Tag: side dish
Spinach Ricotta Teff Pancakes
Spinach Ricotta Teff Pancakes
I kid you not, this might be the best thing I’ve eaten so far in the month of May 2020. Teff is an ancient grain used for centuries in East Africa as the main ingredient in injera. The base of this pancake batter is similar, with th addition of ricotta and spinach. The batter also doesn’t need to ferment like injera. It really only takes 5 minutes to put together.Ladle 1/3-1/2 cup of batter per pancake on a hot oiled griddle. Once the bottom sets, give them a flip. They only take a couple minutes a side. These are ready to go as is, eaten as a side or a main course. These are typically served with a chili sauce or chili jam. I happen to be lucky enough to have some of my good friend and Stoned Soup contributor, Krishna Wilson’s homemade Carolina Reaper pepper jelly. All of his peppers are locally grown in his yard, just a couple of miles from me. I scooped a small dollop of the ricotta on each pancake with a tsp of his reaper jelly.This recipe yields 4 medium sized pancakes. Quite honestly, there’s no reason to eat anything else with these. They are that good. 1 batch per person per serving is what I say.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup teff flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
Toppings
- whole milk ricotta
- pepper jelly
Instructions
- Mix together the milk, egg, butter, and ricotta.
- Mix in the teff, nutmeg, and salt. Then mix in the spinach.
- Heat up cooking oil in a griddle over medium high heat. Ladle a 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of the batter for each pancake.
- Cook for 2 1/2 minutes a side.
Wood Ear Mushroom Salad
Wood Ear Mushroom Salad
Wood ear mushroom salad is a popular cold appetizer eaten all over China. The mushrooms have are firmer in texture unlike most other mushrooms. You can sometimes find them fresh in the produce section of the grocery store. They are most commonly found dried and labeled as black fungus. They just need to be soaked in hot water, then boiled for 3 minutes to eat. They will more than double in size once soaked.They salad dressing that the mushrooms are tossed in is a mixture of soy sauce, black vinegar, raw minced garlic, Thai chilies, sugar, and salt. A simple Sichuan peppercorn infused oil is added to the dressing, giving it a slight numbing sensation. If you don’t like a little spice, omit the chilies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried wood ear mushrooms
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tsp black vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sichuan peppercorns
- 4 thai chilies finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes.
- They will expand to more than twice the amount.
- Add the mushrooms to a pot of boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water. Drain. Give the mushrooms a rough cut.
- Heat up cooking oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the Sichuan peppercorns for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Scoop out the peppercorns with a slotted spoon.
- Mix the oil with the soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic cloves, chilies, sugar, and salt.
- Toss the mushrooms with the dressing. Mix in the cilantro. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Trinidad Corn Pie
Trinidad Corn Pie
Corn pie is really popular in Caribbean cuisine, especially in Trinidad and Barbados. It can be eaten as a side dish or a main course. One bite will have you reconsider this as the main course next to your meat. It’s that damn good. Other ingredients that you can add to enhance this dish even more include jalapeños, sausage, ham, and/or bacon.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 canned corn plus the corn water + enough water to equal 1 cup
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 green onions finely chopped
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 yellow or green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Mix together the water from the corn, egg, and cornmeal. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and green onions for 7-8 minutes.
- Pour in the evaporated milk and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir in the cornmeal mixture. Consistently stir for 4 minutes.
- Mix in the corn. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Mix in a 1/2 cup of the cheese, sugar, and parsley.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the corn mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake the corn pie for 30 minutes. Lest rest for 15 minutes before serving.
