International Fare
February 26, 2009 Posted by: ERIN

Today I'm sharing some of the global cuisine we've been enjoying lately. I came across the first two recipes at different times while trying to use up some random ingredients in our pantry. The third is the current state of my ever-evolving enchilada recipe.

Thai Tilapia Coconut Curry
Adapted from Recipezaar.com

This fall I vowed to finally make use of two jars of curry paste we had brought with us to the island several months earlier. There was a jar of red and a jar of green, so I began searching for dishes in which to use them. After a few meals that Tom devoured but I could barely eat, I learned that I am a red curry kind of girl (the green paste is MUCH hotter). This recipe ended up as our absolute favorite among my curry experiments. A review on the website where I found it stated, "you could serve this sauce over cardboard and it would still be tasty". So true.

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tilapia fillets
rice and lime wedges for serving

Heat 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (but do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Brush fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil approximately 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges. Serves 2.

Erin's Notes:
Any mild, white fish can be substituted for the tilapia, and the sauce and veggies would go great with chicken too. If you like more spice, just add more curry paste.

Falafel with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Adapted from Recipezaar.com

When Tom first moved into our apartment at the field station, there was an entire case and a half of canned chick peas waiting for him. When I moved down about a year later, he hadn't touched them. Ever since I've been looking for ways to make use of them. Of course I initially figured on making loads of hummus, but not surprisingly tahini isn't something I can get ahold of here. So then I mostly stuck to throwing them on salads and in chili. They came up again in my quest for curries (see above), but one day soon after I happened upon this recipe. I actually had it on my computer for about three months before I got around to trying it out, and now I'm really kicking myself. I could have been eating this heavenly falafel three whole months earlier! If only I had not been so foolish. Perhaps I was a little imtimidated about making it from scratch, but really as long as you have a food processor, it is not difficult. And it's so delicious that now I'm constantly craving it.

1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 kirby cucumber, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, halved
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
pita bread, warmed

To make the cucumber yogurt sauce, add yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, cucumber, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, cover and chill until ready to serve.

For the falafel, combine the green onion, halved garlic, cilantro, and mint in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped. Add the chickpeas, breadcrumbs, cumin, baking powder, salt, and Tabasco. Continue to pulse until the batter has the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Form the mixture into approximately 8 patties.

Let the olive oil get hot (but not smoking) in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry patties for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer cooked falafel patties to a paper-towel lined plate.

Put cooked falafel into warmed pita bread and top with cucumber yogurt sauce. Serves 3.

Erin's Notes:
If fresh mint is not available, just increase the cilantro by 1/4 cup. Other pita toppings can include hummus, crumbled feta, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomato. And when I can't get my hand on plain yogurt, I use sour cream mixed with garlic powder, salt, and pepper as a substitute sauce.

Erin's Enchiladas
From the kitchen of Erin

For tacos and quesadillas I'm a flour tortilla fan, but for enchiladas it must be corn. After some sesrious research, this recipe is a combination of my favorite elements from several other enchilada methodologies. I guess the most notable aspects are the addition of refired beans to the meat mixture and the omission of frying the tortillas in oil, which is perhaps more authentic, but adds more fat than I would like. I also make mine with homemade enchilada sauce (which also works perfectly as taco or tamale sauce). You could probably make them with store-bought sauce, but I don't think the enchiladas would be nearly as tasty.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef or chicken
1 can (15 oz) refried beans
4 cups enchilada sauce, divided
12-18 corn tortillas
shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and ground meat, and saute until browned. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add refried beans and 2 cups enchilada sauce, stir to combine. Continued heating until mixture is warmed through.

In a small nonstick skillet, individually heat tortillas over medium heat, flipping until browned on both sides. Fill each tortilla with a scoop of the meat mixture, roll, and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Once the pan is full, any remaining meat mixture can be spread over top of the tortillas. Top with remaining 2 cups of enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Erin's Notes:
Most of the seasoning for the meat mixture come from my hommade enchilada sauce, but if you are using store bought sauce it is likely that you will have to add some chili powder, cumin, and/or garlic powder to taste.

Enchilada and Taco Sauce
Adapted from Recipezaar.com

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or two fresh cayenne peppers
1 teaspoon dried oregano
8 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 teaspoons cumin
4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper flakes (or diced cayenne peppers), oregano, basil, chili powder and cumin and saute for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and water; stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes or until reduced slightly. Makes about 4 and 1/2 cups.

Erin's Notes:
The sauce can be cooled, then pureed in a food processor or a blender for a smoother texture. Also freezes well. Works great with tamales and eggs too!

Backyard Flora and Fauna
February 24, 2009 Posted by: ERIN

When you move to a place that is entirely different from anyplace you have ever lived, it's easy to be intrigued and amazed by your natural surroundings. Even after being here for a year and a half, I'm still constantly running for my camera to capture some native plant or animal.

There is the baseball-sized hermit crab that strolled across the back patio, and the land crab who made himself at home in our compost heap. The frangipanni flowers that smell incredible from meters away, and then the scary, cigar-sized caterpillars that threatened to defoliate their trees. The family of ospreys living in the water catchement that dive bomb Zipper and me on our daily walks. The adorable butterfly pea flowers that can choke another plant to death, and the confused juvenile night heron that spent most of an afternoon in our backyard. The poinsiana tree outside our front door that seems dead for most of the year, before becoming a blaze of red blooms in June. And yesterday, the giant spider in our front garden spinning a poor moth into its web.

There are some organisms, such as the hummingbirds and ferral cows, that continue to elude me, but over the past several months I've mangaed to put together a starter collection of wildlife photos that I'm proud of. I hope you'll like them too.

Poop Art
February 23, 2009 Posted by: ERIN

Last month, we had quite a variety of courses being conducted at the field station. In addition to the normal geology, biology, and archaeology classes, there was an art class, an astronomy class, and even a culinary class. It was interesting to see how each of these different groups made use of our facilites and environment. The astronomy students were nightowls, always staring up. The culinary class made some delicious additions to the normal cafeteria menu, such as ciabatta bread and a yummy fruit crisp. And the art students were working on some really interesting projects, including a beautiful mural of North Point and one student who ran the entire 34-mile road around the island (over several days), stopping every 9 minutes to draw his surroundings.

My favorite of the art class projects though, was the day they made natural art. They split into pairs and had half the day to create a piece of art in a natural setting, constructed of only naturally found objects (i.e. rocks, sticks, leaves). Most of the groups opted to work on the beach, but there were two that went for the water catchment instead. In my opinion, the catchment projects were the most outstanding. There was a pretty flower made entirely of seeds and seed pods, and my personal favorite, the "cow pie swirl". That group really made use of our ample supply of dried cow dung, and we were especially impressed by the wide ranging palette of colors they managed to find.

After taking in the exhibits, I asked the art instructor if the spiral pattern that was obvious in almost all of the pieces had been some kind of assigned theme, but she assured me that all the repetition of spirals and swirls was pure coincidence. The students attributed it to having spent too much time together, but I think too much sun can also make people a little "swirly" too.

Close Encounter
February 22, 2009 Posted by: TOM

This morning I went to fix one of the ropes on the field station boat which is moored out in the harbour. I do this periodically, as salt water and sun are hard on the ropes and the sea has been rough lately. Most necessary repairs can be made while snorkeling and so despite the chilly conditions (78 degrees) I ventured out this morning to make a quick repair on what looked like a loose rope. I was very focused on retying a knot as I bounced up and down in the waves, when something caught my eye. I looked up and saw a good sized shark making a slow pass from about 10 feet away to check me out. Now I'm fairly certain it was just a Nurse Shark, but I nevertheless obeyed the very strong urge to get back to shore.