Fiery Fish Stew

Picture this – there is a man wanted by the law for killing a dozen people in a particular city.  You live in another city, but are well aware of the crimes committed by this person in question.  While on the run, this man is passing through your city and falls ill.  He knocks at your door and asks to stay at your place till he gets well and can return back to his city and continue his crimes.  If you give him shelter, what does that make you?

This morning we woke up to the news that the President of Yemen, Mr.Saleh, was undergoing surgery in Saudi Arabia.  Now this got me thinking – why would Saudi or for that matter any country want to give asylum or shelter to someone who has been responsible for the murder of so many people?  Shelter to asylum seekers in genuine circumstances are denied like that to Ms.al-Obeidy from Libya which is just one of the thousands of examples.  But on the other hand rulers like Saleh or Idi Amin or Ben Ali are welcomed with open arms.  Where is the justice in this?  What have we as a race stooped down to?

My husband tells me not to write about politics on the blog – but from where I see it, this is not politics.  We are collectively as a race of people accepting this type of treatment and accepting injustice.  I am not an activist or participate in partisan politics – just another human being like you trying to make sense of things happening around.

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon chilli powder

400 grams chopped tomatoes

2 large potatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons fish sauce

½ kilo fish fillet

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan.   
2. When hot, add the cumin seeds.   
3. When they splutter, add the onion, garlic, pepper, garlic, chillies and bay leaves.  Fry for 7 minutes until the onion has browned.   
4. Stir in the salt, ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder and cook for another 4 minutes.   
5. Add the tomatoes and potatoes along with the tomato paste and fish sauce.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.  
6. Add the fish and then cover and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the fish is tender.  Serve hot with bread or rice.

Vegetarian Stew over Noodles

 Books - let us talk books today.  With so much snow and nothing to do outside, what else can keep me company?  From the time I was young, I have loved reading.  I remember going to the school library and getting Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys and reading them in an evening and then having to wait for a week before I could get another book out of the library.  Then when I was bigger, I joined the city library and was able to get books more often home.  After marriage I moved to Yemen for 5 years and remember missing reading books so much.  Internet was not so advanced then, there were no English books available there and I missed books so much.  

Coming here to Belgium again opened doors for me in terms of reading - I was able to easily find books in libraries, sales or on-line ordering.  The bad habit I have though is that it is very difficult for me to throw or get rid of the book after reading.  I have tried to encourage the children also to take up this hobby.  I remember in the beginning I had to blackmail them to read - read this book and then you will get to see the film made on this book.  Once the habit was inculcated, they now want to be at the library every week and check out the new books and get them home.  It is just a matter of getting children interested in this hobby - once the interest is aroused, they nurture the habit on their own.  

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 kilo assorted vegetables like potatoes, French beans, carrot, peas and cauliflower.

2 cups uncooked Chinese egg noodles

2 teaspoon oil

2 large red onions, finely sliced

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

½” Ginger, crushed

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 teaspoons curry powder

¾ cup coconut milk

Salt to taste
 

Method:

1. Prepare the egg noodles according to the package directions, omitting the salt.  Drain noodles and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large pan.   
3. When hot, add the onions.  Stir fry for a minute.   
4. Add ginger and garlic and fry for a further 3 minutes.   
5. Add curry powder, salt and tomato and stir fry for 10 minutes.  
6. Add the vegetables and stir fry for 3 minutes.   
7. Slowly stir in the coconut milk.  Reduce heat to medium and cook till vegetables are tender but not over-cooked, approximately 10 minutes. 
8. Serve the stew over the noodles.