African Cuisine

MEATBALLS

Ingredients

1- pound ground beef meat ) 2 slice bread about 28 grams ½ cup milk ¾ tsp. salt or more adjust to suit taste buds 2 tablespoons chopped parsley ¼ small onion grated about 1/4 cup grated onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1/ 4 teaspoon minced hot pepper or cayenne pepper optional, adjust to taste Sauce ½ - ¾ cup cooking oil canola , olive oil 2 14- ounce tomato sauce 1 medium onion chopped 3- teaspoon garlic 1- teaspoon fresh thyme or dried 1- teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 teaspoon Maggie bouillon powder optional Hot pepper cayenne, scotch bonnet to taste optional 1/4 teaspoon curry optional 1-2 cups broth beef or chicken Salt to taste

Directions

Soak bread and milk. Set it aside. In a large bowl, combine ground beef with soaked bread mixture. Then add parsley, white pepper, grated onions, hot pepper, minced garlic. Lightly mix the meatballs with your hands and shape into balls about 14-16 balls - do not over mix. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until needed. In a large saucepan, add about 1/4 cup oil, bring to medium heat. Add meatballs and let it sit for at least 3 minutes or more before moving it around. Lower flame if necessary to prevent it from browning too fast you may do do in 2 batches (depending on the size of your pan) brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add chopped onion, thyme and garlic to perfume the oil, stir for about a minute. Next add tomato sauce, curry, white pepper, hot pepper and paprika. Stir the pot frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pot. Add salt and bouillon according to preference with about 2 cups of stock. Bring to a boil and let it simmer to blend all the flavors- about 30 minutes or more –stirring occasionally. Add meatballs about 10- 15 minutes before sauce is ready. Adjust seasonings, sauce consistency with water/ stock and salt. Serve warm over spaghetti

AFRICAN STYLE PEANUT CHICKEN

Directions

Dice the chicken breasts into bite size pieces.

Saute in 1 tablespoon peanut oil until just before cooked and remove from the heat and set aside.

In a seperate pan saute the diced tomato and onion in butter and peanut oil until soft.

Add peanut butter to the vegtables and stir well.

Then add the water and mix well.

Now add the chicken to mixture and bring to a boil.

At the boiling point, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 6 minutes.

Serve warm over rice and enjoy!

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 small diced tomato 1/2 white onion diced 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1 cup water 1 dash garlic powder 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided Salt and pepper to taste

STEWED SPINAC

Ingredients

40 ounces spinach - frozen or chopped, blanched and squeezed (1132 grams) I used 4 10 oz packs of frozen spinach 5 large tomatoes - chopped 1 large onion - chopped ½ cup oil - I used canola ½ pound meat/fish - I used smoked turkey and dried fish 3 small cubes Maggi (seasoning) ½ teaspoon of salt ½ cup crayfish - roughly blended

Directions

Pour oil into a pot and heat on medium heat then saute the onions until translucent. Add in tomatoes and fry until acidity is all gone. Be sure to stir from time to time so the tomatoes don’t burn.

Add crayfish into the pot and stir. This will bring out a lovely aroma from the crayfish.

Scatter in the Maggi, sprinkle in salt, add smoked turkey and dried fish or whatever meat/fish you are using. If it is too dry at this point, add a tablespoon of water and stir.

Add in the spinach and mix well with the other ingredients until well incorporated. Let is sit on the fire for 5 minutes, as you stir lightly from time to time.

Serve warm with boiled plantains, cassava (yuca roots), yams or even rice.

VEGETARIAN PEANUT SOAP

Directions

Combine the broth and water in a medium Dutch oven or stock pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well. Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste.

Simmer for about 15 more minutes on mediumlow heat, stirring often. Season with additional salt or hot sauce if desired. Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

The end result is a creamy, nourishing soup made of basic pantry ingredients, herbs and greens. It doesn’t require much prep and the hot sauce cuts down on the total number of ingredients, so it’s perfect for cold days and lazy weeknights.

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 medium red onion, chopped 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 bunch collard greens (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips ¾ cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth) ½ cup tomato paste* Hot sauce, like sriracha (AKA rooster sauce) ¼ cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish Cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)

CUCUMBER-MANGO SALAD

Ingredients

2 cups thinly sliced English cucumber ½ cup finely diced red onion ½ tsp. salt 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes ¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped ½ tsp. coriander seeds, lightly crushed ¼ tsp. ground cumin dash of ground cinnamon dash of ground cloves 2 tbsp. lime juice 1 tbsp. oil 1 ½-2 cups diced mango (about 1 large mango) 2 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

Combine the cucumbers, onion and salt in a colander and let stand at least 20 minutes. Place the drained cucumbers in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, through the oil and mix well.

Add the mango chunks and toss gently. Garnish the top with the chopped cilantro and some more peanuts.

RED WHOLE-WHEAT PENNE

Directions

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups liquid. Cool potatoes slightly, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add almonds, shallots, and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes or until the almonds are golden, stirring often. Remove from heat; cool.

Place almond mixture in a food processor; add remaining 3 tablespoons oil, juice, cheese, harissa, and salt; process 1 minute or until well blended and almost smooth. With the processor on, slowly pour 1 1/2 cups reserved cooking liquid through the food chute; process 1 minute or until smooth.

Combine pasta, potatoes, and almond mixture in a large bowl, tossing gently. Fold in arugula; sprinkle with basil.

Ingredients

1 pound peeled Yukon gold potatoes (about 2) ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided ½ cup blanched whole almonds ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large) 2 garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons harissa 1 teaspoon salt 6 cups hot cooked whole wheat penne (about 12 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta) ¼ cup chopped arugula ¼ cup chopped basil

16 - A Taste of World