Month: November 2015
Colorful Bell Peppers Berbere Pasta
November 30, 2015
Berbere is an Ethiopian spice that can include – Paprika, Black Pepper, Coriander, Nutmeg, Ginger, Ajwain, Allspice, Birdseye Chili, Fenugreek, Cardamom, Clove, Himalayan Pink Salt, Onion, Garlic
It has a strong, rich, deep, hot flavor.
Most people think that almost everything tastes good fried. I think almost everything tastes good with pasta. So this is my Ethiopian pasta dish. It’s intense but so delicious. Goes great with wine or beer. Good bread helps with the heat.
Colorful Bell Peppers Berbere Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 T oil
- 1T Berbere spice (less if you don’t want it hot, more if you want it fiery)
- 1 to 2 medium red, yellow, or orange peppers, quartered, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic
- ½ cup kale, finely chopped
- ½ cup tomato sauce with a little veggie broth 1/8 to ¼ cups
- 10 grape tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch sliced marinated in Braggs or salt when you start the dish
- Salt to taste
- 2 to 3 T walnuts – chopped
- 1 T capers – chopped
- ½ lb linguini pasta – broken in 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup Nutritional yeast
Other Veggies can be added but peppers are great by themselves
Mushrooms, Eggplant, Onions, Zucchini, Squash (all cut up small)
Linguini or other medium size pasta works great! If pasta is to large (penne, macaroni, rotini), the pasta will take over and through off the balance. If pasta is two small (angle hair), the sauce & spices take over and there is nothing to offset the strong flavor.
Key ingredients – Berbere, Tomato Sauce, colored peppers
Secondary Ingredients – Garlic, Walnuts, Capers, Nutritional Yeast
Directions:
- Cook pasta with a little salt
- Place Berbere and oil in a medium heated pan, cook for 1 min
- Add bell peppers with a pinch of salt, cook 3 min
- Add garlic, cook another 3 min (roasted garlic is Great)
- Add kale & walnuts, cook 3 minutes
- Add tomato sauce and cut up tomatoes, cook 2 to 3 minutes (don’t let sliced tomatoes break up)
- Add a little veggie broth if needed to thin pasta sauce
. - Drain pasta, put in pan with peppers – mix
- Add capers, nutritional yeast, walnuts – stir
- Adjust salt if needed
Serve with good red wine, salad, good bread
Servings: 2 – 4
Braised Green Beans
November 29, 2015
Was able to get some fresh green beans and came up with this recipe. Wanted to have color, texture and a variety of flavors. It’s a little complicated but fun and delicious. Give it a try, goes with lots of other foods. You can see a picture of our finished plate after the recipe.
Braised Green Bean with Onion, Carrot, Pepper, Walnut
Ingredients:
½ Medium Onion cut in1/4 inch slices
1 medium red or yellow pepper. Cut in 1/8 inch slices
5 medium cloves garlic, chopped or sliced (roasted works well also)
1 pound of green beans, stemmed, cut in half or thirds
1 carrot, cut in ¼ by 1.5 inch strips – purple, yellow or orange
½ cup chopped walnuts
Coconut oil
3/4 tsp of dry thyme (can also use fresh)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Directions:
- Sauté garlic over low heat being careful not to burn
- Remove garlic from pan
- Sauté onion and pepper with a pinch of salt and ½ tsp of oil until almost done
- Turn up heat for 1 to 2 minutes to brown – don’t stir
- Remove onions and peppers from pan (mix with garlic)
- Turn heat down to medium, lightly roast walnuts
- Steam green beans and carrots until right before desired tenderness
- Rinse walnut pan
- Heat skillet with ½ to 1 T f oil on medium high heat
- Place steamed vegies in pan, salt
- Let beans rest for a minute before turn over
- Cook 3 to 6 minutes (depending on how braised you want them)
- Turn pan off, stir in onion, pepper, garlic mix into green beans
- Sprinkle with thyme or sage or rosemary – stir
- Stir in walnut or sprinkle on green beans once in plate
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