two skinny jenkins

To celebrate my new job, Joe and i were going to go out for Ethiopian.  After my first excursion to the grocery store since ‘the accident’ my ankle was not feeling very good.  Plus the fact that it had been raining all day, made it tempting to stay home.   So I decided to make it myself instead.  Joe bought the Injera at a place called South End Food Emporium, just a few blocks from the Prudential Center in downtown Boston.  It felt pretty good to get back in the kitchen.  Now that I have a pretty demanding job, it’s hard to find the time to get into cooking during the week.  Also, my ankle has healed to the point that i don’t mind standing in the kitchen for a while (especially if i get something as yummy as this afterward).

1. Yataklete Kilkil (Vegetable Stew)

• 6 new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
• 5-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ discs
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T chopped ginger
• 1 T niter kebbeh or butter
  
• 1 t ground cardamom (I used 6 whole pods)
• 1 C vegetable broth
• 1 t fenugreek
• 1 1/2 t tumeric

1. combine carrots and potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, add 2 t salt and bring to a boil. Boil the vegetables for 20 minutes or until fully cooked. Drain, set aside.
2. Puree onion, ginger, and garlic in a blender or food processor.
   
3. Add onion puree to pot with butter, fenugreek, and tumeric (or nitter kebbeh) and saute for 5 minutes (do not brown).
4. Add cardamom pods (or ground) and stir a few minutes more.  Add vegetables, 1 C broth, stir, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Keep on low heat while preparing the other dishes.  This stew only gets better as it sits.
   

2. Yemiser W’et (Spicy Lentils)

• 1 C red lentils
• 3 C water
• 1 C onions, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1/4 C niter kebbeh (or 5 T butter)
• 2 T berbere (this is a tad spicy – but not as spicy as takeout)
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 T sweet paprika
• 2 C tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/4 C tomato paste
• 1 C vegetable broth
• 1 C grean peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 t fenugreek
• 1 t tumeric
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to a boil and simmer lentils until soft – about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. This should yield approx. 3 C lentils.
2. Meanwhile, saute garlic and onion in niter kebbeh or butter in a large saucepan until translucent, but not brown.  If you are not using niter kebbeh, I advise adding 1 t fenugreek and 1 t tumeric to mimic the spiced butter.
   
3. Add the spices and continue cooking for a couple minutes until fragrant.
   
4. Add the tomatoes, paste, lentils, broth, and peas (if desired) to the saucepan and simmer (stirring every couple minutes to keep from sticking) until it is sufficiently thickened to eat with injera (about 30 minutes).

3. Gomen (Collard Greens)

• 2 big bunches collard greens
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 T niter kebbeh or 3 T butter (i’m sure they use about 6 T in restaurants)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. wash collards, drain, and trim stalks from leaves.  chop the stalks into 1/4″ pieces and coarsely chop the leaves.
   
2. saute garlic and onion in niter kebbeh (or butter + 1 t fenugreek + 1 t tumeric) until soft.
   
3. Add the stalks to the pot and saute until softening, about 10 minutes.  Then add the leaves and cook until soft and dark, about 20 minutes.  Stir every couple minutes to keep from browning on the bottom.