THE AVARTSY KITCHEN CHRONICLES

Hey, Hey, Hey!

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:34:00 +0000

Edit: I am feeling much better, but alas, my computer is still in the throes of dying (or so it seems!) so that's being taken care of, but yeah, miss me much, join me on twitter (link to the right). I tweet quite a bit, usually make-up and occasional randomness, but its fun tho!

I miss posting, but I hope to be back soon (and I made some baked seafood thingy, that was soo good, but yep, lost the pics, but I'll re-do it and come up with a better title, lol.

Later loves!

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Beautiful people,

I'm a bit under the weather due to a fever, so posting will have to be on hold till I recover. To that my computer crashed and I lost some pics, but no harm done, I'll just re-do the recipes in due time.

I did get a few emails and I will respond soon.

Hope your week has been going great!!

How to cook Citrus Chili Chicken (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:01:00 +0000

I wanted to cook some chicken drumsticks but wanted to do so a tad differently from how I normally bake/cook chicken. Initially, I wanted to bake it by slicing a bunch of onions and scotch bonnet peppers over the chicken and baking it in a foil pan, but I changed my mind at the last minute and winged it.

I had a bag full of dried chili peppers a friend gave me, so I worked the rest of the seasonings around that. Based on the main ingredients, I hemmed and hawed on a title and ultimately decided to call it 'Citrus Chili Chicken!'

To make citrus chili chicken, here's what you'll need:
7 chicken drumsticks (you see 6, I already ate 1 for good measure ;~)
Handful dried chili peppers
2 scotch bonnet peppers (habaneros work too)
6 garlic cloves
1/2 s red onion
2 knorr cubes
1 tbsp Goya Adobo seasoning
1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable oil works too)
1.5 lemons
2 limes
1/2 tsp Turbinado raw sugar (brown or white sugar works too)

Rinse chicken, set aside
Soak dried chili peppers in a bowl of water to re-hydrate a bit
Squeeze lemons and limes
Remove seeds, add juice and roughage to blender
Chop up onions, remove dried chili from water
Add to blender with rest of ingredients (along with 1/2 cup water if needed)
Blend till relatively smooth (chunky works as well, up to you)
Put raw chicken in a bowl
Using a knife, poke holes in chicken for marinade to penetrate
Add blended marinade to bowl with chicken
Let marinate in fridge covered for 30 minutes up to an hour (or more!)
At 25 minute mark, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Layer a baking pan with foil
Spray foil with cooking oil spray
Remove chicken from fridge
Add individual pieces to baking pan (discard any excess marinade)
Let bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees
Voila!

Overall, it was a tasty dish and I succeeded in getting it to taste different from my usual baked chicken. I'll be honest, while adding the ingredients before blending, I was a tad doubtful that it would turn out good, but alas there was no need to worry!

Despite all the dried chili peppers and scotch bonnet peppers, it still wasn't as hot as I would've liked, so if you want yours hotter, I'd recommend upping the amount of scotch bonnet peppers used. It reminds me of the Jerk Chicken recipe I tried a while back and now that I look at that recipe, they are similar in a way, but I promise you I wasn't even thinking of that recipe when I made this!

Either recipe works great with chicken though, so you have your pick! The ingredients were not too overpowering either, somehow everything balanced itself out. Serve alone or as an accompaniment to a main dish.

Enjoy...

How to cook Homemade Beanless Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:01:00 +0000

So much for daily blogging huh? I know, I know! I have to re-think my blogging schedule. I think it's in part due to me losing my cooking mojo for a minute....no cooking=no new recipes, ya dig! Sincerest apologies again, that said, let's get this show on the road!

Chili, chili, chili! I love it, but don't love beans, so I decided to just omit it and this is also my first time making chili and it turned out not bad at all! It's very easy to make and you only need one pot and a little less than an hour!

To make homemade beanless chili, here's what you'll need:
I pack ground beef (80/20: 20 meaning 20% fat and 80% beef)
1 s red onion
1 m fat juicy tomato ;-)
2 garlic cloves
1 knorr cube
1 tsp Goya Adobo seasoning
1 tbsp ground red pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp tomato paste (just for color)
1 tbsp Canola oil (vegetable or olive works too)
1 scotch bonnet pepper or habanero
3 cups water
Handful fresh cilantro
Crackers (for serving)

Pre-heat pot on stove over medium heat
Add oil to pot
Add ground beef
Add seasonings (minus tomato paste and cilantro)
Stir and let brown a little
Chop up onions and garlic, add to beef in pot
Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes
Chop up tomatoes, add to beef
Add 3 cups water, cover and let cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes
Add tomato paste and knorr cube, stir, let cook for about 30 minutes
Add whole habanero, stir in chopped cilantro, let gradually reduce (don't let all the liquid dry out, it should be thick but have some liquid to it)
After reducing, it should look similar to this (at this point, if you can find the habanero, remove it or leave it in, totally up to you!)
Serve with crackers as a garnish
Voila!

Mamma mia! This was superb, I kid you not! It was SO good with the crackers, you absolutely and positively need to try this...seriously! I like to call this my 'African chili,' mainly because I think it's so not really the traditional way of cooking chili.

I prefer using fresh ingredients instead of canned food with all those preservatives, so instead of canned tomatoes, I used fresh tomatoes. The only canned item I used was the canned tomato paste and it was used just to get that 'deep red' chili color.

The cinnamon was just an extra addition, I got carried away when adding the seasonings, but it worked out really well, so no harm done! You could also use ground turkey instead of ground beef, but keep in mind that it's leaner and by extension drier, so you might need to help it along early on with some tablespoons of water.

You can add grated cheese, sour cream or yogurt as a garnish too, but all that (for me) takes away from the way I like my chili, but if you're making it, omit and add to personalize it to your taste! You can even eat it over rice or pasta, on a hot dog in the bun, over some fries...the possibilities are endless!

This gets an A+ in my books, so hope you try and like :~)

Enjoy...

Healthy Eating Tips #005

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

#005: Does your plate always look tan and/or brown (think fries, burgers, mac and cheese etc)? Try adding some color (in the form of fruits and vegetables!) into your meal as a healthier choice.

Cooking Tips & Tricks #008

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:05:00 +0000

#008: Make your own homemade fat-free stock/broth by chilling the stock first after boiling your meat or chicken. This way, the fat rises to the top and solidifies. At this point, you can then remove the solid mass before cooking with the stock/broth. (The solid fat usually has an orange like color).

Healthy Eating Tips #004

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

#004: Trying to eat healthy and have a hard time deciding what to eat for lunch? Try restaurants that offer a soup and sandwich combo. Opt for a low-calorie soup (like chicken noodle) and you'll fill up faster with the soup and cut your caloric intake.

I'm a huge fan of Panera bread and they offer this combo almost everyday, just get yourself a menu to go so you know what to order ahead of time instead of hemming and hawing in the store!

Sauteed Green Beans with Walnuts (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:10:00 +0000

This should probably be called 'Boiled Green Beans' seeing as I actually didn't saute them, but boiled green beans just sounds so off, no? However, you can easily saute the beans after boiling, I'll state how at the end of the recipe, note ingredients with the asterisk/star, so this will be like a two-in-one recipe, kinda...

This is a really simple recipe, takes almost no time at all and is healthy to boot!

To make sauteed/boiled green beans, here's what you'll need:

Handful of green beans
Water
Salt
Handful chopped walnuts
*Olive oil (Canola will also work, even vegetable or butter)
*Chopped/minced garlic
*Chopped/minced ginger
*1/2 tsp Goya Adobo seasoning (either use this or salt, but not both; substitute for 1 maggi/knorr cube)
*1/2 tsp Black pepper

Thaw green beans (if they're frozen)
Rinse green beans (to remove dirt etc)
...and cut off tips of green beans; set aside
Fill a pot halfway with water
Add enough salt so it's shockingly salty (you don't want to undersalt as this needs salt; when you taste it, you'll know when it's shockingly salty ;~)
Let salted water boil over medium heat
Add green beans
Boil for 5-10 minutes until firm yet tender (or as long as you feel is necessary, 15 mins maybe, but not too much longer or else you'll lose the 'green' benefits!)
Once done, drain the water from the beans
Add beans to plate
Sprinkle some walnuts over
Voila!
*At this point, to make sauteed green beans, simply do the following:

In a fry pan, add 1 tbsp Olive/Canola/Vegetable oil or butter
Add chopped/minced garlic and ginger (1/2 a tsp should do, if this is too much, add a pinch instead)
Let heat up over medium heat (you don't want the oil to heat up first, so the flavors of the garlic/ginger infuses into the oil)
Add seasonings; reduce heat to low
Add drained green beans
Quickly stir fry
Add chopped walnuts into pan and stir OR just sprinkle on top of beans after plating
**Conversely, you could use bacon fat: just fry up some bacon and instead of discarding the bacon grease, use that in place of the olive oil
**You could also chop up the bacon and sprinkle it over the beans

Eat alone or serve with fish , breast or pork chops; basically something lean OR serve it as a side to a main meal like mashed potatoes or sweet potato chunks. However you serve it is really up to you!

I served it with fried whiting fish...(you could also drizzle some olive oil over the beans if you wish)
It's much healthier to boil the beans as opposed to sauteeing it, (especially if you add bacon...yum! but not very waist line friendly!)

Either way you decide to prepare green beans...

Enjoy...

Cooking Tips & Tricks #007

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:38:00 +0000

#007: If you buy fresh lemons and limes and have a problem with them lasting, try filling a bowl halfway with water and add the lemons/limes to it, then store in the fridge. It keeps the lemons/limes fresher for a longer period of time.

Please Donate to Help Victims of Haiti's Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:16:00 +0000

This is a very sad period for Haitians. Watching the news reports is very saddening and I can't say that I understand the magnitude of their suffering because I don't. It's easy to watch the news and feel sorry for them, but at the same time, we're so far removed, it's really hard to imagine the devastation. I mean, an entire country is in ruins.

I feel mostly sad for the elderly and children and it's heartbreaking to see mothers crying for their lost children. I know this is a cooking blog but at the same time while we're poring over recipes and pictures, these Haitians don't know where their next meal is coming from.

I've included a banner for Wyclef's organization, Yele Haiti above and all you have to do is text 'YELE' to 501501 and $5 is automatically added to your phone bill. Most of us buy lunches that are more than that amount and those that smoke spend even more on a pack of cigarettes I'm sure. You can also click the banner to be taken directly to a secure donation link still on his site. I've done the same and I hope you do something too.

If you're Nigerian, you might think Nigeria is in shambles and is a shame and utter embarrassment, but in all honesty, compared to what Haiti is going through right now, we have it pretty good.

Please pitch in where you can. (CNN.com/Impact is a good place to find other places to donate)

Fried Whiting Fish (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:01:00 +0000

I had some Whiting fish (pronounced why-ting) and I wasn't too sure what to do with them since I normally just cut them up and add it to soups like egusi or maybe efo riro as the case may be. I thought for a while and decided frying would be the other best cooking route for the fish. I usually don't espouse fried foods, but this fish is best either when fried or cooked in a soup.

If you've never had Whiting, it's very similar in smell to Titus fish; with regards to taste, it's relatively bland unless you douse it in a lot of seasoning. For Nigerians, if you've ever wondered what the small fish added to the soups/stews at Nigerian restaurants, I have a strong feeling that it's Whiting fish (I always wondered myself).

The type I buy comes in a box and has the head already cut off:
...and has quite a few fish in it
This is a pretty quick and easy recipe. To learn how to cook fried whiting fish, here's what you'll need:

2 Whiting fish
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp Adobo seasoning
1 tsp ground red pepper
Dash of salt
Canola oil

Clean and rinse fish, set aside
Break egg into a bowl, add salt, beat well and set aside
In another bowl, add flour and seasonings, mix together, set aside
Cut both fish into 4 four parts each
Remove fins
Pre-heat oil in a deep pan/fryer till very hot(enough to cover the fish)
One at a time, roll fish around in egg, then cover with seasoned flour (repeat this step twice for each cut of fish)
Once oil is very hot, add coated fish to pan/fryer
Fry for about 10 minutes or till golden brown (if the oil isn't hot enough, it might take longer)
Cover a plate with a paper towel
Set fried whiting fish on plate to drain excess oil
Transfer to a clean plate
Voila!
It wasn't too crunchy which was good, because I don't like crispy fried foods (blame it on my sensitive teeth!). If you want yours crunchier, add some baking powder or try using Panko bread crumbs. The fish was moist on the inside and also had the right amount of heat to saltiness. Tasty! You don't have to cut it up into four pieces each either, you could fry it whole or cut it in half, totally up to you!

You could eat this alone as a snack, with beans and some soaked garri, with jollof rice or even add it some fried stew. I wrapped leftovers in foil and put it in the fridge. I would say you could bake it too, but I really don't think that would turn out too good.

Instead of flour, you could also use a corn mix, much like Jiffy's cornbread mix. If you'd like, you could eat it with tartar sauce or fry up some onions, tomatoes and half a scotch bonnet pepper and eat it with that! If you're serving this at a gathering, garnish with lemon/lime wedges and your favorite herb (e.g cilantro).

Enjoy...

Healthy Eating Tips #003

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

#003: Not sure how to start your detox? Try drinking a cup of hot water with a lemon slice in the morning. Try not to eat anything for an hour or two after, this will help cleanse your system by flushing out waste.

Enjoy...

How to make Moi Moi (Steamed Bean Pudding) using Bean Flour (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Moi-Moi (pronounced moy-moy) is yet another Nigerian dish that is typically made from beans, which is soaked, washed, blended with onions and peppers. The name has different variations from Moi Moi to Moyin-Moyin to Moin-Moin and they're all pronounced the same way.

Traditionally, not only is it blended, it is also steamed in leaves akin to banana leaves. This is truly the best way to cook moi moi, but once you leave home, it's usually harder to come by the leaves. I'll try to search for the leaves (they're called 'Ewe' in Yoruba) and do it the more traditional way so you can see why the leaves are better. Since it's steamed, the moi moi molds to the shape of the folded leaf and lends some flavor to it, mmm, so beautiful to look at and eat!

Anywho, this is a different version of moi-moi using the bean flour and tart pans. It tastes pretty good too, even though it's a short-cut method!

To learn how to make moi-moi, here's what you'll need:
2 cups bean flour
1 m onion
1 clove garlic (not pictured)
5 scotch bonnet peppers/rodo (habaneros will work too)
2 knorr cubes
1 cup corned beef
3-5 tart pans
1.5 cups water (plus 1/2 cup extra)
2 capfuls Canola oil
Cooking oil spray
Large pot
Foil

Blend garlic clove, onion and scotch bonnet peppers (add some water to help it blend easier)
Transfer blended mix to a bowl
Add oil, 1.5 cups water, mix thoroughly
Add 2 cups bean flour, stirring thoroughly to remove any clumps (use a whisk if you have one or just add everything to the blender) *You want a relatively watery mix, use more water if you have to)
Add 2 knorr cubes, stir (if yours are hard, remove wrapping, put in a bowl with a few tbsps water and microwave for about 30 seconds, then crush with a fork)
Spray tart pans with cooking oil spray
Using a ladle, scoop mix into pans (1 full ladle plus half a ladle) *Pans should not be filled to the top so it has room to swell/expand*
**Yes, I used a bowl, you can too! just spray it down!**
Mash corned beef to separate it
Using your hands, sprinkle corned beef onto mix (as much or as little as you want) *use a knife to ensure mix covers corned beef* OR stir corned beef into moi moi mixture
Get your largest pot that can hold all the pans, fill the bottom with water, put stove on low-medium heat
Cut some foil, layer top of water with foil (to prevent pans from touching hot surface directly)
Arrange pans on top on foil
Cover pans with another layer of foil (so steam doesn't escape)
Cover the pot
Let moi-moi steam for 15-35 minutes
*The smaller foil pans took 15 minutes, but the bowl took about 35 minutes, I reduced the heat to low after removing the foil pans*
Lift foil pans from pot when done (dip a knife into center, it should come out relatively clean, you could still have some mixture on it, but it should definitely not still be a liquid; it should be semi-solid)
Flip upside down onto a plate (it should fall out if you greased the pan first)
Transfer onto plates
Serve while hot (though you can always re-heat)

You can eat these alone, with jollof rice, ogi/pap/akamu or custard. If you're not serving immediately, simply turn off the heat, remove from hot stove to a cooler side to prevent further cooking and leave pot covered with foil intact.

Usually, the perimeter/outside of the moi-moi will cook faster than the center. Sometimes if you notice it's cooking too fast, simply reduce the heat and/or move the pans around in the pot. Also, you might have to increase the cooking time if you use bigger pans/bowls, just so you get even cooking.

If your center is not all the way cooked, but for the most part has formed a solid, simply turn the heat off and let the steam in the pot do the remainder cooking. By the time the burner cools down, it should be cooked without being too hard. If you over-steam/cook it, you run the risk of it being hard.

If 5 scotch bonnet peppers is too much for you, simply use less, but the heat makes it taste better too! Some also add red bell peppers (tatashe) to it and this really only adds color to it, so if you prefer it redder, add 1/2 a red bell pepper.

If you don't have those, you can also add some meat/chicken stew to it (just the soup part-about 1-2 tbsps). Instead of water, you can also use left-over chicken or meat stock, if you use stock, remember to taste it and gauge the saltiness before adding any knorr cubes.

If you want more moi moi, simply double the ingredients, but always remember to make it a watery mix because it is meant to be semi-solid.

For those wondering about the tart pans I used, I came across them at the grocery store and immediately thought they were the perfect size for individual servings of moi-moi, instead of making a large one then having to cut out for each person.
You can find these in the baking aisle at your grocery store. I got it on sale for $2 and some change. The pans can be washed and re-used or disposed of if you'd rather use it again.

Just FYI: You don't have to use tart pans, I really only got it for presentation purposes for the blog. I would use a bowl (sprayed down) otherwise and use the tart pans if I was having a gathering or something.

You can also add sliced or whole soft-boiled eggs to the mix before steaming. I say soft-boiled, because it will cook further in the moi moi while it's steaming. You could do hard-boiled too, totally up to you!

This recipe is also vegan-friendly (just omit the corned beef). (If you use Brazilian corned beef, it's quite salty, so cut back on the knorr so you don't have salt overload!)

Man oh man, story, story...(I just wanted you to know all the possibilites!!!;~)

Some more moi-moi picture porn to break up all that text!

Edit: My mum read through and made some more notes: She said tomatoes (and tomato based products) are not to be added as it makes it mushy, so take note!

Also, instead of corned beef, you could use any meat variation you like; for instance, shredded chicken, shrimp or fish. You can also add ground crayfish for added flavor. I also forgot to mention you can easily make a moi moi burger with this; just put the moi moi in between some bread and munch away!

Enjoy...

Cooking Tips & Tricks #006

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

#006: Soak wooden skewers in water for about 10-30 minutes to prevent them from burning when cooking.

Enjoy...

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

On the heels of my last bread recipe, I was itching to try something different, (seeing as I conquered my apprehension of working with yeast and dough), I decided to make Cinnamon Raisin bread, which is my mom's favorite bread.

This took much longer than the first bread recipe, not exactly sure why, but I felt like I spent the whole day baking! Simple, simple recipe and if you're up for it, you'll love it!

To make homemade cinnamon raisin bread, here's what you'll need:

3 cups white, all purpose, bleached flour
1 package quick rising active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1.5 tbsps butter
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsps Turbinado raw sugar
1 cup warm water
Cooking oil spray
Rectangular baking pan

1 cup raisins
1.5 tsps ground Cinnamon
3 tbsps Turbinado raw sugar
2 tbsps all purpose flour

Follow my basic bread recipe up to the 7th photo
Cover with napkin and return to unheated oven for another hour to rise some more
While dough is rising, put raisins in a bowl
Add enough water to cover bottom of the bowl (to plump up the raisins; too much water will take away the sweetness of the raisins)
Set aside
In another bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar
Set aside, drain raisins and mix with 2 tbsps flour
If an hour has elapsed, remove dough from oven
Lightly flour work surface, then punch dough down to deflate
Using a rolling pin (or wine bottle!) shape dough into a rectangle
Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mix onto top of dough
Sprinkle raisins onto top of sugar mix and pat down with floured spoon
Gently roll dough into a log
Spray a baking pan with cooking oil spray
Put rolled dough into greased baking pan
Return covered with a cloth to unheated oven to rise for another 1.5 hrs
With pan still in oven, remove cloth and heat oven to 375 degrees
*If you like a crunchy crust, mist with water anywhere from 5-10 times*
Bake for 30-45 minutes (or till top is golden brown)
Remove once done, let cool in pan for 5 minutes
Transfer to plate and let cool completely before slicing
Voila! You have Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread!

The aroma from baking this bread is literally intoxicating! It smells so good, you almost can't wait for it to be done! Sweet, but not too sweet; sticky center, but not too sticky! The only thing I didn't like was the crust, I misted it with water to get it crunchy (similar to the crust on French bread). Skip that step if you don't want that kind of crust.

I know it's very daunting to make bread, but I can guarantee that once you cross that hurdle, its relatively easy from there and you'll want to keep trying new bread recipes. By no means have I perfected my bread recipe. It keeps well up to a week, but after that, it' gets hard.

Commercial bread has a lot of preservatives in it to help it remain soft week after week and by extension, have a longer shelf life. Here is a post that best explains this. I'm not suggesting that you should stop buying store bought bread, oh no!, I'm just saying once you try baking your own bread, you'll want to keep doing so. I'll still buy commercial bread, every now and then, but definitely not on a regular basis.

Leftovers can be made into cinnamon raisin bread pudding, just add the egg wash, the cinnamon and raisin part has already been taken care of.

Enough rambling already!

Enjoy...

A Love Letter to my Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:40:00 +0000

Hello dearest, super-special readers,

I know I slacked off this week. My sincerest apologies. Have no fear, regularly scheduled programming will return on Monday 1/11/10 (which coincidentally is my birthday and I'll be 26...eek!)

To Nureni (and your wife): My darling mother was able to obtain the recipe for 'Egbo' (mashed corn), (so, thank her!). In the near future, I'll be trying it out. Apparently, there are two different versions and the second I believe is called 'Owowo' or something like that.

I'm striving for a daily posting schedule, so let's keep our fingers crossed shall we. To newest reader 'Abosede,' welcome to the fold lady, I appreciate it!

See you Monday (I know you're wishing me Happy Birthday already, mucho gracias! I can feel the love, :~D)

How to make Boiled Plantains (Step by Step Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Boiled Plantains are a typical Nigerian dish. They're one of the many ways to cook plantains and are very fuss free to prepare, not to mention, much healthier than frying.

So when next you're not sure of how else to cook your plantain, try boiling!

To cook boiled plantains, here's what you'll need:

1 ripe plantain (yellow with none-some black markings)
1/2 tsp salt
Water

Get your ripe plantain
**Wash plantain (a must!, see end of recipe for why), cut tips on both ends off
Pre-heat stove over medium heat
Add water to pot (enough to fill pot halfway), add salt, let boil over medium heat
Cut/slice plantain into 1 inch rounds (thinner or thicker, up to you)
Add cut/sliced plantains to boiling water
Let boil over medium heat for 20-25 minutes (less if your plantain is really ripe and more if it's not very ripe)
*when it's about done, you'll notice the plantain will swell and rise a bit outside the peel*
Turn heat off, set pot aside
On a tray, flat plate or even in the pot, get a fork and knife
Using the fork, hold plantain
Slide knife underneath skin/peel and gently cut/slice skin off
Roll off skin
*repeat for rest of plantains*
When done, discard skin/peels, you won't be needing them!
Voila! You have boiled plantains!
*If you don't plan to serve these right away, leave the skin/peels on and drain some of the water. You want to leave enough water in the pot, so the plantains don't dry out...at least enough to cover the bottom of the pan and maybe up the sides just a little bit*

My favorite way of eating boiled plantains, is with meat stew (below picture, yummy!) or chicken stew. You could also eat it with vegetable stew, ayamashe or egusi soup.
**It's essential that you wash the plantain before boiling because since you're boiling it, whatever dirt is on the plantain will go into the water and more than likely, you'll end up ingesting some of that, so better to be safe than sorry!**

Boiled plantains are a delicious, light meal and for some odd reason, I love the aroma of boiling plantains about ten minutes into the boiling process; not sure why, but it's very comforting to me!

There is no hard and fast rule as to how thick you should cut them, make that call yourself! (They're typically about an inch thick and you can get quite a few slices from one plantain using that guide). If you also wanted to make mashed plantains, you'd probably have to boil the plantain first, maybe minus the skins, before mashing.

Enjoy...

Happy New Year!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Here's to hoping everyone has an amazing 2010!!! I hope it's everything you wish it to be and more.

Be safe out there folks!

Healthy Eating Tips #002

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

#002: Having a hard time sticking to a diet? Try eliminating one item from every meal till you're able to do away with it completely. It can be soda, fries, dressing or anything extra that would ordinarily just add extra calories.

Enjoy...

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

The last time I made bread pudding on the blog, I said I'd remake it using more ingredients and I finally did! This time, I added more cinnamon and obviously, raisins. I followed the same recipe as the first time, so no surprises there.

Plus, the last bread pudding recipe wasn't as comprehensive as this one (not enough pictures etc) so this go-round, you get to see the entire thing (well, most of it anyway!).

To learn how to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding, here's what you'll need:

1/2 loaf of bread (I used a mix of sliced and unsliced; store-bought & homemade)
1.5 tall glasses of milk (I used powdered which I diluted and evaporated which I added water to)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tbsps Turbinado raw sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
Cooking oil spray
Baking pan

Cut your bread into cubes, set aside
Break your eggs into a bowl, add all dry ingredients (minus raisins and milk)
Add milk to egg mixture
Whisk together thoroughly
*Here, you can either add your raisins or mix it with the bread before adding to the egg mix*
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Add cubed bread to egg mix

Let sit for 10 minutes (for bread to absorb liquid)
Grease baking pan with cooking oil spray (bottom and sides)
Transfer bread/ custard mixture to baking pan

Sprinkle some more raisins on top
Put into oven
Let bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or till golden brown
Let cool for about 10-15 minutes
Transfer onto a plate
Voila!
Serve hot, alone or with your favorite ice cream!

When it's in the oven, it will rise, but once it comes out, it will deflate and this does not take away from the taste or texture of the bread pudding.

The texture should be 'wibbly-wobbly' and generally soft. You can add ground nutmeg as well and even crush up some almonds or walnuts and sprinkle those on top in addition to the raisins for more texture.

You can also spike it up by adding some rum/brandy to the custard mix. The last time I made this, I used 1/2 a cup of sugar; now, I don't eat as much sugar, so I cut it back drastically and used a healthier alternative (turbinado raw sugar) to white sugar. It still tasted great too. Not a fan of sugar at all, try using honey or agave nectar.

Enjoy...

Cooking Tips & Tricks #005

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:00:00 +0000

#005: When cooking beans or other foods that take a long time to boil, try cutting some fresh garlic into it. This makes the food softer more quickly and by extension, helps reduce the boiling time, so you can get on with your cooking!

Enjoy...

Smothered Pork Chops (Picture Tutorial)

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

After my last pork recipe, I wanted to try something new and different with pork chops. Initially, I thought I would make it similar to this chicken recipe, minus the shredded coconut, but what I ended up with, I believe, are smothered pork chops!

A very simple and easy recipe, no fuss involved!

To replicate my version of smothered pork chops, here's what you'll need:

3 pork chops
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Goya Adobo seasoning w/pepper
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup Canola oil

Rinse and dry pork chops (dab dry with paper towels)
In a bowl, add 1/2 cup flour along with seasonings
Mix together

Add pork chops, one at a time
Coat both sides in seasoned flour, set aside
Heat oil in a fry pan over medium heat
Add pork chops (depending on how big your pan is or 2 at a time)
Cook over medium heat till underside is browned (about 3-4 minutes)
Flip and repeat with other side till browned
Once both sides are browned, remove pork chops from pan, set aside

Still over medium heat, add remaining 1/2 cup of flour to pan drippings
Add 1/2 cup water, keep stirring till you have a smooth consistency
Add remaining cup of water, keep stirring
Reduce heat to low
Nestle pork chops back in pan
Let simmer (low heat) for about 30 minutes till done
Voila!

Not bad, considering I didn't even set out to make this! Next time though, I still want to try making a batter, dipping the pork chops in it and frying or baking it that way, just to see how it turns out.

You can go for a thick or watery gravy. I like it thicker, but to make it more watery, just add more water.

This can be eaten with mashed potatoes and cornbread (as a side) or maybe even over rice!

Enjoy...

Link Love----Weekly Round Up

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Hope everyone had a great holiday with lots to eat and drink!

This is a spotlight for some of my favorite recipes around the web:

PioneerWoman: Shrimp Pasta in Foil

Culinary Cory: Parmesan Rosemary Breadsticks

Eating Out Loud: Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Martinis

Tara the Foodie: Shrimp Flatbread Pizza

Tasty Meals at Home: Tasty Carbonara Pasta

Enjoy...

Mele Kalikimaka!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Hope you have a fun-filled holiday with lots of food, drink and cheer!!!

Hang-Loose people!

and enjoy the holiday...

Healthy Eating Tips #001

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:20:00 +0000

I'm starting yet another series feature on the blog for healthy eating tips. I make an effort to eat healthy for the most part and thought I'd share the tips I've picked up on along the way. This, like the cooking tips and tricks, will be a weekly feature for Thursdays. These tips will work for you if you're trying to eat healthier or/and trying to lose weight with baby steps.

I'm trying to make an effort to have a post everyday, if you've noticed, since I returned from my hiatus, I've been blogging more frequently ;~)

#001: If you're a juice drinker like me, try diluting the juice half and half with water (half juice, half water). This cuts down the number of calories that you'll end up consuming and also cuts down the sugar content in the juice so it won't be as sweet as it normally would be.

The taste might take a while to get used to for some, but I'm used to it now to the point where I can't even drink juice without it being diluted. This works for all types of juices that come pre-packaged. I've never tried it on freshly squeezed juice before as I typically drink those without dilution.

My philosophy is, if you're trying to eliminate something from your diet, don't do it cold turkey, just take baby steps to eliminate it.

Enjoy...

Cooking Tips & Tricks #004

noreply@blogger.com (Avartsy) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:20:00 +0000

#004: When boiling meat or chicken, add a whole scotch bonnet pepper to the boiling liquid. It will burst and infuse a spicy flavor into the stock and meats. If you do this, you can skip the dry pepper unless you like it really hot and spicy!

Once meat/chicken is boiled, you can choose to remove and discard the pepper, but I like to leave it in, it adds more texture and character to dishes, just be sure not to eat it if you don't want your mouth on fire!

Enjoy...