Berbere

Berbere is a mix of spices used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. It consists of a fiery mix of chili and several aromatic spices.

Ingredients

• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground cardamom seed
• ½ tsp ground coriander seed
• ½ tsp ground fenugreek seed
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs salt
• 2 cups chili flakes

Procedure

1. Roast everything except the pepper, chili and salt, in a heavy saucepan or cast-iron frying pan for about 5 minutes on a low heat.
2. Stir in the pepper, chili and salt, and keep stirring for another 10 minutes.
3. Store in a glass jar, away from sunlight.

Labels: Ethiopian Food, seasoning, spices

  ¶ 4/25/2008 12:39:00 PM 0 Comments

  Berbere

Berbere is a mix of spices used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. It consists of a fiery mix of chili and several aromatic spices.

Ingredients

• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground cardamom seed
• ½ tsp ground coriander seed
• ½ tsp ground fenugreek seed
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs salt
• 2 cups chili flakes

Procedure

1. Roast everything except the pepper, chili and salt, in a heavy saucepan or cast-iron frying pan for about 5 minutes on a low heat.
2. Stir in the pepper, chili and salt, and keep stirring for another 10 minutes.
3. Store in a glass jar, away from sunlight.

  ¶ 4/25/2008 12:39:00 PM 0 Comments

  Cuisine of Ethiopia

Most Ethiopian dishes are based on berbere, powdered hot red pepper that also contains a variety of other spices. Spiced, clarified butter is also commonly used, as are a variety of other spices. Usually several dishes are served at a meal, and Injera, a flat, pancake-like bread is always included. Stew or "wat" dishes are the mainstay of Ethiopian cuisine. They can be meat, grain or vegetable based, and are usually highly spiced, but not always hot. Perhaps because Orthodox Christian Ethiopians traditionally eat vegetarian food twice a week, the cuisine has developed a large variety of complex vegetarian dishes. The following are some of the most common Ethiopian dishes:

MEAT DISHES

Doro Wat - Chicken Stew is a popular Ethiopian dish, Doro Wat consists of chicken stewed in a red hot pepper sauce. The chicken is cooked until it is quite tender and served with the bones in. Hard-boiled eggs are included in the stew, pierced before cooking so that they absorb some of the sauce.

Siga Wat - Beef stew in hot red pepper sauce. The beef is cut into small pieces and stewed until tender.

Beg Wat - Lamb stew in hot red pepper sauce. The lamb is cut into chunks, sometimes with the bone in.

Kitfo - Raw, finely chopped spiced beef.

VEGETABLE DISHES

Gomen Wat - Boiled collard greens with garlic, onions and sometimes, ginger.

Mesir Wot - Lentils, usually cooked in hot pepper sauce. This dish ranges from hot to very hot. Lentils are cooked until they are quite soft and blend slightly with the sauce.

Shiro Wot - A stew made from toasted and ground split peas.

DESSERT

Ethiopians do not as a rule eat dessert, although restaurants sometimes offer them as a boon to their non-Ethiopian guests.

DRINKS

Tela - Unfiltered beer, often homemade. Beer in bottles is called "bira".

Tej - A Sweet honey-wine. It is often homemade and is of varying strengths, ranging from the very sweet and almost non-alcoholic "birz", to the stronger and less sweet true tej. It is available in bottles, but the taste does not match that served at home by an expert tej-maker.

Coffee - Coffee originated in Ethiopia and drinking coffee involves its own ceremony. Ethiopians hand roast their coffee, often bringing out a pan of sizzling beans so that their guests can smell the aroma. The coffee is then ground and boiled in a clay pot called a "jebena". The hostess will sit on stool in front of a low table and light chunks of incense, often myrrh. The coffee pot is left to rest until the grinds settle to the bottom. It is then poured into tiny cups and served with sugar. The hostess will make a second pot using the same grinds and the process will be repeated. Sometimes a third pot will be made. Coffee is served at any time during the day and almost always after meals.

  ¶ 4/25/2008 12:38:00 PM 0 Comments

  Chokladboll :: Swedish Chocolate Balls The chokladboll (or negerboll) is a traditional Swedish pastry often eaten with coffee during fika. They are quick and easy to prepare, since they require no baking and only a few, common ingredients.

Labels: chocolate, coffee, cookies, no-bake, oats, party food, sugar, Swedish, sweet

  ¶ 4/25/2008 12:34:00 PM 0 Comments

  Corn Potato Chowder Elam Blank :: The Amish Kitchen Ingredients: 6 medium potatoes (diced) 2 stalks of celery 2 cups cooked corn 1/2 c. onions (optional) 1 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. butter or margarine 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour 3 c. milk ----------------------------------------------- 1) Cover potatoes and celery with water and boil until almost tender. 2) Add cooked corn. 3) In another pan, heat butter or margarine. Stir in flour. 4) Add milk. 5) Add potato-corn mixture including water to milk mixture. 6) Stir and then let it sit for 5 minutes. 7) Serve.

Labels: Amish, celery, chowder, corn, dinner, easy, onion, potatoes, soup, stew

  ¶ 4/25/2008 06:07:00 AM 0 Comments

  Tomato and Red Onion Salad with Lime-Cilantro Dressing Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Taking Sides 2 limes, juiced 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, a couple of handfuls 2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it Salt and pepper 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, quartered and thinly sliced Place the lime juice, cilantro, and hot sauce in food processor and add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Taste dressing and adjust seasonings. Pour dressing into a bowl and add onions and tomatoes. Toss gently and coat in dressing. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes and serve.  ¶ 4/18/2008 04:18:00 PM 0 Comments

  Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Taking Sides 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, eyeball it 5 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended:Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick Grill Mates) 1 large head broccoli, cut into thin, long spears Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, chili powder and grill seasoning in the bottom of a large bowl and add the broccoli spears. Toss to coat broccoli evenly then transfer to a large nonstick baking sheet. Roast the broccoli until ends are crisp and brown and stalks are tender, 17 to 20 minutes.

Labels: broccoli, evoo, garlic, oven roasted

  ¶ 4/18/2008 04:17:00 PM 0 Comments

  Smoky Chipotle and Cheddar Mac Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Show: 30 Minute Meals Episode: Taking Sides 1 pound macaroni elbows or cavatapi corkscrew shaped pasta twists Salt 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling 3/4 pound chorizo, 1 package, casing removed and diced 1 (15-ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 chipotle in adobo and their juices, chopped or 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chili 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk 1 cup chicken stock 3 cups shredded smoked Cheddar Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni. When it boils, salt water and cook pasta until a little under done, just shy of al dente. While pasta cooks, place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and chorizo. Brown the chorizo then add the canned tomatoes to the pan and heat them through. Remove from heat and reserve. While chorizo begins to cook, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, then add onions and chipotles and cook 3 to 5 minutes to sweat it out and turn the juices sweet. Raise heat up a bit, add the flour and whisk together until mixture bubbles up. Cook 1 minute more. Whisk in milk and stock and raise heat up a little more to bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop heat back to a rolling simmer sauce to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain macaroni or pasta. Add cooked pasta back to the large pot. Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt, a minute or so. Stir in chorizo and tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over cooked pasta in large pot and toss to combine. Transfer to a large serving platter, garnish with chives and serve.

Labels: 30 Minute Meals, cheese, dinner, macaroni, Rachael Ray

  ¶ 4/18/2008 04:16:00 PM 0 Comments

  Oven Roasted Dinner I made dinner last night, it was so easy and actually pretty healthy too (I am trying to do that more often, but finding stuff that we all like isn't easy!).

Labels: broccoli, chicken, dinner, evoo, good, healthy, olive oil, oven roasted, potatoes

  ¶ 4/08/2008 05:50:00 AM 0 Comments

  Whittaker Garlic Bread 9-10 medium cloves garlic, skins left on 6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened 3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese ½ tsp salt 1 loaf italian bread, halved lengthwise ground black pepper 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, toast garlic cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occaionally, until fragrant and color of cloves deepens slightly, about 8 minutes. When cool to handle, skin and mince cloves. Using a dinner fork, mash garlic, butter, cheese,and salt in small bowl until thoroughly combined. 2. Spread cut sides of loaf evenly with butter mixture; season to taste with pepper. Transfer loaf halves, buttered side up, onto rimmed baking sheet; bake, until surface of bread is golden brown and toasted, 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately. Thanks Heather!

Labels: bread, cheese, garlic, garlic bread, Italian Food, quick

  ¶ 4/03/2008 11:45:00 AM 0 Comments