Ghee (Clarified Spiced Butter)

Yield: 1 ½ cups
Unsalted butter consists of oil, solids and water. Clarifying butter evaporates the water and separates the oil from the solids. The butter oil will keep indefinitely, unrefrigerated, without turning rancid. Ghee may be substituted for oil to add richness and flavor. I was first introduced to clarified butter in Morocco. It tasted a bit rancid to me, but is a delicacy in this part of the world. I haven’t noticed the same rancid flavor in Eritrea, so I have either acquired the taste, or adding the spices masks the rancidness.

1 pound unsalted butter
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
¼ teaspoon dry basil
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon fenugreek
1/8 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon turmeric 3 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon coriander

1. Melt the butter in a pot over a low heat. Add the other ingredients and cook uncovered over an extremely low heat for 45 minutes. Check the pot occasionally, but do not stir.
2. Skim off and discard any froth or spices floating on the surface. Remove the garlic and ginger pieces and discard them.
3. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature for 30 minutes. The white butter-solids and the spices will fall to the bottom of the pot and collect as sediment.
4. Dip the clear, golden butter out of the pot with a ladle, leaving all of the sediment behind.
5. Pour the clarified butter through a clean piece of cotton cloth stretched over the mouth of a jar to remove any remaining spice particles.
6. Store the clarified butter in a jar in a cool place.

Shiro Powder: easy version

Yield: 6 cups powder

This recipe approximates the taste of authentic shiro
powder without the lengthy preparation time. The flours may be found in natural food stores.

3 cups chickpea flour
1 ½ cups bean flour
1 ½ cups pea flour
5 tablespoons berbere
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt

1. Mix the chickpea, bean, and pea flours together. Add the berbere, garlic powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
2. Store in an airtight container, the powder will keep for several months.

Shiro Powder: (authentic version)

Yield: 5 ½ cups powder

Shiro powder takes a long time to make. To speed things up, cook the legumes in four separate pots simultaneously, noting the different cooking times.

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 cup dried navy beans
2 cups dried yellow split peas
1 cup dried lentils
6 tablespoons berbere
1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt

1. Soak the chickpeas in 2 ½ cups of cold water overnight, and drain. In another container, soak the navy beans in 3 cups of cold water overnight, and drain.
2. Put the chickpeas in a pot with 4 cups of water and cover the pot. Boil the chickpeas for about 1 ½ hours. Remove the pot from the heat and drain any excess water. Set the chickpeas aside.
3. Put the navy beans in another pot with 4 cups of water. Partially cover the pot and boil for 1 hour. Drain any excess water and set the beans aside.
4. Place the split peas in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Partially cover the pot and boil 20 minutes. Drain the excess water and set the split peas aside.
5. Put the lentils in a pot and add 4 cups of water. Cover the pot partially and boil the lentils without stirring for 40 minutes. Drain the excess water and set the lentils aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Spread each kind of legume on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the legumes in the oven for 2 hours, until they are all dry.
7. Grind the legumes together in a blender or a food processor until you have a fine powder. Add the berbere, garlic powder, and salt and grind until it is well blended.
8. Store in an airtight container, this powder will keep for several months.

Ryan's Thanksgiving Chocolate Sauce

1/3 Cup butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
mix together over medium heat
Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup light cream
and 1 can condensed sweetened milk (optional)

Grandmummy’s Chocolate Sauce

1 tbsp butter
1 square of unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Melt butter and chocolate. Pour water and boil. Put sugar and reboil. Reduce heat, simmer for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt.

Wilton Buttercream Icing

“This creamy, flavorful icing is ideal for decorating.”
Makes 3 cups.
½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. milk
Directions: Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Keep covered with damp cloth until ready to use. Refrigerate when not in use. Keeps for up to 2 weeks in airtight container. Rewhip before using.

Grandmummy’s Gravy (for any meat!)

Meat drippings in pan where meat was cooked
Wonder shaker flour
Salt
Water

Directions:
Drain excess fat. Place pan on stove and bring to boil. With slotted spoon, stir loosening crispy bits. Shake flour with boiling, stirring constantly. Salt to taste. Alternate between water and flour, making sure it is boiling before adding flour. When desired consistency, cook 2 minutes longer to get rid of flour taste.

Grandmummy’s Spare Ribs

1 ½ lb ribs (cut)
1 ½ cup water
½ cup of vinegar
½ onion (minced)
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 cup of granulated sugar
½ tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp salt
2 ½ tbsp oil
1 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Combine all but ribs and boil 10 minutes. Brown meat (25 minutes per side). Bake meat and sauce at 450˚F for 1 hour. Baste every 10 minutes.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb hamburger
1 lg onion (copped
1 green pepper (chopped
10 fresh mushrooms
3 garlic cloves (minced
1/8 tsp hot cayenne pepper
1 lg can whole tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
½ tsp oregano
¼ cup red wine

Directions:
Brown meat and drain. Sauté onions, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 2 hours. Serve over spaghetti.

Caesar Salad Dressing

4-5 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan  cheese
5 Anchovies 
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Juice of one lemon
2 coddled eggs (boil for one minute)
black pepper and salt to taste
Combine garlic, cheese, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon in food processor.  Coddle eggs add to food processor.  Slowly add olive oil while the food processor is running.  Chill before serving.  It will thicken as it chills.

Chicken Pistachio Curry Dip

1/2 Cup shelled pistachio nuts
1 Cup cooked cut up chicken
1 tbsp of curry or more if you like it stronger.
3/4 cup mayo
juice of half a lemon

Grind nuts in food processor set aside, grind chicken, curry, lemon and mayo. Mix nuts in.
Add more mayo if it seems dry.  Serve on raisin toast or thin raisin bagel slices

Cheese Fondue

Mix in a saucepan, heat and stir:
1 ½ lbs grated Swiss cheese.
2 cups of dry white wine
1/3 cup Kirsch
1 ½ tsp. cornstarc

Transfer to fondue pot.
Dip squares of crisp French bread.

Artichoke Chip Dip

1 can of artichoke hearts
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic crushed

Directions:
Chop artichokes. Stir into other ingredients. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes. Serve with chips or Triscuit crackers.

Mrs. Shepherd’s Salad Dressing

1 cup sugar
½ cup ketchup
½ cup vinegar
½ tsp pepper
½ cup chili sauce
1 cup salad oil
1 tsp salt
3 garlic buds

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a quart jar and store in refrigerator.
Good for salads, tacos, and beef fondue dip.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
1 stick butter

Place yolk, lemon juice, and salt in blender. Heat butter until bubbling. Turn on blender for 30 seconds at high speed. Slowly (drop by drop at first) pour in hot butter while blender is still on. If sauce curdles, remove from blender and pour slowly back in. It should be creamy. Use over vegetables, eggs, or fish. Serve warm. Pour over English muffin with eggs and Canadian bacon (ham) to make Eggs Benedict.