Entomophagy (12.3.18)
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Recipes contributed by members of University of Illinois Entomology Graduate Students Association: Scott, Rachel, and John.
Many people around the world enjoy insects as an important source of protein in their diets. The idea is starting to catch on in the United States, too, as raising insects demands far fewer resources per pound of food than other animals -- or even than some plant-based proteins, like soy. They are highly nutritious, and they can be easy to incorporate into recipes. Cricket flour brownies are a great gateway recipe; the casual taste-tester wouldn't be able to detect their secret ingredient. And if you're ready to venture further, why not try stir-frying up some caterpillars? Get an intro to entomophagy with this TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDqXwUS402I Click here to download these recipes. |
Cricket Brownies
Based on recipe at https://www.cricketflours.com/cricket-flour-brownie-recipe/
These amounts will make a double recipe – two pans of brownies.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup butter (3 sticks)
1 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cup sugar
1 ½ cup sour cream
3/4 cup regular flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup cricket flour (ordered from Chirps)
6 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
On low heat, melt butter in a medium sauce pan and mix in cocoa and salt. Once the butter is fully melted, mix in the sugar, sour cream, regular flour, baking powder, cricket flour, eggs, and vanilla.
In a greased 8inch-by-8inch pan, pour out your Cricket Flour Brownie Mix. Cook for 24-minutes, and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. The mix may look like it is not finished cooking, but you do not want to overcook your Cricket Flour Brownies.
These amounts will make a double recipe – two pans of brownies.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup butter (3 sticks)
1 cup cocoa
3/4 tsp. salt
3 cup sugar
1 ½ cup sour cream
3/4 cup regular flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup cricket flour (ordered from Chirps)
6 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
On low heat, melt butter in a medium sauce pan and mix in cocoa and salt. Once the butter is fully melted, mix in the sugar, sour cream, regular flour, baking powder, cricket flour, eggs, and vanilla.
In a greased 8inch-by-8inch pan, pour out your Cricket Flour Brownie Mix. Cook for 24-minutes, and check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. The mix may look like it is not finished cooking, but you do not want to overcook your Cricket Flour Brownies.
Mealworm Flapjacks
The UK take on flapjacks (bar cookies that are something like granola bars), with a mealworm twist. From The Edible Insect Network, via https://www.eatgrub.co.uk/cook/mealworm-flapjacks/
Ingredients:
200g rolled oats
150g caster sugar
150g salted butter
90g raisins
20g mealworms (ordered from Fluker's, fed oatmeal to clear guts)
Note: you can also order freeze-dried meal worms
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons plain flour
Instructions:
Break the egg into a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
Melt the butter in the saucepan.
Whilst the butter is melting, combine all of the other ingredients in a bowl.
Once the butter is melted, mix the egg and butter with all the ingredients and place in the fridge for around an hour until chilled.
Tip your mix out onto a baking tray, and spread evenly until it’s about half an inch thick. Next, place in an oven that has been pre-heated to 170°C (about 340°F). Bake for 20-30 mins, until golden brown, then leave on the side to set for around an hour.
Once cooled and set, chop into bite sized chunks and enjoy your mealworm flapjacks.
Ingredients:
200g rolled oats
150g caster sugar
150g salted butter
90g raisins
20g mealworms (ordered from Fluker's, fed oatmeal to clear guts)
Note: you can also order freeze-dried meal worms
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons plain flour
Instructions:
Break the egg into a bowl and whisk thoroughly.
Melt the butter in the saucepan.
Whilst the butter is melting, combine all of the other ingredients in a bowl.
Once the butter is melted, mix the egg and butter with all the ingredients and place in the fridge for around an hour until chilled.
Tip your mix out onto a baking tray, and spread evenly until it’s about half an inch thick. Next, place in an oven that has been pre-heated to 170°C (about 340°F). Bake for 20-30 mins, until golden brown, then leave on the side to set for around an hour.
Once cooled and set, chop into bite sized chunks and enjoy your mealworm flapjacks.
Mbinzo Caterpillar Stir-fry
Mbinzo caterpillars are native to central Africa and part of the traditional Congolese diet. This recipe is modified from a traditional way of preparation and uses an Asian sauce. The caterpillars used in this demonstration were purchased at The Best of Africa Food Store in Urbana, IL.
Ingredients for sauce (from https://www.tasteslovely.com/best-stir-fry-sauce/)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (or Tamari if gluten free)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegan)
1 tablespoon corn starch (or arrow root)
1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar if vegan)
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced (or 1 tablespoon ginger paste in a squeeze tube, and other readers have had success with 1 tablespoon ground powdered ginger)
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
Stir-fry ingredients (amount varies by how much you want)
Green onions (3 bunches)
Carrots (1 pound bag)
Broccoli (5 crowns)
Green or red peppers (2 or 3)
Rice (1lb bag)
olive oil for cooking
dried Mbinzo caterpillars obtained from African food store (or substitute mealworms)
Instructions
Whisk all sauce ingredients together. Adjust the amount of sauce you add according to how much stir fry you’re making. When adding to your stir fry, allow to cook for 3 full minutes to allow the corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Thoroughly wash and clean dried mbinzo caterpillars. Soak for approximately 1 hr.
Cook chopped vegetables in olive oil until desired tenderness, add soaked mbinzo caterpillars and sauce. Simmer until caterpillars appear cooked, sauce is thickened, and ingredients are well incorporated.
Ingredients for sauce (from https://www.tasteslovely.com/best-stir-fry-sauce/)
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (or Tamari if gluten free)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegan)
1 tablespoon corn starch (or arrow root)
1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar if vegan)
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced (or 1 tablespoon ginger paste in a squeeze tube, and other readers have had success with 1 tablespoon ground powdered ginger)
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
Stir-fry ingredients (amount varies by how much you want)
Green onions (3 bunches)
Carrots (1 pound bag)
Broccoli (5 crowns)
Green or red peppers (2 or 3)
Rice (1lb bag)
olive oil for cooking
dried Mbinzo caterpillars obtained from African food store (or substitute mealworms)
Instructions
Whisk all sauce ingredients together. Adjust the amount of sauce you add according to how much stir fry you’re making. When adding to your stir fry, allow to cook for 3 full minutes to allow the corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Thoroughly wash and clean dried mbinzo caterpillars. Soak for approximately 1 hr.
Cook chopped vegetables in olive oil until desired tenderness, add soaked mbinzo caterpillars and sauce. Simmer until caterpillars appear cooked, sauce is thickened, and ingredients are well incorporated.