Kenyan Githeri

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Kenyan Githeri

This simple, nourishing dish, githeri, originated with the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya.

Kikuyu_woman_traditional_dress

Lately there has been an upsurge in the consumption of githeri due to the health benefits associated with the dish. The combination of beans and corn supplies a full complement of protein for the often protein-poor diet of many Kenyans. Secondary schools are also credited with the popularization of this dish because it has been the main meal served to the students since the 1920s. Today it is eaten throughout the country as a staple dish. Eating githeri has also become trendy with young people. It is best served as is, but can also be enjoyed over rice or with a side of crusty bread. So if you love your beans and fresh corn, this is a must-try recipe!

 

Ingredients: 

 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp of curry powder

A large bunch of fresh kale, chopped

1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, drained, reserve the juice

3-4 cobs corn, husked (or 3-4 cups frozen kernels)

2 cup of cooked dried beans, any type, drained and rinsed

( may used canned but preferably cooked dried beans)

A sprinkle or two of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

 

 

Directions:

  1. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot and sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until they are lightly cooked, about 3 minutes or so. Add the curry powder and cook for another minute or so.
  2. Add the kale and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the kale softens, about 10 minutes or so. Add the tomatoes, corn and beans and simmer another 10 minutes or so. Add the reserved tomato juice and continue cooking until heated through. Season to your taste with salt and pepper then serve and share!
  3. Feel free to personalize your githeri by adding a few teaspoons of your favorite dried herb such as oregano, thyme or sage.

 

 

Ethiopian Beef Tibs

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Ethiopian Beef Tibs

My favorite meal in Ethiopia was these fabulous and yummy beef tibs! The sauce in this wonderful dish gets its kick from berbere, an Ethiopian chili powder fragrant with cardamom, fenugreek, and clove. Use it once and you’ll quickly see why much of Ethiopian cuisine is built upon it.

Cook: 45 minutes

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

1-   

Melt niter kibbeh(see recipe below) in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, then add onions, ginger, garlic, and berbere. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are dark, ruddy, and golden, about 30 minutes. Onions should be at a low sizzle during cooking process. Adjust heat accordingly. Transfer to food processor and blend until not quite a purée. Return to saucepan, season to taste with salt, and keep warm.

2-   Season beef on all sides generously with kosher salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat high until lightly smoking. Add beef in a single layer, leaving plenty of open space in the pan (brown in batches if you don’t have a large enough skillet). Cook without moving until well-seared on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip meat cubes with tongs and cook on second side until well seared. Continue to cook meat, stirring and flipping occasionally until desired level of doneness is reached. For rare meat, transfer to saucepan immediately. For medium, cook an additional one to two minutes before transferring to saucepan. For well done, cook up to five more minutes before transferring to saucepan.

3-   

Toss beef with warm sauce, stir in lemon juice, and serve.

Niter kibbeh is a spice blend always at the peak of freshness since you lock the flavors into clarified butter. There are as many recipes for niter kibbeh as there are Ethiopian cooks; this ingredient list is just what I’ve found most satisfying and well-balanced. The coriander and bay leaves aren’t strictly traditional, but they help unite this diverse array of spices into a satisfying whole.

Recipe for Niter Kibbeh:

 Ingredients:

1 pound of unsalted butter

1 small onion, minced

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

2 inches of ginger, peeled and sliced thin

2 3-inch sticks of cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon ground

8 crushed cardamom pods, or 1/2 teaspoon ground

1 teaspoon of fenugreek, whole or ground

1 teaspoon of coriander, whole or ground

2 cloves, or 1/8 teaspoon ground

2 bay leaves

Procedures:

1-   

In a saucepan, slowly melt the butter on low heat. Meanwhile, toast the spices. If grinding, toast beforehand.

2-   Add all the spices to the butter, and reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Keep an eye on the pot every few minutes to make sure it’s not boiling as the water evaporates. The milk solids will rise to the surface of the pot as the water cooks out.

3-   

Let the butter simmer, with just a few bubbles popping through, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Like a good stock, longer cooking is better, but it needs to be gentle so the milk solids don’t burn. If they do, the niter kibbeh will be irreparably bitter.

4-   When the solids have turned a pleasant brown and plenty of time has past, line a mesh strainer with a cheesecloth or paper towel and place it over a small storage container. Strain the butter well, making sure there are no milk solids or spices in the final product. Your niter kibbeh will last for months in the refrigerator. The larger a batch you make, the less butter you’ll lose to straining.

Baghali Polo with Chicken

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Most Iranian dishes are prepared with herbs, vegetables and rice along with meat, lamb, chicken or fish. The frequent use of fresh green herbs and vegetables in Iranian foods makes them a healthy choice for most households around the world. The Persian/Iranian cuisine refers to a style of cooking related to Persia or modern day Iran.  Baghali Polo with Chicken is a very popular dish in Iran. Enjoy!

Cook: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Rice
  • 3 bunch Dill
  • 1 lb (453g) Fava Beans (Baghali)
  • 1 lb (453g) Chicken
  • 1.5 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Oil
  • Turmeric

PREPARATIONS:

1- Mince the dill.
2- Wash the rice.
3- Boil 5 cups water.

DIRECTIONS:

1- Put the chicken thighs in a pot.
2- Add Turmeric and salt as needed to the pot.
3- Top the pot off with boiling water and simmer for 30 minutes.
4- Pour the Fava beans in a small pot, add boiling water and simmer until the beans are tender. Drain the water and let it cool of for few minutes, peel the skin off of the beans (try not to smash the fava beans).
5- Pour the rice in a large pot. Empty the water of the chicken’s pot into this pot.
6- Add the dill and salt to the pot, stir the mixture and let simmer until the water is steamed off.
7- In a large pot, apply oil, lay the chicken thighs across the pot.
8- Pour the rice on top of the chicken thighs than add the Fava beans on top.
9- Cover the pot with a large napkin and put the lid on.
10- Cook for 20 minutes with low heat.

 

Rissoles

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Viva Malta!

The rocky island of Malta is home to some beautiful rustic recipes that sing of Mediterranean flavor and freshness. Maltese cuisine is peasant cuisine, using vegetables in season, homemade cheeses, and cheaper cuts of meat.  Rissoles are a very popular dish in Malta and may be prepared with chicken, pork, beef or even turkey mince. They’re just as delicious served cold, as they are warm, so they make great snacks the day after! Enjoy!

 

Cook: 25 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup (50 g) whole meal breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp skim milk
  • 1 generous cup (250 g) chicken mince
  • ½ tsp mixed herbs
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 2/3 cup (400 ml) chicken stock
  • 1 3/4 cup (400 g) tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup (100 g) rice
  • Parsley to garnish

 

Directions:

Mix breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl. Add chicken mince, mixed herbs, garlic and egg. Mix well and let the mixture rest before forming the rissoles.

In a saucepan, cook the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves on moderate heat until boiling.

Add rice to the saucepan, mix well, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Form the rissoles (an ice-cream scoop is an easy way to make each rissole a consistent size), add to sauce, and simmer for 15 minutes, until rissoles are cooked.

Garnish with parsley. Serve with steamed green vegetables.

Chicken Marsala

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I love Chicken Marsala!  It is one of my favorite recipes. Pounding the chicken cutlets before cooking renders them thin and terrifically tender. Deglazing the pan with Marsala and stock after cooking the chicken creates a quick, rich sauce. It’s a delightful meal rich with flavor and a sweet aroma that awakens the senses!  Delicious!!!

“Delizioso” as the Italians would say!

 

 

Cook: 25 min

Yield: 4 serving

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground, black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 chicken breasts, boned, skinless
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (or 1/4 cup cooking sherry)
  • 1/2 lemon

 

Directions:

Mix together the flour, salt, oregano, and pepper.

Pound the chicken breasts gently (with the flat side of your meat mallet).

Roll the chicken in this until well coated.

On medium-high, heat up the olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides. Then put chicken onto a plate. (An option is to keep the chicken int he microwave at 10% power for five minutes.)

Pour wine into the oil and warm. Mix in the mushrooms, chicken stock and juice of the lemon. Turn the chicken over to get it well coated with the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. (If you cooked the chicken in two batches, put all the chicken back in the skillet before you add the Marsala.)

Add in chicken and cook covered another 10 minutes.

 

Note: Serve with a simple pasta dish such as fettuccine with butter and Parmesan cheese.

 

 

 

Chicken Piccata

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Cook: 25 min

Yield: 4 serving

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, cut in half
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.