Drinks: Tiffany
Ethiopian Roast Coffee from Landgrove Coffee
South African Red Wine from the Wine Company
Honey Mead from Latah Winery
The national drink of Ethiopia is Tej, a golden sweet honey-wine. Tej is a mead that is indigenous to Ethiopia with roots going back to the 4th century.
Appetizer: Lovina
Injera-Ethiopian Bread
¾ cup buckwheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 c Club soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg (beaten)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
Mix flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in egg and club soda until batter is creamy. Cook at once on a buttered skillet. Fry 2 Tbs. batter for 1-2 minutes on one side only. Serve warm with or under main dishes. The club soda takes place of a sourdough starter. (Made in the same fashion as crepes in a pan)
Spiced Cheese
1 lb Dry Curd Cottage Cheese – or Farmer's Cheese
2 T Spiced Butter
1 tsp Cayenne
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients, being careful not to break up the curds.
Spiced Butter
4 tsp fresh ginger (finely grated)
1 ½ tsp ground tumeric
¼ tsp cardamom seeds
1 ea stick cinnamon; 1 inch long
1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
3 ea whole cloves
2 pound salted butter
1 sm yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 T garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Measure out the spices on a plate.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Bring the butter up to a light boil.
When the surface is covered with white foam, stir in all the remaining ingredients, including the onion and garlic.
Reduce heat to low and cook, uncovered, for about 45 mins. Do not stir again.
Milk solids will form in the bottom of the pan and they should cook until they are golden brown. The butter will be clear.
Strain the mixture through several layers of cheesecloth placed in a colander. Avoid the milk solids and discard them.
Store the spiced butter in a quart jar, covered, in the frig. It will keep for 3 months under refrigeration.
Salad: Stacey
Queen of Sheba Salad
1 lb. firm tomatoes, chopped
½ c sweet onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red chili pepper, thinly sliced
Dressing:
½ cup ketchup
2 T red wine vinegar
¼ c olive oil
¼ c sweet white wine (like Madeira)
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
Toss salad ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together dressing and drizzle over salad. Toss lightly again and serve. This can be served with lettuce and goes well with Injera bread.
Soup: Nicole
Vegetable Alecha
Vegetable Stew
Yield: 8 portions
The Copts in Ethiopia have many fast days on which they are not permitted to eat meat. Vegetables Alechas and Wats are substituted on these days. (The Wat differs from the Alecha in that it is made with a spice called Ber-beri or Awaze.)
In a 4-quart saucepan:
Sauté:
1 c Bermuda onions in
4 T oil until soft but not brown.
Add: 4 carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch slices
4 green peppers, cleaned and cut in quarters
3 c water
1 6-oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger.
Cook for 10 minutes covered.
Add 4 potatoes cut in thick slices.
Plunge 2 tomatoes in boiling water, remove skins, cut in 8 wedges each, and add to stew. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add 8 Cabbage wedges, 1 inch wide. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender. Correct the Seasoning.
Place in an attractive bowl and portion out uniformly.
Side Dish: Ashley
Lentils with Ethiopian spice mix (berbere)
Berbere is a chile and spice blend used to season many Ethiopian dishes.
Makes about 1 cup of Berbere.
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ c ground dried New Mexico chiles
¼ c paprika
1 T salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Finely grind fenugreek seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Stir
together with remaining ingredients until combined well.
1 lb lentils
6 c water or vegetable broth
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (or more)
fresh ground black pepper
Lentils
Bring lentils and broth to boil and simmer 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and Berebere spices to taste. Cook covered for another 30 minutes, until most of liquid is absorbed. Serve with ground black pepper to taste.
Entree: Erin
Doro Wat
3 pounds Chicken or TVP
2 c Onion; chopped
2 T Garlic; minced
2 T Lemon juice
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ginger, fresh; chopped
½ tsp Fenugreek
½ tsp Cardamom
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ c Niter kebbeh
¾ c Water
¼ c Wine, white, dry
¼ c Berbere sauce
2 T Paprika
4 Eggs; hard boiled
Cut chicken into serving pieces and pat dry. Combine onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg, and butter or niter kebbeh in a saucepan. Simmer two to three minutes. Add the water, wine, berbere sauce, and paprika. Cook briskly for three to five minutes or until sauce is the consistency of cream. Add the chicken pieces. Cover tightly and simmer 15 minutes. Pierce eggs with tines of a fork and add to the pan. Cover and cook 15 minutes more, or until chicken is tender.
Berbere (red pepper & spice paste)
To make about 2 cups.
1 tsp Ground ginger
½ tsp Ground cardamom
½ tsp Ground coriander
½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp Ground nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
⅛ tsp Ground cloves
⅛ tsp Ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp Ground allspice
2 T Finely chopped onions
1 T Finely chopped garlic
2 T Salt
3 T Dry red wine
2 c Paprika
2 T Ground hot red pepper
½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1½ c Water
1 each To 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a heavy 2 to 3 quart saucepan (preferably one with an enamelled or non-stick surface), toast the ginger, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and allspice over low heat for a minute or so, stirring them constantly until they are heated through. Then remove the pan from the heat and let the spices cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Combine the toasted spices, onions, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the salt and the wine in the jar of an electric blender and blend at high speed until the mixture is a smooth paste. Combine the paprika, red pepper, black pepper and the remaining tablespoon of the salt in the saucepan and toast them over low heat for a minute or so, until they are heated through, shaking the pan and stirring the spices constantly. Stir in the water, 1/4 cup at a time, then add the spice and wine mixture. Stirring vigorously, cook over lowest possible heat for 10 to 15 minutes. With a rubber spatula, transfer the berbere to a jar or crock, and pack it in tightly. Let the paste cool to room temperature, then dribble enough oil over the top to make a film at least 1/4 inch thick. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. If you replenish the film of oil on top each time you use the berbere, it can safely be kept in the refrigerator for 5 or 6 months. Berbere (Red-Pepper and Spice Paste)
Niter Kebbeh (clarified butter)
1 pounds Butter
4 T Chopped onion
1½ T Finely chopped garlic
2 tsp Fresh grated ginger
½ tsp Turmeric
2-4 crushed cardamom seeds
1 Piece cinnamon
2 or 3 cloves
⅛ tsp Ground nutmeg
Niter Kebbeh is a spiced up ghee. Here is a recipe for it from "The Africa News Cookbook", published in the US by Viking Penguin. Slowly melt butter in a saucepan, then bring to boil. When the top is covered with foam, add the other ingredients and simmer uncovered on lowest heat until the surface is transparent and milk solids are on the bottom (45 to 60 minutes). Pour off the clear liquid and strain through a double layer of damp cheesecloth, discarding the spices and solids. Refrigerate. If strained a second and third time, the mixture will keep either chilled or at room temperature for 2 to 3 months.
Dessert: Tamara
Baklava
4 c (1lb) almonds, walnuts or equal mix, coarsely chopped
¾ c sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ lb clarified, melted, unsalted butter or margarine
1 lb phyllo dough
Lemon syrup:
2 c water
2 c. sugar
2 lemon zest strips (~3 inches long)
2 T fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine nuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Butter 9x14x2 in baking dish. Layer phyllo 1 sheet at a time in dish, brushing each sheet with butter…1/2 package on the bottom, ½ on top with the nut mixture in between. Score the baklava into diamond shapes ~36 pieces. Bake till golden, ~35-40 minutes Make syrup while pastry is baking. In a deep saucepan combine water, sugar and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring often. Let the mixture thicken ~15 minutes. Remove zest and discard, stir in juice. When baklava is finished, pour warm syrup evenly over the pastry. Let stand till cooled slightly. Recut and serve warm or cold.
WildCard: Mariah
Injera
Yield: 5 9-inch pancakes
Combine: 1 c buckwheat pancake mix
1 c biscuit mix
1 egg
Add: 1 T oil
1 1/2 -2 c water to obtain an easy pouring consistency.
Bring a 10-inch skillet or a handled griddle pan to medium heat uniformly over the flame. Do not let the pan get too hot.
Spread 1/2 tsp. oil over the pan with a brush.
Fill a measuring cup (with spout) or a large cream pitcher with batter.
Pour the mixture on the hot pan or griddle in a thin stream starting from the outside and going in circles to the center from left to right. As soon as it bubbles uniformly all over remove from heat. Pancakes should be 9 inches in diameter.
Place the pan in an oven at 325' for about 1 minute until the top is dry but not brown.
