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Berberé |Hot East African Spice blend

Berberé is a spicy and savory spice mixture used all over Eritrea and Ethiopia. This blend goes well with chicken, beef, or lamb, and would also be great with lentils and other legumes. I’ve used it with our Doro Wat (chicken stew) and Awaze Tibs (lamb stew) recipes. A few sprinkles would also be great in our Lentil Wat. Makes about 1/4 cup Ingredients: 3 cloves 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp  fenugreek seeds 1 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp paprika 1/4 tsp peppercorns 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 5 whole allspice balls 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds (removed from pods) 1/8 cup chili powder Method: Heat the spices in a clean, dry skillet to toast them. Once cool, grind them in batches. Keep going until most of the stragglers get ground up! Hey, that’s my sister! Enjoy. Berberé |Hot East African Spice blend Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Berberé is a spicy and savory spice mixture used all over Eritrea and Ethiopia. This blend goes well with …

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Black Beans and Rice | Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto is enjoyed by Costa Ricans year-round, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The beans and rice are mildly seasoned, however the Worcestershire sauce gives the dish an unusual kick. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups leftover, cooked white rice 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed oil 1/2 tsp paprika 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 cup broth or water salt and pepper Method: Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion. After just a moment, the entire house will smell like “good.” Now we’re cookin’! Add the garlic… … and cook until onion is soft and turning slightly golden – or however you like to eat it. I prefer not to have any crunch in mine. Then, add in the paprika. And leftover rice. I love re-purposing food… making my dollar stretch over several meals. Pile on the beans. I used canned beans for simplicity and speed. Next, a little Costa Rican flavor – sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce. (And don’t forget the salt and pepper) Add in water to help mix everything …

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Costa Rican Potatoes | Gallitos de Papa

Serves 2-4 Gallitos de Papa uses simple seasonings for big flavor. The smoky paprika and garlic go a long way to wake the humble potato up. An especially great breakfast/brunch dish, this Costa Rican favorite is perfect for serving with eggs.  Traditionally served in corn tortillas – feel free to moisten with fresh salsa or sour cream. Ingredients: 4 small potatoes, cubed 1/8 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt water (optional) chopped cilantro, for garnish Serve with Corn Tortillas Method: Add the oil to a wide skillet and heat over medium. The entire 1/8 cup is necessary to keep the potatoes from sticking. Sometimes our waists have to sacrifice for the good of mankind. Or for functionality and flavor. You’ll thank me later. When hot, add garlic and cook for a minute. And, when I say a minute, I really mean until fragrant. This could take as little as ten seconds. Yikes. I almost cooked mine too long.  See? Garlic cooks very fast – you …

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South American Chicken Casserole | Pastel del Choclo

Serves 2-4 Sweet, savory, briney, …. the flavors in Pastel de Choclo are varied and incredible. Special thanks to Linda Bladholm for sharing this authentic Chilean recipe with me. I adapted the version that can be found in Linda’s book, Latin & Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified. Ingredients: 2 lb rotisserie chicken, taken off the bone 2 onions, chopped 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cumin pinch of cinnamon 5 olives with pimentos, quartered 1/4 cup raisins 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped 3 cups corn kernels 1/2 cup milk a few pinches of sugar for topping Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Assemble your spices… … and shred up the chicken. Then, saute the chopped onion over medium heat until translucent and soft. Add chicken, raisins (I only had currants), and green olives. Green olives have a special, briney place in my heart. Then add chopped egg and spices. Stir to combine and warm everything through. Spread into a medium casserole. Easy! Next step is easy too… In a blender, puree corn with a little milk Mmm. Spread the corn …

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Lamb Stew from Chad

Serves 2-3 Amazingly enough, Keith had never had lamb before we embarked on our Adventure to eat food from around the world. This stew is so fresh and flavorful it won him over immediately. Serve with millet balls. The key to making good lamb stew is to simmer -never boil – the meat. For the first hour the meat will seem tough and chewy but, incredibly, in the second hour even the toughest cut softens, tenderizes and gets that “melt in your mouth” quality that makes stew completely irresistible. Ingredients: vegetable oil 1 1/2 lb lamb, cubed 1 large onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, cut into strips 1 tsp paprika 1 Tbsp tomato paste 4 cups water, or as needed 1/2 lb chopped okra Method: Heat a little oil in a medium pot. Brown lamb – do not crowd. Brown in small batches if needed. When done, return all the meat to the pot and crank the heat to get things moving. Add onion, bell pepper, paprika and tomato paste. I emptied out my paprika jar …

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Peasants Cachupa (Cachupa Pobre) Vegan

Makes about 1.5 gallons Cachupa is the quintessential Cape Verdean dish. While there are countless variations, almost all Cachupas have hominy, beans, and potatoes. Some add yucca. Any assortment of vegetables and legumes can be added, depending on availability. For those who can afford it, dried and smoked Portuguese sausages are also added for tremendous “stick to your bones” flavor. Fish, such as tuna and wahoo, is a little more attainable for the average citizen. Our version is vegan and more affordable. More in the mood for breakfast? Leftover Cachupa will suit you too. In fact, refried cachupa (cachupa rafogado) is often served with fried eggs. Nothing like sight, smell, and sound of sizzling eggs in the morning… Tradition vs. our version: Traditionally and typically, the hominy is pounded prior to cooking, however our version leaves the kernel whole for texture. Even still, the entire stew infuses with the soft corn-like flavor of this addictive grain. If you’ve never tried hominy, run out now and buy some! Add it to any stew for wonderful, slightly chewy …

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Spiced Lamb Kabobs | Brochettes

Serves 4 Borasheht (or brochettes/kabobs) can be any sort of skewered meat. In our recipe, tender pieces of lamb are marinated in a spicy sauce. As you bite into the lamb,  your mouth fills with a hint of cinnamon and garlic, mild tang from the vinegar, and a steady, creeping burn from the cayenne (about mild, on my scale). NOTE: If you would like some extra heat on the side, try our Kan Kan Kan spice blend, popular in Burkina Faso. Ingredients: 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cayenne 3 cloves garlic, crushed salt, to taste 2 Tbsp vinegar 1 1/2 lbs lamb meat, cubed for skewers Method: 1. In a small bowl, mix together paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic, salt, and vinegar. Have I told you recently how much I adore garlic? Salt not only adds flavor, but tenderizes the meat as well. Give everything a quick stir. No power equipment needed here! 2. Rub marinade all over the lamb pieces. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3 hours. Keith snuck this photo …

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Bosnian Finger Sausages | Cevapi

Makes about 16 finger sausages Cevapi, pronounced cheh-VAH-pee, are highly addictive mini sausages served in a special Bosnian pita bread called Somun. You may substitute either naan or other thick, doughy bread. Some Bosnians swear by quickly dipping the bread in beef broth and heating for a minute over a hot grill. The hot, slightly brothy bread with Cevapi is a bite of heaven. Simply inspired! Although this recipe contains pork, you may also make it with equal parts lamb and beef. NOTE: Pljeskavice (pronounced PLYEH-skah-vee-tseh) are made the same way, but you add finely diced onion & green pepper to the mixture.  Then form them into little patties, about 3″ diameter.  Serve the same way. UPDATE: A reader sent in the following comment, which may be useful to you in your stovetop travels: In Bosnia they are not made with pork. It is good to mix the meats, but pork is not used because of the high percentage of Muslim population in the country. Part of the country might use it, but again their most …

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Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac

Serves 2-4 Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked bean dish is like a warm hug from Bosnia, the “Heart of Europe.” The key is to slowly cook the onion until the golden, sweetness develops. I will be making Prebranac over and over again. I suggest you do the same! 🙂 Ingredients: 1 cup dry Lima beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained) 2 medium onions, chopped 1/8 cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 Tbsp paprika seasoning salt pepper 1 Tbsp of flour Method: 1. Preheat oven to 400F. Heat up olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden. 2. Add garlic, paprika, flour, salt, and pepper. Cook a few minutes until spices are fragrant and flour is moistened. 3. Add beans and stir to combine. 4. Pour into a casserole and bake until crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Enjoy hot! Just look at all those ooey-gooey, sweet onions! Awesome. Balkan Baked Beans | Prebranac Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Prebranac is rich, comforting, and tasty. This baked …

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Belgian Beef Stew | Stoofvlees

Serves 2-4 (on a bed of French fries) Stoofvlees is a typical stew in that there are as many variations as there are people making it. Depending where you live in Belgium, Stoofvlees might have more or less vinegar, slightly different spices, and a textural range from soupy to thick and sludgy. My thick, hearty version sits well on fries, but if you want it more “soupy,” feel free to add more beef stock. Ingredients: For the marinade 1 pound stew beef, cubed 1 onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 rosemary sprig 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp coarse mustard 2 tbsp oil For the stew vegetable oil 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Belgian beer 1 – 1 1/2 cups beef broth 2 bay leaves 1 Tbsp molasses salt pepper Method: 1. Add meat to a small casserole with lid (or plastic bag). Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over meat and squish around to combine. Refrigerate for at least an …

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Bahraini Shrimp Balls | Chebeh Rubyan

Serves 4 Shrimp balls blend the flavors of the Middle East with India. Though these are traditionally stuffed with minced onion, I prefer the simplicity of unfilled balls. If you like spicy food, add a sprinkle of cayenne. The way the recipe stands, however, this dish is mild, but wonderfully flavorful. TIP: Use the cheapest shrimp because you are just going to puree it anyway. Ingredients: 1 lb cleaned shrimp 1 Tbsp cilantro 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 1/2 – 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/3 cup ghee or butter 1 onion, minced baharat powder: 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp coriander 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cloves 1/8 tsp cardamom the rind of 1/2 a lemon, grated 1 tsp tamarind paste 1 cups warm water 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes 1/2 tsp chili powder 2 Tbsp sugar Method: For the shrimp balls: 1. In a food processor blend into a paste shrimp, cilantro, turmeric, salt, and rice flour. Chill until needed. For …

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Roasted Eggplant Dip | Uukkous Al-Badinjan

Serves 4 Make this dish a day ahead to allow time for the flavors to mingle. Uukkous Al-Badinjan blows baba ganoush out of the water! Ingredients: 3 eggplants 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp cayenne 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced 1/2 – 1 tsp salt Method: 1. Using a fork, poke eggplants all over. Roast eggplants at 350F for about 1 hour or until soft. NOTE: Today it’s pretty hot in Oklahoma, so I decided to keep the house cool and grill the eggplants. Grill at 350F for about an hour or until soft. 2. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle the eggplants. With a knife, split eggplants open and scoop out all the flesh into a food processor or blender. Or if you’re like me, into a bowl and use your immersion blender. 3. Add remaining ingredients and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Chill and serve with flatbread or as an accompaniment to main meal. …

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