A Bitter Brew

Coffee drinker? Yeah, me too.

As a coffee drinker, I’ve found that I have a favorite mug. Well, to be technical, I have four favorites: two for home, one for the office and one for traveling. My home favorite is a deep red, wide rimmed one that holds about 20 oz of liquid. I usually only have it half filled, but like the big mug just the same. My second favorite at home is another huge mug that looks like a Hershey Bar wrapper which I got in Hershey, PA. I only use that one when my primary is in the dishwasher.

My work mug is a metallic blue travel mug whose top leaks so it is no longer safe for travel. The mug I use for travel is a black Starbucks mug that my mother bought me many years ago and I love both the grip and the weight of it.

Notice none of the mugs are white or any other light color. Why does that matter? In a study published in the journal Flavour, when coffee is drunk from a white mug (as opposed to blue or clear), it is perceived as more bitter. Once again our minds are subconsciously playing with us. They speculate that the color contrast of the brown coffee against the white triggers that response.

Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew

Nothing bitter about this stew.

In order to make this dish I had to make up the key spice, berbere.

The lentils.

And the veggies.

In the pan.

Ethiopian Spice Mix (Berbere)

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Servings: about 1 cup (Scaled)

Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (use fennel as substitute)
1/4 cup ground dried New Mexico chiles
1/8 cup paprika
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
0.06 teaspoon ground cloves
0.06 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.06 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Finely grind fenugreek seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder. Stir together with remaining ingredients until combined well.

Cooks’ note: •Berbere keeps in an airtight container, chilled, 3 months.

Cooks’ note: •Berbere keeps in an airtight container, chilled, 3 months.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ethiopian-Spice-Mix-Berbere-104015

Ethiopian-Spiced Chicken Stew

Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: Slow-cooker time: 5-8 hours | Servings: 8 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups red lentils
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups chopped red onions
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
5 tablespoons berbere spice blend (see Tip)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1. Wash lentils in cold water in a medium bowl until the water runs clear; drain and spread in an even layer in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top of the lentils.

2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add berbere and cook, stirring, until very fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping the onion mixture from the bottom of the pan, then stir in tomatoes with their juice.

3. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker on top of the chicken, then pour in broth.

4. Cover and cook until the chicken is falling-apart tender, 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Stir the stew to combine.

Nutritional Info: Per serving: 406 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 89 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 36 g protein; 7 g fiber; 672 mg sodium; 672 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Iron (28% daily value), Zinc (27% dv), Folate (26% dv), Potassium & Vitamin C (20% dv), Magnesium (16% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ethiopian_chicken_stew.html