I like getting down and dirty when I cook, and when I eat. Nothing to me beats eating with your hands, and licking your fingers clean, it’s just so primal, so perfect. This is why Ethiopian food is one of my favorites. So, last week, with a bunch of eggplant, onion, chickpeas, spinach, and teff flour in hand I embarked on a Pinterest search to put together the perfect gluten free and vegetarian Ethiopian fest to surprise Mike with on one of our only nights off together. Here’s what I cooked up:
Injera inspired by this pin by Vegan Richa
It took awhile for me to get the hang of pouring the mixture, and I had to make a few batches but they were so good. My first batch wouldn’t bubble, so I used Wiki How’s Injera post to trouble shoot.
Gomen Wat (Spinach or other greenery stir fry) from this Pin linked to All Recipes.
I didn’t snag a photo of this but it was Michael and I’s favorite. It was subtle in spice and full of flavor, and one of the easier recipes to cook. I would just double the recipe if you want it as a stand alone dish, as the greens really do cook down. Also, I omitted the first step when using spinach and simply cooked it in a bowl in the microwave.
This was SPICY, to the point where it was definitely a dish to savor and not rush into. Although tasty I would not make it again without decreasing the amount of spice. If you love spice, which we usually do, this is the dish for you if you want to try Ethiopian.
Shiro (Chickpea) Wat Pinned Here, from a variety of sources (Food.Com being the main one)
This dish was also super delicious, and was between the Gomen Wat and Eggplant Stew in spice level. It was also a bit less watery than the two others, so it posed for a great lunch to bring to work (as you can tell from the above photo).
Although the cooking took awhile since each of the dishes had to be cooked separately and took awhile to simmer, I was so happy I had the idea to whip all this up. I’ve been in a food rut lately and this truly ended that, and reminded me the love I have for cooking and eating.
Before Mike got home I set up the table, which currently is a coffee table since we have no dining room. I was so pleased with everything:
The moral of the story? Cook what you love, be creative, take the chance to try new dishes from new ethnic backgrounds, use the resources available to you, and don’t be afraid to have a sit down dinner on the floor where you eat with your hands even when you don’t have a dining room.
Celtic Celiac @ http://celtic-celiac.blogspot.com/