Thursday, December 25, 2014

Deviled Eggs



This is another dish that is always on our Holiday Table.  It's also an easy dish to make in Ethiopia.


Ingredients:
8 Hard Boiled Eggs 
6 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional: Cayenne Pepper

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half.  Remove the yolk and put them in another bowl.  Mix it together with the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper.  Mix well & then put the mixture in a plastic bag.  Cut the corner off the bag and then pipe the egg yolk mixture onto the eggs.  

Optional:  Sprinkle the tops with paprika, sprinkle with parsley, add an olive or pickle slice on top.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Veggie Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas!  We made a veggie Christmas Tree for our Christmas Eve Lunch.  I figured I'd get a few veggies in my kiddos before we had all kinds of non-healthy food for Christmas.  We served this with Hummus



I just happened to have pretzels on hand for the tree trunk.  You could use the stem of the broccoli or another type of vegetable to make the stem.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Green Bean Casserole

 
This is another meal that is always on our holiday table. It's really easy to make!

1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup - I make one batch of this Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup of Milk
2 cans of Green Beans or 3 1/2 Cups of cooked fresh green beans
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/3 Cups of French Fried Onions*

* I've found french fried onions in Ethiopia before, but they are not here on a regular basis.  I usually have somebody mail me some french fried onions.  You can make your own though.  Just cut up 1 1/3 Cups of Onions in small strips.  Dip them in raw egg & then cover them with flour and then fry them in a frying pan with a little oil.

Sweet Potato Casserole


This is on our table at every Holiday meal.  We love sweet potato casserole!  My Mother-in-Law gave me this recipe when we first got married.

Ingredients:
4 Cups of cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (or 3 cans of drained sweet potatoes) *
1 Cup of sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 Cup of Milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 Cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Topping Ingredients:
 1 Cup of brown sugar
1/2 Cup of flour
1/3 Cup of melted butter
1 Cup of chopped pecans**

Combine all ingredients & pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Mix and crumble the topping over the sweet potato mixture.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

* Sweet Potatoes - You can buy sweet potatoes at most of the vegetable stands in November and December.  They are white sweet potatoes vs. the orange sweet potatoes that we get in the States.  They taste very similar, but I always add orange food coloring (or red and yellow mixed) to make it look more like American sweet potatoes. Remove the skin and then you can steam the potatoes or boil them in water to cook them & then mash them.

**I've seen pecans at Safeway and Shoa - I actually have someone mail or bring me pecans before the Holiday season begins.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Christmas Pizza

We have Monday night pizza and movie night every week.  I've been trying to spice things up around here with a bit of Christmas Cheer, so we have had some Christmas Pizzas.

Here's our Santa Hat & Christmas Tree Pizza

This is a snowman and a gingerbread pizza

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Pumpkin Pie

 
YUM !!  I remember eating pumpkin pie during the Holiday's at my Grandmother's house.  I didn't really care for pie as a kid, but this was the one pie I did enjoy growing up.  

Ingredients:
1 Pie Crust - I use THIS one
2 large eggs
1/2 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 Cups of Pumpkin Puree
1 1/2 Cups of Evaporated Milk
Whip Cream

Heat your oven to 425 degrees.  Beat the eggs slightly in a medium bowl with a wire whisk or electric mixer.  Beat in all the remaining ingredients (except the whip cream). 


Pour your mixture into your pie crust.  Do not fill your pie crust too full.  If you have left over batter, it is fun to bake in a small Pyrex dish and eat as a snack.


Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce your oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake about 45 more minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Refrigerate about 4 hours or until chilled. Serve with Whipped Cream.  Immediately refrigerate any remaining pie after serving.


I make whip cream from the box cream you can get in Addis (almost always have it at Bambis, sometimes have it at Negash and Shoa).  I add about 1 Cup of sugar to 2 Cups of Cream and mix it with a hand mixer until  it firms up to whip cream.

Pumpkin - Cooking & Freezing


This time of year, I love to bake with pumpkin.  I like to buy a couple of pumpkins when they arrive at the vegetable stands in October, cook them and then freeze them so I have pumpkin ready to use during the holidays.  

I take a whole pumpkin & cut it in half.  Clean out all the seeds.  Then cut each half into 3 or 4 sections.  Cut the top stringy layer off & then cut the rind off.  Make sure you cut all the green off the pumpkin because it is a bit bitter if you cook it. Cut your pumpkin flesh into squares.  I like to steam mine (until it is soft), but you can boil it in water or cook it in the oven until it is soft as well.


When the pumpkin is soft, put it in a bowl and let it cool a little.  Then using a mixer, mix up your pumpkin until it is pureed.  If your pumpkin is too thick to puree, you can add a little water to help thin it out a bit.


I put my pumpkin puree in 2 Cups portions inside ziplock bags and store them in the freezer.

Pie Crust



 We are all about pies around our house at Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . and just about every other holiday as well.  This is my Mother-In-Law's Pie Crust Recipe & it works great in Ethiopia 100% of the time.  This recipe makes two pie crusts or one pie that has a top and bottom crust.

Ingredients:
2 Cups of flour (take 1/4 Cup out and set it aside)
1 teaspoon of salt
Two rounded 1/3 Cups of Margarine (or Crisco if you happen to have some on hand)
1/2 Cup ice water

Mix 1 3/4 cups of flour in a large bowl.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix together and then add in the shortening.  Mix it together with a fork, mashing all the lumps.  

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 Cup of flour with 1/2 Cup of cold water.  Mix it together to make a paste.  Addit into the large bowl and stir it together with a fork until it is all incorporated.

With your hands, shape the dough into a ball.  I like to lay parchment paper or foil on my counter top before I roll the dough out - it just makes for easier clean up.  You can do it on the counter top if you like.  Dust the counter with flour.  Take half of your dough and roll it out in a circle . . . turning your rolling pin a little each time so you get an even circle. Make sure your circle is a little bigger than your pie plate so it will overlap the edges.  I use my rolling pin to roll my pie crust up and then it is easy to transfer it to your pie pan.


Once you have your dough in the pie plate, tuck the extra dough on the sides in between the dough and the edge of the pie plate.  Be sure to leave enough room to be able to pinch the dough (see instructions below). 


If you are making a pie with only a crust, you are ready to fill your pie crust and bake your pie.

 If you are making a pie that has a top layer, you will need to roll the second ball of dough out.  If you are doing a solid top, roll the dough in a circle just like you did for the bottom crust.  Lay the crust on top of the filling & then fold the edges like you did before & then you can pinch them to make them look nice.

 If you are making a lattice top, roll the dough out in a rectangle.  I use a pizza cutter to cut my strips, but you can use a knife just as easily.  


Start by laying strips going one direction over your pie.


Now, start with one strip in the middle going the opposite direction.  Make sure you weave the pie crust (over and under) through each of the strips.


Continue to do this until you've finished the entire top of the pie


Fold all the extra pie dough down between the pie crust and the edge of the pie pan.


Now you use both of your hands to pinch the dough so you get a nice edge around the pie.  I use two fingers on my left hand to hold the dough while I bring one finger from my right hand to indent the dough.  Do this all the way around your pie & then your pie will be ready to bake.



If you have any extra pie crust left over, it's fun to roll it into little strips and sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar and then bake it in the oven just until cooked.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Advent


This isn't a food post, but it is a post about making it feel like Christmas around your house.  In the States, it feels like Christmas everywhere you go this time of year.  It's different here, you have to work to make it feel like Christmas.  We do this around our house by decorating for Christmas, making special Christmas treats & by pointing our family towards the real meaning of Christmas - anticipating the Birth of our Savior! 

This year I made an advent candle out of the wooden bowls that are sold at Ato Basket. I put a layer of foil in the bottom & then put four candles (that are sold at almost every store) and some rocks in the bowl.  I dropped a little hot wax under each candle first so they would stand on their own.  I got the rocks out of our driveway.  I topped it off with some little branches from a cedar tree that I found out in our yard.

 Each night we light a candle & read an advent story to our kids.  This year we are reading Jotham's Journey. We are reading the Kindle Version and we've really enjoyed it so far.  I encourage you to help point your family towards the True meaning of Christmas this year!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Fried Chicken



It's my favorite time of year!!  Thanksgiving and Christmas means DELICIOUS food & lots of fun in the kitchen !!  We always make fried chicken for our Thanksgiving Dinner.  This is probably my favorite meal in Ethiopia.

Cut your raw chicken into pieces:  legs, thighs, wings & breasts.  If the breasts are big, then cut the meat off the bone and cut the breasts into two.  If they are smaller, then leave them on the bone and cook them whole.

Soak the chicken in buttermilk.  I make buttermilk by mixing 1 Cup of milk with 1 Tablespoon of vinegar.  Fill a big bowl with buttermilk and soak the chicken (overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours).


Mix up this chicken shake recipe:

2 Tablespoons of salt
2 Tablespoons of paprika
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Lay out a large piece of foil on your counter top (this just makes for easy clean up).  Sprinkle the chicken generously with the chicken shake on both sides.


Place the chicken in a large bowl of flour and coat it on both sides with flour.


Lay the chicken out on a wire rack (if you have one, you can put it on a cookie sheet otherwise).  You can see how I lay mine out, I have the chicken shake cover chicken on the left and the flour covered chicken on the wire rack on the right.


Heat oil in a frying pan.  I like to use my cast iron skillet.  I also really prefer to fry my chicken in Crisco if I have it.  We have Crisco mailed to us or we pick it up when we go to other Countries.  Using Crisco really makes the Chicken taste good.  If you don't have Crisco, you can use regular oil. 


I like to use a splatter guard to help the grease from getting all over my kitchen.


 Cook the chicken 10 minutes on each side.  It should reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees when done.  When it is finished, let it rest for several minutes (covered with foil) before eating. 


Recipe Credit:  Alton Brown - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe.html

Chicken Shake


This is delicious on fried chicken, french fries, potatoes, veggies etc.

2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix it all together and store it in a plastic container.