Ethiopian Food…Uh…With Naan!

www.theppk.com (for spicy lentils w/ tomatoes)

Lord Krishna Cuisine (for naan)

www.ivu.org/recipes (for potato/carrot/cabbage/onion mixture)

I tried a recipe from IVU for injera, leaving the bread dough to ferment for at least three days, but I had no luck when it came time to cook the bread.  No Ethiopian restaurant nearby to grab some bread from, either, so I chose to make naan real quick!

The vegetable mixtures were really tasty, all reminding me of dining at Abyssinia, a Philadelphia Ethiopian restaurant in the darling University City area.

Do you think they’d let me back in the kitchen to show me how to make that awesome, spongy bread? 

Onward, Spring Roll Soldiers

I like to make my own spring rolls, to avoid mushrooms and the deep-frying that goes along with the ones purchased at restaurants.  I use garlicky tofu, vermicilli, cabbage, carrots, and spring onions/scallions/green onions.

A doubled-up frozen spring roll wrapper, rolled up tightly with the food, and sealed with a mixture of water and whole-wheat pastry flour.  Admittedly, my spring rolls got messier as I grew inpatient with my task.

I bake the rolls at 425-450F and then freeze for later use.  The rolls are brushed with a mixture of rice bran and peanut oil.  When ready to use, I pan-fry the rolls in my cast iron to crispen up each side and serve with Sweet & Sour Sauce from Authentic Chinese Cuisine.

Stuffed Cabbage w/ Tempeh