Courtesy of National Geographic
http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/01/3-recipes-that-could-help-end-world-hunger/Orthopteran Orzo
Orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, gets its name from the Italian word for barley, but we all know that orzo looks exactly like juvenile bugs. Needless to say, it’s a perfect complement for crickets, especially three- or four-week-old nymphs, which are of a comparable size. At this stage in life the young crickets lack wings and ovipositors, the chitinous tubes through which the adult females pass their eggs. Their limbs are skinny, so there’s no need to remove them before cooking. Likewise for the antennae, which, at less than a quarter of an inch, should pose no obstacle to enjoying this meal.
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup frozen two- or three-week-old cricket nymphs, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Bring the broth to a boil, then stir in the orzo.
2. Continue boiling the orzo until it is tender, about 10 minutes; drain any extra liquid, then quickly add the carrot and red and green peppers. Mix evenly and set aside.
3. In a separate skillet, melt the butter and add the garlic, onion, and crickets. Sauté briefly until the onions are translucent and the garlic and crickets have browned.
4. Combine the cricket mixture, including any liquid, with the orzo and vegetables, top with the parsley, and serve.
Yield: 6 servings
Scorpion Scaloppini
2 cups low-fat milk
8 frozen desert hairy scorpions or a similar species, thawed, venom gland removed
1 cup white cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1. Pour the milk into a medium bowl. Add the scorpions to the bowl and set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Spread the cornmeal on a plate and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Working with one scorpion at a time, remove it from the milk, allowing the excess to drain off. Dredge the scorpions through the cornmeal, shaking off any excess.
3. Place the scorpions in the hot butter and cook until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Then turn the scorpions over and cook until done, about 1 minute more.
4. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with lemon juice and chopped parsley and serve.
Yield: 6 servings
White Chocolate Wax Worm Cookies
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups white chocolate chunks or morsels
3/4 cup (about 375) frozen wax worms, thawed
Wax Worm Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown and granulated sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy.
3. Stir the egg into the butter mixture, then gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the white chocolate chunks and half of the wax worms, reserving the rest for garnishing the cookies.
4. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto nonstick baking sheets.
5. Gently press 2 or 3 of the remaining wax worms into the top of each cookie.
6. Bake until the edges of each cookie are lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes.
7. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack
Yield: about 3 dozen cookies
Topic: THE RECIPE THREAD (Read 91757 times)