I had some Injera - Sourdough flatbread left over from the weekend's Ethiopian Supper of Tibs 'Soya Beef' with Berbere and Cherry Tomatoes and Caramelised White Cabbage, Carrot and Potatoes.
I don't like waste, so I wondered what else I could do with them? I saw a recipe for a savoury Injera porridge but I have to be honest that did not appeal, then I was inspired by Injera Chips from defunct blog The Berbere Diaries. Only three ingredients, the Injera, Berbere and Vegetable oil - so there was no stopping me from making these.
I wasn't that generous with the Berbere and thank goodness as it was still quite spicy on the lips. These Injera crisps are proper crunchy too like toasted corn snacks, so if you have tooth fillings, then I would advise eating them with caution or don't make them at all - you have been warned. How do I know this...take a guess?!
I am sharing this with Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary No Waste Food Challenge hosted this month by Its Not Easy Being Greedy. And here is a link to More Injera Please who has further ideas of what to do with left-over Injera, but I have to say - the crisps are high on my list. Oh and just in case your wondering how Injera is made from scratch, then follow this link from The Guardian.
Ethiopian Berbere Injera Crisps - Chips
Ingredients
1 - 2 left-over Injera
60ml vegetable oil
Berbere powder to taste
Method
Preheat oven to gas mark/275oc.
With a brush, coat the Injera in the oil,
Liberally ssprinkle over the Berbere or to taste.
Either slice the Injera or rip it into pieces and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool and crisp up.
You may need to bake longer depending on the thickness of your Injera and your oven.
As well as bookmarking recipes from cookbooks, I mentioned that I have bookmarked some recipes from websites also. I've had my eye on a couple of Ethiopian recipes from Azeb Woldemichael of Mazi Mas as featured in The Guardian. It is thanks to The Guardian that I have discovered Mazi Mas and have become a fan from afar. Mazi Mas which translates in Greek 'with us' is a roaming eatery that serves global home cuisine to the public. The chefs are migrant and refugee women who have struggled to find work in the U.K. Mazi Mas reminds me a little of The League of Kitchens in NYC, America.
For those of you who read my blog, will know that I've been cooking up some global cuisine since the start of this blog; and most recently Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine has been on the menu, thanks to some new people frequenting my workplace and inspiring me.
I was more tempted by the Berbere spices which I have come to love and have a stash of. The original Mazi Maz 'Tibs' recipe is made with beef skirt, diced small. After giving it a little thought, I adapted the recipe and made it suitable for vegetarians, its even possible to veganize! In place of the beef, I substituted Soy Schnetzel often used for vegan Ghoulash, but if you can't find them soya chunks will work too. The rosemary came from my garden and so did the cherry tomatoes, the last from my greenhouse - yes in November.
Both dishes: the Ethiopian Tibs 'Soya Beef' with Berbere and Cherry Tomatoes and White Cabbage, Carrot and Potato are extremely rich and flavour packed. I loved them both and so did D, he just wasn't keen on the Injera - Ethiopian Sourdough flatbread that has little bubbles on top like a crumpet. He found the Injera texture a little to strange to eat, as it has a rubber aspect to it. It didn't bother me at all; and I ate it traditionally with my fingers.
I know there are a barrage of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks out there at the moment- spearing from every direction, some are on my wish list and some are not. But I have been making a conscience effort to thumb through those neglected cookbooks already on my shelf and identify those recipes I want to try.
Many of my cookbooks are vegetarian, some are vegan and many are not either. I have been making a concerted effort over the weekend to cook and bake some of those bookmarked recipes and have already done so with many (see below).
Caribbean Modern (from the Library)
Dock Kitchen Cookbook
Mildred's Cookbook
Meat-Free Any-Day
Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates
Snackistan
Veggiestan
V is For Vegan
And I've even been inspired by some bloggers and food website.
Well today's bookmarked recipe that comes from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every-Day. Heidi's Buttermilk Cake is topped off with plums. I made this at the weekend, I had picked up some buttermilk intended originally for Irish Soda Bread, but as it was fast reaching it use by date. In place of the thinly sliced plums, I had peaches.
As I followed the recipe, it advised, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. I had large grain sea salt but not fine sea salt - so ended up choosing to use table salt. So yes you can imagine it was a little salty, but okay none-the-less. I went and checked the recipe on-line and found it under another guise called Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake.
It was the same recipe made with raspberries, but instructing to use an additional teaspoon of sea salt for the topping. The recipe indeed is mean't be be salty.
