I’m am brimming with joy today, why?  I used my rice cooker for the very first time.  Two days ago I purchased a rice cooker on sale for $19.  I’ve wanted one for quite some time but have been waiting for  the right price.    I used it this morning and let me tell you, it is the fluffiest, most perfectly cooked rice.   Yes, kitchen gadgets make me happy.

To go with the rice I cooked sauteed garlic spinach and pan seared tilapia with chimichurri sauce.  The tilapia was inspired by the meal I had this past weekend at Fuego Mundo.   Today is a good day!

Now on another note, I’m finally posting my recipe for Metemgee (metem) after many requests.  I’ve had this recipe sitting in my drafts waiting to be posted for months.  Why didn’t I post it?  It’s not the most eye pleasing dish, very grey and ugly but oh so tasty.

Metemgee is a one pot dish that consists of root vegetables such as white sweet potatoes and cassava, dumplings and some kind of protein such as salt beef, salt or fried fish.  It is all cooked in a savory broth of coconut milk and spices until tender.  It’s similar to Jamaica’s rundown and oildown from other Caribbean islands such as Grenada and Trinidad.  This is a stick to your ribs kind of meal.

Metemgee

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 scallion, chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 14 oz can of coconut cream

10 sprigs thyme

1 tbsp oil

about 1/2 lb cassava, cut into 3 inch pieces

2 white sweet potato, cut into 3 inch pieces

2 green plantain, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 lb salted codfish, soaked overnight

3 cups water

1 tbsp oil

In a large stock pot, heat oil.  Add onion sauteed for 4 minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add coconut milk, water, thyme, scallion, pepper and bring to a boil.  Break salt fish into chunks and add to pot.  Add cassava, sweet potato and plantains and cook for 20 mins and remove sweet potato.

Continue to cook cassava and plantain for  15-20 minutes or until tender, add dumpling.

Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.  Do not open the pot or the dumplings will fall.

Turn heat off, Remove dumpling from metemgee.  Serve metemgee with dumplings.

Dumplings (Duff)

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup self rising flour

1/4 sugar

1/2 cup milk

pinch salt

In a bowl mix all purpose flour, self rising flour, sugar and salt together.   Add milk and mix well.   Pinch off a enough dough to fit into your palm and roll to form an oblong shape.  Repeat until all dough is used up.  Set aside.  Place into Metemgee in the last 10 minutes of cooking.