Ethopian Doro Wat with Quick Injera

Doro Wat with Quick Injera  is a meal in Ethiopia with a memorable experience. When you have dinner in an Ethiopian home or restaurant, you eat the tablecloth! :-) , the meal is always dressed , dishes are served on a large platter covered with Injera, Ethiopian sourdough crepes. Then more Injera is served on the side. The Injera is tangy and pliable, and is used instead of utensils to pick up the rest of the food. i don't know how to make it tho! but i love the experience when i had the dish and i felt i should share!
The experience alone make me feel satisfied and i decided to find the recipes

Ingredient (culled from Here)

For the Doro Wat:
3 lbs. boneless chicken, breasts and thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 cup red wine
2 cups water
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 Tb. garam masala
1/3 cup hot smoked paprika
1 Tb. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 Tb. dried thyme
3 Tb. tomato paste
1 Tb. sugar
1 lime, juiced
For the Injera Recipe:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 Tb. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 cups club soda
1 cup white or rice vinegar
Oil for pan

Directions:

For the Doro Wat: Place all the ingredients, minus the lime juice, in a slow cooker and cover. Cook for 4-6 hours--depending on your slow cooker settings--until the chicken is tender. Then mash the chicken to shreds with a potato masher (or the bottom of a ladle.) Stir in the lime juice and keep warm.

For the Injera Recipe: In a large bowl, mix both flours, salt and baking soda together. Whisk in the club soda until smooth. Then add the vinegar and whisk.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour oil on a paper towel and wipe the skillet with the oiled paper towel.

Using a scoop, pour batter into the skillet creating a 6 inch circle. Carefully swirl the pan around to thin out the batter until it measures 8-9 inches across.

Cook for 1 minute, then using a large spatula, flip the Injera over and cook another minute. Remove from the skillet and stack on a plate.

Repeat with remaining batter. The Injera will seem slightly crisp in the pan, but will soften immediately when placed on the plate.

Once finished cooking the Injera. Cut the circles in half with a pizza cutter, roll into tubes and stack. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve the Doro Wat and Injera together, tearing piece of Injera and using it to pick up the Doro Wat.

How you can prepare your yam in 2 ways!

I love yam a lot, i  like to prepare my yam in different ways but my friends specifically told me to tell them my recipe on how i prepare my yam, but today am going to mention 2!
Yam Porridge
The yam porridge can also be called Asaro its widely eaten by the Yorubas in Nigeria, it is mainly yam cooked with ingredients and the resulting dish contains some soupy liquid.and some people add vegetables to it why some don't!
Ingredients
1 kg white yam
Red palm Oil (to make it look like a soup)
1 smoked fish (Titus/mackerel) / dry fish
1 tablespoon grounded crayfish
medium onion
Fresh green vegetable (i use spinach but its not important)

Ghanaian Chicken and Peanut Butter Soup

The chicken and peanut butter soup is mostly eaten by the Ghanaian though i heard it a west African soup but i have a story behind this soup, five years ago, i use to work for an IT firm in Nigeria,and a Ghanaian family (our customer) invited me for a lunch one faithful weekend, i was glad and i decided to visit, but my boyfriend called me that i have to see him the same weekend that i had plan to visits my Ghanaian friends
But would i rather go to 'eat' or see my love ? ( lol ) so i quickly picked my phone and i called them 'hey i had an emergency and am not coming blablabla' but after then they had a baby and i have to go see the baby and i was served Chicken and Peanut Butter soup, OMG! i really loved the soup to the extent that i keep visiting the family (who wouldn't anyway!)
Afterwards they left the country without saying good bye, i keep searching for the recipe and i finally found it Here and Here so i you can decide the type of method you want!

INGREDIENT 
(3 lb) chicken, cleaned and cut into 16 portions
4 small onions, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste
21 fluid ounces chicken stock
1 lb smooth peanut butter
18 ounces water
1 (14 ounce) can plum tomatoes
1 hot red pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped
Directions:
Place a large saucepan/casserole pot over a medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces, skin side down, for 10 minutes or until browned. Using tongs, turn the pieces of chicken over to seal the underside.

Stir in two of the onions, ginger and garlic for five minutes or until translucent and softened.

Pour in the chicken stock and season with salt. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate small saucepan, mix together the peanut butter with the water. Gently bring the mixture to the boil, stirring occasionally to.

prevent burning and a lumpy mixture. Gently simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the oil from the peanut butter settles on the surface.

In a food processor, blend together the remaining two onions with the tinned tomatoes and red pepper. Add this mixture to the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.

Finally, add the peanut butter mixture to the chicken pan and simmer for a further 30 minutes.

Optional - pour soup into a bowl and place rice ball in the middle

Enjoy!!!!

How to make suya spice!!

When I uploaded my 'Nigerian Suya video', from instagram, ( Here ) the question from my friends was:  I can't buy suya spice where I live, how can I make it? But the requests for suya spice recipe kept pouring in and am thinking about how many people would be able to enjoy Suya in their own homes, I was challenged to find out how to make this special suya pepper !


How to Make Suya Spice 
All these recipe have to be complete so as to feel the overall flavor of your suya spice!
5 tablespoons crushed Kuli Kuli (110g) (Hausa nut)
5 tablespoons ginger powder (75g)
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper flakes (6g)
10 strands of African Negro Pepper known as Uda in Igbo
1 small stock cube (4g)
½ teaspoon salt

What you need
Crushing tools
Sieve
Plastic bowls
Spice/Coffee grinder
Before you make the Suya Spice
Crush the Kuli Kuli with a mortar and pestle or put in a plastic bag and crush with a blunt object. Kuli Kuli usually comes in different shapes and sizes and this crushing makes it easy for you to measure it and blend it in the dry mill or coffee grinder.
Crush the dry cayenne pepper in a mortar or any other rough container till the skin separates from the seeds. You don't need to pound it. When done, put in a flat tray or plate, so that the flakes will move to one side then pick them out. Later, you can grind the seeds and use them in other Nigerian recipes.
Break the African Negro Pepper into pieces and crush the stock cube.

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Grind in small batches in the dry mill till they turn into powder. Any coffee grinder will do this job very well.
When done, sift the suya spice with a sieve to remove all fibre from the African Negro Pepper and ingredients that did not blend well.
That's all! The suya spice is ready to be used in making Nigerian Suya.
Put the suya spice in plastic bags or containers and store in the freezer. It can last for years and still retain its taste and flavour. But who would want to keep suya spice in the freezer for years anyway? When there are lots of suyas to be made with them! lol!

Where does your food come from?

Technology has made feeding people a lot easier for farmers. This is good. It has made it so that people do not have to be farmers to grow their own food. Today, individual grows food, sometimes they are also active in marketing them,but lots of people are involved in our food today, like the farmers, the warehouse operators, the retail grocers, the pilot, etc (the list goes on)
Reading,and finding information is a great way for people to have a better understanding of what they are eating and where it comes from., i remember while growing up, we just go to the market and buy foods, and sometimes we will be told where the food come from but most people don't cares!
Food From Nigeria!
Nigeria lies on the western Africa coast, on the Gulf of Guinea, surrounded by the countries of Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Between the desert-like north of the country, touching the Sahara, and the tropical south, there are plateaus, hills, forest, Savannah and a coastal plain good for farming. The climate is always hot and, although rainfall varies from almost nothing to rain forest conditions, most of the rain happens during a single rainy season. if you visit Nigeria there are common food you find everywhere such as-
Jollof rice – a dish made of vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers,  and meat or fish, . Jollof rice is the Nigerian typical main course.
Fufu – a starchy food made with ground plantains or yams. Fufu served with stews and other recipes with a sauce, usually on a plate at the center, you should roll pieces of fufu with your fingers and use it to scoop the stew or dip in the sauce.
Suya – meat kebabs coated with ground peanuts and chili and barbecued.
Dodo – fried plantains, usually peeled, sliced and fried in palm oil.
Boli – baked plantains, usually baked whole.(also on a grill)
Yam chips – a popular snack (also called dundun)
The list of popular vegetables includes cassava, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, okra, spinach, onions, peas, and yams. Bananas, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, melon, guava, and limes.

West African Diet

Africa, the second largest continent in the world, is rich in geographic and cultural diversity . It is a land populated by peoples with histories dating to ancient times and cultures shaped by innumerable tribes, languages, and traditions.  the culture of food and eating in the different regions of Africa is important to people throughout the world.


Within West Africa, there is considerable variation in the staple food. Rice is predominant from Mauritania to Liberia and across to the Sahel, a region that stretches across the continent between the Sahara and the southern savannas. Couscous is the prevalent dish in the Sahara. Along the coast from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to Nigeria and Cameroon, root crops, primarily varieties of yam and cassava, are common. Cassava, imported from Brazil by the Portuguese, is boiled and then pounded into a nearly pure starch. Yam is the chief crop in West Africa and is served in a variety of dishes, including amala , iyan (pounded yam) and egwusi (melon) sauce. Millet is also used for making porridge or beer.

The African Diet

Throughout Africa, the main meal of the day is lunch, which usually consists of a mixture of vegetables, legumes , and sometimes meat. However, though different meats are considered staples in many areas, . However, fish is abundant in coastal regions and in many lakes.

The combination of various foods is called stew, soup, or sauce, depending on the region. This mixture is then served over a porridge or mash made from a root vegetable such as cassava or a grain such as rice, corn, millet, or teff. Regional differences are reflected in variations on this basic meal, primarily in the contents of the stew. The greatest variety of ingredients occurs in coastal areas and in the fertile highlands. Flavorings and spiciness have varied principally due to local histories of trade. In the traditional African diet, meat and fish are not the focus of a meal, but are instead used to enhance the stew that accompanies the mash or porridge , Meat is well-liked among carnivorous (meat-eating) Africans.

Traditional Cooking Methods.

Traditional ways of cooking involve steaming food in leaf wrappers for instance moi-moi from Nigeria, ( or corn husks), boiling, frying in oil, grilling beside a fire, roasting in a fire, or baking in ashes. in some Africans countries, cooking outdoors or in a building separate from the living quarters are their traditions . African kitchens commonly have a stew pot separately due to often use, staple meals are normally eaten with the hands.

West African Fruit.

Plantain, a variety of banana, is abundant in the more tropical West Africa. Sweet plantains are normally fried, while hard plantains are boiled or pounded into fufu. Dates, bananas, guava, melons, passion-fruit, figs, jack-fruit, mangoes, pineapples, cashews, and wild lemons and oranges are also found here.

Protein Sources.

Meat sources of protein include cattle, sheep, chicken, and goat, though beef is served all the times not just for holidays and special occasions. Fish is eaten in the coastal areas. Because of the Islamic influence, pork is localized to non-Muslim areas. In these regions, "bush meat" is widely eaten, including bush rat, a large herbivorous rodent, and antelope. Giant snails are also eaten in various parts of West Africa.

How to eat Healthy!!!

I don't like to put a tag on my advice, its based on scientific research,  not ethics, religion or a preconceived notion of what a healthy diet should be like.This type of diet is proven to work better than the low-fat diet currently recommended by health authorities all around the world.

What to Avoid (food that make you fat&sick) 
Sugar: Added sugar is addictive, highly fattening and a leading cause of diseases like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Grains: Avoid grains if you need to lose weight, including bread and pasta.Gluten grains  are the worst , Healthier grains like rice and oats are fine if you don’t need to lose weight.
Seed- And Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, corn oil and some others. These are processed fats with a high amount of Omega-6 fatty acids, which are harmful in excess
Artificial Sweeteners: Despite being calorie free, observational studies show a massive correlation with obesity and related diseases
“Diet” and “Low-Fat” Products: Most of these “health foods” aren't healthy at all. They tend to be highly processed and loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners. Agave syrup is just as bad as sugar.

How to eat healthy (foods that make you feel great!)?
You should eat natural, unprocessed foods that humans are genetically adapted to eating. Research shows that such foods are great for health
Meat: Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, etc. Humans have eaten meat for hundreds of thousands of years. Unprocessed meat is good for you, especially if the animals ate natural foods (like beef from grass-fed cows).
Fish: Fish is great. Very healthy, fulfilling and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. You should eat fish (preferably fatty fish like salmon) every week.
Eggs: Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. The yolk is the most nutritious and healthiest part. Omega-3 eggs are best.
Vegetables: Contain fiber and many nutrients that are essential for the human body. Eat vegetables every day.
Fruit: Increase variety, taste good, are easy to prepare and rich in fiber and Vitamin C. They’re still pretty high in sugar, so eat in moderation if you need to lose weight.
Potatoes: Root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes are healthy, but they’re still high in carbs. Eat in moderation if you need to lose weight.
Fats and Oils: Olive oil, butter, etc. Choose saturated fats for high-heat cooking like pan frying, they are more stable in the heat.
What to Drink?
Coffee: Coffee is healthy and very rich in antioxidants, but people who are sensitive to caffeine should avoid it. Avoid coffee late in the day because it can ruin your sleep.
Tea: Tea is healthy, rich in antioxidants and has a lot less caffeine than coffee.
Water: You should drink water throughout the day and especially around workouts. No reason to drink a whole ton though, thirst is a pretty reliable indicator of your need.
Simple rule: Don’t drink calories.!!!!!

How many Carbohydrates per day?
You can use these numbers as a guideline:

10-20 grams per day: Very low, can’t eat any carbs except low-carb vegetables. Appropriate if you have a lot of weight to lose or if you have diabetes and/or the metabolic syndrome.

20-50 grams per day: If you need to lose weight fast. You can eat quite a bit of vegetables and one piece of fruit per day.

50-150 grams per day: If you want to achieve optimal health and lower your risk of lifestyle-related disease. There is room for several fruit per day and even a little bit of healthy starches like potatoes and rice.

You might get this result!!!!

Diabetes Diet and Food tips

Diabetes, is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells, and there tips of diet while being a patience, i discovered recently you don't have to automatically stop sweet things but i find this and it might help  Here

How to make kenyan 'Ugali'

I use to hear the word ' Ugali' from my Tanzanian friends and Kenyan friends, but i don't know how important it is to this countries until recently :-) . the undeniable most common Kenyan food staple is ugali , usually made from cornmeal that is added to boiling water and heated until it turns into a dense block of cornmeal paste. Ugali has the consistency of a grainy dough and the heaviness of a brick.and it is common in a number of other African countries like Uganda,Tanzanian southern African countries




The ingredients consist of water and maize flour ,i recently find out how to make it Here
it can be served with tomato soup or spinach, it depends on how you like it!

Are there any food i shouldn't eat during pregnancy ?

This is most frequent ask question by  mothers, especially if it is the first pregnancy, i often think that way also during my pregnancy period, there are so many food that one should avoid not because of the mother but for the safety of the baby . but this where the tips i knew i avoided during min!

Raw seafood,  Shark, swordfish or marlin. These fish contain unsafe levels of naturally occurring mercury. Tuna contains some mercury too, so it's best you don't eat more than four medium-sized cans, or two fresh tuna steaks per week.
Don't eat liver and liver products (Edo or liver sausage), because they may contain large amounts of the retinol form of vitamin A. Too much of this could be harmful to your developing baby.
You should stop or cut down on drinking alcohol during pregnancy, too. If you want to drink during your pregnancy, don’t drink more than one or two units of alcohol, once or twice a week, and don't get drunk.
It's best not to have more than 200mg of caffeine a day. That’s two mugs of instant coffee or four cups of tea or five cans of cola a day.
Starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread, are an important part of your diet, but try not to over-cook or over-bake them. When starchy food is fried, baked, roasted or grilled at high temperatures a natural chemical, called acrylamide, forms.
 Can i go on Diet?
I remembered i heard this crazy idea before my pregnancy that i will go on diet , but afterwards i was pregnant and i still feel i can continue since i had lost my appetite it doesn't  not make a difference, but this is my advice for any expectant mother who feels this way-
Dieting during pregnancy could harm you and your developing baby. Some diets can leave you low on iron, folic acid, and other important vitamins and minerals. Remember, weight gain is one of the most positive signs that you’re having a healthy pregnancy.
So if you're eating fresh, wholesome foods and gaining weight, just relax. You're supposed to be getting bigger!  If you are overweight, you can improve your diet by cutting out foods high in fat and sugar and taking some exercise. However, see your doctor first for advice before changing how much you eat or doing more exercise.
NOTE
You don't have to give up all your favourite foods just because you're pregnant. But foods and snacks high in fat, salt and sugar shouldn't be the main part of your diet, either.
So as far as snacks are concerned, try a banana rather than a packet of crisps or juice rather than ice cream. But don't feel guilty if you fancy the occasional biscuit. Enjoy every bite!

How to make 'Isi Ewu'

The process of making (long list below) Isiewu is so similar to that of Nkwobi,  lots of people find it hard to differentiate between the two of them. One major difference is that Nkwobi is prepared with cow foot while Isi ewu which means goat head, is prepared with goat head!



Recipe
1 Goat Head
15 cl (150ml) Red Palm Oil
2 teaspoons ground Ehu seeds (Calabash Nutmeg)
1 tablespoon powdered edible potash (Akanwu/Kaun/Keun)
2 big beef flavoured stock cubes 2 medium onions
About 10 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)
2 habanero peppers (Rodo or to your taste)
Salt (to taste)


For Dressing 
1 onion
About 10 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)
Note
n Nigerian restaurants, the goat heads are cooked whole (without cutting them up) because they have a big pot where they can pile several goat heads and cook them at the same time. When preparing one goat head, it is not be practical to cook it whole because you will need lots of water to get the goat head well cooked. And since we do not want lots of water in the meat when done, it is better to cut the isi ewu up before cooking it.
Goat meat is quite tough so if you have a pressure cooker, do use it for cooking it to save time and gas/electricity. Ehu (Calabash Nutmeg) is a very traditional ingredient that is difficult to find outide Nigeria. If you can't buy it where you live, just prepare the Isi ewu without it. Ordinary nutmeg is not an alternative to this because they are not similar in any way. If you have friends or family in Nigeria, they will be able to buy ehu seeds and send to you, a small quantity goes a long way. Potash is what makes the palm oil curdle
An alternative I know Ngu is what its called in  in Igbo. Ngu is even more traditional than potash so if you can't find potash, chances are that you won't be able to get Ngu either. Utazi adds a nice bitter flavour to the Isi ewu. if you can't buy it where you live, use spinach (bold ones), it gives the same effect and actually tastes nice! :-)
Before Cooking 
Cut the goat head into pieces making sure that the essential parts: ears, tongue etc are whole cuts that is, they are not cut into pieces. Remove the brain and put in an aluminium foil bag then fold the bag to close, bv Wash the meat very well with foam and iron sponges where necessary, using a knife to scrape off the tough top skin especially on the tongue. There will also be traces of sooth from burning the fur off the goat, ensure that these are all cleaned. Put the powdered potash into a bowl. Add a small quantity of water (about 4 table spoons) and stir well. Pass it through a fine sieve and set the liquid aside. Cut the 2 onions into 4 big chunks. Crack and remove the outer shell of the ehu then grind with a dry mill eg coffee grinder. chop the pepper  and set aside.
Direction
Cook the goat head with the chunks of onion, the stock cubes and as little water as possible. Top up the water as necessary but make sure there is as little water as possible in the pot. This is because i do not want any stock in the pot when the meat is done. Remember to cook the brain too.
While the meat is cooking, slice the onion for garnishing into thin rings.
Cut half of the utazi into thin slices. Cut the other half into tiny pieces. The first will be used for garnishing while the latter will be added into the palm oil paste.
When the meat is done, remove the chunks of onion, take out the brain and mash it up till smooth.
Add salt, stir and cook till all the water has dried.
Set the meat aside to cool down.
Now, pour the palm oil into a clean dry pot.
Pour in the potash mixture (sieved) into the oil.
Stir with a wooden spatula as you pour the potash. You'll notice the palm oil begin to curdle and turn yellow. Keep stiring till all the oil has turned yellow. Use as little potash as possible because too much of it can upset your stomach.
Add the pepper, mashed brain, ehu seeds and the utazi that has been cut to tiny pieces. Stir very well till they are all incorporated.
Add the goat head to the palm oil paste and stir very well with a wooden spatula.
Put it back on the stove/cooker and heat till the Isi Ewu is piping hot.
Serve the Isi Ewu in a wooden mortar as shown in the image above.
Garnish with the thin slices of utazi and onion rings for the full effects.

Best served with chilled drink or beer

My 3 recipe soup!!!!

i posted a video recently on instagram (Here) about a soup i made, and i receive some message about how possible is it to make the soup with 3 recipe, the 3 recipe are spinach ,okra, and beef"




Recipe-
Okra
Spinach
Beef

How to prepare
Boil the beef for at least 20 minute, add seasoning to the stock to make the soup tasty , make sure the beef has a little fat, so it will serve as the missing oil in the soup
after boiling reserve the stock
wipe you clean pot and pour the stock of the beef in it, and heat for 3 minute,
add the okra and the spinach together, don't cover it and heat for 5 minute,
Pour the beef and stir for a minute or 2, add dried pepper but remove after 2 minute and it ready to serve
You can eat with any African fufu!

How to make a plantain chips

I love plantain chips while i was in Nigeria, but i use to think it is a difficult thing to make, not until i try to find out what the recipe is and i realize it is just 3 recipe to make my favorite snack,



plantain Chips are crunchy Nigerian snacks made with either ripe or unripe plantains. When making it with ripe plantains, ensure that the plantains are just beginning to ripe and are still hard. This will make it crunchy when done.
Recipe -
Ripe/Unripe Plantain
Vegetable Oil: enough for deep frying.
Salt to taste
P.S When making plantain chips with ripe plantains, make sure that the plantains are just beginning to ripe and still very hard. Soft plantains never get crunchy if used for this snack.
Wash and peel the plantains.
When done, add salt to taste and stir. Transfer the plantain slices to a sieve to drain the water. -
 Directions
Heat some vegetable oil till hot.
Put the slices of plantain into the oil in such a way that they are not stuck together.
Stir till the plantains are bright yellow and crunchy. If using ripe plantains, they will be deep yellow.
Transfer the plantain slices to a sieve lined with paper towels.
Store in air-tight containers when they have cooled down completely and munch away whenever you want.
Plantain chips made with unripe plantains hardly absorb any oil while those made with ripe plantains absorb some of the vegetable oil during the frying process.
-



You can eat it with sauce but i love it without any sauce !! to know the nutritional fact click  Here

Do you want Ogi for breakfast ?

Akamu/Ogi/Pap  is simple yet very difficult to prepare. It is a big challenge for a lot of people, In Nigeria, we usually add evaporated milk to Akamu meals so the main requirement is that the akamu/ogi/pap is thick after preparation so that when the milk is added, a perfect consistency will be achieved,

 

What you will need to make Akamu/Ogi/Pap
Wet Corn Starch Or Corn starch, but you will be missing the sour flavor in it
Water (Hot and Cold)
Evaporated Milk
Sugar (to taste)

Notes about the ingredients
If you can't buy or make Akamu from scratch, you can use corn starch or very smooth corn flour but the classic sour taste will be missing.
Evaporated milk is the best milk for ogi. Whole milk, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk are not great for akamu. If making Akamu for your baby, use baby milk.
Add sugar to your taste. I have never used other sweeteners in ogi. For babies, do not add sugar.

Direction
Put some lumps of akamu/ogi/pap into a sizeable bowl. ogi rises during preparation so you should use a bowl big enough to contain the meal in its risen state. If in doubt, use a very big bowl, with time, you will learn which quantity can comfortably fit is which bowl size.
Use a tablespoon to crush the lumps of ogi into very small pieces.
Add cold water in small quantities and mix till you have a medium consistency with no lumps.
Put a kettle of water to boil. Make sure the water will be enough. It is better to boil too much water than not have enough water when making ogi
Just before the water boils, stir the mix very well because some of the ogi may have settled at the bottom of the bowl. If not stirred well, this is the major cause of lumps when you start making it.
Once the water boils, pour it slowly but steadily in a circular motion into the bowl of ogi and stir at the same time. Pouring the hot water slowly and stirring at the same is very important because this prevents lumps.
Once you see the mixture setting, stop stirring and reduce the flow of water you are pouring till the ogi has completely set.
stir the pap very well. If it is too thick for you, you can add more hot water. But be careful else it will become watery. Remember that you will still add liquid evaporated milk.
Add evaporated milk and some sugar to taste and stir everything to the way you like it.

You can eat with Akara or Moi Moi  (bean cake) i also heard is good for weight loss

How Healthy is Ogbono?

I just discovered recently how healthy Ogbono soup is , Ogbono soup is our major soup in Nigeria, its a soup we eat regularly it is actually good for health, am not here to discuss how to prepare it but in-case you like to know ( Here ) , i will like to discuss how healthy it is for we African and how it helps with our weight loss



You might be surprise today that our own very soup seed  is sold as drugs abroad for weight loss, the scientific name of Ogbono soup is "Irvingia gabonensis" they have converted it to a powder form and put it into capsule, and it is sold for the purpose of weight loss, a bottle i heard is sold for $50 (120 capsule)
The seed have a different ways to promote weight loss, it increase the level of Hormone know as adiponectin" , it also reduce our weight by increasing the level of leptin in the body.
Ogbono also helps weight loss by inhibiting an enzymes called glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, by doing this it reduce the level of blood sugar
A study shows that the seeds really helps for weight loss ! it's  my son's best draw soup if made nicely, and who can imagine a soup like this can reduce our weight?

Do you want a new way to eat "YAM" ?

Baked yam and cheese is a new way to eat yam, although i have always love my yam with spinach and egg sauce but after discovering this i hardly let it go :-) , its just a perfect balance diet,

ingredient 

800g  white yam (yamsi in Finland)

800g plum tomatoes

300g cheese

300g white fish eg Whiting, Salmon (Finland) or Cord

1 medium onion

4 cubes frozen spinach

1 Habanero pepper  (Rodo) to taste

1 big stock cube

About 4 cooking spoonfuls vegetable oil (for frying)

Before you cook!

Wash and blend the tomatoes.

Blend, pound or cut up the habanero peppers.

Cut the onions into tiny pieces, cut the white fish into small cubes.

Peel and cut the yams into small cubes.

Defrost and cut up the frozen spinach then wringe out all the water from it.

Grate the cheese and set aside.

Direction

Make the Stew

Boil the tomato blend till all the water has dried.

Add the vegetable oil and onions and fry till all the tangy taste of the tomatoes is gone. This is done the same way as Tomato Stew.

Add the pepper, stock cube (crushed), stir and add the white fish.

Cover and cook till the fish is done. I use panga and this takes at most 5 minutes.

Add the spinach, stir and take the stew off the stove immediately.

Boil the yam

Put the yam pieces in a pot and pour water to the same level as the yams.

Boil till the yam is done to your liking. I like mine well done and soft and it takes about 7 minutes on medium heat because the yam pieces are small.

Once you are happy, remove the yams from the water and set aside.

Layer and bake

Set your oven to 200°C (390°F) to preheat.

Scoop the stew into a baking tray and spread it out to cover the base of the tray as much as possible.

Add the yam pieces on top of the stew, once again spreading them out to cover the stew.

Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese on top of everything.

Bake till the cheese have melted.

Bring out from the oven and leave to cool down a bit for about 5 minutes. This gives the cheese some time to set.

It is ready to be served. Cut into it like you would a cake.

Enjoy!

Eat healthy with Avocado soup !!

This weekend i was thinking of what i could eat with one kind of natural recipe, and i thought of Avocado, months back i posted  (Here) various types of healthy food you can make with avocado but i have not tried it then, but this weekend i decided to try various ways of making avocado a fun filled weekend , this is my avocado soup, enjoy!




Recipe -
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup Daisy Brand Sour Cream
1/4 cup real bacon bits

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, potatoes, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
Place avocados in a blender; add potato mixture. Cover and puree. Return to the pan; heat through. Garnish with sour cream and bacon.
 this can be enough for  6 servings.



Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 cup) equals 241 calories, 16 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 22 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Need a typical Nigerian Desert? try Coconut Candy !!

There are different types of snacks desert, and when i try to Google` coconut candy and i saw a different thing entirely! so the coconut candy am referring to is my recipe from my kitchen :-) and its the one from Nigeria , it simple grating the fresh coconut into tiny pieces, the snack itself is very simple to make. -




Ingredient

1ead fresh coconut with the juice
200g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Water

Before you make the  Coconut Candy

Break the coconut, making sure to collect the coconut juice from it.
Remove the meat from the shells and grate the meat into small pieces. I use the smaller openings on this grater for this task. Make sure to grate along the meat of the coconut rather than across it. This is so that you'll have long thin coconut pieces rather than a mass of grated coconut.


Directions

Pour the coconut juice into the pot.
Add the icing sugar (powdered sugar). Stir.
Add the tiny coconut pieces and stir.
Add water to the same level as the coconut pieces.
Cover the pot and set to boil at high heat.
Once the contents start boiling, stir continuously till all the water is just about evaporated.
Reduce to low heat and continue stirring.
At a time, you will notice that the contents have started sticking together.
Keep stirring till the coconut pieces start turning slightly brown.
Turn off the heat and scoop the very hot coconut candy onto a flat plate and leave to cool down.
Once cold, you can serve as dessert or eat it as a snack.

Notes:
The coconut candy should be sticky when cold. It should not be dry.
You can store it in the freezer for up to a month.
This is supposed to be a very sweet snack that is why all that sugar is used in the preparation but feel free to reduce the quantity of sugar.
The caramel from the sugar can be tough to wash off the pot when it has cooled down. The best way to wash this off very hot water as soon as you are done with making the snack.

When can I start feeding my baby adult Nigerian food?

A lot of babies start demanding Nigerian food from as early as 6 months and a lot of mothers are worried that it is too early to feed baby these foods at such a tender age.my son started with noddles at exactly 6 month.
As usual, I'll answer this question from my personal experience. So this is NOT a professional advice. Your babies' pediatrician should have the final say in everything concerning their health and well-being. most of this advice came from my mom :)

Rice 
Mash the rice with your fingers and feed your baby. - Make sure the rice is cooked till very soft. I know some families like to eat what I call "half-done" rice. LOL If it is the case in your family then you'll need to cook his own rice separately and cook it till so soft that you can easily mash it with your fingers. At first the baby will not even finish 1 tablespoon of rice.

Swallow foods (Semolina, Garri etc & Soups)
 At first, I used my index finger to put soup in him mouth. I did this when eating my own semolina. I gave him all the different soups that I ate so he could get used to the different tastes. -
Then after about 2 weeks of giving him only soups, I started giving him very tiny lumps (more like smears than lumps) of semolina. This time I started with Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup) and Okra Soup because they're the easiest for kids to swallow with. With Okra, I used only the liquid in the soup, avoiding the tiny bits of Okra because they were very challenging for him. To start with, he did not even finish half of one small lump of semolina that an adult can swallow in one go.
You don't have to follow the above to the letter. You should let your child dictate the pace at which you go
Yam & Potatoes 
Boil yam, Irish or sweet potatoes, add Beef Stew, mash and you have a baby friendly
Pepper
We do not eat a lot of pepper in my family so at 8 months, my son could handle the pepper in our meals. But if you eat a lot of pepper in your family, then when cooking the food, remove your baby's portion before adding pepper. Too much pepper will upset your baby's tender stomach.
Due to all of the above, my son enjoys Nigerian food (infact any cooked meal)

Remember:
These foods will not be a replacement for milk and cereal. You should still give your baby the same amount of milk and cereal he eats in a day while giving him these adult foods. Infact I do this till my baby is at least 2 years old.
You can apply the above ideas to most adult Nigerian food to convert them to baby food, all you need is mash them and give the baby plenty of water while feeding him. It does not have to be exactly the consistency of cereal because you should aim to gradually introduce new textures of food to your baby as he/she grows.
Good Luck!

How to make "Ojojo" (Nigerian snack)

I don't even know the state that specialize in "Ojojo" in Nigeria but i sure know that the recipe is mostly use by the  "Ijebus" .This is basically a snack that people apparently eat with Eko, weird I know. Personally I think it is fine on its own especially if it is prepared well. I hope you get to try it out and enjoy it as much as I did



Ingredient

3/4 water yam
4 Hot Jamaican Pepper
1/2 Bulb Onion
1 teaspoon of Curry
Cube of Maggi
1/ 2 teaspoon  of Salt
Dry Fish
1 1/2 teaspoon of dry Crayfish
3 teaspoons Dry pepper
 Oil \ olive oil

Recipe
Dice the onion and hot pepper tiny pieces
Make sure to put the dry fish in hot salted water for 7-10 mins
Shred the fish into tiny pieces
Grate or blend the water yam (If you are going to blend the water yam, blend with the pepper and onions)
Add the diced onion, pepper and fish into the grated water yam and mix thoroughly using a spatula

Add the maggi, dry pepper, crayfish, salt and also a little bit of curry to taste
Heat up the olive oil in a deep fryer under medium to low heat
Scoop the water yam into little balls and place in the hot oil
Allow to fry for 7-10 minutes (Tip: when frying anything once the bubbles around it reduces then it is almost done)
Serve hot!

Groundnut soup yummy!!!

The first time i taste groundnut soup was in Ghana, i never realize we have such soap  in Nigeria until i got back to ask kitchen professionals :-) ,
Groundnut Soup (Peanut Soup) is next best soup after Egusi Soup. It is prepared the same way as Egusi Soup so you can apply the two methods of preparing Egusi Soup to Groundnut Soup with great results.

with vegetable                                    
 

 without


Ingredient  
500g raw peeled groundnuts (peanuts)
Assorted meat and fish. I use:
Beef
Shaki (cow tripe)
Dry fish
Stock fish
Palm Oil
A small bunch of Nigerian Pumpkin leaves or 6 cubes Frozen Spinach or Bitterleaf
2 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 big stock cubes
Salt & ground dry cayenne pepper: to taste

Direction-
Start cooking the shaki first as it is the toughest meat in the bunch. Always keep water to the same level as the contents of the pot and top it up as you cook.
When the shaki starts to curl, add the dry fish and stockfish.
When the shaki is almost done, add beef and stock cubes and cook till all the meat and fish are well done.
Add the crayfish, salt and pepper, cover and cook till it boils.
Transfer the meat and fish to another pot/container leaving the stock in the pot.
Add the ground groundnuts and stir very well till there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to very low and start cooking.
Stir every 5 minutes and top up the water if necessary. This mixture burns easily so watch it closely and stir as often as necessay.
Cook till a thin film of clear oil appears on the surface. This should take about 15 minutes. Add palm oil and stir very well.
Add the beef and fish, stir and cook on low heat till it boils. For those who prefer their groundnut soup without vegetables, the soup is ready at this time. If you prefer it with vegetables then,
Add the vegetables, stir and leave to simmer. Stir again and it is done.

You can serve with any Nigerian Fufu (yam flour, cassava flour, etc)

Nigerian Chapman Drink!!!

I remember the first time i drank Chapman, it was at a Chinese restaurant in Lagos (Nigeria) and i love it , since then i was looking for how to make it , i search through the internet but the recipe i found was not the exact one i tasted earlier,
So i decided to make mine in my own way here, I'll tell you how I made mine. I'll leave out a lot of the details






The following are what I used for 2 big dimpled mugs of Chapman: 1 for me, one for my better half  ;-)
½ cup Grenadine Syrup
A few dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
35 cl Fanta Orange
35 cl Sprite
½ an Orange
½ a lemon
Ice cubes
Or Ribena Black currant

Here is the Angostura bottle for those who don't know

Grenadine Syrup gives the drink its classic red colour. You can buy this at your local supermarket or online If you can't find Grenadine Syrup, you can use red currant (extract the juice) or pomegranate but these don't give the drink the same taste.

Ribena concentrated blackcurrant adds to the red colour and gives the drink a sweetened taste but it is optional. Concentrated Ribena blackcurrant is easily available in Nigeria and your local supermarkets anywhere in the world.

You can make your ice cubes with a mixture of the Fanta and the Sprite. This is so that your drink does not go flat as is the case when the ice cubes are made with water.

Even though the Nigerian chapman contains a very small quantity of alcohol, I know there are those who will like to make a version that does not contain any trace of alcohol. If you want to make that, you can skip the Angostura Bitters but I warn you, the Nigerian Chapman will not be the same without Angostura Bitters. :)

Wondering other recipes you can use the remaining Angostura Bitters for? You can use it in cookies, cakes, ice cream, salads and other cocktail drinks. Or you can just keep it and use for Chapman, it does not expire in a hurry.

You should be able to buy Angostura Bitters from all big food and beverages shops in Nigeria, in your local super markets and online in UK or USA (at least i am sure of amazon)

Direction 

Put a few ice cubes in the mugs.

Add half a cup of the Grenadine Syrup, this should be about one third of the dimpled mug.

Add a few dashes of Angostura Bitters (to your taste).

Add a squeeze of orange and lemon each.

Share the Fanta equally between the two mugs, do the same for the Sprite. Remember to leave some space because the garnishing will take up their own volume.

Add your sliced garnishing: cucumber, orange and lemons. This list goes on and on, some people even add bananas to theirs :)

Top off with Ribena blackcurrant if you have it.

Stir with the straws and it is ready for drinking!

Enjoy it on a warm sunny day or on any special occasion

-

Summer is almost over in Finland but it's also good for table for two :-)

-

Happy new month

Oatcake For your kids!!!

Oatcake is a type of pancake that looks like meal, but with some recipes you can make it for your kids with their kind of fruits that they like , but when i made mine for my son, i made it with his favorite fruits. though adult is also free to taste :-)



 Recipes  - banana sweetens the oatcakes so ensure that you use very ripe but firm bananas for this recipe.
As with all kids recipes, feel free to add various ingredients that your kids love and skip the ones they do not like.
1 measuring tablespoon oats
2 measuring tablespoons plain flour (Any type)
1 banana
½ a carrot
A handful green peas
A small amount of dense sausage (korv in Swedish language  makara in Finnish language )
¼ glass of whole milk
1 egg
Unsalted butter (for frying)

Grind the oat with a dry blender, add the plain flour and mix, whisk the egg very well, add the milk to the mixed egg, add the oat/flour together with it, add the green peas, carrot ,sausage and banana

, put a small portion of butter to a hot fry pan, and put the paste in the pan depend on the size you want for your kid, fry and serve!

At the same time your are preparing a healthy meal for the kids !!

Afang Soup for the weekend !!

Afang soup was the first soup i tried outside yoruba soup, Afang Soup is of Nigerian origin a much-celebrated recipe from the efik  ethnic group in the southern part of Nigeria –and often served at ceremonial occasions such as weddings, child birth and to honored guests. It has spread its wings throughout Nigeria as of today and has been embraced in neighboring countries




The first time i tried afang soup i used a different recipes from what people really use , if you are leaving outside Nigeria you can also use a different recipes and still get the same taste of the soup. Okazi leaves is the main receipe that i always look for then i can mix any other 
  Okazi leaves are not available in major super markets.  So,  if  you are  living abroad you can locate   these leaves  in most African stores and even online.  Swap the water leaves  (if you are in Nigeria water leaf is available every where it is also called GURE ) for spinach it would not hurt . The other ingredients crayfish, palm oil, meat can be found in most Asian or grocery  stores depending on your city. 
Afang soup is generally eaten with pounded yam or any sort of fufu or eba and is best served warm, 

 Ingredient -
1-2 pounds of meat(tripe, cowskin, meat)
½ medium onion chopped
2 maggie cubes
½ pound smoked fish
½ cup crayfish
1-2 cups of red oil
5 cups okazi leaves
6 cups fresh waterleaves(I used spinach)
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Direction Soak the dried okazi leaves for about 10 minutes or more , wash and drain the water. In medium –sized sauce pan boil meat, season with salt, pepper, and Maggie, and onions until tender (approximately 20-40 minutes depending on the choice of meat). You can shorten this process in half by using a pressure cooker. Reserve the stock Boil the cow skin and tripe together or you may do so separately until tender. Drain the water from the cow skin, and tripe In a large pot combine all the meat and smoked fish with about 1- 2 cups of the stock If using smoked fish, pick out the bones and cut it chunks, add to the pot of meat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes
Pulse the okazi leaves in a blender or food processor with a little bit of water to make it pliable.
Repeat the same process with the chopped fresh spinach. Stir in the oil, Maggie and crayfish. Cover and let it simmer for a couple of minutes -3-5 , Add the okazi leaves to the pot, stir, then include the spinach.
Mix everything together and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust for seasonings salt, pepper, and Maggie

 Cut down on the oil if you are health conscious. I have made this soup before with only ½ a cup of oil and it still tasted delicious
Feel free to blend one okra with the spinach if you like