Recipes - Whoo-Hoo A place to share them!

Ethiopia

Photo Courtesy of Kitchen Talks

scroll down the page for a list of other Ethiopian

foods you might like to try

Some of my favorite times in Ethiopia were spent around dinner tables with friends.  Dinner is an event with much shared love and laughter and unlike anything you will experience in the US.  And, the best part is, you don't even need a fork, you just use "God's fork"...

One big plate, no silverware, easy cleanup!

One of my favorite meals was doro wat, a spicy chicken stew.   I found this recipe on another blog call Full Little Tummies.  Just click on the name for the recipe.

Tibs were out of this world!  I still make them at home.  It is a quick and easy meal and served with a little gomen (see recipe below), some chopped cabbage and grated carrots makes are really healthy meal on those nights when you are in a hurry.

Prep beef by washing and cutting up into bite size cubes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion and cook on medium heat until onion appears clear. 

Add thinly sliced jalapeño peppers to taste. Stir in first tbsp berbere spice. Cook until vegetables are all soft. 

Add meat and tbsp of butter. Stir in second tbsp of spice. 

Continue to cook on medium heat, stirring often. Salt and pepper to taste.

Gomen - stewed collards greens.  It is very simple to make, just be sure to was the greens really well.  Finely chop the greens and mix with some finely chopped red onion.  Cook in a skillet with a little melted butter or ghee until tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

You can find recipes for berbere on the internet, or pick some up in the bulk section at Central Market.  You can also substitute chile powder and/or curry.  Or give me a call, I brought two kilos home with me and still have plenty to share.

Morocco

Kefta Meatballs in Butter Sauce

http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/beeflambandgoatrecipes/r/Kefta_in_butter_sauce.htm

Kefta refers to ground meat. You can make these Moroccan meatballs from ground beef, ground lamb, ground turkey or a combination of meats. The meat is well-seasoned with Moroccan spices and herbs before being shaped into balls and sauteed in butter.

You can serve the meatballs Moroccan style and use Moroccan bread for scooping up the kefta and sauce, but I like to arrange the meatballs around a large mound of Homemade Mashed Potatoesand eat with a fork. Green Bean Saute and garlic toast round out the meal.

Serves four.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (about 1/2 kg) ground beef, lamb or turkey
• 2 tablespoons very finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne pepper
• --------- For the Sauce ---------
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and/or cilantro
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more to taste
• 2 or 3 saffron threads, crumbled (optional)

Preparation:

Mix the ground meat with the onion, parsley, cilantro and spices. 

Knead the mixture well, and if time allows set the meat aside to 

allow the flavors to blend for a half hour (or longer in the fridge).

Shape the kefta into small meatballs. These can be as tiny as 

marbles, but I usually make mine about 3/4 inch in diameter.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or frying pan over medium 

heat and add the meatballs. Cook, stirring frequently, until the 

meatballs are browned on all sides.

Add the lemon juice, parsley and saffron to the pan. Continue 

cooking the meatballs for a few minutes longer while the sauce 

reduces to the the consistency of melted butter. Serve immediately.

India

http://www.recipesindian.com/indian_recipes/indian_snacks_recipes/Semia-Pakodi.html

Indian Cooking Recipe : Semia Pakodi

Ingredients :

pack of semia
3 potatoes
3-4 green chillies
3-4 tsp of corn flour
Salt

Method :

Boil ½ litre of water and add pack of
semia in it.
Add a pinch of salt and 2 drops of oil so that vemicilli doesnt stick.
Bring it to a boil and strain the water and wash vermicilli with running cold water.
Now peel potatoes and chop them into fine pieces and cut greenchillies into small pieces.
Now mix them with vermicilli along with flour add salt to taste.
Heat oil in kadai and fry a spoon full of the mixture.

Italy

Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

http://www.venice-italy-veneto.com/ricotta-gnocchi-recipe-little-pillows-that-melt-in-your-mouth.html

(This site has more beautiful pictures of Italy...)

1½ cups of 100% milk fat Ricotta cheese. Use a good quality one brand.
½ cup of all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon chopped Italian parsley

Mixing all the gnocchi recipe ingredients together to create a firm but slightly sticky texture I began forming the gnocchi. 

Two spoons are required to handle the pasta dough. One to scoop out the bite sized portion and the other to scrap it from the spoon and shape it onto a flat surface. 

Once you have your gnocchi's formed you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully place a group (you will probably have to cook them in sections) of the gnocchi in the water. Try not to crowd the pot. 

How do you tell when they are complete? Simple. They float to the top. Use a strainer of slotted spoon to remove the cooked gnocchi and set aside until you've completed all of the batches.

Have your pasta sauce ready before you begin cooking the gnocchi so when they are complete you can toss with your favorite Italian pasta sauce and serve. 

As the gnocchi land on your tongue you will feel the lightness melt in your mouth. 

Shiraz, Iran

http://www.food.com/recipe/persian-tomato-and-cucumber-salad-salad-shiraz-96978

Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad (Salad Shiraz)

Ingredients:

Servings:

  4   4

4-6

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion
• parsley
• salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (can be adjusted to your taste)
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. 1 Chop all the vegetables (tomato, cucumber and onion) finely.
2. 2 Mix chopped vegetables with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.
3. 3 Salt to taste.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/persian-tomato-and-cucumber-salad-salad-shiraz-96978#ixzz1D8fDilw0

Belgium

Crepes with Salted Butter Caramel Recipe

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/crepes/r/saltcaramelcrep.htm

Crepes with salted butter caramel is a classic Breton dessert. Salted caramel has a tangy, rich taste that has garnered a cult following. The best thing is that it’s so easy to make. Add vanilla Chantilly cream and sautéed apples to your finished crepes for a truly impressive dessert.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• For Salted Butter Caramel:
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/16 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

To make the crepes: Process all the ingredients in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Allow the batter to rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before making into crepes.

Melt a little butter in a crepe pan or large skillet over low-medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of batter to the pan and swirl until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter. Cook the crepe for 1 minute, or until the crepe is slightly moist on top and golden underneath. Loosen the edges of the crepe, slide the spatula under it, and then gently flip it upside down into the pan. Cook for 1 minute and transfer the cooked crepe to a plate to keep warm.

To make the salted butter caramel: In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the heavy cream. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the sugar in a separate saucepan set over medium heat. Sprinkle the water over the sugar and allow it to dissolve over the heat without stirring. As the sugar begins to caramelize, occasionally shake and swirl the pan to evenly distribute the color.

When the caramel is a rich golden color, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the hot cream and melted butter to the caramel. Take care to stand back during this process; the hot caramel will bubble up the sides of the pan.

Return the caramel to the lowest heat setting, whisking constantly. Cook and stir the salted butter caramel for 2 minutes over the low heat. Remove from the heat and season the sauce with the 1/16 teaspoon sea salt; stir until it is dissolved completely.

To assemble the crepes: Spoon 2 teaspoons of the caramel sauce down the center of a warm crepe and roll into a cylinder. Alternately, spoon 2 teaspoons of the caramel sauce onto the center of a warm crepe and then fold it into quarters. Garnish with vanilla Chantilly cream and sautéed apples. Drizzle the crepes with additional caramel sauce, if desired.

This crepes with salted butter caramel recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.

Afghanistan/Pakistan

Since the recipes I found for both countries were so similar, I combined them into one meal....Enjoy!

Kabuli Pilau

Kabuli Pilau is a national dish for Afghanistan and is part of the Golden Jubilee Series

 Ingredients
1 large onion (chopped fine)
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Ib Lamb on the bone (2 inch pieces)
6 cloves garlic minced
2 cups Basmati Rice
3 medium tomatoes; blanched and peeled
2 tspn cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
Garnish:
2 large carrots; cut into matchsticks
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water

Method

1.                  Fry the onions (in a large enough saucepan for the cooked rice), until almost caramelised, remove and set aside.

2.                  Brown the meat and garlic in the same oil, and add 3 ½ cups of water, boil until the meat is cooked, remove the meat and set aside

3.                  Wash and soak the rice for half an hour

4.                  Grind the fried onions with the tomatoes and add to the meat stock, bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes.

5.                  Add the cumin seeds, garam masala and rice and simmer for 10 minutes, stir in the meat cook for a further 10 minutes or until there is no liquid visible,

6.                  While the rice is cooking, fry the carrots for 10 minutes, drain the oil, add raisins and water and cook for a further 10 minutes

7.                  Place the pilau in a larger platter and garnish with the carrots and raisins.

Check out Chachi's Kitchen for some really great recipes I can't wait to try!  As her blog says..."

Chachi's Kitchen - Ismaili Recipes - This blog contains our family recipes; mainly it is Ismaili (Khoja) cuisine, our family lived in Uganda for 3 generations so we have a marked East African(Swahili, Lugandi) Influence in our cooking AND in our language!! (Kutchi / Cutchi / Gujarati. In recent years with new additions to the family our cooking includes, English, Pakistani, Italian and Irish influences."

http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/kabuli-pilau.html

Garam Masala Recipe 
From Indian Regional Classics (Canada, UK), by Julie Sahni.

This is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. Used throughout North India in all types of dishes — from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses — this blend is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking. It is widely available, but my homemade version is more fragrant and, of course, fresher.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cumin seeds 
2 tablespoons coriander seeds 
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds 

2 tablespoons black peppercorns 
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up 
1 teaspoon whole cloves 
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 
1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)

Instructions:

Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.

Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Garam Masala keeps for 3 months.

Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup

http://www.ochef.com/r75.htm

CHAPATI PAKISTANI BREAD

2 c. whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp. dry yeast 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. oil 1 c. water Mix flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Combine the oil and water and slowly mix it into the dry ingredients. Let rise for 1-2 hours. Makes one dozen balls out of the dough using more flour as needed to keep them from sticking. Cover them with a wet towel until ready to use to prevent them from drying out. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Roll each ball into a flat round Chapati as thin as possible, sprinkling with flour as you go the help prevent sticking. Bank one side of each Chapati becomes light brown, remove it with the tongs and keep it in a towel. These can be eaten plain or with butter and served with soup, meat, and vegetables.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,194,151179-228196,00.html

I LOVE desert and this one was way too easy, and better yet, it comes from a book - .  Oh boy! More words to devour!

Afghan Butter Cookies

Kulche Birinjee

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened to room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 egg whites

2 cups white rice flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup coarsely-chopped pistachios

1/4 cup shelled whole pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy.  Add the egg whites and mix until smooth.  Gradually add the rice flour, cardamom and pistachios.  Mix well.  Scoop up a tablespoon of dough and set on a cookie sheet (ungreased is ok).  Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. The cookie will not rise or spread during cooking.

Press the back of a fork into the dough, making a criss-cross with the tines of the fork (like you would with a peanut butter cookie).  If the fork begins to stick, dip it in a glass of cold water from time to time.  Place a pistachio in the center of the cookie.   Continue with the remainder of the dough, setting the cookies 1 ½ inches apart. 

 Bake for 12-14 mintues.  Let it cool before eating.

If you want to try some more Afghan cooking, check out this site – Afghan Cooking Unveiled…

Humaira Ghilzai and Katie Morford are two friends bound by a mutual interest in Afghan cooking, recipes and culture. Humaira was born in Afghanistan and spent the better part of her youth there. She is the co-founder and director of the Afghan Friends Network, a non-profit organization supporting educational programs in her native country. Though not her first profession, cooking is a new found passion. Katie is a freelance food writer and a registered dietitian. She has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, New York Times, Cooking Light, Self, Shape, and Bon Appetit. She loves to cook all kinds of foods but has a weak spot for Afghan recipes.

http://www.afghancooking.net/afghan-cooking-unveiled/2011/01/were-published.html#comments 

And while you are at it, why not check out her organization …Afghan Friends Network

http://afghanfriends.net/   Afghan Friends Network believes peace among nations can be affected in a very practical, incremental way: by forging friendships that enrich people and their communities.

Uganda...

How to Cook Matoke (Plantains) the Ugandan Way

By Gerrie Grimsley, eHow Member

Matoke served for lunch at a Women's Retreat in Lugazi, Uganda

User-Submitted Article

Matoke is a staple in Uganda and served with every meal in almost every home. It looks like a green banana and grows in bunches on a tree. However, unlike bananas, matoke is fairly hard before it is cooked and is not sweet at all. In the United States, we know matoke by the name of plantains!

If you were to visit one of the villages in this beautiful country, you would be invited to have a meal in someone's home or hut. Ugandans do not have much, but your gracious host would insist on serving you a meal. No matter how meger,or elaborate, you would be given the very best they had, and your meal would certainly include matoke.

There are many wonderful ways to fix matoke/plantains, and many of these recipes will tantalize the appetite and tickle the taste buds. However, this article will show you the way matoke is fixed each day in its native land of Uganda.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Matoke/plantain fruit
• Leaves and stalks from the matoke plant
• Pot
• Water
• Cooking fire

1. 1
   
   Matoke, or plantain, is the green fruit on the left
   MATOKE ~ UGANDAN STYLE

   
   

   Matoke is taken to the "cooking hut," where it is first peeled, and then wrapped carefully in the plants own leaves.
2. 2 A small amount of water is placed in a cooking pot, followed by stalks which have been removed from the matoke leaves.
3. 3
   
   The pot is then placed on a direct fire (usually charcoal) and the matoke is steamed for a couple of hours before carefully being removed.
4. 4
   The matoke is then mashed while still wrapped in the leaves and often served on a fresh leaf.
5. 5
   
   Once the meal has been prepared and eaten, clean up takes place immediately. The dish washing station is outdoors, and water is boiled for washing and rinsing.

Tips & Warnings

• Matoke is a medium sized green fruit that looks like a banana. However, Matoke is firmer than bananas and has less sugar content.
• Cooking turns the matoke/plantains from it's original color and texture of white and fairly hard, to a soft texture and yellow color.
• Each village home has a "cooking hut" where their food is cooked.
• When cooking for a large group, Ugandans use a pit that has been dug in the ground of the cooking hut.
• Matoke is most often served with a sauce made of vegetables, groundnuts (what we call, "peanuts"), or some type of meat.

Read more: How to Cook Matoke (Plantains) the Ugandan Way | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5518182_cook-matoke-plantains-ugandan-way.html#ixzz1BmABzEEF

MILLET BREAD

2 tsp. honey 2 1/2 c. lukewarm water 2 tbsp. dry yeast 2 eggs 2 tbsp. oil 2 tsp. salt 1 c. millet flour 2 c. cornmeal 2 c. oat flour Add honey to lukewarm water and sprinkle yeast over surface. Let soak. Combine eggs and oil. Set aside. In separate bowl combine salt and flours. When yeast is activated add it to the egg mixture. Then stir this into the dry mixture blending well.Pour batter into oiled 9"x9" pan. Leave in warm place 30 to 40 minutes until dough has risen by half as much. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until bread is brown on top. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,144166-231204,00.html Ground nut Sauce Ingredients 400 g Groundnut 3 onions 4 fresh tomatoes or 1 box of tomato puree 3 cloves of garlic 2 carrots palm oil salt, pepper and chilli to taste Directions First stage: Groundnut sauce Roast the groundnuts in some oil and then prune them. Crush the groundnuts with some water and make a paste. Chop the onions and garlic Dice the carrots. Second stage: Sauté the onions and garlic in palm oil until brown and tender Add the Groundnut paste and water. Make sure to mix regularly to prevent stickiness. Add the tomatoes and carrots. season with salt, pepper and chilli let simmer for 20 minutes. Third Stage: corn couscous (foufou) Bring slightly salted water to the boil Add the cornstarch and mix vigorously to obtain desired consistency. Alternatives: Add a few pieces of smoked Chicken or Beef directly in the sauce Groundnut Ugali   Edit this page Read more: Cornmeal Recipes, Tanzanian Recipes Edited  Ugali served with cabbage Added by Elocina Description Edit Ugali is a thick porridge usually served at breakfast. Ingredients Edit 1 cup water 1 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 1 cup white cornmeal Directions Edit Boil the water with the salt added in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, stir the milk into the white cornmeal. Keep stirring until it is smooth. Then slowly pour the cornmeal mixture into the boiling salted water. Stir this mixture constantly for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken. Turn the heat on the stove to low and continue to cook the ugali for about 10 - 15 minutes. Stir it every couple of minutes. Keep cooking and stirring until the ugali is very stiff and thick and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Chickennat   Edit this page Read more: Rice Recipes Edited  Description Edit Ingredients Edit 1 2-3 lb. Chicken, cut into pieces 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup onions, chopped 1 pint chicken stock 3/4 cup pure Peanut butter, or 1 lb roasted peanuts, ground to a paste 1 to 2 egg yolks several sprigs of parsley, coarsely chopped Directions Edit Rub the Chicken pieces with salt and pepper. melt butter in a large, heavy skillet or stew pot, and add theChicken and onions. Cover and simmer over lowest heat, periodically adding stock until you have used it all. (If you don't have stock, add plain water or bouillon). After 15 minutes, remove half cup of the cooking liquid to thin the Peanut butter or paste. Add to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then whisk some of the hot stew liquid into the egg yolks. Add to the pot and stir to incorporate the egg mixture into the stew. Simmer gently until Chicken is done. Be careful not to heat the stew above a simmer from this point. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve with rice or a corn porridge. Serves 4 - 6. Plantains with Chicken Stew   Edit this page Read more: Chicken Recipes Edited by A Wikia contributor  Description Edit Ingredients Edit 2 lb. plantains or green bananas water 1/2 level teaspoon salt Few grains of pepper Chicken stew A 3-lb. frying Chicken, jointed 4 tablespoons oil 1 large Onion, sliced 2 large tomatoes, peeled and cut in wedges, or 1 small tin tomatoes, drained 2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 level teaspoon salt 1/2 level teaspoon pepper 3/4 pint water Directions Edit Peel the plantains or green bananas and place in a steamer or a saucepan with a rack in the bottom. Addwater, leaving the bananas above the level of the water. Add salt and pepper. Bring contents to boiling point; reduce heat and steam bananas until soft. Lift bananas from the liquid and mash well. Place in top of double saucepan over simmering water until ready to serve with Chicken stew. To make Chicken stew: fry Chicken in hot oil in a heavy sauté pan until brown. Add onions, tomatoes, potatoes,salt, pepper and water. Cover tightly and simmer for about 1 hour, or until Chicken is tender. Pour Chicken stew over plantains. Serves 6. Note: The plantain and the green banana (not the banana used generally in its green unripe state) as prepared above taste similar to mashed white potatoes. Sim-Sim Cookies   Edit this page Read more: Sesame seed Recipes Edited by A Wikia contributor  Description Edit These cookies are really good and really simple. They are good if you need something for a school project. They are very tasty and simple. Everyone likes them. Ingredients Edit Use equal parts of sesame seeds (clean & dry) Sugar Directions Edit Heat together over a low temperature until the Sugar liquefies. Be careful not to let the mixture cook too long, or the cookies will be too brittle. Pour the hot mixture onto a flat, greased surface. Work quickly to pat or roll the hot mixture into a flat sheet, approximately 1/4 inch thick. Cool until warm to the touch, but not hot. Slice into squares. Separate the square cookies and remove them to another surface to remain cooling. Please, if I have violated anyone's copyright, accept my most humble apologies and let me know so that I can remove it immediately.  Please know that I have used your photos, words, etc. to help share your work with others.  I have tried to be very careful to observe copyright restrictions.  I hope I have not failed.

One of my favorite foods that isn't included in this list is gomen.  I would never have considered eating collards at home, but I found I loved them prepared this way. I found  a really good recipe for it here.

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/yeabesha-gomen-184006

 

Of course, cabbage, carrots, red onions, avacados, tomatoes and bananas, along with mangos were staples of my diet.  No wonder I came home so skinny!