Turmeric Paste (to make tea or Golden Milk) - Untested

https://foolproofliving.com/turmeric-paste/#wprm-recipe-container-22488

1 - I started making turmeric paste to give to Zelda who is experiencing joint pain. It's purported to be anti-inflammatory, and I've heard several anecdotal stories from people who swear by it or know someone who does. Zelda seems to love the stuff. I tasted it, and have confirmed that while I share Zelda's dog-ness through my Chinese zodiac sign, I do not have doggy tastes. Ergo, I search for a palatable carrier of the salubrious qualities of turmeric for my own use.

½ cup ground turmeric 

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp fresh ginger grated or minced

1 tsp black pepper

¼ cup ghee

1 cup water

optional maple syrup or honey to taste

1. Place ground turmeric, ground cinnamon, fresh ginger, black pepper, coconut oil, and water in a small saucepan and place over medium low heat.
2. Whisk to combine and cook until it forms a paste and coconut oil is fully melted.
3. Transfer to a jar with a lid. Let it cool to room temperature and store in the fridge up to 2 weeks.
4. When ready to make turmeric golden milk, place a teaspoon of turmeric paste in a mug and add in hot milk of your choice. Taste for sweetness and add in maple syrup or honey. Give it a stir and enjoy.

Making Paneer - Untested

https://www.indianfoodforever.com/basic-preparations/how-to-make-paneer.html

1 liter (4¼ cups milk)

1½ tsp vinegar or ½ tsp lemon juice or citric acid

1. Boil the milk in a pan.
2. When it’s boiling add lemon juice or vinegar or citric acid which ever you are using, while stirring.
3. If citric acid is being used, dissolve it in 2 Tbsps. water before adding.
4. When milk curdles full turn off the gas and set aside for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour it on to a cotton/muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot.
6. When all the water is drained from the paneer shape it into a rectangular block.
7. Now place the cloth under heavy weight for 2 to 3 hours before using it.
8. Note: Do not throw away the leftover water as it can be used for kneading chapati or paratha dough

Camping Breakfast - Untested

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sheepherder-s-breakfast/

3/4 pound bacon strips, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

HOW TO MAKE HOME MADE HASH BROWNS 1 package (30 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

8 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup drippings in pan.
2. Stir in hash browns. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until bottom is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn potatoes. With the back of a spoon, make 8 evenly spaced wells in potato mixture. Break 1 egg into each well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, covered, on low until eggs are set and potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese; let stand until cheese is melted.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

https://www.food.com/recipe/whole-wheat-pancakes-47669

1 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsps. oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1⁄2 tsp salt

1. Stir honey and oil together in a bowl.
2. Add milk and eggs and beat well.
3. Mix dry ingredients into the liquids until flour is moistened.

Asian Fried Cabbage - Test 1

https://omnivorescookbook.com/vinaigrette-cabbage-stir-fry

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013335-spicy-stir-fried-cabbage

1 - Very good! I'm not sure how often I'll make it given that many of the ingredients I consider 'exotic', unless someone else figures out how to make them local to me with local to me ingredients. But one of the benefits of having so many longer-term visitors is that they bring food and ingredients with them that they often leave behind! :)

2 - Again, very good. Eating it cold is also good. I was thinking that it would pair very easily with plain old NOODLES for a main dish.

1/2 small head cabbage , yield about 1 lbs / 450 g, quartered, cored and cut crosswise into ⅛-inch shreds

1 carrot, grated

Sauce

2 Tbsps. water

2 Tbsps. rice vinegar

2 Tbsps. soy sauce

2 tsps. sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

Stir-fry

1 ½ Tbsps. peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns (or mix coriander seed and black pepper)

2 to 3 dried chili peppers

2 cloves garlic , minced

½ tsp sesame oil

1. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
2. Add peanut oil and Sichuan peppercorns into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook until the Sichuan peppercorns turn dark but not burned. Scoop out the peppers into a small bowl, then discard them.
3. Add the chili peppers and garlic. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
4. Add cabbage. Stir and cook until the leaves just start to turn tender.
5. Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch thoroughly, pour into the pan. Continue to stir and cook until the cabbage turns tender but still crispy, and the sauce has thickened.
6. Turn off heat. Carefully taste the cabbage and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, if necessary. Drizzle with a bit of sesame oil and stir to mix again. Transfer everything to a serving plate.
7. Serve hot as a side dish.

Miso Glazed Pork Tenderloin - Testing

https://www.canadianliving.com/food/lunch-and-dinner/recipe/miso-glazed-pork-tenderloin

4 servings

1 - This turned out quite nicely. I don't know how often I'll have these ingredients - I only have them now because someone left them here - but it was a lovely way to use them. In terms of the recipe, I need to learn how long to cook. I changed the internal temp to 145 and it was still a bit overdone. Not overly, but enough to notice.

2 - I was much more careful about temperature and it paid off. However, I brined the tenderloin before cooking to get it to thaw quickly, and it made the whole dish unpleasantly salty. DO NOT BRINE THE TENDERLOIN!!! I also did something a bit different, to reheat and put the sauce in the roasting pan and used it to deglaze the browned stuff. The jury is inconclusive on this innovation. Oh, and for some bizarre reason I put in pepper flakes. I don't know why since they aren't in the recipe!

4 Tbsps. miso paste

2 Tbsps. liquid honey

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp rice vinegar

½ tsp sesame oil

¾ cup water

2 tsps. vegetable oil

1 lb. pork tenderloin trimmed

1 pinch pepper

1. In small saucepan, bring miso paste, honey, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil and ¾ cup water to boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to ⅓ cup, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in large ovenproof skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with pepper; using the popcorn trick to get the right temperature, sear until browned all over, about 7 minutes.
3. Remove 1 Tbsp of the miso mixture and brush over pork, reserving remainder. 
4. Roast in 400°F (200°C) oven until juices run clear when pork is pierced and just a hint of pink remains inside, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 145°F. 
5. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with reheated remaining miso mixture.

Parched Chickpeas - Testing

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/crispy-curry-roasted-chickpeas-56389735

In my youth I participated in Canada World Youth in a exchange to Nepal, which remains one of the most formative experiences of my life (even after all these decades). I remember very fondly the parched pulses and grains my host family would make for tiffin (snacktime?). This recipe I think is how to make it with chickpeas.

1 - Very good! I put them in for 37 minutes at 430F (don't ask, I just make weird decisions like this sometimes) and I think they may be too dried out and hard. Some are pretty dark.

2 - I cooked chickpeas in the slow cooker to get them really nice and soft before roasting. The texture is very different, much softer so that I don't worry I'm going to crack a tooth! and I still have to figure out how to prevent some of them from over roasting.

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15oz can), drained, rinsed, patted dry

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Toss chickpeas with oil, curry powder, and salt on a rimmed baking sheet until coated. 
3. Spread in an even layer and bake until crisp and golden brown, 35-40 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes.

Yellow Split Pea Dal - Testing

https://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/yellow-split-pea-dal-with-basmati-rice/

1 - I reduced the recipe by half. This means that it can easily be doubled, but for a smaller household I figure this is good. Ben liked it and suggested it may need tweaks, I wasn't a fan. I look forward to tasting the leftovers to see if my opinion shifts. Split peas always seem to have a few that don't cook as evenly as the others. Hmmmm. Maybe running it through a food mill before serving?

1 Tbsp oil

1 large onion (10oz/285g), finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, freshly grated

1½ tsp turmeric

1½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground clove

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp dried red chili flakes, optional

3 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsps. tomato paste

1½ cups yellow split peas, not pre-soaked

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1. Sauté the onions in oil  until translucent. 
2. Add the garlic and ginger.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the turmeric, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and dried red chili flakes.  
4. Stir in the broth and tomato paste and mix until the tomato paste is well incorporated.
5. Stir in the yellow split peas.  Reduce the heat to simmer and place the lid on the pan.  Simmer for one hour.
6. Remove the lid and stir the dal.  Place the lid back on the pan and continue to simmer, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Depending on the brand of yellow split peas you’re using, this dish may take less than two hours of cooking time.  Once the peas have broken down and become just slightly mushy, the dal is ready. (SEE NOTE ABOUT FOOD MILL)  If the peas are not tender and soft when you taste, continue to simmer.  If the dal becomes a little dry, add 1/4 cup more of vegetable stock, stir and continue to simmer.
8. Once the dal is ready, remove from heat, and serve immediately with the cooked basmati rice.  
9. To garnish top with chopped cilantro or parsley.  (I used parsley, because I don’t care for the taste of cilantro.)  Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.