dinner

Autumn is here and it means that you see lots of pumpkin and sweet potato in the markets.

Chestnuts this year are quite scarce I hear because of all the weird weather. Oh and leafy veggies are scarce too, so prices are up for these items.

So, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner while walking in the supermarket and decided to do something with pumpkin and sweet potato.

I usually go to the market with an idea of what I want to make, but if I happen to see ingredients for something else that is on sale that day, I usually change my menu.

Anyway, I love this cookbook because it shares different recipes for you to "eat the rainbow". And another reason why I like this cookbook is because they share recipes for 1 serving.

So I had been eyeing this recipe for sometime and finally got around to trying it...Kabocha Chakin-shibori.

Kabocha is pumpkin. Chakin is a cloth used in tea ceremony. Shibori means to wring.

Usually you see chakin-shibori in sweet form so I liked the idea of this being a savory recipe.

Adapted from "Colorful Bento" makes about 6 "balls" : 1 serving about 3 "balls"
100 grams pumpkin
3/4 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1. Wash and scrape seeds from pumpkin (make sure to leave the outer shell of pumpkin on).
2. Steam for about 20 minutes, test for tenderness.
3. Mash with potato masher.
4. Add cheese, mix well.
5. With a piece of plastic wrap, scoop about a half tablespoon of mixture, place in the middle of the wrap, bring up the sides and twist tightly.
6. Unwrap and plate, continue steps 5 & 6 until all of the mixture is used up.

NOTES: This was tasty, salty from the cheese and sweet from the pumpkin. Plus, at room temperature it is perfect for bento. I ended up with 3 small "balls" (about 1 inch round) and 2 larger ones (maybe closer to 1.5 inches round). I'd definitely make this again.

The other recipe I tried was for Satsuma imo gohan (sweet potato rice).

This recipe was easy because you literally "throw" everything into the rice cooker and let it do all the work.

Satsuma imo gohan adapted from "Elle a Table" November 2011
servings: 4

2 cups of rice, uncooked
1 tablespoon zakkoku (assorted grains)
1 small sweet potato
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash rice and set aside
Wash and cut sweet potato into bite sized pieces
Add 2 cups water
Add sake & salt
Turn on rice cooker
When the rice cooker clicks off, gently mix the rice with the sweet potato (try not to mash the potato)

NOTES: Easy and delicious, definitely a keeper.

I served these two dishes with some miso soup, easy and perfect for a chilly Autumn evening.

It's Friday, hope you have a great weekend!