Ethiopian Collard Greens

Let's say you don't have any niter kebbeh, you could make it in the moment, like so. But since I already had some, I skipped right to the end...

Ingredients
1 tbsp niter kebbeh
2 bunches of collard greens
1 cup chopped onion
salt and pep
white wine vinegar

Set the onion to saute in the butter while you chop the collards into a rough dice. Add the collards when the onions are translucent and cook until your desired tenderness. Salt. Pep. Splash of vinegar.

If you prefer to make it spicy you could add a minced chili pepper, but I think it's nice to have some mild dishes on the injera, for variety's sake.

Ethiopian Beet and Potato Salad

Hot or cold. Sure to stain your hands.

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
5 red potatoes
5 large beets


I worked off this recipe, but instead of cooking then peeling and slicing, I opted to...
Peel and dice the potatoes and beets into 1 inch chunks while you bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil the beets for 5- 10 minutes first, as they take longer to cook, then add the potatoes and boil until tender. While they're cooking, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Drain the potatoes and beets and toss in the dressing.

I cooked the roots until they were soft and smushed a little upon tossing. This would be an amazing mayonnaise-free summer potato salad if they were a bit more al dente and some fresh chopped dill.

Atakilt Wat (Ethiopian Cabbage and Carrots)

I first fell in love with the cabbage in North Carolina when I discovered that it was amazing just sauteed in butter and salted. Then, I realized that I could add caraway seeds and the dish was elevated to near god-like status. But on injera? I think not. It just wouldn't be...orange enough. The carrots here make the overall flavor a little sweet, and it's quite* gingery. If you're not into that, cut back a bit.

*dammit, Tiana.
Ingredients
1/4 cup niter kibbeh
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated or minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced into 1 inch chunks
5 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks (really however many you want- the more carrots, the sweeter the dish)
salt to taste

1. Saute the onion in the niter kebbeh until translucent then add the garlic and ginger.
   
2. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover, lower heat, and cook until the thick vegetables have become tender. Stir every so often to prevent sticking and burning.
   

Easy peasy.

Yemiser W'et (Ethiopian Spicy Lentils)

This dish did not come out spicy, even a little. Next time around I'd throw in a minced chili or more berbere. Still, it was flavorful and a beautiful orangey-red...dare I say, burnt sienna?

Ingredients
1 cup red lentils
1 cup onions, chopped
1 clove gar1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup niter kebbeh
1 tbsp berbere
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp sweet paprika (as tempting as I find it to use smoked paprika for everything)
2 cups tomatoes, chopped or crushed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup veggie stock
salt and pep

1. Bring the lentils to a boil in 3 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes or until fully cooked. They start to fall apart on their own, especially if they are the smaller variety.
   
2. Saute the onions and garlic in the niter kebbeh until translucent.
3. Add the spices and sauté a few minutes more, stirring to prevent burning.
4. Mix in both tomatoes and tom paste and simmer for a few minutes before adding the broth. Keep this pot simmering until the lentils are ready.
   
5. Add the cup of vegetable stock or water and continue simmering.
6. Drain excess liquid off the lentils and add them to the mix. Continue to simmer until the stew is reduced to a thick consistency. Salt to taste! Spice to taste!

Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter)

I almost didn't make this and wouldn't that have been a massive fail. This spiced butter was in every dish I made for the Great Ethiopian Food Project of 2012 in which I attempted to recreate the vegetarian combos from my favorite Ethiopian restaurants. It was easy, keeps for a couple months, made the house smell amazing, though I suspected the kitchen air was clogging my pores. Rather than post a photo of this bright yellow butter (thank you, turmeric, and your powerful tint), consider instead all the amazing dishes you can make with it.

Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 inches of fresh gingerroot, peeled in thin slices
3 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp turmeric

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add everything else and simmer on the lowest possible heat for an hour.
   
2. Straing the clear golden liquid off, leaving all the solids in the pan.
   

A chef I met last night recommended using the remaining solids to make a brown butter, but I had already tossed mine out. Next time...

Atar Allecha (Yellow Split Peas)

Adapted, with very few changes, from kitteekake.

Ingredients
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons niter kebbeh
1 cup dry yellow split peas
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 teaspoons green chili, seeded and finely chopped
Salt to taste

1. Soak the split peas for one hour in three cups of water then bring them to a boil until fully cooked, smushy, even. Drain any excess water and smush the beans (always a gratifying procedure.)
   
2. Saute the onion and garlic briefly in a dry pan on a low heat then add the niter kebbeh and saute until translucent.
3. Add the mashed peas, turmeric, salt and green chili to the onion mixture and cook to reduce the mixture.
4. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender.
   

When I set this aside to begin the other dishes it dried out but this was easily remedied by heating it up and adding water.

Paella vegetariana

I'm pretty sure my mom gave me this recipe given that it's a computer print out with nutritional information at the bottom (that I duly ignore(ed)), but I associate it with Tiana dinner dates. Clearly it is joy inducing, but is also one of those recipes that gives you time to prepare the next step while the previous is cooking. As a paella, the vegetables can be whatever is on hand. This is what I do:

1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp saffron threads
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can of artichoke hearts, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups medium-grain rice
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups kale, in ribbons
1 cup chopped tomatoes fresh or canned
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 can's worth of cannellini or other small white bean
1/2 cup peas
1/3 cup cured black olives, chopped

Boil the water and add the saffron- put it aside for ten minutes.
Heat the olive oil and saute the bell pepper and onion until golden.
Add the artichokes and garlic and saute another five minutes then reduce the heat to low.
Add the rice and swirl it to coat it in the oil.
Pour in the stock, kale, and tomatoes and bring it all to a boil.
Add the saffron water, paprika, and salt, and reduce the heat again. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Mix in the beans and peas and cook covered until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the olives prior to serving or use as a garnish on each portion

Mom's Make 'em Ahead of Time and Stick 'em in the Freezer Stuffed Shells

My mom was pretty much a genius about making homemade food ahead of time and loading up the freezer so that when she got home from work all we had to do was pop something in the oven and-- voila! This is just one of those dishes...

2 cups shredded mozz
4 cups ricotta
handful of chopped parsley or basil
a couple cloves crushed garlic
2 eggs
salt & pep to taste
1 box jumbo shells

Cook the shells and run cold water over them in a strainer. When the filling is all mixed up and smooth stuff the shells without overfilling them. Lay them out on cookie sheets and put them in the freezer. When frozen solid the shells can be popped off the tray and stored in a zip-lock bag until you want to eat them.

Oh, is it that time? Lay your shells into a casserole dish and smother them in marinara sauce. Bake for 20 min at 350 degrees or until bubbling. Voila!