Hot Cross Buns

Posted on April 6, 2020 by HOT CROSS BUNS 5
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This past weekend, we celebrated Palm Sunday.  As a child growing up in the tropics of Central Africa, palm trees were never in short supply.  I have memories of church goers waving palm branches, singing, dancing, and praising Jesus—remembering his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, just 5 days before he was sent to the Cross to die for us. 

Now Easter is just around the corner.  Easter Morning, that Great Morning when the grave was found empty—death was defeated!  The celebrations on this special day were epic in Congo!  I can still hear the drums beating–drums carved out of huge hollowed-out tree trunks.  Young men using large sticks to beat the drums in incredible rhythms, dancing joyously.  Everyone dressed in their Sunday best.  

Easter is a time of celebration and thanksgiving.  A time of reflecting on the love of Jesus for us—love so deep, that He came to Earth, was despised and rejected, suffered things that no man should ever suffer, died, and rose again.  And He did this all for us!  What a Gift!

My family always did something special on Sunday Mornings, whether it was Easter or not.  We had a hedge around our house in Congo that was covered in a blanket of passion fruit vines, and I remember many Sundays when we would pick fresh passion fruit, and my Mamma would make delicious passion fruit juice. It is, to this day, my all-time favorite! 

In addition to the juice, Pappa would often fry eggs or home-made sausage, and Mamma would bake some delicious pastry.  If the weather permitted, we would pull our chairs and small table out into the yard and sit and enjoy being together as a family while we ate our special, Sunday Morning breakfast.

For Easter, Mamma would always make Hot Cross Buns—that was our Easter Sunday pastry.  To this day, they always remind me of those special memories—they remind me of my beloved family and of the Reason for the season. 

I’m excited to share this family recipe with you all!  They are the softest, most delicious, Hot Cross Buns that I’ve ever had!  I hope that you will enjoy them as well, and maybe make them a part of your own family traditions. 

For those of you with kids, the cross cut into the buns is a great way to bring Christ’s death and resurrection into your family time, and to help keep to focus on why we celebrate Easter.

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”-Ephesians 3:17b-18. 

Hot Cross Buns

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Whole Milk, scalded (270 mls)
  • ½ cup White Sugar (110 grams)
  • 4 TBSP Butter (55 grams)
  • ¼ cup Potato Flakes (15 grams) (optional–adds fluffiness to the rolls)
  • ¾ tsp Salt (5 grams)
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
  • ½ tsp Nutmeg, ground
  • ½ tsp Cloves, ground
  • 3 Eggs
  • ¼ cup Water, warm (60 mls)
  • 2 TBSP Yeast (20 grams)
  • ¾ cup Raisins (110 grams)
  • 4-5 cups All-Purpose Flour (600-700 grams)
  • 1 tsp Water

Glaze Ingredients:

Directions:

In a small pan, gently heat the milk up until just before boiling–make sure that it doesn’t actually reach a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, sugar, and potato flakes.  Stir it well so that the sugar dissolves. 

Whisk in the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  You can also add 2 of the eggs at this point (save the 3rd egg until the end—we will use it to egg-wash the buns before they go into the oven). Adding the eggs and butter to the hot milk will help to cool down the temperature of the milk more quickly so that we can move on with the recipe. 

We want the temperature of the milk mixture to get down to roughly 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the sake of the yeast (I use the “finger test” that my Mamma taught me, but definitely use a thermometer if you would prefer—see tip #1 below for more on the “finger test”).

While the milk is cooling down, put the ¼ cup of warm water (110 degrees Fahrenheit) in a glass and add the 2 TBSP of yeast.  Stir it well and set it aside.  We want it to rise and bubble for about 10 minutes.  It should get nice and foamy by the end.

Once the milk has cooled down enough that it won’t kill the yeast, stir the yeast/water into the milk mixture. At this point, add the raisins and gradually start to incorporate the flour.

Once you have reached 4 cups of flour (600 grams), make sure to be very conservative with how much more flour you add–you don’t want your buns to end up too dry.  I usually use around 650 – 670 grams, but it depends on your exact measurements and how large your eggs are.

Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes.  Place it in a large, greased bowl.  Cover it with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours or until it’s doubled in size.

Punch the dough down.  Form smooth balls of dough that are about the size of an egg (about 60 grams in weight).  Place them on a greased cookie sheet (I like to use these AirBake pans! They are amazing, and I highly recommend them).

Crack the 3rd egg into a small cup, and add 1 tsp of water.  Beat it with a fork until it is smooth.  Using a pastry brush, coat the dough balls, and let them rise for an additional 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Just before putting the buns in the oven, use kitchen scissors to cut a cross on the top of each bun.  Place the buns in the oven, and bake them for 10 minutes. They will be a nice golden-brown color when they are finished baking.

Remove the buns from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.

While the buns are cooling, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.  Whip it with a fork until it’s nice and smooth. Put the glaze in a piping bag or small Ziplock bag.  Cut the tip off, and pipe the glaze into the cross indentation. 

Serve slightly warm with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Yield: about 2 dozen

Tip #1: The Finger Test: A little trick that my Mamma taught me about yeast is that if you can hold your finger in the liquid for 10 seconds without any discomfort or burning sensation, it’s not too hot for the yeast.  It has always worked for me, and it saves me the trouble of having to use a thermometer to measure the temperature.  I use this method for the lukewarm water that will dissolve the yeast as well as the milk mixture.

Tip #2: These freeze really well! 2 dozen is way more than our household can eat in 1 sitting, so I put them in gallon Ziploc bags and freeze them.  Then, if you have a hankering for them later, just put a frozen one in the microwave for about 25-30 seconds, and voila, it’s almost like it’s freshly baked!

Tip #3: With all of the Corona Virus shenanigans right now, going to the store for a lemon is not considered “essential” in my books, so I just used bottled lemon juice that I had in my fridge.  If you have lemons at home, they are a nice, fresh addition to this recipe, but if you don’t have any, then know that the bottled juice works very well too!

Ethiopian Habesha Gomen (Kale)

Posted on March 31, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN HABESHA GOMEN (KALE) 0
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Today is the 6th and final side for our Ethiopian Fasting Bayaynet. If you like green, leafy, vegetables and kale, you’re gonna like this one! And, it adds a beautiful color contrast to the Bayaynet along with the Misir Wat, Nej Gomen, Atikilt Ruz, Shiro Wat, and Ater Wat!

I have a love-hate relationship with Kale (okay, lets be honest here…it’s mostly a hate relationship, lol). I want to like it, but most of the time, that’s not the case. I couldn’t tell you why. My mamma was so good about making sure that we ate our fruits and vegetables growing up, and living in Congo, Cameroon, and then Ethiopia, I had to eat a lot of leafy green vegetable dishes, like this one. As an adult though, I still struggle with eating my share of veggies.

That being said, I DO like it when it’s cooked in this way. Hopefully you will all enjoy this recipe–even those of you who normally can’t handle the dark, leafy greens!

Ethiopian Habesha Gomen (Kale)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz onions, diced
  • 3 TBSP water
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup Water
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced (about 3 large cloves)
  • 5 oz Kale (finely chopped-stems removed) (4 cups, stuffed)
  • 2 Jalapeño Peppers, sliced lengthwise
  • ⅛ tsp Mekelesha Spice Mix

Directions:

Dice the onions.  Place them in a 2-quart pot with 3 TBSP of water.  Simmer the onions over low heat for 30 minutes.  Stir it occasionally to make sure that the onions don’t stick.  Keep the lid on to help keep the moisture in the pot.

Add the oil and salt to the onions, and cook for 10 more minutes.

While the onions are cooking, remove the stems from the kale, and chop the leaves as finely as you can. Set the chopped kale aside.

After the onions, oil, and salt have cooked for 10 minutes, add the minced garlic, as well as the ½ cup of water and chopped kale.

Stir everything together so that it is evenly mixed. Place a lid on the pot and cook it for 15 minutes, or until the kale is tender.

Slice the Jalapeño peppers (leave the seeds in for a little more spice), and add them to the kale mixture along with the Mekelesha Spice Mix.  Simmer for 5 final minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Habesha Gomen is best with Injera–can be served warm or cold.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields about 1¾ cups.

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Habesha = A term used for Ethiopian people
  • Gomen = Cabbage

Ethiopian Atikilt Ruz (Vegetable Rice)

Posted on March 23, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN ATIKILT RUZ (VEGETABLE RICE) 0
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Today is recipe #5 of 6 for our Ethiopian Bayaynet! Keep in mind that not all Bayaynets are the same. It is just a collection of various sauces and sides, served on Injera. The sauces and sides that you get just depends on what the restaurant decides to cook on that given day. It’s a surprise every time!

I would say that most of the bayayents that I ate during religious fasting times had some kind of a rice side. This is the recipe that I learned from the ladies at my favorite restaurant.

There’s nothing too special about it, but the combinations of rice, vegetables, oil, and salt make it a nice addition to the more spicy sauces on the Bayaynet (like Shiro Wat and Misir Wat).

There is a fair amount of oil in this recipe, but it wouldn’t really be Ethiopian rice without it. I’ve made it in a way that it is less oil than you would get in a restaurant in Ethiopia, but way more than you’d ever add to rice in an American dish. Like other recipes, if you don’t want to use that much oil, then go ahead and leave it out, or decrease it a bit–whichever you prefer. You want to make sure that you can enjoy what you make!

Ethiopian Atikilt Ruz (Vegetable Rice)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Cabbage, chopped (about 6 oz)
  • ¼ cup Water
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • ½ lb Yellow Onions, diced (8 oz)
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced
  • 1 Carrot, diced
  • 1 cup Rice (I like to use Jasmine Rice)
  • 2 cups Water

Directions:

In a small pan, place the 2 cups of cut cabbage with a ¼ cup of water.  Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cabbage has softened.

While the cabbage is cooking, place the oil and onions in a 2-quart pot.  Saute the onions for 20 minutes.  Add the salt, garlic, carrots, cooked cabbage, water, and rice.  Stir it well so that everything is mixed evenly.

Place a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil.  Once it starts boiling, let it cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, and let it sit for 10 more minutes to steam–DON’T remove the lid!

After the 10 minutes of steaming, uncover the rice and fluff it with a fork. Atikilt Ruz is best with Injera, though it is also good all by itself in a bowl with a spoon. It can be served warm or cold.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields 4 ½ cups .

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Atikilt = Vegetable
  • Ruz = Rice

Ethiopian Shiro Wat (Chickpea Sauce)

Posted on March 16, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN SHIRO WAT (CHICKPEA SAUCE) 0
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This week, we are moving on to sauce #4 of 6 for the Ethiopian Bayaynet! This one, unlike the last couple is a bit more on the spicy side. It gives a bit of a punch, so is it nicely balances with the more mild Ater Wat and Nej Gomen.

Shiro (also sometimes written as Shuro) Wat is made of ground chick peas (garbanzo beans)–it’s super healthy for you!

The market in my town in Ethiopia would typically sell a blend of chick pea flour and spices (including Berbere), so I had to be a little careful when making it. One time, I forgot that there was a fair amount of Berbere in my particular Shiro mix, so I added too much extra Berbere and nearly burned my tongue out of my mouth–it was so spicy!

Where you get your Shiro powder from and what your spice tolerance is, will dictate how much Berbere you add to this recipe. I only add 1 TBSP, and it still has a pretty good kick that makes me want to run to the fridge for some milk.

If your Shiro powder is already fairly spicy, you can just omit the additional Berbere. The most important thing is to make it in a way that you will enjoy it!

Ethiopian Shiro Wat (Chickpea Sauce)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz Yellow Onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 3 TBSP Water
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced (about 3 large cloves)
  • 1 TBSP Berberi
  • ¼ cup Water
  • 3 oz (about ½ a cup) Shiro Powder / Shuro Powder
  • 2 cups additional Water
  • ¼ tsp Mekelesha Spice Mix
  • 1 Jalapeño Pepper (optional) for garnishing

Directions:

Dice the onions, and put them in a 2-quart pot.  Add 3 TBSP of water, and let the onions simmer on LOW heat for 30 minutes.  Stir it occasionally to make sure that the onions are not sticking. I recommend keeping the lid on to help keep the moisture inside the pan.

After the 30 minutes is up, add the salt, oil, garlic, Berbere and a 1/4 cup of water.  Stir it well so that there are no lumps from the Berbere.  Replace the lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

At this point, add the Shiro Powder, making sure to stir it really well—it will be a very thick paste.  Add your 2 cups of additional water, mixing it well so that there are no lumps.  Cook it for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently to avoid stickage.

Add a ¼ tsp of Mekelesha Spice Mix, and simmer for 5 final minutes.  

Remove the pot from the heat.  Shiro Wat is best with Injera, garnished with a chopped Jalapeño pepper. It can be served warm or cold.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields just over 2 cups.

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Shiro = Chick Pea/Garbonzo Bean Flour
  • Wat = Sauce/Stew

Irish Cream Cookie Delights

Posted on March 12, 2020 by IRISH CREAM COOKIE DELIGHTS 0
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Ah, Irish Cream. I am a sucker for the best Irish Cream out there, which is Bailey’s, of course! Give me a glass with a couple ice cubes and top it off with this delicious, creamy, goodness, and Oh My!

Now, you might be seeing my next picture and think to yourself, “um, she said Bailey’s, not this off-the-shelf, non-Bailey’s nonsense”. You are correct. I did say Bailey’s! It is, by far, the best Irish Cream out there. HOWEVER, it also comes with a pretty hefty price tag.

So, when I decided to experiment with baked goods and Irish Cream, it made more sense to use something that still tastes decent but is half the price. Often times, when baking with alcoholic beverages, the flavors become more subtle, so why waste precious Bailey’s?

I stumbled across this bottle of O’Donnells Irish Country Cream at Aldi, of all places! It only cost my $8.99 USD, and it’s not a bad substitute when you want to bake with it.

I made these cookies over, and over, and over again, changing this and that and the other thing, and the end result is quite delicious. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you make these cookies.

  • The special ingredient for this recipe is the Kissed Caramel Smirnoff! It adds a subtle and wonderful hint of caramel to the cookie that makes it impossible to have just one. So, don’t leave it out! It’s worth a quick trip to the store to get a bottle.
  • The dough is EXTREMELY wet! I tried chilling it before I baked the cookies, but with the alcohol content, it didn’t firm up very well. I tried another batch with a little more flour, and they turned out very dry. So, I decided that my best option was to put the dough in a piping bag (you can also use a Ziploc bag), cut the tip off, and pipe the cookies onto a cookie sheet. This worked great for me!
  • The secret to making this cookie amazing is the frosting! Make sure to add your Irish Cream to the frosting and spread it generously onto the cookies.
  • It is a very soft, almost cake-like cookie, so if you like crunchy snap-in-half kind of cookies, I’m not sure these are the treat for you. I still recommend giving them a try though! It may change your mind about soft cookies ?.

Irish Cream Cookie Delights

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

Frosting Ingredients:

Directions:

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a stand mixer (you can also us a hand mixer), whisk the eggs and sugar on high for 1 minute.

Add the softened butter and vanilla, and whisk again until it’s well combined. Next add the Irish Cream and the Kissed Caramel Smirnoff. Turn the mixer on low speed so that the liquid doesn’t go flying everywhere. Gently mix it until it is smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. With the stand mixer on, gradually add the flour and whisk until there are no lumps. It will not be a stiff dough.

Spoon the dough into a piping bag or a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Cut the tip off (or corner if you are using the Ziploc bag method), and pipe round cookies onto a greased cookie sheet (I like to use these AirBake pans! They are amazing for cookies!)

Place the cookies in the pre-heated oven and bake them for 8-10 minutes. If you are making larger cookies, definitely opt for the longer bake time.

Once the cookies are done baking, remove them from the baking sheet and place them on a cooling rack. Cool them completely before icing them.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until it’s nice and smooth. Add the vanilla and Irish cream and gently mix it until the alcohol is well incorporated. Add the powdered sugar. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes until it is creamy and lump-free.

I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as we do! They make a great treat for St. Patrick’s Day parties!

Ethiopian Ater Wat (Yellow Pea Stew)

Posted on March 9, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN ATER WAT 0
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Alrighty, y’all! We’re on to recipe # 3 for the Ethiopian Bayaynet! Hooray!  This Ater Wat (pea stew) is a nice mild sauce that compliments the Misir Wat very nicely! 

As I mentioned in my last post, I love peas! Green peas! Yellow Peas! Split Peas! You name it!  I LOVE peas!  This recipe calls for split, yellow peas, so, as you can imagine, it’s one of my favorites on the Bayaynet!  There is no added sugar, but because of the natural sweetness of the peas, it adds a delightfully sweet flavor to the whole dish. YUM!

If you don’t have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, this is one of those recipes that you’ll want to plan a little bit ahead for.  I was taught to cook the peas in water the night before until they’re soft.  That way, the cooking process the next day doesn’t take nearly as long.  If you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot though, you can just cook them the day of, and you don’t have to worry about planning ahead-plus, pressure cooking saves a LOT of cook time!

Ethiopian Ater Wat (Yellow Pea Stew)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Yellow Split Peas
  • 1 lb (4 cups) Yellow Onion, diced
  • ¼ cup Water
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced
  • 1 Jalapeño Pepper

Directions:

Wash the peas.  Place them in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.  Cover them with at least 2 inches of water.

Pressure cook them for 3-4 minutes at high pressure.  Quick release the pressure cooker, and drain and rinse them.  Set them aside, temporarily (or, if you do this the night before, place them in a container in the fridge until you are ready to make the sauce). You can also cook them in a regular pan on the stove. Just triple the amount of water (so 6 cups of water for 2 cups of peas) and simmer on low/medium for 30 minutes. They will still be slightly crunchy, but will finish cooking later with the onion mixture.

Dice the onions and put them in a pan on the stove. Add 1/4 cup of water and simmer on low/medium for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, and if the onions are sticking, just add a splash more of water.

Once the onions are cooked, add the vegetable oil, salt, turmeric, garlic, and partially-cooked peas.  Let it simmer on the stove over low/medium heat for 15 minutes.

Slice the Jalapeño pepper and add it to the pea sauce.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes on low.

Remove the pot from the heat. Ater Wat is best with Injera–can be served warm or cold.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields about 2 cups.

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Ater = Pea
  • Wat = Stew/Sauce

Ethiopian Nej Gomen (White Cabbage)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN NEJ GOMEN 0
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Today, we are moving on to the second side dish to go with our Ethiopian Bayaynet—Nej Gomen (also known as white cabbage). When we say “white cabbage”, we just mean plain old cabbage. They also have another dish called “Habesha gomen”, which is basically a kale side dish, and we will cover it in a couple of weeks.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big fan of vegetables, aka. rabbit food.  I am a sucker for peas and corn, but to say that I don’t like leafy greens is an understatement.  That being said, I do try to be a responsible adult and get some of that healthy fiber into my system.

Despite my dislike of vegetables, I do enjoy this cooked variety (plus it has potatoes, and I’m sorry, but who can say no to potatoes!). 

There aren’t too many special aspects to this dish, it’s just a simple, yummy, vegetable side with a gentle kick of Jalapeños on top (don’t worry, it’s very mild).

Here are just a couple of things to keep in mind as you make this at home:

  • Try not to overcook the potatoes and carrots.  If they are overcooked, they will just fall apart when you are mixing them with the cabbage at the end.
  • ¼ cup of oil may seem like a lot (because, lets be honest, it is…).  You can use less if you’d like, but in my experience, the less oil that you use, the more the texture and consistency seem to change.  If you don’t like how much oil we use here, then just play around with it and figure out what works for you. 
  • I don’t remove the seeds from the Jalapeño peppers when I make this dish. If you are a fan of more mild flavors, then remove the seeds, otherwise, leave them in for a little added kick.

Ethiopian Nej Gomen (White Cabbage)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

  • 1 large Carrot
  • 1 medium Russet Potato
  • 8 oz Yellow Onion, sliced
  • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 TBSP Garlic, minced (3 large cloves) +1 additional Clove, minced
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Fenugreek, ground
  • ½ cup Water
  • 4 cups Cabbage, chopped (12 oz)
  • 1 Jalapeño pepper, chopped length-wise

Directions:

Peal and chop the carrots and potatoes. Cook them in a separate pan until they are soft (I like to pressure-cook them for 2-3 minutes in my Instant Pot).  Drain the water and set them aside until the end of the recipe.

Slice (not dice) the onions, and sauté them in the oil for 15-20 minutes.

Next, add the initial TBSP of garlic, salt, and Fenugreek, stirring until it is well combined.  Next, add the water and cabbage, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. 

When the cabbage cooked is through, add the cooked potatoes, carrots, jalapeño slices, and 1 more crushed garlic clove.  Mix it well so that everything is evenly combined. 

Let it simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Nej Gomen is best with Injera–can be served warm or cold.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields just under 3 cups.

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Nej = White
  • Gomen = Cabbage

Ethiopian Misir Wat (Lentil Stew)

Posted on February 27, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN MISIR WAT 1
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Well, today we are making the first of several sides that will go on our fasting Bayaynet! I’m so excited to share these recipes with you all!

Before we get started, there are 3 things that you need to know about Ethiopian food.  1: It’s delicious.  2: They use a oodles of onions and oil 3: To say that some of their sides are spicy would be an understatement.

Most of the recipes that I’ll be sharing with you, I learned from a group of women who cooked for a restaurant. That being said, the pots that they were cooking in were big enough that I could have curled up in them.  And the amounts of onions—oh my! SO. MANY. ONIONS!

In re-creating these recipes, I’ve still used a lot of onions, but have definitely cut back on the oil–no clogged arteries for me, please.

When reading back on my notes from those days in the restaurant, I have to laugh a little. The quantities of ingredients go something like this:

  • “Fill the pot ¾ full of onions”
  • “Add a plateful of Berberi”
  • “Add a bottlecap full of Mekelesha Spice Mix”

And so on… So, you can imagine that re-creating these here in America has been an adventure.

Needless to say, I’ve had to pare these recipes WAY down (I’m not cooking for an army here), playing around with the ratios of all the ingredients .  Even pared down, we still always have leftovers! Thankfully, these sauces freeze well, so you can use them another time when you are craving Ethiopian food.

Ethiopian Misir Wat (Lentil Stew)

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Ingredients:

Directions:

Dice the onions and place them in a 2-quart pot with 1 TBSP of water.  Place a lid on the pot, and cook the onions down for 30 minutes on low heat.  Don’t add any oil at this point. If the onions start to stick, just add another TBSP of water–you shouldn’t have to add too much because the onions have a fair amount of water in them. 

Once the onions have cooked for 30 minutes, make a small well in the middle, and add the ground Fenugreek.  Stir it well so that there are no lumps and the Fenugreek is spread evenly throughout the onions.

Next, add the oil and minced garlic, and cook it for 5 minutes. 

Once again, make a small well in the middle, and add your Berbere, stirring it so that there are no lumps. 

Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the salt, 1 cup of hot water, and the lentils.  Increase your burner to medium heat.

Cook the mixture for 5 minutes, then add 1 more cup of water and cook for 15 more minutes. Add the final cup of water and cook for 20 more minutes (40 minutes total).  Make sure to stir it occasionally so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

At 40 minutes, add the Mekelesha Spice Mix, and let the lentils simmer for 5 final minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Misir Wat is best with Injera–can be served warm or cold. If you don’t have Injera, it is also quite yummy on rice.

I’ll go over making Injera in a few weeks so that we can create a full Bayaynet with all of the different sauces we’ve been making.  However, if you are making this sauce before we go over the Injera, I would recommend either finding a local Ethiopian restaurant that you could buy some freshly-made Injera from, or check out this awesome youtube video with a very detailed, step-by-step on creating your own at home.

This particular recipe yields just under 4 cups of sauce.

Amharic/English Translations for this Recipe:

  • Bayaynet = an assortment of sauces/sides adorning a round platter of Injera
  • Misir=Lentils
  • Wat=Sauce/Stew
  • Kimem=Spice

Hidden Design Vanilla Cake (Froggy-Style)

Posted on February 24, 2020 by LEAP YEAR HIDDEN DESIGN VANILLA CAKE 1
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When I think of Leap Year, frogs and green erasers are what come to mind.  Why, you might ask?  Well, when my family lived in Congo, the nearest city was about 250 kilometers away ( ~ 150 miles).  There were no convenient ways to get to the city, so when my parents stocked up, they STOCKED UP!  We would have huge 50 kg sacks of flour and sugar to last for years (well, maybe not years, but a LONG time). 

Even if the nearest city had been easily accessible, there really were not options to buy “frilly” things, just the necessities.  However, my Mamma, the Organizer of all Organizers, had the foresight to plan ahead, and I mean WAY ahead—nearly 4 years in fact. 

Before we went to Congo in 1992, she bought some cute little froggy erasers, stickers, and I think frog-shaped pads of paper or post-its.  On Leap Day, 1996, she gave us those treasures.  I remember it being so special! So special, in fact, that I never did use my eraser—I set it on my bookshelf as a “decoration” instead.  Yes, classy, I know.

And this, my friends, is why froggy-shaped erasers come to mind whenever Leap Year comes around. 

So, this year to celebrate I thought, what could be cuter than cutting into a froggy-decorated cake, only to find more frogs inside?  SURPRISE!

I got these cute froggy cookie cutters on Amazon!

Hidden Design Vanilla Cake

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Just a couple of quick notes about this recipe:

  • I learned the hard way that when placing the frogs in the cake batter, they need to go in UPSIDE DOWN, so that when the cake is turned out of the pan, they are right-side up.  Doye!
  • You will essentially be making this cake twice.  The first time, you will make a half batch, you’ll dye the batter green, and bake it in a shallow baking dish.  (note: when I did this, I made a full first batch so that I had extra frogs for decorating the outside with. You can do this if you’d like, just make sure to use a larger shallow dish, like a jelly roll pan.  A half batch though is a sufficient enough to provide the frogs for the inside of the cake). 
  • The second time, you’ll bake a full batch, omit the food coloring, and bake it in a Bundt pan, rather than a shallow baking dish.  
  • If you have a food scale, I would recommend weighing out the ingredients instead of using measuring cups.  I’m always amazed at the difference in bake baked goods when I weigh them properly.
  • Even though we are baking in a round Bundt pan, try as best as you can to squeeze the little frogs together as close as possible so that the yellow cake batter can’t sneak into the cracks.

**See my hints at the end of this blog post about successfully getting the cake out of the Bundt pan.

Ingredients for Cake 1:

  • ½ a cup softened Butter (113 grams)
  • ¾ cup Sugar (165 grams)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup Milk (60 mls)
  • ¼ cup Yogurt (63 grams)
  • 1 ½ tsp Vanilla
  • 1 ⅛ cups All-Purpose Flour (158 grams)
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • Green Food Coloring (30 drops)

Ingredients for Cake 2:

  • 1 cup softened Butter (225 grams)
  • 1 ½ cups Sugar (330 grams)
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup Milk (120 mls)
  • ½ cup Yogurt (125 grams)
  • 3 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour (315 grams)
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients for the Frosting:

  • 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
  • ½ cup Butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar
  • Food Coloring

Directions:

Cake 1: Preheat the oven to 350 F (325 F for Convection Ovens).  Grease a 9×13 pan. 

Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes so that it’s light and fluffy.  Next, add one egg at a time, beating it for 1 minute between each addition.

Once all the eggs are whipped, add the vanilla, yogurt, and green food coloring.

In a separate bowl sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together.  Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing constantly. 

Gradually add in the milk and remaining dry ingredients, and beat the mixture for another minute.

Pour the batter into the shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.  Let this cake cool for about 10-15 minutes, and then, using your awesome froggy cookie cutters, start cutting out the shapes. The hotter the cake, the more crumbly it is, just FYI.

Cake 2: While the first cake is cooling, start in on the second cake.  Prepare it exactly the same way as the first, but omit the food coloring. When it is ready to bake, grease a Bundt pan.  I like to use Crisco vegetable shortening.

Melt the shortening and use a baking brush to “paint” the inside of the Bundt pan.  Sprinkle a light dusting of flour over the shortening (tap out any excess). 

Put half of the batter into the Bundt pan. 

Place the froggy cut-outs in a tight row, UPSIDE DOWN, in the batter.  When you have a nice ring of frogs, packed in as tightly as you can get them, spoon the rest of the cake batter over the top and gently spread it evenly around and on top of the frogs.

Bake this cake at 350 F (325 F Convection) for 50-60 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.

You can try to remove the cake at this point, or you can see my notes below about the 5-minute steam bath and try removing the cake after that. 

Frosting:

Once the cake has cooled completey, prepare the frosting by whipping all of the ingredients with a hand mixer until it’s smooth and creamy.

Separate the frosting into different bowls depending on what different colors or shades of green you want.

Clearly, I am not a professional cake decorator, but where’s the fun when all you have is perfection? ?

You can even add cute eyes and a mouth to the slices to help the froggy shape stand out more. (I saved a small amount of white frosting before I colored it green to decorate the eyes. For the mouth and center of the eyes, I melted some chocolate chips).

I hope you enjoy this cute, down-to-earth, Leap Year Celebration cake!

**Bundt Pan Preparation:

I have a love-hate relationship with Bundt pans.  They are so pretty and can make such nice designs on cakes, but they are SO HARD to get out of the pan sometimes.  I have learned over time that the best way to get cakes to come out of a Bundt pan is to use a cooking brush and “paint” melted vegetable shortening into every nook and cranny of the pan.  Then, lightly sprinkle flour over the shortening to ensure that the cake doesn’t stick. 

After removing the cake from the oven, I let it sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes, at which time put a couple inches of steaming hot water into the sink, wrap a towel ring in the center, and boil a kettle of water.  Once the water is boiling, carefully pour it onto the towel ring.  Place the Bundt pan on the towel ring and cover the sink with a tea towel.  Let the cake steam for 5 minutes. 

At this point, I turn the Bundt pan upside down onto a wire rack, hold my breath, and pray that it comes out clean.  This method has worked for me, and I hope it works for you too! There’s nothing more frustrating than slaving over a nice cake, only to have it break apart because it won’t come out of the pan.

Ethiopian Spices

Posted on February 20, 2020 by ETHIOPIAN SPICES 0

I love spices!  There are few things that make me happier than walking into a spice shop and breathing in all the delicious smells.  My own pantry is a mini spice shop, and it is A-MAZ-ING! 

Next week, February 24th, marks the beginning of the Great Fast (Abiye Tsom) for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  It is a 55-day fasting period before they celebrate Easter (similar to Lent, but longer).  During this fast, Orthodox Christians only eat in the late afternoon or evening, and they cannot partake in any animal products, making their diet entirely vegan. (For more information on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s fasting dates and rituals, check out this website!)

One of the most common dishes during the Great Fast is called a Bayaynet.  It consists of half a dozen vegan side dishes on requisite Injera.  For the next several weeks, I’ll be introducing you to a new vegan side, and by the end, you’ll be able to make your own Bayaynet at home!

Before we can start on the yummy food though, I wanted to introduce you to some of the more common spices and spice mixes that we’ll be using over the next several weeks.

If you’re not already, now is the time to become BFFs with your local spice shop! If, however, you are like me and can’t seem to find a good spice shop near you, then it’s time to become BFFs with Amazon or Shega Spices!  

  • Fenugreek
  • Bishop’s Weed
  • Black Cumin
  • Black Cardamom

The following is a list of the spices you’ll need for the various dishes.  I would recommend using whole spices instead of ground, but if you only have ground, then we can definitely make that work! I would just recommend blitzing your already-ground spices in your spice grinder just for a few seconds to bring out more powerful flavors.

  • Nutmeg
  • Cloves
  • Pepper Corn

*The one exception would be Turmeric—I use pre-ground.

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. **

Spices to stock up on:

  • Cinnamon
  • Indian Long Pepper
  • Cumin

Spice Mixes to stock up on:

And now for the spice mixes!

  • Berbere
  • Shuro Powder

The most important of these three are the Berbere and Mekelesha Kimem. The Shuro Powder will only be used for one of the dishes, but the others are used in multiple.

**I like to make my own Mekelesha Kimem. Check out my recipe here!**

Once you have these spices and mixes, you’ll be all set to start cooking delicious Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine!

Hej! I’m Ellie! This is a journal about good food, traditions, and the happenings of life on our little homestead. Come along with me and enjoy the ride!