Lamb Squash and coconut curry

Ever since our visit to Ceylonta restaurant I've wanted to try my hand at reproducing the delicious creamy squash and coconut curry we tried. This recipe was delicious and had several similar flavors but had more of an smoky roasted flavor than the one we had previously tried.

I had purchased some delicious locally farmed lamb chops from a friend farmer, and decided that this would be the perfect recipe to try them out on. Many people will swear at me for removing the meat from the bone, but I think the addition from the lamb stock was so worth it. 

To make vegan, remove lamb and replace stock with veggie stock or if you are feeling adventurous, coconut water. 

1 small butternut squash - chopped into 1/2 peeled pieces

1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil

1 tsp of salt 

Roast the squash, with salt and coconut oil at 425* for 35 min. 

4 small lamb chops 

1 Tbsp Tomato-pepper powder

1 Tbsp Curry powder 

1 Tbsp Chile powder 

1 Tbsp Paprika 

1 Tbsp Ginger 

3 Tbsp Cinnamon 

1 Tbsp Cumin 

1 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Tumeric 

1 tsp Cayenne pepper 

Small pot of water

2 inches of leek greens 

1/2 carrot 

1 bay leaf 

10 peppercorns

1/2 an onion, chopped or pureed 

1 tsp Coconut Oil 

leftover spice mix 

salt to taste 

1 can of coconut milk 

1/2 tsp curry paste 

1. Cut the meat out of the bone and fat. 

2. Cut the meat into small cubes, and seasons with the spice mix. Allow to sit in spice rub for about 30 minutes.

3. In the small pot of water, add leaks, carrot, bay leaf, and peppercorns and lamb bones. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. If you want a more intense flavour use a pressure cooker. 

4. Using coconut oil grease and heat a skillet. Add onion and spiced meat and brown. 

5. Add the squash, stock, coconut milk, remaining spice mixture and curry paste. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the sauce becomes creamy. 

6. Serve over Jasmine rice. 

Asian Fusion Pierogi

Beef and Cabbage pierogi are pretty standard among Polish cuisine. I have never been a huge fan however.
Then a few years ago I found a great Korean BBQ restaurant, where the combination of meat and cabbage was shown to me in a different light. I fell in love and I wanted to see if I could bring the fusion to Polish cooking. I decided to take the flavours of the Gyoza and put them inside a pierogi.

1 lb ground beef
1 cup of grated cabbage
1 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of fish sauce
1/2 cup of rice vinegar
2 tbsp of chopped green onion
1/2 tsp chile flakes
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 tbsp honey

Pierogi dough

Brown the ground beef, pour off fat, and bled dry to make the meat very fine.
Add all of the seasoning ingredients.
Let the liquid simmer out

Roll out the pierogi dough very fine.
Add 2 tsp of filling and seal tight. Make sure there are no holes in the dough and that the edges are sealed tight. add to boiling salted water and boil till they float on the top.

Fry or bake the cokked pierogi to get a nice crisp, or serve boiled.

Little Polish Girl's recipe for Pho

I absolutely love various types of Asian foods, including soups. Pho and Udon in particular. When I realized that I was spending most lunch times eating at the Viet-Thai restaurant across from my work, I decided it was time to learn how to make my own Pho broth.

I looked up various recipes and then through a process of trial and error, I made up my recipe.

The traditional Pho as far as I understand is made on a beef broth base. I usually use chicken broth since I tend to have some around and I use it a lot.


1 Pot full of chicken or beef broth
4 or 5 Thick slices of Daikon raddish
1 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tsp Rice vinager (do not use sweet rice wine vinager)

Spice Mix:
4 Star Anise
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
5 Whole cloves
Peppercorns
Three leaves thai basil
1 Small cube of fresh ginger
2 Cloves of Garlic

Set the pot of broth to simmer. Put the spice mix in a tea diffuser or wrap in a cheesecloth, and add to the broth. Add in all the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for at least an hour. Make sure to add water to replace what boils out. If you want a stronger flavour, you can add a bit more sugar, soy, and fish sauce. The spice flavour needs time to diffuse across the broth.

Boil some pho noodles and serve with some sliced chicken, thin beef slices, or shrimp, green onions, bean sprouts, and Sriracha sauce.

Yum!

Update: A friend of mine recommended adding a tablespoon of peanut butter to the broth while it simmers. I tried it and the result was delicious. If you like peanuts, this is a winning combination.