Kabocha are Japanese pumpkins that are by far my favorite of all autumn pumpkins and gourd-fruit. I first discovered kabocha when I lived in Japan back in 1995. It is pervasive in Japanese cuisine year-round but particularly so in the late summer and autumn when pumpkins are in season. It’s hard to describe the taste of a Kabocha but, if I had to, I’d say it has the texture of a sweet potato and the flavor of a regular pumpkin, but sweeter and milder. Most people find kabocha to be sweeter than butternut squash. Kabocha are often served in stews in Japanese cuisine. They are also popularly served as tempura that is placed over rice (donburi) or in soups. Kabocha are rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin C and potassium. They are also loaded with tons of fiber. Like most pumpkins and squash, kabocha are tough to cut, so make sure you
This great one pot meal was inspired by our friends Walt and Stephen. They were talking about quick meals they like to make and both mentioned mixing canned fire roasted tomatoes and black beans and eating it as is. It sounded good, but I knew it could be better. So, I added in some onions, garlic, wine and soy sauce. Soy sauce is actually a very recent addition to the recipe. As good as it was before, I always thought it needed a little more depth of flavor, umami if you will. Soy sauce was just what it needed. If you don’t have fire roasted tomatoes, a can of regular diced tomatoes works great too. This recipe can be easily adjusted to your own personal tastes – if you want it hot, add cayenne, if you want more zing, try some oregano. This is great on it’s own, but works
Here is a easy replacement for honey-roasted almonds. These are great to keep on hand for cocktail parties, appetizers, friends who just drop by, or even for a quick snack. If you want to add some heat, you can add in some cayenne. These are so much better than store bought, you will never go back. Make a batch before your next game viewing party and watch how fast they go. Everyone loves these sweet and salty nuts. Preptime: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: many handfuls Ingredients: 2 cups whole almonds, skins on ¼ cup sugar ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 2 TBL agave 2 TBL water 2 tsp canola oil Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking pan and bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and set aside. 3.
No yeast and no rising are required for our Cheesy Beer Bread. The beer does all the work for you. Just a few minutes to prep, less than an hour to bake and you have your own fresly made bread.
Our barley stew is a great meal to fill you up on cool nights. Simple ingredients combine to make a nutritious stew that is packed with flavor. This is a great make ahead dish that only gets better as it sits.
