Thursday, February 24, 2011

Chicken Yassa

This is a traditional Senegalese dish, that has become popular throughout West Africa. Although, it can be tweaked to suit your palete. This is my own version. Enjoy. 
Serves 4

Ingredients
1lb Chicken thighs
Half cup groundnut oil.
10 large Onions
3 lemons
1 Cameroon pepper
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers or Cameroon Pepper
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard (Optional)
3 Bouillon Cubes
2 cloves of garlic
Salt to taste

Preparation
1. Slice Onions thinly and set aside. Pound peppers and set aside. Squeeze out the juice of lemons in a bowl. Pound the garlic and mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Half the chicken thighs and wash thoroughly. Then transfer to the bowl with the onion marinade. Toss chicken until its well covered with the onion slices and juices.  Leave to marinade in a fridge for at least 4 hours or best left overnight.
3. Heat groundnut oil in a pan over medium heat. Bring out chicken from marinade and pat dry with clean cloth. Then sauté chicken parts in hot pan until all the sides are brown. Then transfer unto a colander.
4. In the same pan, sauté onions until translucent and almost wilted.  Then add chicken, seasoning and remaining marinade and allow cooking on a low heat for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked and almost falling off the bone.
5. Serve on a bed of rice or boiled potatoes. It also goes well with vegetables. Garnish with chopped cashew nuts or chopped parsley.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Chilli beans

(African version of Chilli Con Carne)
Serves 4
Ingredients
 500 grams of freshly ground beef. (Beef can be substituted for ground goat meat)
8 red tomatoes
1 red bell pepper or Tatashe
1 Cameroon pepper
2 medium sized red onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbs of tomato paste
3 Bouillon cubes
2 cups of cooked black eyed beans.
1 cup of bleached palm oil or vegetable oil
Salt to taste.

Preparation
Chop garlic and onions and set aside. Blend tomatoes roughly, peppers and Cameroon pepper and set aside. Heat oil in a shallow pan until its hot. Sautee garlic and onions for 5 minutes until translucent and almost turning brown, then add ground beef (do not put any water at this stage as the meat with release some liquid). Add 2 bouillon cubes and let the beef cook for 10 minutes until it’s a light brown in colour. Then the blended tomatoes/pepper, tomato paste and some water (depending on how light or thick you want it to loosen the thickness and let simmer on a low heat for another 15 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through. Add the cups of cooked (but firm) black eye beans to the stew and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve with Coconut Rice. Garnish with roughly chopped parsley.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Spicy Jollof Rice

I got this recipe from my sister-in'law. She is such an amazing cook and I cant thank her enough. Although i have tweaked it here and there but its certainly going to be a winner for dinner parties or for Sunday dinners. I have a problem giving measurements and I tend to measure with my eyes. But this recipe will feed 6 people or more.

Ingredients
600 grams of Easy Cook Rice (*It has to be easy cook. No short cuts)
4 Large Red bell peppers.
half tsp cameroon pepper
3 scotch bonnet pepper (More or less depending on your level of tolerance for pepper)
1 large red onion.
1 tsp salt
4 cubes Maggi/Knorr seasoning
1 litre chicken stock (I make mine from scratch....recipe to follow later)
200 ml of Canola oil or Vegetable Oil

Preparation
Put the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water (this is to remove some of the starch)....leave it to stand. Half the bell peppers, remove the seeds and wash with the other vegetables. Put the bell peppers, scotch bonnet, onions in a blender and blend until smooth. No lumps. In a pan, heat the oil and pour the puree into the pan and let sit for 15 mins, turning occasionally. Add the Chicken stock, salt and seasoning and allow to simmer for 5 mins. Strain rice and add to the already stock and puree. Let the water just reach the same level as the rice. Cover the rice with foil. Make sure the foil is touching the rice, if possible press down the rice gently. Please reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 20 mins. Checking occasionally. Once the liquid is dry take off rice from hob. Leave foil to continue cooking process.

Serve with Lime & Honey Chicken.

Cookies and Hugs

Gina

Lime and Honey baked chicken

I am having about 6 people over for dinner today and decided to woo them with something different.

12 chicken legs (we like to eat plenty)
1 bulb of ground garlic. (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
I teaspoon of Cameroon Pepper
8 Limes ( The rind of all the limes, the juices as well)
1 teaspoon of Paprika
1 teaspoon of Salt
5 tbs of honey
5 tbs of Olive Oil
2 Maggi/knorr cube seasoning

Start by washing the chicken legs thoroughly. If they are frozen make sure they are defrosted. Then half all of them (this is reduce cooking time and to ensure they are cooked thoroughly). In a deep bowl add the rind of all the limes, the juices and well as the pulp. Mix in the garlic until you achieve an almost even consistency.  mix the remainder of the ingredients together...then add the chicken into the mixture until well coated. Put the chicken into nylon/ziploc bags. Place overnight in the refridgerator or at least 4 hours. When ready to cook Bring out the chicken to rest. Put the chicken on a baking/roasting tray and place in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Cover with tin foil for the first 20 mins. Then leave to brown for the last 10 minutes. Serve with rice or just a healthy salad.

Cookies and Hugs

Gina

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Come aboard with me on this culinary journey.

Dear Guest,

Welcome to my blog. Thanks for visiting.

I love to cook. I have been meaning to start this blog for a while. A blog where I can share my recipes with you fine people. Share my ideas as well as get new inspiration and recipes. My new favourite channel on DSTV is the foodnetwork channel 185.

I also swear by (as you must have figured) CAMEROON PEPPER, Olive Oil and Garlic. They are my secret weapon, they tranform my cooking. I often have dinner and entertain and share the warmth of my kitchen with others. I hope you like it. I am not much of a baker or pastry chef, but i bake the odd cookie and I make a few desserts.

I am going to be sharing recipes with ingredients that are readily available in Nigerian supermarket and shops. Inexpensive organic produce that can be transformed into delicious and mouth-watering meals.

Today, I am inviting friends over for dinner. Its Rice/Chicken/Salad but with a twist. Its a lime and honey chicken with jollof rice (cooked without tomatoes) and a cranberry, feta and sun-dried tomatoe salad. Recipes will be shared on my next blog.

Cookie hugs
Gina