Simple coconut rice

Try this rice with any Latin American or Asian flavored dishes, to add a bit or richness and flavor to your normal rice.

Ingredients

2 c short grain rice (or jasmine rice, if you want to use long grain - I prefer short grain as it makes the rice a bit sticky)
2 c water
2 c high-quality coconut milk

Instructions

1. Combine rice, water, and coconut milk in a medium-large pot
2. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture starts to boil, stirring constantly, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid
3. Cook 15-20 minutes (depending on rice's cooking time), until the liquid has been absorbed by the rice (check for doneness by eating the rice or looking for extra liquid)
4. Remove pot from heat and leave rice covered 5-10 minutes, or until serving
5. To serve, fluff with a fork

Black bean stew

I recently read an essay about eating beans in the book Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which is a collection of essays about what people like (or don't like) to eat when they're alone. It had me hunkering for a hearty meal of black beans. The black beans recipe is from the book, and is somewhere between a soup and a stew. I added some crushed pineapple (with its juice) and spices to give the beans a little zing.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1.5 t cumin
2 12-oz cans of black beans, drained of liquid
1 12-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 red (or yellow/green) pepper, chopped finely
1 small can of crushed pineapple (about 1 cup)
1 small chili, seeds removed and chopped finely (be careful if you use spicy chilis!)
Optional: adobo or other smoky flavored chilis/spices
olive oil/salt/pepper as needed
coriander

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet or medium pot over medium-high heat, and saute onion in 1 T olive oil for ~5 minutes, until translucent. 
2. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic, and fresh chili, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add beans, tomatoes, pineapple, and pepper - simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes (or longer if you want more concentrated flavors and a stew-like consistency)
4. Serve with Coconut Rice and corainder

Coconut cardamom panna cotta

I originally made this as a vegan dessert with soy milk, but I've adapted it here for regular milk.  Panna cotta is deceptively simple, and this recipe adds a special twist with flavors of coconut and cardamom.  Adapted from BBC Good Food

Ingredients 

serves 4

4 leaves of gelatin (1.25 t powder, can be substituted with the appropriate quantity of agar agar)
250 ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
250 ml cream of coconut
1 vanilla pod, split down the middle
splash (1 cap-full) of brandy
1-2 dried cardamom pods (2 for more flavor)
1/4 c caster sugar
pinch of salt
fruit or nuts to garnish - try pineapple, pistachio, or blueberries

Instructions

1. Combine milk, cream of coconut, and gelatin in saucepan - let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into cream/coconut mixture, then add the vanilla pod, brandy, and cardamom
3. Heat over medium-high, stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved - remove from heat when when mixture is about 135F/57C (do not let it boil)
4. Stir in salt and sugar, and mix until they are dissolved
5. Strain vanilla bean and cardamom pods - then pour mixture into small ramekins and cover with plastic wrap
6. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, until the panna cotta is set
7. Optional: unmold panna cotta by dipping each ramekin in boiling water for 3 seconds, running a moistened finger or knife around the edge of the custard to gently pull it away from the side of the ramekin, then inverting the custard over your hand and gently easing it onto a plate

White Chocolate, Apricot, and Cashew Biscotti

A delicious, nutty and fruity take on the traditional biscotti.  The recipe is a bit time intensive because of the double baking, but the result is totally worth it.  This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 c sugar
4 T salted butter
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c apricots, chopped (into small slivers, or pieces roughly the size of chocolate chips)
1/2 c cashews, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175 C - then combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
2. In another large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until creamy, about 3-4 minutes.  
3. Add eggs (preferably one and at a time) and extract, beating after each addition.
4. Combine flour mixture with butter/sugar mixture, either by hand or with the mixer speed on low.
5. By hand, add in white chocolate, apricots, and cashews - mix to combine.  The dough will be lumpy and a little bit sticky.
6. Prepare a baking sheet - either line with parchment paper or with a think layer of butter/oil spray.
7. Using floured hands, split dough in half - shape each half into a long loaf, approximately 2x13".  Place each loaf size by side on the baking sheet, with at least 1 inch between them.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until loaves are gold brown and tops are just beginning to crack.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for ten minutes, preferably on a cooling rack or a cutting board.
10. Lower oven temperature to 160, transfer loafs to a cutting board, and slice each loaf into 1/2" slices (a serrated knife works well for this).
11. Bake biscotti slices on an ungreased/unprepared tray for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and firm (the biscotti will continue hardening out of the oven).

Light and fluffy scones

This recipe produces light and fluffy buttermilk scones - they can be mixed with any sort of dried fruit, or even fresh fruit.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

2.75 c lour
1/3 c sugar
1 T baking powder (if you are using fresh fruit, use aluminum free baking powder)
1 t baking soda
6 ounces (170 g) cold butter
1 c buttermilk (or 1/2 c buttermilk and 1/2 c cream)
1 c of your favorite dried or fresh fruit (if using fresh, reduce total liquid amount to 3/4 c)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170, and combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl
2. Combine butter and flour mixture, and mix until it is the texture of course sand - you can do this in a food processor with short bursts, or with a pastry cutter.
3. Fold in fruit and buttermilk by hand - combine until dough just comes together.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently to make a ball - then roll it out into an approximately 1/2" thick circle and cut into 8-10 triangles (you can also make the scones into little balls or whatever shape you want - just don't overwork the dough).
5. Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Oven fried sweet potato fries

A delicious (and healthy) accompaniment to veggie burgers or mussels.  Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes, or 3 large
1/4 c olive oil
2 T brown sugar
1 T salt
2 T of any of the following spices: chili powder, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, cajun seasoning etc.

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 230 C
2) Peel the sweet potatoes (optional), and cut off the ends.
3) Cut the potatoes into wedges or disks - the smaller the chunks, the crispier the fries will be (and the faster they will cook).
4) In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with oil, salt, sugar, and spices - make sure the potatoes are evenly coated.
5) Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet in a single layer - bake for 15 minutes, turn over all of the pieces, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and crispy.

Poached pears in red wine

This is a good recipe for using leftover red wine or ripe pears.  You can experiment with throwing in extra flavorings in addition to (or in place of) the vanilla...rosemary, thyme, orange zest, etc.   Adapted from http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/rosemary-red-wine-poached-pears/

Ingredients

4-6 ripe pears
1.5 c red wine
1 cinnamon stick
2 t real vanilla extract
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c mascarpone cheese
1/4 c cream cheese
1 t honey
walnuts for garnish

Instructions

1) Peel pears, leaving stems intact, then slice vertically and remove cores.
2) In a large saucepan, combine red wine, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil.
3) Reduce heat to simmer, gently add pears - simmer for 10 minutes, the flip over and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until pears are tender.
4) Take pan off heat and let pears sit in wine sauce for 30 minutes (if you want to speed things up, you can skip this step).
5) Remove pears from wine sauce with a slotted spoon and place on a small plate - do not discard the liquid!
6) Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until liquid has reduced by half.  (This is where you can add herbs or spices - let them simmer with the wine reduction, and remove when done.)
7) Combine mascarpone, cream cheese, and honey until light and fluffy.
8) To service, place pears on plates, add a small spoonful of filling into the center of each pear, top with a walnut, and drizzle with red wine syrup.