TEFF Noogies
January 14, 2018
Ok, so I tried another ancient buzz-worthy grain: Teff.
Teff means “lost” in Amharic… because it’s so damn tiny. Each grain is like a third the size of a single quinoa seed. First originating in Ethiopia and Eritrea between 4,000 B.C.E. and 1,000 B.C.E. , it’s one of those cool ancient grains. It’s nutritiously dense, quick cooking and very versatile. It’s also high in protein, fiber, and important minerals, like iron, copper and phosphorus. It can naturally treat anemia, aid circulation, promote weight loss, relieve PMS, boost immunity, aid digestion, and support heart and bone health. (source) Are you eating teff yet?
I cooked it quite basically as I was a teff virgin. Being so small, it cooked up very polenta-like with a 3:1 ratio of water to teff. Next time I think I may try to toast it first? In the end, I wound up putting it in a container and then pan-frying it later in chunks.
It would be part of my lunch this week, a lunch fully aligned with the only heat source in my classroom: a crockpot! I massaged the kale with a generous dose of coconut oil and coconut vinegar, opting not to sauté it but just prep it for the crock. I didn’t cook the broccoli either because I’m going to let the crock pot take care of that too. I pressed, marinaded, and braised some tofu and topped with cilantro and cashews. The marinade is Isa Does It pad thai sauce with a few microplaned garlic cloves. And the teff noogies, of course. 
I’m really excited about this lunch. Are you looking at the teff noogies? 
While Isa Does It was out… and I had 3 bananas to use, I made chocolate marble banana bread, too! I marble too delicately I guess. The underbelly was pretty segregated.
In other silly Sunday antics, I learned the power of shampoo through the Google Arts & Culture app. It has a feature that uses facial recognition to match your face to a museum portrait. On the left, me unshowered, unshampooed, no make-up, bed head… just a “young woman.” Then later after a proper shower, a Moldavian princess.
