Beans and Rice

There are surely a gazillion recipes for beans and rice on line, but that won't stop me from posting yet another one. I made this last week with Adzuki beans that I cooked myself using my pressure cooker, and found that the finished product was so much more delicious than making the same recipe with the more classic red kidney beans.

1. About 1 to 1.5 cups cooked adzuki beans, drained (canned is fine, I am sure)
   
2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 small onion, minced
4. 1 dried whole red chili, crushed
5. About 1 tbsp each ground cumin and ginger
6. About 1 tsp each ground coriander and tumeric
7. Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
8. 1.5 cups cooked white rice

In a cast iron skillet, sautee the garlic and onion in a generous amount of olive oil over very low heat until translucent. Add the spices and stir until onions and garlic are coated. Add the beans and cook for a while to marry the flavors, adding water a little bit at a time as necessary to keep the beans from sticking to the pan. Add the cooked rice and blend well.

Serve hot garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Enjoy!

Gingered carrot and soba noodle soup

This dish is tasty and nutritious, and simple to make and enjoy on a cold winter's evening. The only thing the average person might not have in her kitchen to make this is the soba noodles. I wouldn't recommend substituting regular pasta in their place, so it's worth a trip to the store to get some.
For two:

4 -5 medium carrots, peeled and julianed (i.e. cut into thin batonettes)
1 medium onion, sliced
Fresh ginger, grated (about 2 tbsp)
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
Vegetable stock (or water)
Soy sauce
2 bunches of soba noodles

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the soba noodles and cook for half the time the package recommends, about 5 minutes.

Heat some oil (olive or almond) in a heavy iron skillet. Sautee the onions over low heat for a few minutes, than add the garlic, carrots and ginger. Stir to coat with the oil and cook for a few minutes. Cover with just enough vegetable stock, bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer until the carrot is just tender, maybe 5 minutes or so. Add the soy sauce and the soba noodles and heat for a few minutes.

Divide the noodles and vegetables evenly into two large bowls, and pour the broth into the bowls. Serve with chop sticks and Chinese spoons.