Peace Corps Fiji

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Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
(1 serving)

2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup organic vegetable stock
1 TB organic goat cheese
1 TB parmesan cheese, finely grated
6 slices, uncured pork bacon (I like a lot of bacon!)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside. In the bacon grease, saute' the garlic until brown. Add the brussels sprouts and saute' for 4-5 minutes until they have browned on all sides. Pour in the veggie stock, cover the skillet and let the sprouts become tender and the stock to evaporate. When almost all of the stock has evaporated, remove the skillet from the heat. Crumble in the goat cheese and add the parmesan and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I ate this over whole wheate fettuccine but it can be used as a side dish. And as always this can be quadrupled to accommodate more brussels sprout lovers.

Spooky Deviled Eyeballs

Spooky Deviled Eyeballs

12 hard-boiled eggs
¾ cup Miracle Whip
Blue and red food coloring
Black olives, sliced
Pimentos, diced
Toothpick
Plastic Ziploc bag


Peel the eggs and slice length-wise. Mix the yolks with the Miracle Whip (you can add more or less). Salt yolks to taste. Drop in 3-4 drops of blue food coloring and mix until it becomes a gross green tinge. Put yolk mixture into the Ziploc bag and cut one corner. Pipe yolks into eggs. Put one slice of olive and one pimento in each yolk. Mix 1 teaspoon red food coloring with ½ teaspoon of cornstarch. Using the toothpick draw veins on the egg whites. These are pretty easy to make and they are very tasty. I make my deviled eggs pretty simple but you can add relish, mustard, and paprika if you like yours with more ingredients.


Happy Halloween!

Swiss Chard

Have you ever cooked with swiss chard? I was watching The Today Show on Saturday morning and Giada de Laurentiiss was cooking at pasta with swiss chard and spinach. I found it at the Farmer’s Market and thought I might as well try it, I love greens. On Wednesday, I threw together this quick pasta dish with a leftover chicken tender from lunch that my nephew didn’t eat.


Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Chicken and Swiss Chard
(1 serving)

1 chicken tender, diced
3-4 swiss chard leaves, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
8 baby zucchini and squash, diced
2 scallions, chopped
Dashes of: crushed red pepper and thyme
1 TB Extra virgin olive oil
1 TB Butter
Fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest (optional)
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 serving whole wheat fettuccine, cooked

I used a combo of olive oil and butter because I like the taste. This dish is not very saucy, so if you like more sauce, you can add some marinara sauce or even more butter. Warm up the olive oil and butter over a medium flame (I miss my gas stove in Fiji). I still talk about flames even though I use an electric stove. Anyway, throw in the garlic and scallions and let them brown up for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the thyme, crushed red pepper and lemon zest. Add the squash and zucchini and sauté’ for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften and brown; then the swiss chard. The swiss chard will cook down tremendously (as seen in photos), so don’t worry if you think it’s too much. When the swiss chard has wilted, chuck in the chicken tender pieces. When the chicken has warmed up for 1-2 minutes with the veggies, turn off the flame and set aside. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then fold in the fettuccine. Finish it off with grated parmesan cheese and the fresh basil.


P.S. I’m still trying out online dating. Maybe eventually my recipes will go from “1” serving to “2”!!

Garbage Bowl Salad

When I haven’t thought about what to make for my lunch; I throw together whatever I have in my kitchen. I absolutely love sweet potatoes. I have just about converted from regular potatoes to sweet. If you haven’t you should try it. With this salad, I didn’t have any lettuce at home, so I bought some from the cafeteria at work and added it to my salad.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Pepper, and Black Bean Salad

1 roasted sweet potato, cubed
½ cup black beans, rinsed
¼ cup red onions, diced
½ cup grilled eggplant, diced
1 cup romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 cup spinach

Vinaigrette
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Pour into Mason jar and shake.

Toss together all the ingredients, add the vinaigrette and enjoy!

Smashed Eggplant Sandwiches

I can honestly say I never ate eggplant before I joined the Peace Corps. The only recipe I had ever heard it used in was eggplant parmesan. It appealed to me, but I still never ordered it at a restaurant. I know most people are the same. They don’t know how to cook it nor think it takes very good. At my flat in Fiji, I was blessed with four eggplant bushes in my yard. I could pick it every day and would still have some leftover. Eggplant was frequently curried by the Indo-Indians and fried by the Fijians. I began to love eggplant and started cooking other dishes with it.

I went to the Bluegrass Farmer’s Market yesterday for the first time. It’s located on Richmond Road in the Pedal Power parking lot which is right across from my work. There were only 3 tents set up but I was pleased with what I found. I bought mushrooms, green peppers, eggplants, and white raspberries. The farmer selling the eggplant asked me how I was going to cook the eggplant. I told her my many recipes and different ways to prepare it. She grows it and doesn’t even cook with it, it amazed me. I loved sharing my recipes and I even shared some of my Peace Corps experience. She definitely didn’t want to stop talking. I pulled myself away and jetted home to make my eggplant and mozzarella smashed sandwiches for my date that night.

Smashed Eggplant and Mozzarella Sandwiches with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
(2 servings)

1 large eggplant
1 block mozzarella cheese
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (I didn’t buy oil-packed but it works)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 fist-full of fresh basil, chopped
2 whole wheat baguettes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt and Pepper

Eggplant can be bitter, so it’s always a good habit to salt the slices and let the bitter juices come out before cooking. Slice the eggplants into ½ inch pieces. Salt both side and set aside. After 15 minutes, rinse and pat dry. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Heat a grill or in my case, a George Foreman. Spray both sides of the grill with olive oil and place the slices on. Let cook for 5 minutes or until eggplant is squishy. Remove from grill. The tomatoes should be re-hydrated now. Remove from water and squeeze out excess water. Put the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves, and 2 glugs of EVOO in a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste. Add salt, pepper, and the basil and pulse several times more. Place aside. Shred the mozzarella and slice the baguettes. Smear the sun-dried tomato pesto on each side of the bread. Place the cheese and cooked eggplant in between. Smash with your hand. Put the entire sandwich back on the GF and close. I then put a cast iron pan on top to smash it even more. (This is my version of a Panini press.) Cook for 1-2 minutes.

I hope this recipe gives you the guts to try eggplant sometime! Please let me know if you do.

Chicken Curry & Tomato Chutney

I ate curry so much while I lived in Fiji, I have only cooked it once since I’ve been home and that was for my brother. A few weeks ago, my friend Matt, asked for my help with his class project. His group was assigned India and since I lived and breathed Indian customs for two years, I told him I’d teach him how to make curry. And to make it even more interesting, he hadn’t tried any Indian food before.

I decided on two simple recipes: chicken curry and tomato chutney. I would also cook white rice to accompany the dish. Matt wanted the recipe to be as authentic as possible, so I tried my best. I had bought Indian spices previously at the International Grocery Store off Richmond Road. I purchased garam (hot) masala, turmeric, black mustard seeds, and whole cumin. I also told him we would only be cooking with bone-in chicken. There is no boneless, skinless chicken in Fiji, believe me. Most locals purchase a whole frozen chicken and have it cut into pieces by the butcher or they chop it themselves. I decided on two bone-in chicken breasts for our recipe since it was only for the two of us. The recipe below is for 4-6 people.

The tomato chutney is meant to be added to the chicken curry like a condiment. Just mix in a little chutney with each bite or mix into the rice. I like lots of curry sauce and chutney with my rice. It makes it easier to stick together, especially when you are eating with your hands.

The curry turned out great, just like I remembered. The smells wafting through my apartment definitely took me back to my host family’s house. Matt loved the food and ate it traditionally with his hands. He is definitely a fan of Indian food now.

Chicken Curry

3 lb whole chicken fryer, cut into pieces
1 garlic bulb (yes that’s right!)
1 medium onion, diced
1 TB black mustard seeds
1 TB whole cumin
2 tsp gingerroot, peeled and chopped
4 chilies
2 tsp turmeric
3 TP garam masala
4 TB oil
1 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste

Using a large heavy pan, heat the oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds to the oil. When the spices start popping, add the diced onion. In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, ginger, and chilies together. Add salt to make a paste. After the onions start softening, add the garlic mixture. Cook for 2-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Put the garam masala and turmeric in a small bowl and add water to make a runny paste. Add to the pan. Stir quickly and watch the heat, this will burn very fast if you are not careful. Add the chicken pieces and stir. 1-2 minutes later, add water to the pan. This will help make the sauce for the chicken and rice. Cook the chicken until tender. After removing from the stove, add the cilantro.


Tomato Chutney

1 can whole peeled tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp whole cumin
1 small onion, chopped
1-2 chilies
1 TB oil

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start to pop, add the onion. In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and chilies together. Add salt to make a paste. After the onions start softening, add the garlic mixture. Cook for 2-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the tomatoes, crushing and mashing them in your hands as you add them to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in sugar and simmer for 5 minutes.