Naija Foodies Magazine by Chinenye Ozota

Hello Foodies, Welcome to the September Edition of Naija Foodies Magazine. This edition is the pasta Edition. Who dosen't love pasta, there are many ways to prepare your pasta and we've got 25 of them from our foodies. When ever you are cooking pasta/spagetti, look through this edition and you are sure to find a new recipe to include in your family dish. Go ahead and enjoy this edition and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @naijafoodiesmag. Support us cal/textl 07036902468 website: naijafoodiesmag.wordpress.com CREDITS TO OUR FOODIES dobbyssignature.com iqfoodplatter.com sisiyemie.com sisijemimah.com afrolems.com mastecooks.com africanbites.com foodlandfairy.com allnigerianrecipes.com

Editor : Chinenye Ozota E-mail : chinenyeozota@gmail.com Supporting Editors : Emmanuel Moses and Sandra Oke

SPAGETTI FIESTA

EATING HEALTHY

FOODS THAT INCREASE MEMORY

RESTURANT REVIEW

FRONT IMAGE africanbites.com FOOD cajun chicken pasta

Jollof Spaghetti â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pasta In Tomato Sauce.

Jollof Spaghetti is simply a Jollof rice inspired method of preparing Spaghetti. All other kinds of Pasta can be used to replicate this dish. This Jollof Spaghetti recipe is very easy and definitely delicious. You can choose to do without the veggies and make it plain, I just prefer to make mine with veggies and proteins so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 pack of Spaghetti (500gms) 1 50gms Boneless Raw Chicken/Beef or Shrimps 2 Cups Chicken/Beef Stock 1 /2 Cup Cooking Oil 3 Red Bell Peppers 1 Yellow and Green Bell Peppers (Tatashe) 2 Carrots Or 1 Cup Frozen (Optional) 1 /2 Can Plum Tomatoes or 3 Medium Tomatoes 2 Scotch Bonnet (Atarodo) 1 Whole Medium Onion 1 Medium Onion Chopped 3 Stalks Green/Spring Onions 3 Cloves Garlic Minced 1 /2 Teaspoon Minced Ginger 2 Bay Leaves 1 /2 Teaspoon Curry Powder 1 /2 Teaspoon Thyme 1 /4 Teaspoon Black Pepper 2 Knorr Chicken Cubes or your preferred bouillon cube Salt To Taste

Preparation: 1 . If you’re using raw chicken or beef, chop into small chunks. Marinate the Chicken/Beef or Prawns with 1 Knorr Chicken cube, 1 /2 teaspoon Garlic Powder, Salt. Leave to marinate for at least an hour. 2. Slice the yellow, green and red bell peppers, spring onions and carrots. Set aside. 3. Get a saucepan, pour in water; enough quantity to cook the pasta, set on a hob on medium to high heat, when it comes to a rolling boil, add a dash of oil, add the pasta. Cook till tenderC When it’s tender, transfer into a colander to strain, set asideC Notice how the pasta isn’t clumpy or stuck together, the added oil helps keep the pasta from sticking together. Oil also prevents the pasta from foaming/boiling over while cooking. 4. Blend the tomatoes, 2 red bell peppers, 1 onion and 2 scotch bonnet till smooth. 5. Pour 1 cooking spoon into a saucepan, place on a hob on medium heat, when it’s hot, add 1 /2 of the chopped onions, sauté till translucent, then add the blended pepper. Also add the curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, 2 Knorr chicken cubes and salt to taste. Fry till oil floats to the top. 6. While that’s frying, get yourself a big frying pan or wok, place on a hob on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons oil. When it’s hot, add half of the chopped onions, sauté till translucent, then add the chopped garlic, sauté till fragrantC Be careful when adding salt, remember you’ll be adding stock later and that would already contain salt. 7. Add the marinated chicken/beef/shrimps, add the black pepper, fry till fully cookedC 8. Add the chopped peppers, carrots, spring onions, sauté for 5-6 minuteC Set asideC 9. Check on the pepper, when it’s done and oil floats to the top, add the chicken/ beef stock, if you haven’t got stock, just add water, cook for 2-3 minutesC 1 0. Now, add the cooked pasta, stir vigorously, you can use a kitchen tong for this. taste for salt/ seasoning, adjust if necessary. 11 . Then add the fried veggies and meat/chicken/shrimp, mix thoroughlyC. do try to add the pasta before the veggies, otherwise, the veggies will become a bit soggy if left to stew for too long. 1 2. Leave to cook and combine for 2-3 minutes, do not cover, the liquid will dry up more and pasta will firm up as wellC And it’s doneC

Spaghetti in stir-fry sausage

This meal is tasty but also and easy to make. This meal always pops into my head whenever i don't want to spend long hours in the kitchen. If you've got your homemade stock , you could use that in place of water. For this meal, you could also use tinned tomato paste to make it faster.

Ingredients:::

• 1 Pack Spaghetti •1 0 Plum Tomatoes • 4 Red Scotch Bonnets (Ata rodo) (Or less) • 5 Chili pepper a.k.a Shombo • 4 Garlic cloves • 1 Red Onion • 1 /2 tsp. Curry powder • 1 /2 tsp. Thyme • 1 tsp. Salt • 7 cups water • 2 Seasoning cubes •1 cup Vegetable oil Extras • 1 Green bell pepper • 1 Medium sized corned beef • 3 Smoked Sausages • 1 Green pepper • 4 tbsp. Margarine/ Butter

Directions:::

Step 1 : Chop the onion, Sausage and green pepper -Set Aside Step 2: Puree the tomato, pepper, garlic in a blender and pour into a pot. Heat up the puree till the liquid drys up leaving the concentrated tomato and pepper paste. Pour in the vegetable oil and leave to fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes Step 3: Add the Water, Part of the chopped onion, curry powder, thyme , seasoning cubes, Salt. over and leave to boil for about 1 0 mins (Kitchen Tip: When cooking Spaghetti or pasta, it's always best to allow the liquid you intend cooking it in boil very well before adding. This is done so that when you add your spaghetti, it wouldn't stick together after preparation). When the tomapep liquid starts to boil, gently lower in your spaghetti " Vertically " and cover the pot. Leave to boil for about 1 5-20 mins till almost all the liquid dries up in the pot. Step 4: While the ingredients in step 3 cook up, place the Butter/ Vegetable oil / Margarine in an empty pan and heat on medium to melt. Add the chopped sausages, green pepper, the remaining chopped onion and corned beef one at a time. Stir fry for about 5 mins - Set aside. Step 5: Pour in your stir fried sausages and vegetables into the spaghetti and mix. Leave to simmer for 3mins. Serve Hot!

Stir fried spaghetti with shrimp

Oh,my! If you have never tried making stir fried spaghetti with shrimp at home, you are on a long thing. This might sound like a very dramatic statement but really, you've just gotta try this. Apart from being so easy to make this is definitely going to work up your appetite even if you are not a spaghetti fan. Unlike jollof spaghetti which features a combination of tomatoes and pepper as the main event, this needs just curry powder for colour + taste and veggies...Yum! The fresher the cooked veggies turn out in the end, the tastier it is.There's this thing i love about spaghetti that doesn't stick together. I guess it makes everything worth it don't you think.

Ingredients:::

•1 medium sized onion • 2 medium sized carrots • a handful fresh green beans • 1 medium sized green bell pepper • a small bunch spring onion • 1 medium sized red bell pepper • 4 cloves garlic •1 pack spaghetti • 1 tsp.Thyme • 1 tbsp. Curry powder • 2 cups Meat stock: Beef, Chicken or Turkey • 2 tbsp. Butter or Vegetable oil • 2 Seasoning cubes • Salt to taste

Preparation:::

Step 1 : Prepare your meat stock and set aside. For this, you can use any type of meat you've got available. Meat stock helps in enhancing the flavor of this dish although you can skip adding it altogether. Step 2: Steam the shrimp in a separate pot with a little water and salt for about 3 minutes. Drain off the water and set aside. Step 3: In a medium sized pot, bring water to a boil. Add curry powder and then the spaghetti - Cook for about 8 minutes till al dente (firm to the bite). Drain off excess curried water. The spaghetti should be yellow by now and a little bit strong. Pour the spaghetti back into the pot and add the meat stock. Add the crushed seasoning and salt to taste. Cook till the stock gets absorbed. . Step 4: Chop the fresh veggies; Onion. Carrot, Green beans, Green bell pepper, Spring onion, Red bell pepper, Mince the garlic and set aside. Step 5: In a pan or wok, Melt butter on medium heat or heat up vegetable oil. Add the veggies and minced garlic one after the other and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, thyme and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the spaghetti, check for seasoning and add more if needed. Stir fry everything together for about two minutes then turn of the burner. Serve hot!

Ingredients::: • 4 cups dried macaroni • 1 small onion • 300g Beef/ Minced meat • Stock cube • 1 /2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter • Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme • Salt to taste • 200g Cheddar cheese • 1 cup parsley - chopped

Directions:::

Step 1 : The first step is to grind your meat. This is really easy to do if you have a mincer, Grinder/ food processor. It also saves a whole lot of stress and money. To start, Wash the meat thoroughly with clean water then slice off the elastic muscles with a sharp Knife. Most times the grinder is not able to grind this part of the meat. Dice the meat into smaller chunks and place in the grinder - Grind. To skip this process, simply get minced meat. Step 2: Chop the onion into small bits. In a medium sized pot, add the minced meat, chopped onion, crushed seasoning and just enough water to cover the pot. Steam for about 5 mins over medium heat and set aside. Step 3: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 1 0 minutes or until al dente; drain. Step 4: Cut up the cheese into smaller bits (as small as bean seeds). This step is very important and is done to enable the cheese melt easily once added to the pot. If you're using sharp cheddar cheese instead, grate it. Step 5: Combine the steamed minced meat with the meat water inclusive (should be little), cooked macaroni, butter, salt, pepper and cheese. Continue cooking till the cheese melts and the liquid in the pot reduces. Step 6: Add the chopped parsley and leave to simmer for 3 minutes. Serve hot!

Procedure:

Spaghetti with Tomato sauce

So i woke up hungry thinking of what to whip up in the kitchen. In the end, i decided to make spaghetti with tomato sauce and that's because i had a left over chicken stock sitting in the refrigerator calling out to me to use it quickly :D. The only thing left to do was to Make the sauce and then boil the spaghetti.

Ingredients:

*Tomatoes(Several) *Yellow pepper *4 medium sized Onions *Red hot peppers (chili and Red bell pepper i.e Tatashe) *Groundnut oil/Olive oil *Garlic *Thyme & curry *Spaghetti *Seasoning *Beef stock *Butter *Salt

For the Spaghetti 1 . Bring the water to a boil. Add a lil' olive oil and salt, then the spaghetti. 2. It takes between 1 0 to 1 2minutes to get ready. 3. Drain the remaining water in the spaghetti in a sieve and rinse with cold water(while in the sieve). 4. Put the saucepan back onto the burner and add butter. 5. Once the butter melts, put the spaghetti back into the saucepan and heat them up whilst turning them. 6. Don't worry, it'd turn out really tasty and it won't stick together

Procedure: For theTomato Sauce

1 . Peel the onions, Garlic and wash with the tomatoes, chilies and yellow pepper 2. Blend them all together to form a puree adding little water at intervals to loosen 3. Pour the tomato puree in a pot and heat for about 1 5minutes till the water dries up (watch it carefully so it doesn't get burnt) 4. Pour in your the groundnut oil and fry for about 5minutes 5. Add your beef stock, Thyme & curry, Seasoning and Salt then leave to boil for another 7mins 6. Turn off the burner and leave the sauce to cool then serve with your already boiled spaghetti Bon Appetite ;)

Preparation:

Fried spaghetti.

This is my special spaghetti recipe. In my own words, i'd call it a slam dunk cos it's easy to prepare and it also tastes really good. Making this dish is Just as easy as making fried rice, the only difference is there's no rice involved in the process. Ingredients *Yellow pepper *2 medium sized Onions 2 medium sized Green pepper *Green beans (A handful) *Carrots *Garlic (1 clove) *Salt *Thyme & curry *1 pack of Spaghetti *Seasoning *Butter

1 . Chop the fresh ;Yellow pepper, Onions, Green pepper, Green beans, Carrots, Garlic and set aside 2. In a pot, Bring the water to a boil. -Add salt, Powdered curry, thyme, then the spaghetti. -It takes between 1 0 to 1 2minutes to get ready. 3. Drain the remaining water in the spaghetti in a sieve 4. Put the pot back onto the burner 5. Add butter and once it melts pour in your Chopped vegetables with seasoning 6. Fry for about 3minutes then put in the spaghetti and stir fry for about 2minutes 7. Leave for about 2minutes more then remove from the burner 8. Don't worry, it'd turn out really tasty and it won't stick together 9. Serve with a cold Drink ;)

Directions:::

Step 1 : Wash and chop the tomato, onion, pepper and leafy vegetable – Set aside Step 2: In a pan, heat up the vegetable oil for two minutes. Add the chopped onion, tomato and pepper. Stir fry for 3 minutes. Step 3: In a small pot, bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add the noodles and seasoning. leave to Pumpkin leaf (ugu) noodles recipe Here's an easy recipe for homemade noodles. cook for 7 minutes. Add the Just add fried eggs by the side and the meal is chopped leafy vegetable and stir fried tomato, onion and pepper. complete. Here's how it's made. Stir and Leave to simmer for 2 Ingredients::: minutes. • 2 packs noodles (with seasoning) • 1 medium sized Tomato Turn off the burner and serve. • 1 small Fresh pepper • ½ small Onion • A handful Ugu leaves (Substitute spinach) • 2 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce

Traditionally called ragu (alla) bolognese, the sauce originates from the beautiful city of Bologna, Italy. It is customarily included in lasagne but serves as a great accompaniment for spaghetti, providing a nice, heated flavour to the pasta.

Ingredients Preparation

Step 1 Heat up 2 cooking spoonfuls of Vegetable Oil in a saucepan. Add the diced onions, garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes. Step 2 Add the ground beef, and fry. Stir continuously to break up the beef and fry for 5-1 0 mins until the beef is no longer pink. Step 3 Add your blended pepper, tomato paste, curry, thyme, seasoning cubes and salt to taste. Step 4 Let it cook for 1 5- 20 mins. Stir often so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get burnt. Step 5 Add your diced carrots and mushrooms. Cover and allow to simmer for 5 mins. Pour over parboiled spagetti, simmer and serve or Serve over boiled spagetti.

1 . Pure Vegetable Oil 2. 2 Medium Onions (Diced) 3. 2 cloves of Garlic 4. 500g Ground beef Fresh tomatoes and pepper (Blended) 5. 1 medium can of Tomato paste (Optional) 6. Curry and Thyme 7. Carrots (diced) 8. Mushrooms (Optional) 9. 2 Seasoning cubes 1 0. Salt

Coconut Cream Pasta Ingredients

Preparation

1 . Season your chicken breast with seasoning cubes and ginger. 2. Heat up 1 .5 tablespoons of butter and 1 spoon of vegetable oil on medium heat and stir fry your chicken breast till brown. Reduce the heat to the lowest so the chicken cooks for the next 1 0-1 5 minutes. 3. Boil your spaghetti with the 1 spoon of vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes till semi-soft and strain and rinse and set aside. 4. Heat up the rest of the butter and the vegetable oil, stir fry the garlic and onion for one minute. 5. Add the chopped vegetables, pepper and the chicken and stir fry. Season with seasoning cubes and black pepper and pour in the coconut cream. Stir in the flour and finally the spaghetti till all the cream is absorbed. Leave to simmer for 1 -2 minutes and serve hot.

Spaghetti 1 /2 cup of Coconut cream 1 .5 cups of Chopped Vegetables( carrots, green, red and yellow pepper, spring onions) 1 medium bulb of Onion 1 cup of chopped Chicken breast 1 scotch bonnet pepper 3 tablespoon melted butter 3 tablespoons of Vegetable oil Seasoning cubes 1 /2 teaspoon of ginger powder or grated ginger 3 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour 1 /4 teaspoon of black pepper (optional)

This simple snail pasta stir fry recipe and the perfect lunch this week. It was not stressful to make and it is very versatile. You can use shrimps, beef, chicken, fish or whatever else is available to you. Hope you enjoy it. Re INGREDIENTS Spaghetti 1 large snail 1 .5 tablespoon of melted butter 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil A handful of chopped (pumpkin) Ugu leaves 1 scotch bonnet pepper Seasoning cubes 1 small Lime 1 tablespoon of Salt 4 cloves of garlic 1 small bulb of Onion 1 teaspoon of dry pepper

PREPARATION

1 . With your salt and lime, scrub the snail throughly till it is no longer slimy. Bring your snail to boil with 1 seasoning cube and dry pepper till soft. Chop the snail to small pieces and set aside. 2. Bring your pasta to boil till soft and set aside. 3. Heat up your butter and vegetable oil, stir fry the chopped garlic, chopped onion and scotch bonnet pepper, season with seasoning cubes and whatever else you want. 4. Toss in the snails immediately and stir. Stir in the spaghetti immediately after and add your chopped green vegetables and serve hot.

This was very quick to make and super delicious spagetti recipe. I added some turkey sausage to my pasta. If you are vegetarian, you can skip this step and replace it with more vegetables or tofu as an option.

Avocado Pasta Ingredient

1 medium avocado spaghetti 3 cloves of garlic 3 basil leaves (substitute â&#x20AC;&#x201C; scent leaves) 1 medium roma tomato 1 scotch bonnet pepper Seasoning cubes 1 cooking spoon of vegetable oil (or olive oil) 2 pieces of small turkey sausage

PREPARATION

1 . In a food processor or blender, blend the avocado, garlic, seasoning cubes, basil leaves and oil till you achieve a smooth paste. 2. In a pot, boil the spaghetti till almost soft. 3. Pour in the avocado mix and stir in, chop the tomato and pepper and add to the pot. Stir in the turkey sausage and serve hot.

PINK SPAGHETTI, MEAT BALLS AND CREAMY SAUCE Ingredients for Meatballs 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon of salt 1 /2 teaspoon of chilli powder 1 /2 teaspoon of curry A pinch of thyme 1 stock cube 1 piece of garlic 1 /4 teaspoon of shredded parsley 1 spring onion 1 tablespoon bread crumbs 1 egg Creamy Sauce 1 tablespoon of butter 3 garlic pieces 1 cup of heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Chicken seasoning Cheese *optional* Method 1 . Chop your onions and garlic and mix into the ground beef. Season the meatballs with the salt, pepper, curry, thyme, stock cube and parsley. Mix in the bread crumbs and set aside. Heat up the oven to 350 F and grease the pan that the meatballs will be baked in. Scoop and roll the ground beef in your hand, dip in the whisked egg and place in the greased pan. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. 2. Boil your spaghetti and drop 1 /2 teaspoon of red colouring or more as needed. 3. For the creamy sauce- Heat up the butter and sautee the garlic for 1 -2 minutes on medium heat. Pour in the cream and stir occasionally. Add your Seasoned beef for meatballs salt and pepper and a pinch of chicken seasoning If adding cheese, add at this point. If not stir occasionally till sauce thickens and drizzle over the meatballs and pasta. Valentines dinner is ready

Method:

SPAGHETTI WITH PRAWN AND BEEF SAUCE

Ingredients:

Prawn Beef Spaghetti 5 large tomatoes (blended) 4 fresh pepper (blended) 1 small bulb of onion 1 /2 large Carrot 1 green pepper 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 cooking spoon of vegetable/olive/corn oil 1 lump of butter 1 teaspoon Curry Pinch of Thyme 4 cubes of seasoning 2teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of pepper

*Cut beef into cubes, season and boil *Wash the prawn and remove the head and the tail season with 1 cube of maggi * heat up 3 cups of water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 /2 lump of butter and bring to boil * add the spaghetti to the boiling water and stir in * heat up the other 1 /2 lump of butter and mix with cooking spoon of oil *add chopped onions, bell peppers and carrots. Fry for 2 minutes * add blended tomato and pepper, prawn and beef and stir in and fry for 1 0 minutes *add salt, dry pepper, curry, thyme, maggi cubes, stir in and fry for 3 minutes *check if spaghetti is soft if not add more water if it is, strain the water and serve with the prawn sauce.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic Italian combination that is pleasing to kids and adults alike. I made use of ground turkey in my version, feel free to use ground beef or ground pork if you prefer.

Ingredients For the meatballs:

2 cups ground beef or ground turkey 1 cube maggi Salt – to taste ½ teaspoon black or Cameroon pepper 1 teaspoon ground garlic (or 2 minced cloves) ¼ cup breadcrumbs 1 large egg Ingredients for spagetti Raw spaghetti 4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil ⅓ cup sliced onions 4 large tomatoes (chopped) 1 cup Tomato or Nigerian sauce ½ cup water 1 teaspoon curry 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon basil (optional) Salt & Maggi – to taste

Directions

1 . Place a large pan on medium-high heat, add in 5-6 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add in some salt, a little oil and the spaghetti. Boil pasta briefly for 1 0 minutes. Drain and set aside 2. While pasta is boiling: Thoroughly combine all ingredients for the meatballs. Portion out one tablespoon of mix at a time and roll between your palms to form a ball. Set aside and repeat until all formed. Place a large pot on medium heat and heat up oil. Add in the meatballs. Fry until brown on all sides. Add the onions and fry until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and left over ingredients excluding pasta and cook for 1 0 minute. Add in pasta. Combine. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy

Creamy Uziza Pasta Uziza belongs to the black pepper family and is also called Penja pepper. I like the spicy and aromatic flavor of Uziza leaves and the seeds. Experimenting with roasted tatashe brought an interesting smoky flavour to the dish. Yes smoky/ burnt peppers is another item I will be looking at in some dishes. As I was making this dish it occurred to me that someone might not be able to find cooking cream, so you can use coconut cream instead. The thing in this case is that the coconut flavour might mask the uziza flavour so you just use a little more uziza. INGREDIENTS 11 /2 cups cooked Pasta 1 jumbo or 4 pieces medium Prawns 1 table spoon cooked Ham( optional) 1 /4 small Onion 1 teaspoon chopped Uziza leaves 1 Tatashe pepper 1 /4 cup- 1 /2 cup Cream 1 table spoon Butter Dry red Pepper to taste( optional) Seasoning cube to taste Salt to taste Method 1 . Pick , wash and slice the Uziza leaves and set aside. Peel and cut up the jumbo shrimps into small chunks. 2. Roast the tatashe over the burner flame, allow to cool, deseed and chop up 2. Heat the oil , fry the onion , add the prawns and seasoning to taste. Cook on low heat till shrimp is cooked Add the cream and uziza leaves and cook for 2 minutes. If you are using smoked harm, this is when to add it. 3. Next, add the chopped tatashe Add the pasta, mix well with the cream sauce and Serve warm

Shell Pasta in Creamy Yougut Fish Sauce Tasty dishes do not have to have many ingredients or indeed take a long time to prepare. Pasta in Fish/ Yoghurt sauce is just a simple dish which can be put together in just under 30 minutes. The interest here is the use of Yoghurt in the sauce which gives the tangy taste. Yoghurt with its milk-protein and calcium-benefit also contributes to good colon health and helps lower cholesterol. INGREDIENTS 1 cup Pasta 1 /2 cup grilled fish pieces 4 small whole Tomato ( chopped in twos) 1 yellow Pepper 2 green Indian pepper 1 onion bulb 1 table spoon plain Yoghurt 1 cooking spoon Olive oil 2 chicken seasoning cubes Salt to taste PREPARATION 1 . Heat the oil for 2minutes 2. Fry the onion and tomato, chopped peppers with seasoning, for 1 minute. 3. Cover the pot for 2 minutes and cook the vegetables 4. Add the fish and salt to taste and fry for 2 more minutes 5. Turn off the heat and add the Yoghurt and stir. 6. Boil the pasta with salt and one seasoning cube 7. Serve pasta warm with the Fish / Tomato sauce

Macaroni in Minced Meat Cashew nut Sauce

The creaminess of cashew makes it interesting in making local soups, snacks, desserts and so on. Today itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just simply using cashew nut as creamer for this pasta sauce. The nutty flavor, slightly sweet taste and nutritional value of cashew nut makes this dish interesting.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Macaroni 1 cup roasted Cashew nut (Powder) 3 pieces of Mushroom sliced (optional) 1 cup minced meat 1 tablespoon chopped Parsley (optional) Beef or Chicken seasoning to taste 1 clove Garlic (minced) 1 cooking spoon Tomato/Pepper/Onion blend 1 /4 medium size Onion (finely chopped) 1 /2 teaspoon Ginger powder Dry Pepper to taste 1 cooking spoon Vegetable oil Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1 . Mix the minced with beef seasoning, ginger,garlic,dry pepper, tomato/pepper/onion blend 2. Heat the oil and fry the minced meat. Use the spoon to separate the mince to reduce lumps. 3. Cover the pot for about 1 0 minutes to allow meat cook. The meat will release its own water. 4. Whilst meat is cooking, boil the macaroni till cooked and set aside aside 5. Dissolve the cashew nut powder into a paste in about 1 /4 cup warm water or meat stock and set aside 6. Heat about 2 tablespoons oil, fry chopped onion and mushroom for 2 minutes, take out and set aside 7. Add the cashew paste to the meat pot and cook for about 2 minutes to allow sauce thicken. 8. Return the onion and mushroom to the sauce pot , correct seasoning and cook for a few seconds. 9. Add the macaroni, stir well and cook for 1 -2 minutes . 1 0. Serve hot with sprinkles of parsley

Spaghetti in Fresh Scent leaf Sauce Scent leaf also called Nchawun in Igbo, Ntong in Efik or Effirin in Yoruba. Scent leaf is noted for its medicinal property. It is credited to help relief stomach upset. The fragrance which is similar to Basil makes Nigerian Peppersoup taste so good.

INGREDIENTS

Raw Spaghetti 2 pieces Jumbo Prawns cut in pieces 3 tablespoons very finely shredded Scent leaf/ Effirin/ Nchawun/Ntong Finely chopped Scotch Bonnet Pepper to taste 2 teaspoons finely chopped Onion 4 tablespoons Olive oil Chicken seasoning to taste Salt to taste Parmesan Cheese (optional)

PREPARATION

1 . Bring water to boil, add a little salt and a drop of oil and boil the spaghetti till soft. Pour into a colander, Rinse spaghetti with cold water, strain and return to the hot cooking you used in boiling it. 2. Whilst spaghetti is cooking, mix the onion, pepper, Effirin in olive oil. 3. Whilst the spaghetti is cooking also fry little chopped onion in oil till translucent, add the prawns a little black pepper and cook till done. 4. Mix together the spaghetti, Effirin sauce, prawns and a little chicken seasoning. You should not cook. 5. Serve hot with or without sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

SPAGHETTI POMODORO First of all, pomodoro is a sauce used for pasta made from tomatoes. A delicious meal known as Spaghetti Pomodoro or Pasta Pomodoro straight from Italy but with a little twist. I used scent leaves instead of basil

INGREDIENTS

300g of Spaghetti 350g plum tomatoes 3 tablespoons of Olive oil 1 Onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 /2 Cup of red wine 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil (I used scent leaf) 1 /2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper A pinch of sugar salt to taste Seasoning to taste. P REPARATION Step 1 : Boil water in a pot, add a few drops of vegetable oil, then add the spaghetti and allow to cook. Make sure the spaghetti is not cooked too soft. Pour the spaghetti into a strainer and put it under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Step 2: Mince the garlic, de-seed and chop up the peeled plum tomatoes. Dice onion. Step 3: Pour olive oil into a saucepan and and add the onions. Stir fry until soft. Follow up with the garlic and stir in for a few minutes. Add the plum tomatoes and mix in. Step 4: Pour in the red wine. Add the tomato paste and mix. Stir in the sugar, black pepper, salt and seasoning. Step 5: Allow to simmer for 1 5 minutes and mix in the spaghetti and scent leaves. Leave for 2 minutes and serve immediately.

Pasta & baked beans salad INGREDIENTS ● Steamed pasta ● Cabbage ● Shredded carrots ●Diced cucumber ●Diced tomatoes ●Sweet corn ●1 50 ml vegetable oil ● 1 00 ml evaporated milk ● ( Liquid Peak Milk) ●1 00 ml whipping cream ● 1 levelled teaspoon salt ● 1 levelled teaspoon onion powder ● 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional)● 2 tablespoons of white vinegar (or lemon juice) ● Dill PREPARATION ● Combine whipping cream,oil,milk,salt,sugar,onion powder and white vinegar and blend till the mixture becomes creamy. ● In no particular order,add steamed pasta and all the vegetables to the cream Stir Add dill,stir Add baked beans,stir and taste for salt

Recipe for Noodles in Coconut milk 1 pack Spagetti 11 /2 cups Coconut milk 4-6 pieces Prawn 2 tablespoons shredded Ginger 1 piece Shombo pepper 1 piece yellow Pepper Seasoning to taste Method 1 . Measure coconut milk into a pot, add the pepper sand ginger and bring to boil 2. Add the prawns, seasoning and salt to taste and cook till prawn is cooked. 3. Steam the noodles for just a 1 minute in boiling water, strain and add to the coconut milk. Cook for another one minute and the meal is ready 4. Serve the Noodles in coconut milk hot

Directions: 1 . Brown sausage and ground beef with onion and garlic in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, cooking and stirring until meat is cooked through for 1 0 to 1 5 minutes. 2. Drain and discard grease. Stir tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Italian-style crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, 2 tablespoons parsley, brown sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, fennel seeds, and 1 /2 cup Parmesan cheese into meat mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce for at least 1 hour. Stir occasionally. 3. Place lasagna noodles into a deep bowl and cover with very hot tap water; let soak for 30 minutes. 4. Beat egg in a bowl and stir ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 /2 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg into egg until thoroughly combined. 5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (1 90 degrees C). 6. Cover bottom of a 9x1 3-inch baking dish with 1 cup sauce. Layer 4 soaked lasagna noodles, 1 /3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1 /3 of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1 /4 cup Parmesan cheese in the dish. Repeat layers twice more, ending with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover dish with aluminum foil. 7. Bake until lasagna noodles are tender and casserole is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese topping is lightly browned, 1 5 to 20 more minutes. Let stand 1 5 minutes before serving.

Lasagne are wide, flat-shaped pasta , and possibly one of the oldest types of pasta. "lasagna", commonly refers to a dish made with several layers of lasagne sheets alternated with sauces and other ingredients. Lasagne Lasagne originated in Italy during the Middle Ages and has traditionally been ascribed to the city of Naples Lasagna refers to wide, flat-shaped pasta and is a popular Italian recipe. Made with a variety of ingredients including ground beef, cheese, tomato sauce and more. INGREDIENTS 1 pound bulk Italian sausage 1 pound ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cans tomato sauce 1 can crushed tomatoes 1 can Italian-style crushed tomatoes 2 cans tomato paste 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 /4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 /2 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional) 1 /2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 2 lasagna noodles 1 egg 1 container ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 pinch ground nutmeg 1 package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

PREPARATIONS 1 . Start by boiling pasta in a large pot, according to box instructions. Drain and set aside. Salt according to taste . 2. Then generously season the chicken with creole cajun spice . Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed Dutch. Pan cook chicken for about 8-1 0 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through and juice from the chicken runs clear. set aside. 3. Add onions, and garlic. Stir for about a minute. Then add tomatoes, thyme, paprika, cajun spice, Worcestershire sauce, followed by bell peppers, chicken broth and cream 4. Bring it to a boil then simmer for about 7-1 0 minutes. 5. Mixed pasta or fettuccine . And toss with sliced chicken or serve with chicken on top. 6. Sprinkle with parsley and/or Parmesan cheese.

Cajun Chicken Pasta – spicy, cajun-flavored chicken tossed into creamy melt-in-yourmouth alfredo sauce with pasta. Super easy to make with amazing flavors that’s perfect for family weeknight dinners or get together! Ingredients 8 ounce pasta (penne ,fettucine) 2 pounds boneless,skinless chicken thighs or breast 2 teaspoons or more Cajun creole seasoning (salt free) 2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil 2 teaspoon garlic minced ½ medium onion sliced 2 medium tomatoes diced 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon creole spice or blackened spice 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 medium red or green bell pepper sliced 1 cup or more chicken broth ¼ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoon parsley chopped

Directions:::

How to make spaghetti from scratch Utensils Needed • Rolling Pin/ Pasta machine • Flat Surface • Sharp knife for cutting Ingredients::: • 2 cups Flour • 3 Eggs • 1 tsp. Vegetable oil • 3 tbsp. Water

Step 1 : Sift the flour into a medium sized bowl and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well in the center and add the Vegetable oil. With a fork, gently begin mixing the flour into the eggs till it's well incorporated. Drizzle the water little at a time and Knead the dough with your hand Step 2: Place the dough on a flat board. To make it easier to roll out, divide the dough into several equal parts and place the unused dough into a bowl and cover with a wet towel. The next two steps can be done with a pasta machine or with a rolling pin by hand. For this post, i'd be using the hand method. Step 3: Sprinkle the dough and surface with flour. Place the dough on the flat surface and roll out with a rolling pin. Try to keep the rolled out dough in rectangular form while also makeing sure it's thin enough to almost see through. Remember that it has to be very thin because once you boil the pasta it's going to increase in size. Step 4: To cut the dough, sprinkle some flour over the surface of the rectangle. This is done to prevent the dough from sticking together once it's rolled up. Once it's rolled up, slice into thin strips and un-roll immediately because they have the tendency to stick together. Step 5: Hang the spaghetti strips on a clean hanger and leave to dry overnight. Store in an airtight nylon or container till you're ready to use.

1 5 Brain Foods to Boost Focus and Memory What does the food you eat have to do with how your brain functions? Turns out an awful lot. While we’ve always known that what we eat affects our bodies and how we look, scientists are also learning more and more that what we eat takes a toll on our brains. Yes, brain foods matter (especially for our gray matter). See, our bodies don’t like stress. Who does? When we’re stressed out — whether it’s physical, like someone jumps out at you from a dark alley, or mental, like you have a major project due at work — our bodies release inflammatory cytokines.These little chemicals prompt the immune system to kick in and fight back against the stress through inflammation , as though stress is an infection. While inflammation helps protect us against illnesses and repairs the body when you do something like cut yourself, chronic inflammation is a different animal. It’s been linked to autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis , anxiety, high blood pressure and more. But what does this all have to do with food? Our gut helps keep our body’s immune responses and inflammation under control. Additionally, gut hormones that enter the brain or are produced in the brain influence cognitive ability, like understanding and processing new information, staying focused on the task at hand and recognizing when we’re full. Plus, brain foods rich in antioxidants, good fats, vitamins and minerals provide energy and aid in protecting against brain diseases. So when we focus on giving our bodies whole, nutritious foods benefiting both the gut and the brain, we’re actually benefiting our minds and bodies while keeping them both in tip-top shape. Of course, some foods are better for your brain than others. I’ve rounded up 1 5 brain foods you should be eating to feed both your mind and body. With a mix of fruits, veggies, oils and even chocolate (yes, chocolate!), there’s something to please everyone!

Rhapsody’s is a restaurant and bar, so you should know what to expect from the scenery but in the afternoons it can be quite calm. At night...it's a very busy busy scene. I love the ambiance and I found a nice secluded spot to eat, so it was cosy. They have free wi-fi , which times out after a bitPhaving that option counts sha. We had prawn suya accompanied with an onion and tomato salsaPI think I was super excited about it because Rhapsody’s is the first place I’ve had prawn suya – which according to my taste buds is grilled prawn marinated in suya spices, it was very succulent and spicy. Loved it! 4 medium sized prawns per tray. Next we got homemade vegetable chicken spring rolls served with sweet chilli and sesame soya sauce, it was good as well. If they messed that up I would never forgive them. It was fresh and delicious. 4 per tray as wellPgood for sharing: D

We also ordered Rhapsody’s chicken wings which is a bestseller – succulent chicken wings marinated in BBQ basting, spicy sauce accompanied with a garlic mayonnaise and spicy BBQ saucePyum yum yumPthis was the part I licked my fingers because the chicken sauce/stew must not waste. It was spicy and full of flavour. For drinks I stuck with my regular Chapman which was made up of basically seven up, Fanta orange, lime wedges, bitters and grenadines, even though there were other interesting drinks on the menuP my sister tried I think the Virgin Daiquiri made up of strawberry pulp, grenadine and lime juice. I do think it was reasonably pricedPeach drink cost N1 000 , Prawn suya was 3800, spring rolls was N2500 and the chicken wings was N2500. Our bill came to a total of about N1 0,000 P not bad abi?

CHEF FREGZ JOLLOF RICE RECIPE 21 st of August was ||JOLLOFRICEDAY and food enthusiasts was agog and sharing there version of Jollof rice. If there ever was a poll on a Nigerian national dish, jollof rice would undoubtedly rank high on the list of contenders. Widely enjoyed by everyone from south to northern Nigeria, jollof rice is a most popular recipe that is also eaten by other African countries including Ghana. But as every Nigerian can testify, the perfect jollof rice is one which doesn't stick together and this is something even the most accomplished cook can struggle with sometimes. It is for this reason we sought the expert opinion of leading Nigeria chef, Chef Fregz who shared a kitchen hack on how to achieve the perfect, non- stick jollof rice. According to Chef Fregz, "For jollof rice not to stick together, reduce the flame to the lowest, cover it with foil and allow it steam. Don't over cook your rice." So there you have it folks, easy as pie - non stick jollof rice.

Recipe For Jollof Rice: Ingredients

4 cups of rice 2 kg of Chicken (chicken, beef or meat) 1 cup of crayfish (optional) 1 to 1 .2 liter of Ground Fresh tomatoes 40 to 1 00 ml Ground Fresh peppers Spices (Curry, Thyme, Delice or Nutmeg) 2 cubes of knorr 2 Bulbs of onions 20 to 30 cl vegetable or groundnut oil Salt to taste.

Directions:

• Parboil the chicken (or any meat of your choice) with the spices listed above then prepare the main food with the meat extract (meat water) with very little or no extra spice. Add water in order that will more than half of the entire chicken (or meat of choice) is usually submerged, then add sliced 1 bulb of onions, 3 cubes of knorr, one tea spoon of salt along with maybe a little of curry, thyme along with (or) spice of choice. • Parboil the rice the normal way, boil about three cups of water in a pot, add the four cups of rice along with allow to cook for three to four minutes. Then pour out along with the water and wash thoroughly with clean water then set aside in a bowl or plastic sieve. • Bring out an empty pot and add oil then add sliced onions to the hot oil along with the ground tomatoes/pepper after about a minute. • When the water in the tmatoes has dried up, scoop out half of it into another pot before you commence cooking with the one in the pot, add the meat extract (meat water), then about 1 or 2 cups of water. add the ground crayfish (if you are using crayfish), a cube of knorr, if the meat stock is usually not a Great as desired, add salt to taste. • Stir . • Spice to your taste with your desired flavors along with spices, then add the rice, lower the heat along and cover to cook. You can add the additional half of the fried tomatoes after cooking for ten to fifteen minutes, also slice onions along with it and spray at the top. • Then just cook till the rice is usually soft for consumption, Remember that will you can add water occasionally. Then you can drop the fried meat at the top along with cover from the last few minutes.

Chocolate, what usually comes to my mind when chocolate is mentioned is surgar right from childhood and as an adult I still saw it as such and probably not good as I don't intend adding a few pounds. I have not always been a chocolate person, If you give me I will take, but not like I will go out of my way or anything like that to get chocolate. I simply detested chocolate because it reminds me of surgary sweets as a child that were called chocolate sweets when its actually a mixture of about 90% surgar and probably 1 % chocolate, so as an adult I din't really understand why some folks will die to have chocolate bars and some other forms of chocolate, I simply didn't understand the crave for surgary stuff. All these notions changed on a certain day. I ordered a cake and they mistakenly brought chocolate cake with chocolate frostings and I wanted to reject it, On a second thought I collected the cake and I was like let me try something new whether its surgary or not for a change. All things went as planned and it got to the point where I ate the cake, it turned out the frostings and the chocolate on the cake was made with real chocolate, the real thing. It was amazing, infact I ate as much as I can, my fear for chocolate turned intio instant love. I was like so this is what I have been missing. Right from then on I have fallen in love - I mean with the real undiluted chocolate.Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, a sure-fire stand-by in times of stress, a reliable source of consolation when life has let us down, and a mood- enhancer and romance-inducer in more positive circumstances. But there are a host of medically proven ways in which chocolate â&#x20AC;&#x201D; good chocolate, which is to say dark chocolate, with a cocoa percentage of around seventy per cent or more â&#x20AC;&#x201D; really is good for us. Research is continuing all the time, and experts have already found that chocolate is good for the heart, circulation and brain, and it has been suggested that it may be beneficial in such major heath challenges as autism, obesity and diabetes. To ensure you are eating the real thing, Buy from trusted brands. Here are some of the advantages of taking Dark chocolate 1 . It's good for the heart and circulation 2. It reduces risk of stroke 3. It's mineral rich 4. It reduces cholesterol 5. It's good for your skin 6. It can help you lose weight 7. It's good for mothers and babies 8. It may prevent diabetes 9. Chocolate is good for the brain 1 0. Chocolate makes you feel better

Am smitten,I have been all about chocolate ever since, chocolate has been my indulgence and I bet it will become yours too.

I want to tell you a story of the most popular spice in the world, called curry. There is no body in the world that has not eaten this amazing spice. This aromatic spice originated from India and has been used in foods since 1 300BC, commonly used as seasoning, this leaf adds a special flavour to every dish. But there is more to the humble curry leaf than simply flavour. Packed with carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, phosphorous, irons and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, curry leaves help your heart function better, fights infections and can enliven your hair and skin with vitality. Curry is not a single spice, but a unique blend of spices. Which differs greatly in intensity, flavor and heat level from region to region. Ingredients 2 1 /2 tablespoons ground turmeric 1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons All spice 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard seeds 2 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds 1 1 /2 teaspoons white or black pepper 1 whole clove 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional 1 /2 teaspoon ground or more scotch bonnet pepper or cayenne pepper Instructions 1 . If using whole grain, lightly toast, on low heat, in a fry pan, for about 3-5 minutes, before grinding, just until the spices smell nice and toasty. Then grind in a coffee grinder. 2. You may skip the toasting and just grind all the spices. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 month Can't find all the ingredients, you can use the one you have, or see below the recipe for a mild curry recipe Mild curry recipe 2 tablespoons ground cumin 2 tablespoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 /2 teaspoon mustard seed 1 /2 teaspoon ground ginger Image Credits. www.africanbites.com

42 Food art is when amazing art prices are created using food incredients and it is actually amazing and the options are limitless. We' ve got some for you. So when next you are preparing your favorite dish, try creating a food art. The kids would love it and you can actually get them to eat anything.. Don't forget to take a picture.

Watermelon Art @boredpanda

Octopus @boredpanda

"All you need is love" @Hongyi Hot Chicken wings @Heinz Curry onsen @imgur.com

Hotdog mummies @seakettle.com

Butterfly snack @mealplanningmummies @coolmumpicks

Eggregation @scalvert

owl and tree @meetthedubiens Sheepfruit snack @idafrosk

Since this isour pasta month, let take a look at some of our foodies, on instagram for some pasta inspiration, take a look. To get your pictures featured, tag us on instagram @naijafoodiesmag #naijafoodiesmag

Seafood Pasta @foodlandfairy

Jollof pasta @nigerianfoodtv

Pasta In Tomato sauce @legacyid

Spagetti jollof garnished with vegetables @inspirogalleria Jollof spagetti with fried egg @9jafoodie