peeled & sliced
* 1 cup onions, chopped
* 2 pressed garlic cloves
* 1 1/4 tsp paprika
* 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
* 1 vegetable bullion cube
* 2 tbsp water
* 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
* 1/2 tsp black pepper
* 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
* 3 1/2 tsp marjoram
* 1/4 cup safflower oil
* 3 cups cooked eggless noodles


1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large sauce pan, except the noodles. Cook over medium heat, covered for 30 to 40 minutes, then serve over hot noodles.

Adas be Sabanekh

A recipe from Lebanon!

Time: about an hour
Servings: about 6

* 1/2 lb lentils
* 1 cup sliced onion
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 peeled & chopped cloves of garlic
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh corriander (aka, cilantro)
* 10 ounces chopped, frozen spinach that has been thawed
* 2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced
* salt
* ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Wash & pick over lentils. Place in a saucepan & cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, brown the onion in oil in a large pan. Stir in the garlic & corriander. Add the spinach. Saute 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes, cooked lentils, & enough lentil cooking liquid to cover. Season with salt & pepper.

3. Bring to a boil, lower heat, & simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. Stir in the lemon juice. Can be served hot, lukewarm, or cold.

Pumpkin Stew with Chilies and Cheese

~This is a Peruvian recipe!~

Servings: about 6
Time: over 2.5 hours

* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 4 medium Serrano peppers, finely chopped
* 1 tbsp safflower oil
* 2 lbs pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and cubed
* 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1/4 cup half-and-half
* 1 cup queso blanco or feta
* salt & pepper, to taste


1. Saute onion, garlic & chiles in oil.

2. Add pumpkin & potatoes, plus a little water if necessary. Cover & cook over low heat until the pumpkin & potatoes are tender.

3. Add the half-and-half & cheese. Heat through.

4. Add salt & pepper. Garnish with additional cheese if desired.

Åland Pancake

This recipe is from Aland!

* 1 egg
* 2.5 tbsp sugar
* 2.5 tbsp flour
* 1 cup rice, cooked & cooled
* 1/2 tsp cardamom
* 1/3 tsp salt
* 2/3 cup milk
* plum or raspberry jam
* whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix the eggs & sugar. Add rice, flour, cardamom, salt, then the milk. Mix thoroughly.

3. Pour into a small casserole dish & bake 25 – 30 minutes, until the edges turn a light brown & the center is no longer gelatinous.

4. Serve with plum jam or raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Tum'tumo (Lentils in a Savory Sauce)

A dish from Eritrea!

Servings: about 4-6

* 2 cups lentils
* 6-1/2 cups water
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 tsp olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp hot sauce
* 1 can chopped tomatoes
* 1 can tomato paste
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1. Bring lentils to boil in 6 cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Saute onion in oil until browned. Add salt, hot sauce, tomato paste, & 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add garlic & lentils. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve.

Senegalese Stew with Millet

Time: about 1 hour
Servings: 4

* 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 cups chopped cabbage
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
* 1/2 tsp curry powder
* 1/4 tps thyme
* 14.5 oz canned tomatoes
* 1 cup vegetable stock
* 2 tbsp peanut butter
* 2 cups cubed sweet potato
* 1-1/2 cups cubed rutabega
* 1 cup sliced carrots
* 1 cup cooked chickpeas
* 2 cups cooked millet

1. In a 3 quart sauce pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the cabbage, onion & garlic. Cook, stirring until the cabbage is softened.

3. Stir in the red pepper, curry powder, & thyme. Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon.

4. Add the broth & peanut butter. Stir until completely smooth.

5. Add the potato, rutabega, carrot, & chickpeas.

6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes.

7. Serve over millet.

Fried Plantains

Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

* 2 ripe plantains
* 1/2 cup of oil
* salt (optional)


1. Peel the plantains & cut diagonally in 1/4- inch thick slices.

2. Deep fry the plantains until golden brown. Sprinkle a little salt for flavor. Serve immediately.

Arroz con Maiz

A recipe from the Dominican Republic.

Time: 35 Mins
Servings: 8

* 4 cups rice
* 1/2 cup of sweet corn
* 1 cube bullion of vegetable stock
* 1/2 cup of pineapple cut into small cubes
* 5 cups water of boiling water
* 5 spoons of oil
* Salt

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the corn, vegetable stock cube & pineapple. Stir until the cube has dissolved. Add the rice & mix well. When everything is well mixed add the boiling water. Salt to taste.

2. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking. When all the water has evaporated, cover with a tight fitting lid & simmer on very low heat. Wait 15 minutes & uncover. Stir, add the remaining oil & cover again. Wait another 5 minutes. Try the rice, it should be firm but tender inside.

3. If necessary, cover and leave another 5 minutes on very low heat.

Apple Berry Crisp

A modified recipe from Greenland!

servings: about 8-12

* 7 oz. blueberries
* 3-4 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
* 3.5 oz. butter (or a little less, if you prefer)
* 6.76 fl. oz. flour
* 3.38 fl. oz. brown sugar
* chopped nuts (we used walnuts)
* 6.76 fl. oz. whipping cream & 1 tub crème fraiche 18%... or just use some Coolwhip
* Seeds from 1 stick of vanilla


1. Put all the slices of apple into a dish & sprinkle with most of the berries.

2. Rub the butter into the flour, which has already been mixed with the brown sugar. Sprinkle this crumble mixture onto the apples & berries. Top with the flaked nuts.

3. Put the dish into a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) & bake until the top is crisp & golden & the filling is bubbling slightly – approx. 30 minutes.

4. Take the dish out of the oven & let it stand.

5. Serve with a mixture of whipped cream, crème fraiche & vanilla.

Tofu and Beansprout Fritters

This dish is called Bakwan Tahu in Indonesia.

* 1 chopped onion
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 tsp ground corriander
* 1 lb firm tofu
* 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp chili powder or freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup beansprouts
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* about 1 cup peanut oil

1. Heat 2 or 3 tbsp of the oil in a wok or frying pan. Fry onion & garlic, stirring the whole time, for 3 minutes or until just turning light brown.

2. Put the onion & garlic (without the oil) into a glass bowl & leave to get cold. Keep the in the pan. When they are cold, put the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, into the bowl & mash with a wooden spoon, mixing everything together.

3. Put the rest of the oil into the frying pan that contains the little bit of oil left for frying the onion. Heat.

4. When the oil is hot, drop a spoonful of the tofu mixture into it, then 3 or 4 more. Fry until golden brown. Take out the fritters with a slotted spoon & drain them on an absorbant paper towel. Finish frying the rest of the mixture in this manner.

Gallo Pinto

A recipe from Costa Rica!

servings: 4-6

* 2 tbsp canola oil
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 cups cooked white rice
* 2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp ground corriander
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 2-3 tbsp vegetarian worcestershire sauce (we substituted Supreme Garlic flavored A1 Steak Sauce because it had many of the same ingredients)
* salt & freshly ground black pepper
* fresh cilantro
* sliced green onion

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. Add onion & saute until it begins to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic. Saute for 5 more minutes, or until onion is golden.

3. Add spices & worcestershire. Stir.

4. Add the beans & then the rice. Cook until mixture is heated through.

5. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve hot. Garnish with cilantro & green onions.

Heart of Palm Salad

A Costa Rican recipe!

servings: about 4

* 1 14-oz can of hearts of palm
* leafy lettuce
* fresh squeezed juice from 1 lime
* salt
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 chopped red bell pepper
* 1 chopped vine ripened tomato

1. Lay down some lettuce in the bowls. Arrange the bite-sized pieces of heart of palm over the lettuce. Add the tomato & bell pepper.

2. Pour some lime juice over the salad and sprinkle salt & pepper, to taste.

Korean Vegetarian Dumplings

servings: makes 50 dumplings

* 2 10-oz packages firm tofu
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 leek, chopped
* 2 green onions, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tsp sesame oil
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 50 dumpling wrappers
* vegetable oil for frying

1. Press the excess water from the tofu. Crumble the tofu and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients (except the wrappers and vegetable oil) & combine until mixed.

3. Pour some cold water in a small bowl for dipping.

4. To make the dumplings, place a wrapper in the palm of your hand. Spoon enough filling into the middle to leave about 1/2 inch of empty wrapper. Dip your finger in the cold water & wet 1/2 the edges of the wrapper, then fold in half & press to seal it. Repeat with all of the wrappers.

5. Pour enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a pan & heat over medium heat. Place several dumplings in the pan, but don't let them touch. Fry until golden brown & crispy on one side, them flip them and cook all sides until golden & crispy all over. Cook all dumplings, adding more oil as needed.

Quick Kimchi

A Korean recipe!

*2 Nappa cabbages
*1 medium Asian radish
*1/4 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
* water
*4 green onions, sliced into pieces about 1 inch long
*5 garlic cloves, minced
*2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Wash the leaves of the cabbage & cut them into about 2-inch lengths. Peel the radish & halve it lengthwise down the center, cut lengthwise again, & then slice into 1/2-inch thin squares.

2. Dissolve salt in 1 cup water. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and pour the salt water over them. Let soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

3. The next day, drain the vegetables & retain the salty water. Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, & chili powder. Mix the vegetable by hand (you might want to use gloves so the chili doesn't stain your hands). Pack into a 1-gallon jar (or an appropriate amount of smaller jars). Pour the salted water over the mixture. Leave about an inch of space on top of the jar.

4. Let sit about 2 or 3 days, depending on how fermented you like your kimchi. Refrigerate after opening.

Complete Jollof Rice

This recipe is from the country of Benin.

Serves: 8 people

* 1 cup dry black-eyed peas
*2 medium-sized eggplants
*1 1/2 tbs oil
*3 tbs ginger root, grated or minced
*2 peppers of your choice (I used Anaheims), roasted with the seeds removed, chopped
*8 tomatoes
*2 tsp cayenne
*2 tps curry powder
*Tabasco sauce to taste
*12 cups of water
*1 tsp salt
*2 large onions, chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 green bell pepper, chopped
*1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
*1 lb carrots
*1/2 lb green beans
* 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

1. In a large pot, soak the black-eyed peas overnight in 4 cups of water.

2. Drain & replace with 8 cups of fresh water, & simmer peas for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving water for cooking.

3. Meanwhile, roast the peppers, as mentioned above. I cooked mine in the oven.

4. Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place in a colander. Salt and let them drain for 5 minutes.

5. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add eggplant, 1 tbs chopped onion, 1 tbs grated ginger, 1 chopped pepper, 1 clove garlic, & the bell pepper. Cook, stirring until the eggplant is browned, for about 5 minutes. Remove eggplant & set aside.

6. Add remaining onion, ginger, pepper, garlic, reserved water, tomatoes, tomato paste, cayenne, & curry, stirring them all together. Add hot sauce to taste. Simmer 10 minutes, uncovered.

7. Add black-eyed peas, carrots, & rice. Simmer another 5 minutes.

8. Add green beans & eggplant & simmer 15 minutes more, still uncovered.

9. Finally, cover & simmer another 20 minutes.

Ailazan

This is a traditional Armenian dish. It is a thick vegetable stew.

* 1 lb eggplant
* 1 lb potato (we used small red potatoes)
* 1 onion
* 100 g oil (I think that came to about 1/2 cup of oil when we used our kitchen scale)
* 3 vine ripened tomatoes
* 1 cup green beans
* 1 red bell pepper
* 1 cup of fresh spices (basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley)
* a bit of chopped garlic
* ground black pepper
* ground red pepper
* salt
* 1/2 cup water

1. Slice the eggplant finely, put a little bit of salt over each piece, then leave it to sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the extra juice. (We pressed them with paper towels.)
2. Slice the other vegetables finely & mince the spices.
3. Put the vegetables in a deep pot in layers, beginning with the eggplant on the bottom. Sprinkle every layer with spices including some salt.
4. Pour the oil & the water over top of the vegetables. Cover. Cook on low heat until done. (We cooked the stew on "2" for 1 hour & 45 minutes-- it turned out perfectly.)

Note: A lot of water will cook out of the vegetables, so dont worry that it doesn't seem like enough water at first.

Pseudo Thai Stir Fry

Servings: 4
Time: about 30 minutes

* 1/4 to 1/2 cup canola oil
* about 4 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice, for example: snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper
* 1 can coconut milk
* fresh basil, coarsely chopped, no stems
* 1/4 tsp red or green Thai curry paste (we prefer green for this recipe)
* a few dashes of soy sauce
* cooked rice (about 4 cups)

1. Stir fry veggies in oil until partially cooked but still crisp.
2. Add coconut milk & basil.
3. Add curry paste & soy sauce.
4. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Mixture should be soupy.
5. Serve over rice.

*Note: This is one of Elliot's favorite recipes to make!

Baked Quesadillas

Servings: as many as you like!
Time: about 20 minutes

* tortillas
* refried beans, canned (for us, 1 can makes about 4 quesadillas)
* grated cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like, really)
* anything else you want to add to the quesadillas, for example: sliced bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, onion
* salsa &/or sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Assemble the tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or forget the baking sheet & parchment paper, & just put them on aluminum foil, if you don't mind the bottom tortilla a little soft). Put the tortillas together by spreading the beans onto one tortilla, layering your vegetables over the beans, & sprinkling as much cheese as you like. Then put another tortilla on top, like a sandwich.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes.
4. Serve with salsa & sour cream.


*Note: These are super-easy to make, and really tasty if you add lots of vegetables.

Super-easy Peach Crisp

Servings: 3-4
Time: 20 min

*2 cans (15.25 oz each) sliced peaches, drained
*2 packages (1.6 oz each) cinnamon instant oatmeal, uncooked
*1/3 cup flour
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*1/3 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put peaches into a lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish.
2. In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal, flour, & nuts. Stir in butter. Sprinkle mixture over the peaches.
3. Bake for 15 min or until golden brown.

Note: Good with ice cream!

Pancake For Two

~suggested by Brendan and Taryn... thanks, guys!~

Servings: 2
Time: about 25 min

*2 eggs
*1⁄2 cup flour
*1⁄2 cup milk
*Pinch of ground nutmeg
*4 tbsps butter
*2 tbsps confectioners' sugar --- optional topping
*Juice of half a lemon---- optional topping
*Fig or blackberry jam, pear butter or any kind of marmalade, for serving (optional).

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk & nutmeg & lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy.

2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle over medium-high heat. (Taryn says: "what i do is put the butter in the skillet, & then put the skillet in the oven to melt the butter. we use the cast-iron skillet for this, but you could also probably use a cake pan") When very hot but not brown, pour in the batter. Bake in the oven until the pancake is billowing on the edges & golden brown, about 15 minutes. (Taryn says: "this amount of time would depend upon your oven. it takes less than ten minutes in ours. just keep an eye on it. while it bakes, you can fry some apples or heat up some berries for the topping")

3. Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven & using a fine-meshed sieve, sprinkle with the sugar. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with lemon juice & serve with jam, pear butter or marmalade.

Taryn's adjustments: "i skip the lemon, sugar, and jam and serve with either fried apples or berries and maples syrup. the pancake will puff up in the oven and then deflate after you take it out. that is okay. do not feel that you have failed, it is supposed to do that."

Tangy Vegetable Dip

Serves: about 6 (makes one cup of dip)
Time: 15 min

*1/2 cup non-fat mayonnaise
*1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
*1 tbsp chopped onion
*1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
*1/2 tsp seasoning salt
*1/2 tsp Worcestershire
*1 to 4 drops hot sauce

1. Combine the ingredients.
2. Chill until ready to serve with vegetables (such as baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, etc).


Note: This is also good with dinner, served instead of a salad!