Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

We had some peaches that had to be used so I asked some friends what I could make with 5+ peaches. Someone sent me this Peach Cobbler Recipe. I thought it had a lot of sugar, but I decided to try it anyway.
Putting it together was pretty easy - no stirring :) I also added some blueberries, probably about 1/2 cup or so, since I didn't think I had quite enough peaches (I removed the skins and pits).
It turned out pretty good. It was sweet enough and all that sugar made the dough/cobbler part nice and crispy. The cinnamon and nutmeg add good flavors. I might add some almond extract to the cobbler part next time, but I would definitely make this again, unless I find an equally tasty replacement that uses less butter and sugar.

Ratatouille - roasted

I made this Ratatouille last night and it turned out great! It was a bit sweet from caramelizing. I played a bit with the proportions in terms of what I had on hand - I didn't use mushrooms. I peeled the eggplant (Japanese) and salted it to let it sweat for about 20 min, after which I rinsed and squeezed out as much liquid as I could. I didn't read the instruction that the basil was supposed to be added after roasting, but I think having it in during roasting added flavor.
I served it with some penne and having some Parmesan cheese was delicious. I will definitely make this again!

Chakalaka

We first tried Chakalaka at a bed and breakfast outside of Cape Town, South Africa. Our host made it for breakfast and served it with flat bread (similar to injera) and scrambled eggs. I've tried to make Chakalaka before, but thought it was a flop flavor-wise.
I used the recipe here as a guide. I put my modified ingredient list below:
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
~1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp  curry powder (maharaja curry powder from India)
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
5 large carrots, (unpeeled but scrubbed and topped and tailed) grated
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g can chopped  tomatoes
2 winter savory, leaves only
400g can baked beans
Salt and pepper to taste

I think I added some water so it wasn't too thick. We had this for dinner with bread/toast.
There was quite a bit, so I would probably do a half recipe in the future.
Also, I chopped the onions and peppers but used the food processor for the carrots. I think I'll throw everything in the food processor for chopping next time. Smaller pieces are better for this dish for me.

This time, it must have been the spices, but I thought it turned out great! I'm going to have a hard time finding the right curry powder again, but I'll keep trying!

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

I have been struggling to cook during the week because after we get home from work and daycare pick-up, 1) I have very little energy to decide what to make and actually cook and 2) time is short. By the time I cook something and we eat it, it can be way past Leela's bedtime. I'm trying to plan things ahead of time, so I looked up making baked potatoes in the slow cooker. I found a couple different "recipes" but I went with one that said coat the potatoes in oil, cover in foil and cook on low for 8-10 hours. So I did that in the morning before leaving for work - six potatoes with oil in foil in our crock pot. When I got back at the end of the day, they weren't cooked enough - still a little bit hard. So I'm going to call it a fail.

I don't think I'd want to try a weekday high temperature setting. The recipe for the high setting was to cook for 6 hours so I think the potatoes would get overcooked for our 10+ hours away.

Indian Summer Stew: Butternut Squash, Coconut, and Lentil Stew

I had the ingredients for this Butternut Squash, Coconut, and Lentil Stew laying around and decided to make it.
I was a little confused about when to add the tempered spices - I added it before the split peas were done, but it still turned out pretty good. I didn't have a roma tomato, so I used about a cup of tomato sauce that was in the freezer. I also added about a cup of frozen green peas for our pea-loving munchkin. I did think it took a bit longer than the recipe says to cook the yellow split peas/lentils.
I liked the flavors. It was subtly sweet because of the squash, coconut and sugar, but I think that highlighted the spices - turmeric, cumin, mustard, and chili. We had it with rice and Ebon didn't eat a ton, but Leela liked it - at least the first time. She wasn't a fan of leftovers the next day.

Lentil and Sweet-Potato Stew

Another meal I'm making for someone else! This Lentil and Sweet Potato stew caught my eye while looking for a vegetable stew to make for a friend. I had some sweet potatoes I needed to use and wanted to include beans or lentils to make the stew hearty.
My modifications were to use a large parsnip instead of the carrots and instead of the green beans and diced tomatoes I didn't have, I just used a cup of frozen green peas and a cup of crushed tomatoes.
The curry powder I used came from India. My sister got it for me on her honeymoon and it's the first time I'm using it. It is labeled Maharaja Curry. I'm not exactly sure what region she got it in, but it really added a lot of flavor to the stew.
Overall this turned out pretty good, but I would definitely use the diced tomatoes next time.

Aloo Gobi

I made this Aloo Gobi/Cauliflower and Potato dish the other night. Of course I modified it, but I was really happy with how it turned out. Ebon on the other hand, didn't like it as much. I think he prefers Indian food that has more of a gravy/sauce.
My modifications, I opted not to make the ginger/garlic paste and used dried ginger instead with some water and a few cloves of smashed garlic.
If I were to make this again, I'd cut the potatoes a little bigger and I think I'd use/make the ginger garlic paste. After looking at more of the recipes from the Food Network's star's show I think I'll make it soon for some other dishes.