Tag: African
Injera
Injera
Injera is an East African staple, eaten with just about every meal. Similar in appearance to a buckwheat crepe, the injera is made out of teff flour. Teff is a grain grown in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The flour is mixed into a thin pancake like batter. The batter is left to ferment in the refrigerator for 2 days, giving the injera a flavor similar to sourdough. When ready to cook, ladle some of the batter on an oiled nonstick pan over high heat. The injera takes no more than 2 minutes to make, with no flipping required. The batter is thin enough to cook completely through. The injera is torn and eaten as a scoop for your food.
Equipment
- upright mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups teff flour
- 1/2 package dry active yeast
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients except the salt in an upright mixer for a minute.
- Add the salt and blend for 15 seconds.
- Cover the batter and let sit in the refrigerator for 2 days.
- Lightly oil a nonstick pan over high heat. Pour a ladles worth of the batter into the pan, making a circular shape.
- Cook on 1 side for up to 2 minutes. No flipping required.
Whole Fish wrapped in Banana Leaves
Whole Fish wrapped in Banana Leaves
Cook whole fish in banana leaves is a popular preparation in African, Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and some Asian cuisines. Not only does wrapping whole fish in banana leaves help steam the fish, but it also adds an earthiness flavor. You can find banana leaves at most Asian markets, either wrapped up fresh or in the frozen section. They need to be washed and lightly flame broiler for not even a minute to make them pliable for use.There are a few great options of fish that you can use for this recipe. Snapper, branzini, pompano, tilapia, or striped bass are all exceptional options. Have your fish monger gut, scale, and remove the fins if you don’t want to do it at home. Especially scaling the fish. No process is makes more of a mess then scaling. Usually a whole fish that’s 1-1 1/2lbs will serve 1 person. A 2lb+ whole fish will serve 2. Using whole fish is a great price point. I got a 1 1/2lb tilapia for $2.50 at my Asian market while you pay anywhere from $6-$10lb for the fillets. You can also save the head for making fish stock; if you don’t eat all of the head meat like I do.
Ingredients
- 1 fish between 1 1/2-2lbs
- banana leaves
- 1/4 white onion sliced
- 1/2 small roma tomato sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp green seasoning
- 4 lemon slices
Instructions
- Wash your banana leaves. Place them under your broiler for barely a minute. This will make them more pliable. Place your whole fish in the center of the leaves. Make 3-4 cuts vertically across the flesh on each side of the fish.
- Rub each side of the fish with the green seasoning, making sure to rub inside each of the cuts that you made in the fish. Stuff each of the cuts with minced garlic and ginger. Top the fish with the onions and tomatoes. Places 2 slices of lemon on each side of the fish. If there is any leftover ingredients, stuff them in the cavity of the fish.
- Wrap up the fish in the banana leaves. You might need to tie this closed with kitchen twine so none of the steam escapes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- For a 1 1/2lb fish, cook for 20 minutes. For a 2lb fish, cook for 25 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before peeling away the banana leaves.
- Serve with your favorite side dish.
Green Seasoning
Green seasoning is used in a lot of Caribbean and African cuisine. It is very similar to the chimichurri sauce used in South American countries. Green seasoning is a great marinade for fish, chicken, pork; pretty much anything that you can grill or roast. It is a great addition in soups or as a dip.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup green onion
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup celery
- 1 cup sweet basil
- 1/2 cup onion
- 1/4 cup garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor except the water.
- Blend.Slowly add the water to your desired consistency. Should be a smooth paste.
- Anything you aren’t going to immediately use can be stored in a jar for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator or frozen in ice cube trays for a couple of months.
- Store green seasoning ice cubes in a freezer bag. 2 cubes = 1/2 cup.
Green Seasoning Chicken and Shrimp Skewers
Green Seasoning Chicken and Shrimp Skewers
Here’s a great use for the green seasoning recipe! For the chicken, I prefer to use thigh instead of breast, but that’s completely up to you. I used 21-25ct peeled and deveined shrimp.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green seasoning divided between chicken and shrimp
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2” strips
- 1 lb. large peeled and deveined shrimp
Instructions
- If you’ve made a large batch of green seasoning and froze them in ice cube trays like I have, put a cups worth in a bowl and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to defrost them.
- Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- The shrimp only needs to marinate for no more than 30 minutes.
- Skewer up the chicken and shrimp. Turn on your broiler. The chicken will take 7-8 minutes a side. The shrimp will only take 3 minutes a side. Cook these separately.
- Enjoy!
