you too can make coconut curry mashed potatoes

you will need:
instant mashed potatoes
S&B curry sauce mix
small can coconut milk + small amount of moocow milk if needed
water

do this:
measure out water according to package directions for the amount of servings you want. add 2-3 bricks of curry sauce mix and bring to a boil, then remove from heat. add corresponding amount of coconut milk (+ moocow milk if needed) and instant potatoes. stir and serve in a snazzy bowl, possibly topped with cayenne pepper and/or cilantro.

so easy even julie can do it!

Zensai (sweet red bean porridge with mochi balls)

1 package tsubushi an (red bean paste with skin)

1 package koshi an (smooth red bean paste; no skin)

4 cups water

---

1 cup Mochiko (sweet rice flour)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup hot water

Put red bean pastes and 4 c water in a pot over medium heat until simmering.  Be careful not to make the heat too high or the pot may overflow!  Stir every so often, until pastes dissolve.

*The pastes I got were already sweetened but if yours are not, you may want to add sugar to taste.

Mix dry ingredients (Mochiko, sugar, salt), and slowly add hot water (a little at a time) while mixing with wooden spoon.  Then use your hand to knead the dough.  Wrap in plastic wrap for a little while (5-10 mins), then powder your hands and a plate with dry Mochiko and start making little balls, about 1 cm-1" in diameter.  Put the balls on the powdered plate as you finish.  This way they won't stick together.

Add mochi balls to red bean+water mixture and simmer til the balls are floating.  If you let it sit for a little while, the mixture should thicken a bit.

Salad Dressing for Half Assed Salade Nicoise (even though it is half assed it still gets a pretentious unnecessary e)

1 c. olive oil
1 T dijon mustard (I used some cheap crappy kine... cuz that's how I roll)
3 T cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
tarragon
basil
oregano
thyme
salt
pepper

I looked up nicoise salad dressings and made this up based on what I saw, what I had on hand, and what I was willing to buy. I just put teeny dashes of all the herbs cuz I am chicken.

Tomato basil pasta with eggplant (and chicken)

Boil 1 package thin spaghetti (or angel hair) whole wheat pasta for 6 minutes, with a dash of salt and olive oil.  Strain in colander when done and rinse in cool water.

Dice 5 tomatoes, about half of a small eggplant, 1 onion and chop garlic, basil, and cilantro.  Cut a lemon in half.  Add some olive oil to a large pot or frying pan, before adding garlic, onion, and eggplant.  Saute for a bit.  Then add tomatoes, squeeze lemon juice, basil, and cilantro and saute for a few minutes.

Slice 4 pieces of chicken breast and season with salt, pepper, and herb mix, something like Mrs. Dash.  Add olive oil to frying pan and fry til fully cooked.

This dish can be topped with grated parmesan or other cheese if desired.

Curry sauce

(You all will be amused to know that predictive typing thought "Curry sauce" was going to be "Curious researcher.")

*sigh* This was an adventure. I guess Googling a recipe is always a risk. And I figured this one looked sketchy, but I chose it cuz it claimed to be British and it didn't have chunks in it. (I figured chunks of veggies or meat would be hard to pick up with french fries...)

Anyway, as written, I think this recipe is made to mix with like already cooked chicken and poured over rice or something. It's a really small recipe though. It would only feed like one or two. Even just as sauce for fries, I thought we needed more so I kept trying to stretch it with tomato puree and water, and then thickening as needed with cornstarch. It started losing flavor so I added more spices... but... something was still missing... I think probably to make more, it would be best to start by doubling (at least) the recipe. Onion and garlic was stuff I couldn't just add more of later.

So... I ended up throwing in a jar of Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce. haha... it was Kea's (brilliant/cheaty) idea. That made it taste much better!

(Oh and just so you know, cardamom is expensive! So I subbed cinnamon instead. And I didn't know what "dried chilies" meant so I just used red chili pepper--you know like the kind at pizza restaurants.)