Vegetable Shell Clear Soup with Crusty Focaccia

This came about tonight when I came home from writing at Panera Bread and wanted something hot to accompany a chunk of focaccia toasted topped with Provolone and Parmesan. In vegetabler oil, I sautéed chopped yellow onion with cubed fresh ginger, then added quarters of winter melon 1/8 inch thick and shell pasta. When the melon is completely covered with oil and beginning to turn translucent, I added strips of kale or mustard green, broccoli flowerets, and stringed snow peas, sprinkled half a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice mix and cooked for a minute or so. I added hot vegetable stock, covered and simmered for 12 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Served garnished with Italian parsley sprig, with a side of toasted focaccia. I know. This is an international mongrel of a supper!

Red Beans with Ginger, Cardamom and Cinnamon

I've been cooking more beans lately, getting back into a healthier pattern of eating. The recipe is called "Rajma" in Rolli & Janssen's Indian Vegetarian Menu Planner, 2010. It called for both green and black cardamom and ginger powder. I didn't have black cardamom (badi elaichi) so I felt free to modify the recipe. I sliced fresh ginger, sautéed that in canola oil (Kevin Logan says the chemical used to extract the oil is unhealthy but I don't use canola often anyway) with crumbled Chinese hot chili peppers, cardamom, and cinnamon stick that broke into pieces. I added the hot boiled beans, turmeric, more chili and ginger powder, and salt. I also added cubed Roma tomatoes and zucchini and the juice of half a lime, simmered the stew until the beans were really tender (I don't like my beans to still be crunchy), and the sauce had thickened. Wonderful on rice. The recipe did not call for sautéing the spices but I find heating them in oil brings out their essential oils and aroma. It called for the addition of butter just before serving, which I omitted because I had already used oil.