Welcome to Unlimited Cooking News

ENDLESS SUMMER SANGRIA RECIPE.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 22:37:00 +0000

I have to warn you, this sangria is dangerous. It’s so delicious that you’ll find yourself drinking glass after glass without realizing just how much alcohol you’ve consumed. It’s also dangerous because you can pretty much make it with all the things you have at home right now.

I actually didn’t have any of the ingredients at home, but a friend (who’s staying with us right now) came home from Trader Joe’s with a bunch of sangria ingredients and a hankering for a spicy, sweet, fruit-filled wine cocktail. She was actually planning on mixing up a pitcher herself, but when I heard what her plan was, I excitedly took over.

The secret to sangria is cinnamon. It’s not something that people think of when they go to the store to pick up sangria ingredients, but it adds a nice spicy kick. It also makes sangria seasonally appropriate, what with all the pumpkin spice floating around right now. I called this post “Endless Summer,” but really, sangria is an anytime drink, so go ahead and enjoy — it’s Friday after all!

But, back to the dangers of sangria: my friend ended up having an accident after a couple too many glasses. She was trying to hang her towel in the bathroom after the pool, which involved some jumping, a bikini top, and a sharp shower handle. Somehow she managed to deeply scratch a part of her boob. Luckily we had lots of Neosporin, medical tape and bandages at home. And of course, more sangria helped make her feel better too!

SANGRIA RECIPE

1/4 CUP SUGAR
1/4 CUP WATER, HOT
3 CUPS RED WINE
3 CUPS SPARKLING CITRUS JUICE
1/2 CUP RUM
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON, OR TO TASTE
3 CUPS ASSORTED FRUIT, CUT INTO 1 INCH PIECES

Stir the sugar into the hot water to dissolve. Set aside to cool while cutting up your fruit. You can use whatever fruit you happen to have in your fridge or sitting on your countertop. Just don’t use bananas. I like using berries, citrus fruits, and pitted fruits. When all your fruit is cut up, mix all the ingredients in a large pitcher. Enjoy chilled in all seasons!

Little sole goujons with a quick lemon & caper sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:07:00 +0000

For a quick and easy fresh fish supper that's certain to be a big hit with the kids, you can't beat this lovely little dish. The fish is simply cooked in one pan and the sauce practically makes itself. I usually serve it with mash, but some chunky potato wedges or buttered new potatoes and a fresh green salad would be great, too.

Ingredients

800 g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
400 g Dover sole fillets, fromsustainable sources, ask your fishmonger, skinned
1 free-range egg
4 tablespoons plain flour
80 ml milk
40 g butter
600 g spinach, washed and spun dry
1 whole nutmeg
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 small handful baby capers
1 lemon, to serve

Method

Put the chopped potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and nice and soft for mashing.

While the potatoes are cooking, halve or slice the sole fillets into 3 long strips. Get 2 plates, crack the egg onto one and beat it with a fork. Put the plain flour and a good pinch of salt and pepper on the other plate. Gently dip each of the little fingers of sole into the beaten egg, then the flour, making sure they are completely coated in each. Dust off any excess flour and put the pieces to one side. Keep going until all the sole is well coated.

Warm up the milk in a small saucepan and, while you do that, drain the potatoes. Mash them and add the warmed milk, a teaspoon of the butter and a nice big pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the mash with a lid or some tin foil to keep it warm.

Melt 15g of the butter in a small frying pan on a low heat, then add the spinach, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a good grating of nutmeg. Let the spinach wilt down for a few minutes while you cook the sole.

Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Fry the sole pieces for a couple of minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley leaves. Turn the sole pieces over and add the remaining butter, the chopped parsley and the capers. As the sole pieces fry, the butter, capers and parsley will turn into a lovely sauce in the pan.

Serve the sole fillets on a pile of mash with the wilted spinach, some wedges of lemon to squeeze over and a spoonful of that lovely buttery caper and parsley sauce. Delicious!

Mighty mackerel with mixed tomato & quinoa salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Ingredients

For the salad
1 mug (300g) quinoa
½ lemon
800 g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
1 fresh red chilli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the mackerel
4 x 200 g whole mackerel, scaled and gutted, fromsustainable sources, ask your fishmonger
1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander
olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic
To serve
2 heaped tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
2 heaped teaspoons jarred grated horseradish
a couple of sprigs of fresh basil

Method

Ingredient out • Kettle boiled • Medium lidded pan, medium heat • Large frying pan, high heat
START COOKING
Put 1 mug of quinoa and 2 mugs of boiling water into the medium pan with a pinch of salt and the lemon half, then pop the lid on and stir every now and again • On greaseproof paper, score the mackerel on both sides at 2cm intervals down to the bone • Rub all over with salt, pepper and the ground coriander, then put into the large frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Slice the tomatoes any way you like and arrange on a large board or platter, then finely slice and sprinkle over the chilli • Strip the rosemary leaves over the fish, then crush and add the whole garlic cloves • Turn the fish when golden (roughly 4 to 5 minutes on each side)

When the quinoa is cooked (after roughly 10 minutes), drain it and use tongs to squeeze over the lemon juice, then spoon the quinoa into the centre of the tomatoes • Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, and a pinch of salt and pepper • Lay the crispy fish on top • Mix the yoghurt and horseradish together and dollop it over the fish • Pick over the basil leaves and serve

Chicken Piri Piri (Peri Peri) and Jollof Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 08:14:00 +0000

Chicken Piri Piri is a dish made popular by Nandos Restaurants all over the world. Although Nandos has its origin in south Africa with a Portuguese-Mozambican flair ; Piri Piri (Swahili for pepper pepper) is actually a kind of chilli grown in Nigeria and several other African countries. Recipes for the sauce vary across the board, here is our version;

PIRI PIRI SAUCE

2 cups fresh basil ( Efinrin)
½ red onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
4 fresh Peri Peri chillies ( I used dried)
1 teaspoon paprika powder
Juice of 1 lemon
2 table spoons vinegar

Direction

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, puree to a smooth paste.

For my version of Peri Peri chicken, I used the sauce as a finisher. Made simple over roasted chicken using this recipe and then tossed the cooked chicken with the sauce.

Have you been to Nandos? what is your favorite thing to eat there?

Gbegiri Soup: A Yoruba Delicacy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Gbegiri soup is a Yoruba (Western Nigerian) soup prepared with beans. On its own, it looks like baby food but it comes alive when you add Ewedu Soup and meat from your Beef & Chicken Stew.

Ingredients for Gbegiri Soup

150g Black Eyed or Brown Beans
1 small smoked Mackerel/Titus
1 tablespoon ground crayfish
1 big stock cube
1 cooking spoon palm oil
Pepper and salt (to taste)

Before you cook Efo Riro

Ensure you have some Beef & Chicken Stew because the beef for the Gbegiri Soup comes from this stew.
Remove the beans coat and soak the beans for about 3 hours. This soaking makes the beans soft so that it cooks in less time. This way there will be no need to use potash to cook the beans. If you are using peeled and dried beans, you will need to soak it overnight.
Prepare other ingredients: pound/blitz the pepper and grind the crayfish.

Cooking Directions

Put the peeled and soaked beans into a sizeable pot. Pour water to cover the beans and start cooking at medium heat.
While the beans is cooking, prepare the Ewedu Soup which is used to eat the Gbegiri Soup.
Cook the beans till they become so soft that it practically melts when you mash it with your fingers. This takes about 1 hour. You will need to top up the water from time to time but make sure the water is always at the same level as the beans. This ensures that you have just the right amount of water in the soup when the beans is done.
Mash the very soft beans with a potato masher. You can also blend it with your kitchen blender for a very smooth consistency. I do not like pouring the hot beans into my blender then pouring it back into the pot after blending. And it is not practical to wait for the beans to cool down, blend it and then continue cooking!
When you are happy with the smoothness of the beans, add the smoked fish, salt, pepper, crayfish, stock cube and palm oil.
Cover the pot and cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes or till the oil blends with the rest of the ingredients. This is when the oil changes from red to yellow.
Stir from time to time so it does not burn.
That's it! The Gbegiri Soup is done.

Dish the soup with Ewedu Soup, get the meat from your Beef & Chicken Stew and eat with Amala or any other Nigerian fufu meal.

Gangnam-style chicken wings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Ingredients

8 higher-welfare chicken wings
2 tablespoons hot chilli sauce
150 ml fresh cloudy apple juice
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 tablespoons sweet miso
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely grated
8 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ a bunch of fresh coriander
1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced

Soak 8 small bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before you start cooking, to stop them from catching. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Cut the tips from the wings and stretch them out as much as possible, then push a skewer through the length of each wing to straighten and secure.

Add the hot chilli sauce, apple juice, honey, miso, ginger, garlic and half of the spring onions to a roasting tray (roughly 25cm x 30cm). Mix well to combine, then transfer half the sauce to a small pan and set aside.

Place the chicken skewers into the roasting tray, turning them in the sauce to coat, then cover the tray with tin foil, making sure it's tightly sealed around the edges. Place in the hot oven for around 1 hour 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through, removing the foil for the final 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast gently for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden. Set aside.

When the chicken is done, place the pan of sauce over a low heat for around 5 minutes, or until thickened to a nice consistency, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, place a griddle pan over a high heat, then add the skewers and griddle for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp and dark, turning halfway – you may need to do this in batches.

Transfer the wings to a serving platter, pouring over any juices from the tray. Drizzle with the sauce, then pick over the coriander leaves. Top with the remaining spring onions, fresh chilli and toasted sesame seeds.

Ila-Asepo (Okra Soup)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Ila-asepo or okra soup is the Yoruba way of cooking okra soup. I’m not quite sure what it means literally translated, but I know it’s grated/chopped okra cooked in beef stock. Another way of cooking okra is to cook it in some water and serve with fish soup, which is then eaten with a starchy mould of your choice.

This would be my second attempt at making this. The first attempt was tasty, but I blended the okra with I guess a bit too much water and it didn’t draw as much. This time, I grated/chopped fresh okra to avoid the prior mistake.

I learned to make this from a friend of mine who makes the meanest ila-asepo. A few things I learned is not to add onions when cooking the okra as that prevents it from drawing and the entire essence of okra is the ‘draw.’

Without further ado, here’s what you’ll need to make Ila:

25-30 fresh okras
10-12 pieces tripe/ shaki
10-12 pieces goat meat
1/2 s/m red bell pepper
1/2 s/m tomato
2 scotch bonnet peppers/ habanero
1 tsp minced garlic
3 knorr cubes
3 tbsps ground red pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Goya Adobo seasoning w/ cumin
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 cup Palm Oil

1. Wash, rinse okra and set aside

2. Rinse goat meat and tripe in cool water.

3. Turn stove on to medium heat. Drain and season meats in pot w/ garlic, 2 knorr cubes, ground red pepper, crushed pepper flakes, adobo and curry powder (don’t add water here). Put on stove, let sweat for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, add enough water to cover all the meat/tripe. Let cook for 2-3 hrs over medium heat (I like the meat really soft). Check every 45 minutes and ensure water doesn’t dry out, if it is, add 1 more cup of water till desired softness. *You want to retain at least 1-2 cups of stock after the meat is soft*.

5. While meat is cooking, grate okras using the smallest side or chop into tiny pieces with a knife. Set grated/chopped okras aside.

6. While meat is cooking, blend tomato, red bell pepper & scotch bonnet peppers. During the last 45 minutes of boiling the meat, add the blended peppers and palm oil to cook with meat. Once pepper is cooked and meat is soft, reduce heat to low.

7. Add grated/chopped okras. Stir with wooden spoon gently. Let cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes (taste at 5 min mark for seasoning, add last knorr cube if needed). Stir gently to ensure okra is spread evenly. *Some add ‘kaun’ to help it draw more (not sure what the English name is for kaun, but you could probably get it at an authentic African/Nigerian store*.

8. Remove from heat and let stand. Serve with pounded yam/ iyan, eba, amala.

Adding the blended peppers is an optional step, I just like it for that extra kick. My friend sometimes adds chopped spinach to hers, but I didn’t have any on hand, but you could if you want for a different dimension to it.

Also, if you decide to store any left overs still in the pot in the fridge, when you re-heat, don’t add water, just re-heat on low heat, water added will reduce the draw factor of the okra.

There are also different schools of thought as to whether or not to cover the soup when its cooking and um, I’m not really sure. If I recall, I covered the meat when it was boiling but not when I added the okra just so I could keep a close eye on it. Honestly, I don’t think it makes much of a difference; supposedly when you cover the pot, the okra doesn’t draw or it bubbles over furiously. However, IMO, either way is fine.

Some cook ila-asepo differently, but this is how I like to cook mine. Some prefer to blanch the palm oil (heat it till it becomes clear and starts smoking), but I’m not sure how that would translate, so I wouldn’t know what to tell you on that one. Try different ways and pick whichever works best for you. For right now, this would be it for me. In the event that I discover another way, I’ll be sure to share.

Ojojo: A Nigerian Snack

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:29:00 +0000

I’m not sure what the English name would be for ‘Ojojo,’ but what I do know is that it is grated water yam to which onions and spices are added. It’s kinda like akara (fried bean cake) or mosa.

It’s pretty easy to make; the downside, it’s deep fried. Although I’m sure it can be baked as well, though it might take longer before it browns. It’s a once in blue moon snack, so indulge, will you?!

To learn how to make, here’s what you’ll need:

1 s water yam aka Puerto Rico Yam
1/2 s red onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp scotch bonnet pepper or dried red pepper
Canola oil

1. Peel skin off water yam. Cut into large chunks. Grate each chunk using the smallest side.

2. Dice onions. Add to grated yam, along with salt and pepper. Beat/mix thoroughly with your hand or wooden spoon.

3. Preheat oil in a fry pan or deep fryer. Scoop the yam mix into hot oil using your hand or tablespoon (I used my hand).

4. Let underside cook till golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Flip and let other side cook till golden brown as well.

5. Remove and put on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.

Also, once you add the salt to the yam, the consistency/ texture will change somewhat and become fluffier, just a heads up. It’s still yummy and doesn’t change the taste of the dish.

Enjoy…

Asian Fried Rice w/ Baked Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:20:00 +0000

I’ve been on a fish fillet high for a few weeks now and here’s just another recipe featuring more fish. I didn’t eat it for a long time, now I can’t get enough of it. It’s about to end though, I need some more texture!

Oh, and for the rice, I only called it Asian because I added soy sauce. Yes? No? Ah, whatev, that’s the recipe name and I’m sticking with it.

To replicate, here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 Knorr cubes
1 packet Soy sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp Mrs. Dash chipotle seasoning
2 tbsps Canola oil

1. Preheat stove to medium heat.

2. Rinse the rice (to remove extra starch). Add rice to a pot along with 2 cups water. Let cook till firm (when you can press it between your fingers, but not fully cooked) for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

3. In another pot, add oil and let heat for a few minutes over medium heat. Add mixed vegetables. Add seasonings (including soy sauce). Stir thoroughly. Let cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat

4. Add rice. Reduce heat. Mixed veggies thoroughly with rice. Let cook another 10 minutes till done (if needed, add more water).

Voila!

For the fish, I used the same ingredients as for the fish kebabs, minus the bell peppers and onions.

Here’s a pic of the fish before it went in the oven:

So, if you’ve ever wondered how some Chinese restaurants get their fried rice so dark, it’s been loaded up with soy sauce!

This was pretty quick to make, I was done in no time and before I started I thought it was going to take a while, but it didn’t. So, on those days you’re short on time, don’t order in, if you have these ingredients you can make it work too.

Enjoy…

Asun: Spicy Barbecued Goat Meat

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:57:00 +0000

Asun is a Yoruba delicacy that you will always see in the Small Chops section at every owa mbe.

Ingredients for Asun

1.2kg (2.6 lbs) goat meat (cut with the skin)
2 habanero peppers (or to your taste)
1 medium onion
3 big stock cubes
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt (to taste)
1 cooking spoon vegetable oil
Black pepper (optional)

To garnish

1 medium onion
1 small green bell pepper
1 small red bell pepper

Before you make Your Peppered Gizzards

Cut the goat meat into big chunks. Make sure you cut the chunks with the goat skin. If the skin is not there, it won't be the real deal Asun.
Wash and put the goat meat chunks in a bowl.
Add the thyme and black pepper; crush and add the stock cubes. Feel free to add other spices and ingredients that you use to marinate meat.
Mix the spices and the goat meat by gently rubbing with your hands.
Cover the bowl with a thin film. Put in the fridge and leave to marinate for about 1 hour
In my opinion, marinating beef and other kinds of meat is completely optional so you can skip the marinating process and go straight to cooking the goat meat.
Pound or blitz the habanero (scotch bonnet) peppers and set aside.
Cut 1 onion into 4 big chunks.

Making the Asun

After about 1 hour or the number of hours you chose to marinate the goat meat, put the meat in a pot. Use a pressure cooker if you have one because goat meat is quite tough and you will save lots of gas and electricity.
Pour water to just half of the level of the goat meat, add the big chunks of onion and start cooking at medium heat. You do not want a lot of water because you want the water to dry up by the time the goat meat is well done.
When the goat meat is well done, remove the big chunks of onions and add salt to taste.
Increase the heat to high and stir constantly till all the remaining liquid in the pot is absorbed. You don't want to lose any flavour by pouring away the goat meat stock.
Lay the goat meat flat on your oven rack.
Grill/Broil in the oven at 180°C or 350°F till the meat is brown all over. You will need to turn them from time to time. The meat should not be dry. This takes a maximum of 15 minutes with my oven.
While you are grilling the meat, wash, cut and thread the green bell pepper, red bell pepper and the remaining onion on toothpicks.
When the meat it well grilled/broiled, heat the vegetable oil in a dry clean pot.
Add the pepper and the thick stock from cooking the meat (if any) and fry for a bit.
Add the grilled goat meat.
Stir very well till the pepper is evenly distributed on the goat meat. The vegetable oil ensures that this happens and gives the Asun a nice glow.
That's it! Serve with the threaded vegetables.

How to cook Nigerian Jollof Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:49:00 +0000

The Nigerian food recipe discussed here is the classic Jollof Rice. This is the most popular Nigerian rice recipe. This is why you will always see it in parties. It is quite easy to prepare if you follow the simple steps.

Ingredients

2 cigar cups | 500g (1.1 lbs) long grain white rice
Tomato Stew 500 mls
Chicken (whole chicken, drumsticks or chicken breast)
Pepper and salt (to taste)
2 medium onions
Seasoning – 3 Maggi/Knorr cubes & Thyme (2 teaspoon)

Before you cook Jollof Rice

Prepare the tomato stew. Visit the Tomato Stew page for details on how to do that. It is advisable to prepare tomato stew before hand and keep in the freezer. This is so that whenever you want to cook any jollof rice related dish, it is just a matter of adding it to your cooking.
If you will use whole chicken then wash and cut it into pieces. Cook with the seasoning and 2 bulbs of onions (chopped). The cooking time depends on the type of chicken. The rooster or cockerel cooks much faster than the hen but the hen is definitely tastier. When done, grill it in an oven. You may also fry it. This is to give it a golden look which is more presentable especially if you have guests for dinner.
Parboil the rice using the method detailed in parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice. Wash the parboiled rice and put in a sieve to drain.

Cooking Directions

Pour the chicken stock and the tomato stew into a sizeable pot and leave to boil.
Add the drained parboiled rice, salt and pepper to taste. The water level should be the same level of the rice. This is to ensure that all the water dries up by the time the rice is cooked.
Cover the pot and leave to cook on low to medium heat. This way the rice does not burn before the water dries up.

If you parboiled the rice as described at parboiling rice for cooking jollof rice, the rice should be done by the time the water is dry. Taste to confirm. If not, you will need to add more water and reduce the heat to prevent burning. Keep cooking till done.

Serve with fried plantain, Moi Moi, Nigerian salad or coleslaw.

Get rid of body hair

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:33:00 +0000

How to remove unwanted bristles painlessly

Nose

"Some hair is essential for keeping dust and other particles from irritating your nasal cavity," says Dr Jordan Josephson, sinus surgeon and author of Sinus Relief Now (Penguin). Trimming rather than plucking any stray nostril strands ensures you don't rid yourself of this vital filter while removing any hairs that are making an all-too-public bid for follicular freedom.

Neck

"Hairs on the back of your neck grow just as fast as the hair on your head, so if you only rely on your barber to trim it they tend to rub against your collar and become painfully in-grown," says Jane Lewis, leading dermatologist at the Sk:n Clinic "When your hair is dry, lift it off your neck and shave any hair that's creeping below the hairline." Work it into your morning routine twice a week using your regular razor.

Ears

"Just like your nasal hair, those in your ear act as a filter for bacteria and, more interestingly insects," says Lewis. "Don't trim too far inside the ear, as this can increase the chance of infections – only tackle the sprouts that are evident outside of the natural cavity."

Back

Ninety per cent of women surveyed by consumer group Church Dwight named back hair as their biggest turn-off. "The best method for hair removal on the back is waxing," says Libby Eley, an aesthetic technician at Dove Spa. "The deep follicles open when smothered in hot wax, meaning more hair is removed." Unless you are bizarrely flexible seek professional help.

Pubic

"Many men consider it more hygienic to remove the lot because hair traps sweat and bacteria, which can feel uncomfortable and cause odour," says Lewis. She advises going for the infamous ‘back, sack and crack' but, should you not fancy that (and who would blame you) trimming it rather than shaving will avoid in-growing hairs in inconvenient places

Six ways to reduce stress with exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:21:00 +0000

The latest research shows how breaking a sweat can relieve tension

Cycling at 75% of your max heart rate, for 20 minutes, four times a week beats boosts the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine.

Northwestern University

Practise tai chi before bed. Its focus on breathing and movement helps to relieve tension.

The Mayo Clinic

Swimming lowers stress levels by giving you an endorphin rush. Ten minutes is all it takes.

University of Hull

Taking up boxing deters stress-related cellular ageing, and gets rid of that grey office pallor.

Plos one

Taking up yoga cuts stress. And not just because of the lycra-clad lovelies. The slow pace switches your brain to a peaceful mode.

The Mayo Clinic

Book a session at your local squash courts. Physical activity bumps the production of your brain’s endorphins (feel-good transmitters) distracting you from stress and boosting your mood.

The Mayo Clinic

Akara Nigerian Breakfast Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

To make Akara, you need to first of all remove the beans coat. You should remove the coat from the beans just before you make the Akara. This means that you can't use coatless beans that has been stored in the fridge or freezer to make Akara. I tried that and the Akara just spattered everywhere in the vegetable oil.

Ingredients you need for Akara

You only need 5 ingredients to make Akara:1 cup of Beans (black-eyed or brown beans)

2 habanero chilli peppers
1 medium Onion
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for frying

Tools you will need:

Blender
Mortar and Pestle

Before you fry Akara

Remove the beans coat. Read how to remove beans coat for help on how to do that. It is important that you do not let salt come in contact with the beans you will use in making Akara till you are ready to fry it. Salt is believed to destroy the leavening property of beans. This is what prevents spattering of the beans batter during frying.
Then soak the beans in water for 2 hours to make it soft enough for your blender. If you will grind it using the heavy duty grinders in Nigerian markets, it will not be necessary to soak the beans for extended periods of time.
Cut the pepper and onions into desirable sizes.

Making Akara

Grind the beans with your blender making sure you add as little water as possible. The water should be just enough to move the blades of your blender. The operators of the heavy duty grinders in Nigerian markets don't even add water when grinding beans for Akara. The less water you add at the grinding stage, the more the beans batter will stay together during frying thereby reducing spatter. Also, do not add any other ingredient when grinding the beans for Akara. It is believed that other ingredients, if added too early,

reduce the ability of the ground beans particles to stick together.
Set some vegetable oil on the cooker to heat up. The oil should be at least 3 inches deep.
Put some of the ground beans into a mortar. This should be the quantity you can fry in one go.
Stir the beans puree with the pestle in a continuous circular motion. You need to apply some pressure so that you can energize the particles of the beans puree.

This stirring technique releases the gas that will act like a leavening agent to the beans particles, making them rise and somehow stick together. This will be like the yeast making the dough rise in Puff Puff or what folding does to cake batter.
Keep stirring till the ground beans appears whiter and you can perceive its peculiar aroma.
Add some water till you get the consistency shown in the video below.
Check to make sure the oil is hot. The oil should be hot enough to sizzle but not too hot. If too hot, the Akara will spatter as soon as the beans batter hits the oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the onions and pepper to the beans puree in the mortar. Stir well.
Add salt to your taste and stir again. Salt should always be added just before scooping the beans mixture into the oil. If salt stays in the mixture for extended periods of time, it will destroy the leavening property of the beans. This property is what makes the Akara float in the oil and prevent spatter during frying.
To fry the Akara, scoop the mixture with a table spoon and slowly pour this into the oil. Dipping the spoon a little bit into the oil helps reduce spatter.
Fry the underside till brown and flip to fry the top side too.
When the Akara balls are brown all over, remove and place in a sieve lined with paper towels.
Serve Akara with Custard/Ogi/Akamu Agidi or Bread. The best bread to eat Akara with is oven-fresh, hot and stretchy bread like Agege Bread . lol!
Making Akara may seem like rocket science but with practice, you will perfect this recipe. If you do not get it right the first time, try again. Everybody has the same first time experience with making Akara.

Important points to note when making Akara

Follow these and your Akara will turn out great.

Use freshly skinned beans.
Use a very small quantity of water when grinding.
Smoothen the mix with mortar and pestle before frying.
Add salt just before frying.

How to Make Nigerian Puff Puff

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:49:00 +0000

Nigerian Puff Puff is that spongy, deep-fried, spherical snack that originated from Nigeria. It is soft and springs back to touch, you know, like when you pinch a foam

We leave it to our Nigerian brothers and sisters in the United States to tell you how tasty and special this Nigerian snack recipe is. Over there, it is rare to go to a party and not eat the Nigerian Puff Puff.

Making the Puff Puff recipe is both easy and complicated. Easy because the mixing is quite straight-forward and you will see proof that you are doing things right as you go along. It is only complicated when you do not follow the steps as detailed on this website.

For 250g of Puff Puff, you will need the following ingredients.

Ingredients

250g of Plain Flour
2 teaspoons of yeast (the one used in baking bread)
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Granulated Sugar to taste
3 pinches of salt
Lukewarm water (for mixing)
Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Before you make the Nigerian Puff Puff

If your yeast is the type that looks like tiny pebbles or is like paste, mix it with lukewarm water and set aside. you will add it later when you have added water to the Puff Puff mix. If your yeast is in powder form, then add it when you add the other dry ingredients to the flour (as mentioned below).

Directions

Put the floor in a bowl, add the ground nutmeg, powdered yeast, sugar and salt. Mix all these together.
Add water in small quantities and mix everything by hand till you have a good blend of all the ingredients. Add the yeast you mixed with lukewarn water if applicable. Use warm water to mix the puff puff ingredients if you want it to rise faster.
Keep mixing till the batter is smooth but not too watery to flow from a spoon. The mix should be much thicker than pancake batter (see video below).
Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and make sure it is airtight by pressing the edges of the bowl (see video).
Leave to rise for about 45 minutes. When OK to fry, the Puff Puff batter should have risen in quantity and will have some air bubbles.
Pour some oil in a deep pot and allow to heat up. It's not advisable to use a deep fryer for Puff Puff because of the netting but if you want to use it, set the temperature to 170°C.

Note: The oil should be at least 3 inches deep. This is so that the puff puff will become spherical when scooped into the oil. You don't want to end up with flatPancake. lol
Test that the oil is hot enough by putting a drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and comes up to the surface of the oil, then the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not hot enough, the batter will go down to the bottom of the oil and stay there.
When the oil is hot enough, scoop some batter into the oil with your hand by pressing the batter to come out from between your thumb and index finger. You should see the video for this technique as this is what will make your Puff Puff have a near-perfect spherical shape.
Put in more scoops of the batter, as much as the space in the frying pot will allow without overcrowding.
Once the underside of the puff puff has turned golden brown, flip the ball so that the topside will

be fried as well.
When both sides are golden brown, take out the puff puff balls and place in a sieve. If you want to reduce the oil on your Puff Puff as much as possible, then line your sieve with paper towels. The paper towels help soak away the excess oil on the puff puff.

That's how the Nigerian Puff Puff is made.

Beer Battered Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:38:00 +0000

This recipe needs no long talk, just go and make it then send me a feedback. That's how sure I am that you will love it.

Ingredients for Beer Battered Fish

500g (1.1 lbs) Fish
One can of Beer
10 tablespoons plain (all purpose) flour
Seasoning (to taste)
1 medium onion (for frying)
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Notes on the ingredients

You will not use up the whole can of beer, just enough to make the flour mixture like pancake batter.
The carbonation in the beer makes the batter light and crisp. The beer flavour gives the batter a nice taste which works well with the fish. I don't know how to adequately explain this because some things are better experienced than read about :)
You can also use sparkling/carbonated/gaseous water to achieve the light and crispy effect but be rest assured you are not getting the same taste. The salt in gaseous water may even ruin the taste.
The alcohol in the beer escapes during frying hence this snack is alcohol free. You can use non-alcoholic beers to be completely sure.
You can prepare this small chop with your favourite soft fish with soft bones such as Mackerel (Titus), Cord, Panga, Pollock etc.
Use your favourite seasoning. I only use stock cubes, ground cayenne pepper and salt.

Directions

Cut the fish into thin slices, say 1 cm thick. You want the fish to be done by the time the batter is crispy.
Cut the onion into big chunks.
Crush the stock cubes and mix with the ground pepper.
Season 2 tablespoons of flour with the stock cube/pepper mix. Set aside.
Season the fish with the same mix and set aside.
Set some vegetable oil on the stove to heat up. The oil should be 2 to 3 inches deep.
Put the remaining flour in a separate bowl. Add some of the seasoning mentioned above.
Add small quantities of beer at a time to the seasoned flour and mix as you go till you get a light flowing batter similar to pancake batter.
When the oil is hot, dab a piece of fish in the seasoned flour making sure that the flour covers all the fish. This helps more batter adhere to the fish.
Dip the dabbed fish in the batter making sure all parts of the fish are covered before putting it in the oil. Repeat the process for as many pieces of fish your frying container will allow without overcrowding.
Fry at medium heat till light brown and crispy.
Put in a paper lined sieve to drain.

Nkwobi: Spicy Cow Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Nkwobi is a Nigerian delicacy that is usually ordered and enjoyed in exclusive restaurants.

Ingredients for Nkwobi

2kg (4.4 lbs) cow foot (cut into sizeable pieces)
20cl (200ml) Palm Oil

1 tablespoon powdered edible potash (Akanwu/Kaun/Keun)
1 teaspoon ground Ehu seeds(Calabash Nutmeg)
2 tablespoons ground crayfish
2 habanero peppers(or to your taste)
1 medium onion
2 big stock cubes
Salt (to taste)

To garnish

1 medium onion
10 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)

Notes about the ingredients

The 2kg of cow foot may sound like a lot but remember that cow foot is mostly bones so 2 people that love Nkwobi can finish that in no time.
Cow foot is quite tough so if you have a pressure cooker, do use it for cooking it to save time and gas/electricity. You may be able to buy calf foot which is softer and cooks in less time.
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 Nkwobi 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 as you will see in the video below. An alternative I know is what we call Ngu 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 Nkwobi. if you can't buy it where you live, use spinach (bold ones), it gives the same effect and actually tastes nice! In fact that's what I used in the video below. :)))

Before you make the Nkwobi

Cut the cow foot into medium chunks. Where I live, the butchers cut it for me.
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 1 onion into 4 big chunks.
Pound the pepper with a mortar and pestle or blitz it.
Grind the crayfish.
Crack and remove the outer shell of the ehu then grind with a dry mill eg coffee grinder.

Directions for making Nkwobi

Wash and put the cow foot chunks in a pot.
Add the stock cubes (crushed) and the chunks of onion.
Add a small quantity of water and start cooking at medium heat till well cooked. Add just enough water to prevent burning as you cook. There should not be any stock (water) in the pot when the meat is done.
While the meat is cooking, 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.
Add the ground crayfish, pepper and ehu seeds. Stir very well till they are all incorporated.
When the meat is done, add salt, stir and cook till all the water has dried.
Add the well done cow foot to the palm oil paste and stir very well with the wooden spatula.
Put it back on the stove/cooker and heat till the Nkwobi is piping hot, stirring all the time to make sure it does not burn.
To prepare the garnish, cut the onions into rings and cut the utazi into long thin slices.
Serve the Nkwobi in a wooden mortar as shown in the image above.
Add the thin slices of utazi and onion rings on top for the full effects.

Best served with chilled drinks: palm wine, beer or stout and soft drinks.

Nigerian Isi Ewu: Spicy Goat Head

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 11:57:00 +0000

The above conversation is what you will hear most evenings in some Nigerian restaurants known asjoints. This is a guest requesting 5 mortars of Isi Ewu from the restaurant Madam. lol

The process of preparing Isiewu is so similar to that of Nkwobi that lots of people find it hard to differenciate between the two of them. One major difference is that Nkwobi is prepared with cow foot while Isi ewu which literally means goat head, is prepared with goat head!

Ingredients for Isi Ewu

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(or to your taste)
Salt (to taste)

To garnish the Isi Ewu

1 onion
About 10 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)

Notes about the ingredients

In 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 as you will see in the video below. An alternative I know is what we call Ngu 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 you make the Isi Ewu

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 just like with Nigerian Moi Moi.
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.
Pound the pepper with a mortar and set aside.

Directions for making Isi Ewu

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 we 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.

To garnish the Isi Ewu

1 onion
About 10 Utazi leaves (Gongronema latifolium)

Notes about the ingredients

In 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 as you will see in the video below. An alternative I know is what we call Ngu 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 you make the Isi Ewu

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 just like with Nigerian Moi Moi.
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.
Pound the pepper with a mortar and set aside.

Directions for making Isi Ewu

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 we 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.

How to Cook Nigerian Egusi Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:14:00 +0000

The Nigerian Egusi soup, prepared with melon seeds, is native to the southern part of Nigeria - Igbos and Yorubas.

Egusi soup is also one of the most popular soups for all Nigerians and non-Nigerians that like Nigerian fufu recipes. It is known as Miyan Gushi in Hausa.

Ingredients

Egusi (Melon) seeds - 3 cigar cups | 600g
Red Palm Oil – 2 cooking spoons
Beef – Best cut and Shaki (cow tripe)
Fish – Dry Fish and Stock Fish
Crayfish
Pepper and Salt to taste
Vegetable – Pumpkin leaves or Bitter leaf
Seasoning – 3 Maggi or Knorr cubes
Traditional Seasoning – 1 Okpei (optional)

Before you cook Egusi Soup

Before preparing the soup, soak the dry fish for about half an hour. Boil the stockfish for 20 minutes and leave in the pot with the hot water to soak for about an hour.

Much closer to your cooking time, grind the Egusi with a dry mill. Grind the crayfish and the dry pepper separately and set aside. Wash the vegetable to be used. Cut into tiny pieces.

Boil the shaki, stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself.

Wash the beef to be used for the soup and place in a pot and start steaming at medium heat. There is no need to add water at this stage. When the meat is done, add 3 cubes of Maggi/Knorr. This method makes the meat cook faster while retaining all the taste. Also meat contains lots of water and you will notice that the water content increases as the meat starts to boil.

Cooking Directions

There are two main methods of cooking egusi soup. These we will call oil before egusi and egusi before oil. Confusing? Not.

Oil Before Egusi

Put 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil into a dry pot and set on the stove to heat. As soon as the oil is clearer, add the ground egusi and start frying. This should be done at low heat to avoid burning. Keep frying till you see the egusi getting drier. One sign of this is that it will start sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Now, start adding the shaki/fish stock little by little while still turning the egusi. When the stock is exhausted and you feel that the soup is still too thick, you can add more water. If your choice of vegetable is bitterleaf, it should be added now as well.
Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. The egusi is done when you notice that the oil has risen to the surface of the mix and separated from the mix. If this is the case, add the fish, shaki and meat. Also add pepper and salt to taste. If pumpkin leaves (or any other soft vegetable) is your choice, please add it now.
Cover the pot and leave everything to steam together for 5 minutes.

The egusi soup is ready to be served with amala, Eba (garri), pounded yam orcassava fufu.

Egusi Before Oil

This method produces a healthier egusi soup. This is because there is no frying involved.

In this method, as soon as the shaki, fish and meat are done, remove them from the stock (water used in cooking the meat and fish) and place in a different pot or plate.
Add the ground egusi to the stock and stir. If the stock from cooking your meat and fish is small, add some water to the same level as the egusi.
Cover and cook till the egusi cakes. Stir and add a little bit more water. watch it closely so that it does not burn.
Repeat step 3, adding only a small quantity of water at a time. After about 25 minutes, you will notice the clear egusi oil coming to the surface of the soup.
Add 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil and bitter leaves (if it is your choice of vegetable), pepper and salt to taste and cook for about 7 minutes.
Add the the meat and fish. If using pumpkin leaves or any other soft vegetable, add it at this time, stir the soup and leave to simmer for 2 minutes maximum.
Turn off the heat. Leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving.

The egusi soup is ready to be served with amala, Eba (garri), pounded yam,Semolina or cassava fufu.

Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Ogbono Soup also known as Draw Soup makes eating Fufu Recipes so easy because of its slimy nature which helps the lumps of fufu slide down. If your kids do not like Okra Soup because of the chunks of Okra, then try Ogbono Soup, they will surely love it.

Some people like their Ogbono soup plain, with no added vegetables, others would not touch it unless there is some kind of vegetable in it. A third group love their Ogbono Soup with Okra. Some people even go fancy and add Egusi to it.

Be sure to check out the following link where you'll find more tips for preparing Ogbono Soup.

Ingredients for Ogbono Soup

Assorted Meat and Fish: Beef, Shaki, DryFish, Stock Fish
Ogbono Seeds: 2 handfuls
Palm Oil: 3 Cooking spoons
Vegetable: Frozen Spinach (you can also use Pumpkin leaves or even Bitterleaf)
Crayfish: 1 handful
Pepper and Salt - To taste
1 medium size Onion
2 Stock cubes (Maggi/Knorr)

Before you cook Ogbono Soup

Grind the Ogbono with a dry mill.
Cut the frozen spinach when it is not completely defrosted. It is easier that way. Then when completely defrosted, squeeze out the excess water.
Cook the assorted meat with the stock cubes and onion. If you will use Shaki, remember to start cooking that first, then add beef when almost done.
Grind crayfish and pepper.
Boil some water and set aside.

Cooking Directions for Ogbono Soup

Pour the palm oil into a clean dry stainless steel or aluminium pot. Set on the stove and melt the oil at low heat. Remember, only melt the oil, do not allow it to heat up.
Once melted, turn off the heat and add the ground Ogbono.
Use your cooking spoon to dissolve the Ogbono in the oil.
When all the Ogbono powder has completely mixed with the oil, add the meat/fish stock (water from cooking the assorted meat and fish). Set the heat of your cooker to low and start stirring. You will notice the Ogbono start to thicken and draw.
Keep stirring till the Ogbono has completely absorbed the meat stock.
Add a small quantity of the hot water and stir till the Ogbono has absorbed all the water. Repeat this process till you get a consistency that is shown in the video below.
Making sure that your heat is set to low, cover the pot and start cooking. Once it starts to simmer, stir every 2-3 minutes for 20 minutes.
So what you'll do is: every 3 minutes or so, open the pot, stir every well, scraping the Ogbono that sticks to the base of the pot, cover the pot and cook for another 3 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the Ogbono should be well cooked and you will begin to perceive its nice flavour and aroma.
Add the assorted meat and fish, ground crayfish, salt and pepper to taste. The Ogbono may have become thicker from the cooking. If so, add a little bit more water and stir very well. Cover and cook till the contents of the pot is well heated up.
If you prefer your Ogbono Soup without vegetables, turn off the heat and serve but if you like to add a vegetable then keep reading :)
When the contents of the pot have heated up, add the vegetable (frozen Spinach used in the video). Stir very well, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for about 5 minutes and serve with any Fufu recipe.

Do you remember Roasted Plantain (Boli) and Red oil?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:32:00 +0000

This is a summer weekend delight. You can roast or barbecue both ripe and unripe plantain. If you have a sweet tooth, you definitely want to go for the roasted ripe plantain.

Ingredients for Roasted Plantain and Pepper Sauce

Ripe / Unripe Plantain – as much as you can eat!
Fish – Preferably Mackerel
Palm Oil
Onions
Habanero Pepper or any fresh chilli pepper
Salt (to taste)

Before you prepare Roasted Plantain

Prepare the pepper sauce to go with the roasted plantain and set aside.
Wash and peel the unripe / ripe plantains to be roasted.
Wash and cut the fish, remove the insides and spinkle salt on them.
Set up your barbecue on medium heat as the plantain needs to be roasted slowly. If using an oven, set to grill and a temperature of 150°C.

Nigerian Ekpang Nkwukwo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:26:00 +0000

Ekpang Nkwukwo is one of the Nigerian cocoyam recipes made with grated cocoyam, water yam, cocoyam leaves and periwinkle. It is a Nigerian food recipe native to the South South Eastern Nigeria – the Cross River and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria. Ekpang Nkwukwo is so special that it is reserved for special occasions.

Ingredients for Ekpang Nkwukwo

Cocoyam – 500g
Water Yam – 250g (Optional)
Vegetable – A big bunch of tender Cocoyam leaves | Pumpkin leaves & Scent leaves (Nchanwu)
Palm oil – a generous quantity
Crayfish – a handful
3 medium bulb Onions
Periwinkles – 2 milk cups | 300g if shelled or 500g of unshelled periwinkle
Assorted Beef & Offal
Dried fish
Snail (Optional)
Pepper & Salt to taste
Seasoning – 2 Maggi / Knorr cubes

Before you cook the Nigerian Ekpang Nkwukwo

Wash and cook the beef, offals and dry fish with the seasoning till done.
Peel, wash and grate the cocoyam and water yam (if you will be using this). Mix the two together and set aside.
Prepare the pot by rubbing a generous amount of red palm oil on the insides of the pot.
Wash the tender cocoyam leaves and tear into medium pieces. If using pumpkin leaves, wash these and set aside.
Blend the pepper and crayfish and set aside.
Wash the shelled or unshelled periwinkles.
Wash and slice the scent leaves into tiny pieces.

Cooking directions for Nigerian Ekpang Nkwukwo

If you will be using unshelled periwinkles, place these at the base of the well-oiled pot.
Scoop a small quantity of the grated cocoyam into a piece of the torn cocoyam leaf or one pumpkin leaf. Wrap the cocoyam with the leaf and place in the pot. Repeat this procedure till all the grated cocoyam (and water yam) is exhausted.
Add the pepper, crayfish, onions, shelled periwinkles and assorted beef.
Add hot water to the level of the pot contents and set to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Now, add the scent leaves, a generous amount of palm oil and salt to taste. Cook for more 5 minutes and the Ekpang Nkwukwo is done.
Leave to stand for 5 minutes and stir.

Nigerian Yam & Vegetable with Ukpaka (Ugba)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:17:00 +0000

This recipe is a basic yam and vegetable mix. The good thing is that this recipe lets you try a wide range of leafy vegetables which can go with the yam staple: green Amaranth, fluted pumpkin, water leaves, spinach etc.

Ingredients

Yam 1kg
Leafy Vegetable - Spinach/Fluted pumpkin/Green Amaranth/Water Leaves
Red palm Oil – to colour
Okra – 4 fingers (optional)
Ukpaka or Ugba: a handful (optional)
Onions – 2 medium bulbs
Chilli Pepper & Salt – to taste
Seasoning: – 2 cubes of Maggi / Knorr

Before you cook Yam & Vegetable

Peel and cut the yam tuber into 2 inch cubes. Wash the yam cubes and place in a sizeable pot.

Wash and cut the leafy vegetables, I used frozen spinach. Just leave to defrost a little bit and cut into small pieces. Then when fully defrosted, wring out the excess water.

rinse the ukpaka and cut the onions and okra into tiny pieces. Grind / Blend the chilli pepper. Put all these in a separate pot and set aside. The okra only helps the vegetables stick together so it is optional and with the ukpaka, you can go the extra mile with this recipe :)

Cooking Directions

Pour enough water to cover the yam cubes and cook till the cubes are soft and the water is a bit like porridge.
Now, pour out the water from the pot, leaving the yam cubes in the pot. Cover the pot to retain the heat.
Add some water from the yam (about 1 cooking spoon) to the pot containing the vegetables. Cook till the vegetable is softened by the heat. Be careful not to overcook the vegetable.
Pour the cooked vegetables and other ingredients into the pot containing the yam cubes. Add the palm oil and salt to taste.
Stir with a wooden spoon till all the ingredients have mixed well.
The yam and vegetable is ready to be served.

Devil's Tom Yum Soup. cooking something different.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:20:00 +0000

You can easily get the ingredients in any Asian supermarket. But be careful, this is super spicy - which is the best way to eat Tom Yum! You can use chicken instead of fish if you prefer.

Ingredients

Serves: 8

500g (1 lb) king prawns, heads removed but reserved for stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 sticks lemon grass (1 layer of skin peeled, and head slightly crushed to release aroma)
5 lime leaves
5 shallots, sliced thinly
5 slices galangal or Thai ginger
10 bird's-eye chillies, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chilli paste
4 tablespoons lime juice
2 large squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
125g (4 1/4 oz) baby corn
100g (3 3/4 oz) Chinese straw mushrooms
3 tomatoes, quartered
100ml coconut milk
Salt to taste
Preparation method
Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Extra time: 10 mins

1.

To make the stock: bring 1 litre of water in a large saucepan to the boil. Add the prawns heads only and simmer for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up, remove the heads - this liquid becomes the stock for the soup.

2.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic, lemon grass, lime leaves, shallots, galangal and chillies for 3 minutes over medium heat.

3.

Add the chilli paste and stir for additional 1 minute. Add the chicken breast and pour in the lime juice. Let simmer for another few minutes.

4.

Pour the spicy mixture from the pan into the stock and bring back to the boil. Add the squid, baby corn, mushrooms, tomatoes and prawns.

5.

Turn down the heat, pour in the coconut milk and let simmer for another few minutes.

6.

Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Eat this not that: breakfast on the go

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:27:00 +0000

When time is tight and the cupboards are bare, keep your weight-loss plans on track
by reaching for the best grab-and-go breakfast

Costa

Save yourself 335 calories

Eat this Bacon roll Costa recently changed its bacon roll recipe, slashing the fat content by over half. Forgo the added bulk in the all day breakfast (right) and you'll save 7g of sat fat. Don't pig out on pig.

Not that All day breakfast roll This could be the most calorific breakfast roll on the high street, just scraping a victory over Pret's sandwich of the same name. The fact that you're eating on the move doesn't excuse it.

Greggs

Save yourself 160 calories

Eat this Golden syrup porridge The syrup means that this is not an entirely healthy start, but don't be put off: porridge is cholesterol-friendly and a good source of fibre, filling you up until lunch. Oat cuisine indeed.

Not that Breakfast sausage roll The calorie content might seem OK for a sausage roll, but this is not a healthy option. The white bun is harbouring 19g of fat and 2.7g of salt: that's almost half your RDA before 9am.

Starbucks

Save yourself 115 calories

Drink this Grande iced latte with semi-skimmed milk Get your caffeine hit without unnecessary extra sugar. You can even add a breakfast panini and you'll still be taking on fewer calories than are in Costa's all day breakfast behemoth.

Not that Grande coffee frappuccino with whole milk The frap is loaded with sugar. Swap it for iced coffee three days a week and you'll drop 1kg in six months. There's no need to pay for your morning buzz with extra pounds round your middle

Cereal bar

Save yourself 82 calories

Eat this Special K peach & apricot bar Cereal bars are the classic fallback if you missed breakfast – but don't make a habit of it, as they're packed full of sugar. Special K's light choice does at least creep under the 100kcal mark.

Not that Eat Natural with almonds, apricots and yoghurt You might think the nuts would give you an extra protein hit. Not so: this has only 0.2g more than the Special K. It also has a couple more grams of sugar and a staggering 5.6g more saturated fat.

Fruit juice

Save yourself 95 calories

Drink this Princes tomato juice A pre-desk juice dash is as quick as breakfast gets. Go for tomato – it's very low in calories and higher in antioxidants. Keep some metabolism-boosting Tabasco at work for a real kick start.

Not that Princes mango juice drink Approach any carton labelled 'juice drink' with caution. This is just marketing speak for, 'not a lot of juice, plenty of sugar and water'. This one has a whopping 32g of the white stuff.

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