EWA AGOYIN!!

Ewa Agoyin....Mood activated😋😋.

    I have always been a lover of Beans (laughs), I do find this very funny because this isn't the typical response expected from most girls lolzzz. Mhennnn....I could miss Wednesday afternoon Okro soup at the dinning hall but not that early morning Saturday beans (those of you, who attended Federal Government College Warri would understand😉). It was no forming when it came to my beans oooo, I could beat a nigga over a plate of beans😂, funny enough that was the only thing they cooked right!!

    I could remember punishing my roommates (juniors) for allowing a fellow classmate of mine seize my plate of beans, in an attempt to sneak it out of the hall into the hostel🙈. Seriously, I was a very quiet girl in school but nothing dares come between me and my beans😆😅.

    Long Story short!! Have you tasted the Yoruba version of your typical beans and stew? O sweet Jesus🙆!! The Yoruba's really did serious justice to this dish sha, I give them that. If you're someone that is a lover of beans as I am. This is for you!!

Yield: about 5 servings.


Ingredients

• 3 cups of Black Eyed Beans
• 0.30L of Palm Oil
• 8-10 Pieces Dried Bell Peppers (Tatsahe)
• 2-3 Pieces Cameroon Pepper
• 1 Tbsp of grounded pepper
• 1 Large Onion
• 1/2 Tbsp of grounded Ginger
• 1/2 Tbsp of grounded Garlic
• 2 Tbsp of Grounded Crayfish
• 1 Maggi cube
• Salt
• Assorted meat or dried fish(optional)
• If you're unable to get hold of Tatsahe because of your location, your could use dried pepper flakes sold at the local market.

Directions

Beans

• Pick, wash beans and put to boil on high heat, when beans is soft (approximately 30 minutes) put in your already chopped onions. With a spoon, take out a few peas and press to ensure that beans is properly cooked and soft. If not, leave for a few more minutes. Add a pinch of salt and with a wooden spoon mash the already cooked, soft beans to a smooth consistency. And just like that " EWA" is ready!!

Agoyin sauce

• Place a pot on cooker set on medium heat and add palm oil(you need a lot of this), allow palm oil to belch(you would notice the oil turns translucent and slightly brow but not black). Make sure to belch oil for only a few minutes.
• Add your chopped onions and fry till translucent, then add yours peppers which have been washed, soaked overnight and blended coarsely(optional, I like like mine this way). Tomatoes are a NO NO for this sauce preparation!!
• Put your cooker on low, add salt, ginger, garlic, maggi. grounded pepper, grounded crayfish, dried fish or meat to the pepper sauce and stir. Let this fry for about 35 minutes, you would perceive the sauce at this stage.
• Stir as the sauce fries, you would notice that it because very dark in color but definitely not burnt.
• It does have a thick consistency with the oil floating through. And just like that......'AGOYIN' sauce is ready

I just had to garnish it with DODO (fried plantains)😉😉....but this dish could be eaten with almost anything eg. yam, plantain, garri, bread etc.
How do you eat Ewa Agoyin? Leave  your reactions and a comment in the comment section below . Thanks for visiting the blog once again#KISSES.
Recipe: Uzzy Rac

BREAKFAST IN BED "BLUEBERRY PANCAKES"!!!

Happy new month everyone!!

    Welcome to the month of love and romance (giggles), Valentine is around the corner and guys, this is the time to buckle up. Why don't you make the day special for your lover, starting first with breakfast in bed lolzz. Who doesn't love to wake up to the smell of freshly made pancakes served with a glass of orange juice?

NATIVE JOLLOF RICE(IWUK EDESI)!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Native Jollof Rice, also known as Palm oil rice but called Iwuk Edesi by the Efik people of South eastern Nigeria, is one very special delicacy made in my home back in Nigeria. How I miss those times my father traveled much(giggles). My mum would prepare this meal and we will all sit down on the floor of the girls room, eating from one tray/plate while we watch movies. Those were good bonding times as we would tease ourselves while my mum sits at one end of the room watching us with smiles on her face.....until she eventually falls asleep, tired from a busy at her shop.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS-M&Ms COOKIES

Season Greetings Everyone!!!

Hurray it's snack time!!
I have always had a sweet tooth as a child, I can remember me using some of my mothers money to buy sweets and chewing gum.....I didn't just buy sweets ooo, I had bought all the 'Milkos' sweets the lady had in her shop and I sat down with my brother, chewing them one after the other innocently😋. That day I received the beating of my life ehennn. Biscuit was another one, I hated the popular Oxford biscuits then😠 (I thought they were boring and for old people), as my mummy would serve us them with butter and tea for breakfast. I usually dread those days, I had Biscuits for breakfast......It was morning fast for me as I would simply give my siblings my share and wait silently for my mum to give us snack money. Buttered biscuits and anything with chocolate/cocoa was my favorite back then.....Mhennn, I remember them days of coconut, digestive coaster, glucose, fishy and my favourite speedy bisciuts , OMG those were the good days oooo😎😎.

NIGERIAN BASMATI FRIED RICE!!!

Season Greetings Everyone!!!

   What is Christmas in a Nigerian household, without the smell of freshly made fried rice? This used to be an essential in our house as we don't get to cook this meal often. Getting hold of the already chopped vegetables is something else in Nigeria, as one would have to go to big supermarket for them. And when seen, the price in relation to quantity isn't something to write home about lolzz. I usually get my fresh vegetables from the market as I would be cooking for a large quantity of people back home and as a typical Nigerian lady, I found this more economical. With a full house then, there was usually no fuss about chopping up the numerous amount of vegetables as an excuse not to participate in the chopping up process simply means no meal........And trust, who wants to be denied Christmas fried rice?(winks).

OFE AKWU ISN'T DELTA BANGA SOUP!!

    Nigerian Banga soup is a dish, that is mostly eaten by the Niger Delta people and a native food of the Urhobos' and Isoko people. Most people tend to confuse this soup for Ofe akwu, which is a similar version served by the Igbos but in the form of stew. There are slight differences in the preparation of both dishes, as there is the absence of the Native banga soup spice in Ofe akwu and the use of scent leaves instead of beletietie leaves .
    This is one soup that can be made in different ways either with dried fish, meat or shrimps or fresh ones as an alternative. This soup can also be made with different kinds of leaves such as water leaves, bitter leaves e.t.c. Banga soup is also super delicious with okra (BangaOkra). Some may complain about the long duration of extracting the banga juice but this has been made easy, as banga concentrates are now sold in several supermarket in Nigeria and Ghana.
    As a pure Delta breed lolzz......I enjoy eating this soup with starch, I tried to make starch here in Belarus also, using powdered food starch sold in super markets. It wasn't exactly like the home made Nigerian Starch but it wasn't that bad and was glad I tried an alternative. Before I go on and on talking about my love for banga soup and the few challenges, I had preparing this dish here in Belarus!!......May we go to the soup procedures.

Banga soup before it was thickened

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 400g palmnut cream concentrate(Bankwus)
• 1kg cow meat (diced and precooked)
• 3 medium size fresh croaker fish
• 900g of fresh shrimps
• 180g of red slim chilli peppers
• 2 whole onions (chopped into little sizes)
• Banga soup spices (IDS Instant)
• 1 Tbsp of Beletietie leaves
• 2 Tbsp of grounded crayfish
• 2 Tbsp of dried grounded hot chilli peppers
• 1/2 Tbsp of dried grounded ginger
• 1/2 Tbsp of dried grounded garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• 3 cubes of maggi

Directions

1. Firstly, Parboil or should I say, Steam the fresh meat!!.....Season the meat with, two cubes of maggi, add ginger, garlic, chopped whole onions and a pinch of salt, add the quantity of water required to cook the soup (0.75L). Cook till meat softens a bit (10 minutes).
2. Blend the fresh chilli pepper with the remaining onion and add in the boiling meat stock, let this cook till it boils up (4 minutes).
3. Add in the Banga concentrate, you may add in more water if it looks too thick (0.25L), add in crayfish, grounded chilli pepper, beletietie leaves,salt to taste, fresh shrimps and the remaining maggi cube. This should cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add in the fresh fish last, as you don't want it to get shattered in the soup. Let this cook for 5 minutes, you would notice that the oil floats to the top of the soup and VIOLA.....SOUP IS READY!!

We the people of the Niger Delta, mostly thicken this soup in a native hot plate called ewere but since I am currently in school and couldn't get access to the plate, I thickened my soup in a non-stick pan.

Banga soup is commonly eaten with starch by the Urhobos and Isoko people of the Niger Delta region but could be eaten with garri, yam, plantain and sometimes rice for those that would find it difficult to make starch, as the starch making process isn't an easy one.

Banga soup thickened

Served with starch

 Thanks for visiting the blog once again....Feel free to follow me on my social media, comment and subscribe to the blog #KISSES.
Instagram: uzzy_rac
Recipe: Uzzy_rac

MY SUNDAY JOLLOF RICE!!

Jollof Rice is one popular dish among the West African people. This one-pot rice dish is one that has brought about numerous argument among different countries because of it's deliciousness, as a few country claims theirs' taste better than others LOLZ😁. I guess by now, we all know about the famous argument about the Ghanaian and Nigerian Jollof rice. As the name implies this is one dish that puts people in a merry or 'Jolli' mood and is prepared on special occasions such as Marriage ceremonies, Burials(celebration of life), Birthdays, Children dedications and even festivities such as New year, Christmas and Easter celebrations. This is one of my favorite dish as it has a lot of versatility to it, from the cooking methods to the meat types and also servings.

I used the typical boiling method for this particular Jollof rice, as Jollof rice can be fried or baked also (Recipes on those would be coming up soon) and leftovers of several meat types with which I prepared Assorted meat sauce to be eaten with my rice.  This dish can be prepared using different kinds of grains from short grain rice, basmati, jasmine rice to even Buckwheat.....Yes😜!! I think I have done enough talking, May we proceed to the preparation.

Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients for the Jollof Rice

• 900g of short grains rice
• 200g of tinned tomatoes
• 6 seeds of tomatoes blended with peppers and 1 whole onion
• 2 seeds of tomatoes sliced in circular forms
• 1 onion chopped up into squares less than an inch in size
• Meat stock
• 0.20L of Vegetable oil(6 Tbsps)
• 3 maggi cubes
• 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• 1/2 Tbsp of turmeric
• 1/2 Tbsp of dried thyme (less than 1/2 was used)
• 1/2 Tbsp of dried ginger powder
• 1/4 Tbsp of dried nutmeg powder
• 3 gloves of garlic
• 1 Tbsp of grounded dried chilli peppers

Directions

In a pot of boiling water, put in your already cleaned rice (rice is washed over running water). Allow rice to cook for 3 minutes then check it up, the rice should look a bit cooked( just a bit), excess water in drained out and a little turmeric, salt, 1 maggi cube, and pepper is added to the rice. the water left to cook the rice at this stage should be just about 2 cm or 1 and a half away from the rice depending on how hard your rice is but not more.(This is because the sauce which we are about to make would cook the rice further and we don't want the rice too soft😲). Set rice aside and in a sieve, when ready.

In a non-stick pan or same pot(If pot is non-stick or of good quality), put in the estimated amount of vegetable oil, allow oil get hot then add in a pinch of salt, the fresh chopped onions and garlic. Stir onions and when it turns translucent, add in the blended fresh tomatoes and peppers and cover pot lid (this would cook for 6 minutes). Add in your tinned tomatoes, chilli peppers, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme and the meat stock then cover pot lid and let stew cook for 10 minutes( we want the stew to be dried, you would know that when the oil separates and sits on the paste). when the stew is dried you should dish out half of the stew and set aside, add in the sliced fresh tomatoes in the pot and your half -cooked rice, then with a wooden spatula stir mixture and cover the rice with foil paper or nylon bag (ensure you add enough sauce to the rice mixture but still leave some for the meat😍). The cooker should be reduced to medium heat to allow the rice cook and get dried without getting brunt too soon.

After about 8 minutes open rice and stir from top to bottom with wooden spatula (you may add more of the sauce we just made, if color isn't to your taste). Taste rice if maggi and salt is enough but please be mindful of salt and use as little as possible!! It is normal for jollof rice to burn but ensure that you cooker is on medium to low heat, so the rice cooks at the same time and keep the rice covered with foil or nylon to trap in stream that would cook the rice faster on that low heat. Calculating from the 1st time you stirred the rice after 8 minutes, give the food 5-7 more minutes and VIOLA!! Jollof rice is ready.

This meal is served along side some Vegetables prepared in different forms of salads, fried plantains, beans, spaghetti and different kinds of meats and fish of choice. Since the food is so spicy, it is preferable to serve it with a glass of white wine, or soft drink.....I prefer mine with a glass of orange juice. I hope I was able to give a detail description and direction of how this meal was prepared!!




Ingredients for the assorted meat sauce

• Shaki....Cooked (rectum of a cow)
• Gizzard(cooked with salt and pepper)
• Smoked chicken
• Smoked beef
• Stew sauce (a little of the sauce made for the jollof rice) 

Directions
All pieces of meat were shredded up, in small bits placed in a non-stick pan, the stew sauce was added on it and stirred for several minutes. Taste for pepper and salt and add extra if need be and that was all.Thanks for visiting the blog once again, comments are welcome below. XOXO😚.

Recipe:Uzzy_rac

CHICKEN PEPPER SOUP!!!

The weather in Belarus right now is something else, ranging from +7 to plus -1, as in what now!!  We aren't even in winter yet. Anyways this cold weather got me craving my country's dish PEPPER SOUP (one has to keep the body warm ooo). This soup is mostly prepared by Nigerians and it is one meal that is eaten by people of all tribes in Nigeria. I love the versatility of this soup. It can be prepared with different kinds of meats and fish, from dried to fresh meats and with different kind of leaves for additional flavor. The taste of this soup varies depending on your choice of meat or fish and also your supplement.


I was taught by my mum and aunt that lemon grass leaves goes well with goat meat or any kind of bush meat pepper soup while scent leaves goes well with chicken and fresh seafood pepper soup, this may vary for some people tho. I made this chicken pepper soup with scent leaves and also some  bell peppers for additional flavor and coloring. Who doesn't like a colorful bowl of soup?(winks), when I tell you this soup was delicious, believe me!! Without wasting more of your time, may I give you a run down of the cooking procedures.

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

• 1 Whole chicken (old layer)
• 2 Tbsp of Dried grounded pepper 
• 1 and a 1/2 Tbsp of grounded pepper soup spices
• A bit of fresh ginger
• 3 gloves of garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp of dried scent leaves (less than a handful of fresh scent leaves)
• 1 bell pepper of choice(or bits from different colors)
• A little less than 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• 2 cubes of Maggi (chicken flavor)

Directions

In a cooking pot, put in the cleaned chopped chicken. Add in one stock cube, one tbsp of dried grounded pepper,fresh ginger, 3 gloves of garlic, a pinch of salt and 1/2 a liter of water and cover pot lid. Allow the chicken cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, open pot lid add extra Tbsp of grounded pepper, add extra salt to taste and add your pepper soup spices (I added extra 3 Strands of African negro pepper). At this stage you can add in your chopped bell peppers, extra 1/2 a liter of water and the last cube of Maggi to taste. cover pot lid and with cooker set on medium heat, let soup cook for extra 10 to 12 minutes......VIOLA!!. Soup is ready😋😊.

This soup is served along side carbohydrates such as yam, unripe plantain or rice. I ate mine with rice, as that was the only carbohydrate within my reach as present, most men prefer taking the soup alone, along side a bottle of chilled beer😉. I hope my directions were helpful to you....Thanks.

What do you take along side pepper soup and what meat or fish do you prefer with this soup. your comments are welcome in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting my blog

AYAMASE(OFADA) STEW!!!

Ayamase also known as Designer Stew  is a very popular dish among the people from Abeokuta(Ijebu's) State, Nigeria.This meal is served locally along side the famous Ofada rice and I guess that was how the name "Ofada stew "came about. This was my 1st time trying this meal and I tell you!! It was worth the try. The mixture of fried locust beans, fresh bonnet peppers and meat stock got my kitchen smelling like Heaven. This meal is one easy but delicate one to make as everything has to be fried properly and it isn't one to be left unattended in the kitchen because the cooking process is quite fast and several ingredients are added on a specific time.

My yoruba people I hail oo!! for real, this meal was delicious and I was surprised at such local sweetness. Being that I am from Delta State, Nigeria and I have lived in my State all my life(kinda), this was my 1st time experimenting such deliciousness lolzz, All I had in my head was the popular Aya Mase name nothing else but now....The story has changed(hurray). Don't mind me and my many talk, let me give you guys a run through of the food preparation.

Yield: about 6 servings.


Ingredients

• Shaki/Towel meat (Rectum of a cow)
• Cowleg meat
• Smoked beef
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 cup of palmoil (roughly less)
• 12 seeds of Scotch bonnet peppers (not fully ripe)
• 6 red chilli peppers
• 10 fruits of tomatoes (not fully ripe)
• 1 large onion (chopped into tiny bits)
• 2 Tbsp of grounded crayfish
• 2 wraps of Iru (fermented locust beans)
• Beef stock (water from spiced up, cooked beef meat)
• 1 Tbsp of dried chilli pepper(optional)
• 2 maggi cubes
• 1/2 Tbsp of salt
• N.B....Total quantity of meat used was up to 3/4 cups and I blended all peppers and tomatoes with by adding little water to the blender to avoid friction. Then I steamed the blended tomatoes till it became thick and reduced in quantity. I blended my Iru wraps with crayfish to break it down but if you are using the seed form of beans ....that's excellent.

Directions

Place a pot on cooker set on medium heat and add the palm oil, allow the palm oil to belch(you would notice the oil turns translucent and slightly brown but not black). Make sure you belch for only a few minutes,add in a pint of salt and chopped onions then stir....you would notice that the onions fries easily and fast. Add in the steamed fresh tomatoes and peppers and stir about 2 minutes then add in the blended Iru along side crayfish (you can add in your fresh locust beans at this stage). Cover the pot and let mixture cook for 2 minutes.

You would notice that tomatoes looks dry as the palm oil floats to the top, add in your assorted meats (meat combination) and a little meat stock about half a cup then stir together and taste (It is essential to add in meat stock 1st before adding your dried spices, so as not to add too much spice and enable one add in more seasoning as required after tasting). Add more salt and maggi seasoning, if need be!!(but be mindful of quantity as crayfish is in the stew already). Cover pot lid and let stew cook for 3 more minutes, you would notice that the oils from the meat and palm oil is mixed and has settled on  top of the stew. If not, cover pot and let stew cook for extra 2 minutes and VIOLA.....Stew is ready!!

Serve stew with ofada rice(unpolished rice), jasmine rice, yams, unripe boiled plantain, boiled ripe plantain, fried ripe plantain(dodo) or even scented rice such as basmati rice which I did.....ENJOY!!

Recipe: Uzzy_rac

OWOH SOUP!!!

Urhobo/ Isoko Wado!!!

Don't mind me feeling all tribalistic and stuff (giggles). I am just so excited and proud of myself, for the outcome of this soup. This has been a strong craving of mine, funny enough... I never got the time to prepare this delicacy until now. 

    Most of you would be wondering, about what nature of soup this is..I guess (laughs). This soup "OWOH" by name, is a special delicacy of the south-south people and use for so many traditional occasions. This meal is prepared by the bride's family during her traditional engagement ceremony and presented to the groom's family, to show appreciation for families united. This meal is considered a technical one, it is believed that only an experienced old woman can make this meal a 100% (I guess an old woman lives in me then..lolzz).

    This soup got me into believing that truly..."the way to a man's heart is his stomach" because our home is usually happier and all the men in the house, including my brothers gets super excited and chatty,,lolzz

    Anyways, ladies...let's win boo's heart today and now by starting out with the preparation of this finger-licking, yummy and special dish (winks).

Yield : About 6 servings

Ingredients

• Cooked Cowleg meat
• Dried fish
• Dried bush meat 
• Dried bitter leaves (optional)
• Grounded Crayfish
• Red palm oil (or native Urhobo oil)
• Potash (kaun)
• 3 Strands of African negro pepper/Uda (optional)
• Raw food starch mixed with water to form paste
• Dried chilli pepper
• Tbsp of Salt
• Maggi cubes

Directions

On high to medium heat, put a pot of water on cooker (allow water to boil), water should be the required amount for the soup. Add in 2 Tbsp of dried chilli pepper, dried crayfish, African negro pepper, cooked Cowleg, dried meat ( do not add in the fish yet) and a generous amount of palm oil is added. Cover pot lid and let everything cook for 3 minutes.

After the contents of the pot has cooked for 3 minutes and you can literally perceive the hot chilli smell with cooked oil, add in the dried fish and the starch solution in bits, stirring at the same time. You would notice that the soup gradually thickens (be careful, so the soup doesn't become too thick). Add in salt and Maggi to taste, add in the potash solution in bits, stirring at the same time. You would notice that the red palm oil color changes to bright yellow and you would be able to taste a little potash/kaun in soup (but be careful not to add too much potash, it could distrupt the soup taste and upset the stomach)

Let the soup cooked for 4 minutes then stir, making sure the color is yellow not red and spicy (you could add a little more potash and extra spice to taste). Reduce the cooker to low heat and let the soup cook for 2 more minutes.....VIOLA!!! Food is ready. This soup is served with cassava starch, garri, yam or boiled unripe plantains....ENJOY!!


Recipe : Uzzy_rac

CARROT STEW!!!

    I was inspired by my Ghanaian male friend(Sadat) to try out this recipe, This among many of his numerous dish is one of my favorite. I felt challenged to try this meal out, after watching how effortless he made this meal in his kitchen ( some guys can cook sha..). Nevertheless, I made my own twist to the recipe by making it a lot more spicy (winks). This meal has a lot of nutritive benefits as the vitamin A in carrot is activated, which helps improves vision and protects the skin from damage by fighting against aging factors, infections and even cancer. Carrot is also said to reduce cholesterol level, protects teeth and gums and also prevent stroke (so many nutritive value right?).

  

If one root vegetable can do so much, why not incorporate it into our meals? without saying much , let us get cooking, shall we? (smiles).

Yield : About 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken(cleaned, chopped,spiced and cooked)
• Chicken stock (water from the seasoned chicken)
• Stemmed tomato fruits and pepper (blended and stemmed)
• 8 roots of carrot (blended with a little water and oils)
• 2 roots of carrot (chopped in circular form)
• 2 Onions (diced into small sizes)
• Olive oil/vegetable oil 
• 1/4 Tbsp of curry
• 2 Maggi cubes (chicken flavor)
• 1/4 Tbsp of salt 
• 1 Tbsp of dried grounded chilli pepper 
• 2 gloves of garlic (may be cooked with chicken)
• Ginger (may be cooked with chicken)
• A pinch of dried rosemary leaves (or thyme)

Directions

Required amount of oil is added to a non-stick pot on medium heat. The oil is left to heat up  after which the chopped up onions is added and left to cook till, it turns translucent. Steamed tomatoes is added and stirred with the onions for about 5 minutes (the cooker can be increased), add in the blended carrots and cover pot lid for 8 minutes (to let the carrot juice dry up, stirring every 2 minutes).

Add the chicken stock in the pot, add in curry,dried rosemary leaves,salt,dried chilli pepper and Maggi to taste. Cover pot lid for 5 minutes or less ( allowing the sauce to dry a little, stir every 2 munutes). Add chopped carrots and the cooked seasoned meat (you can fry the chicken, if you want). Cover pot lid and let stew cook for 3 more minutes. VIOLA.....food is ready!!

This stew can be served with rice, spag or yam and a glass of red wine or juice. If you tried out the recipe, you can let me know by dropping comments on the comment section below⬇. Thanks for stopping by😙😚XoXo..


Recipe source: Uzzy_rac

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS!!!

So... I thought to myself, what if bell peppers are stuffed up instead of being diced up (rhyme right 😂😂?). This meal is great and perfect for a night out with friends and family. The structure of bell peppers makes serving this dish easier,  as it serves as a hold for the fillings and regulates portion size automatically. This colorful and appetizing meal can be made in less than 30 minutes,  if most items have been prepped. Trust me, when I say this meal was delicious👅 and filling...ENJOY!!!

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

3 bell peppers ( colors of choice), the tops should be cut off.
Tops of cut bell peppers are diced up into small sizes.
Tomato pasta (mixed with pepper,salt,maggi) or Ketchup.
1 onion, minced into small sizes.
Minced beef meat.
Chicken breast chopped into tiny bits.
Cold cooked rice (2 handfuls).
Olive oil.
An egg.
Cheese.
Curry powder.
Thyme leaves.
1/4 Tbsp of salt.
1/4 Tbsp of chilli pepper.
1 cube of Maggi ( chicken flavor).



Directions

On a non-stick pan with cooker set on medium heat, pour in little amount of Olive oil (about 2 and a half Tbsp). Add in the minced onions, stir till translucent ( 2 minutes) then add the minced meat and chopped chicken breast ( stir till it turns brown and drain out excess oil).

Add in the chopped bits of bell peppers  (the tops), egg, rice, chilli pepper, curry, thyme, salt and Maggi to taste.....Stir Rice till color changes to golden brown and appears fried.

Put the prepped bell peppers in a microwave for 30 seconds (optional). Fill in the bell peppers with the prepared fried rice, add the tomato paste/ketchup on top and pop in a pre-heated oven of 230°c for 3 minutes. Take out the stuffed peppers and add cheese of choice as the last layer, pop back in the oven for 5 minutes (optional). .....Viola!!! Food is ready😉😉.

Meal can be served with grilled chickens, sauces meat and a glass of white wine or soft drink....ENJOY!!!

Recipe : Uzzy_rac

EGUSI SOUP!!!

    Egusi soup......This is a favorite delicacy of so many Nigerians, it can be made in so many ways from fried to boiled. I enjoy this meal a lot because it never taste the same, whenever its made with different types of leaves, ranging from bitter leaves, pumpkin leaves, greens, water leaves and spinach (life of a foodie) ....wait...did I mention, that it can be cooked with any meat and fish of choice.
   Here are ingredients and directions of how I made this mouth watering, fried, chicken Egusi soup...ENJOY!!

Yield: About 5 servings

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cleaned, chopped and seasoned with onions, maggi, salt, pepper and scent leaf.
1 and a half cup of melon seeds, grounded (water is added to level of melon to form paste).
3 seeds of tomatoes with enough fresh peppers, grounded.
1 onion, minced into small sizes.
Palm oil.
Grounded crayfish.
Leaf of choice (I used frozen spinach).
Chicken stock (from the chicken cooked).
1/4 Tbsp of salt.
2 cubes of maggi (chicken flavor).

Directions

On a dry pot with cooker set on medium heat, pour in required amount of oil (about 8 Tbsp of palm oil). Wait for oil to bleach (oil looks a little transparent), then add a pinch of salt, then onions. Stir for a few seconds then add the grounded tomatoes and fresh peppers, stir for 3 minutes ( let the tomatoes dry).

 Add the melon paste and stir, stir till oil settles and the melon looks a bit dry for about 5 minutes (this may burn a little but it's normal. After melon is fried, add the chicken stock, crayfish, maybe a little dried chilli pepper then cover pot with its lid. Let this boil for 3 minutes then add the seasoned, cooked chicken meat, add spinach, add maggi and salt to taste.


 Additional water can be added according to preference (I don't like my soup watery, I use mainly chicken stock ). Let this cook for 5 minutes on medium heat and VIOLA.........SOUP IS READY!!!

 Recipe source : Uzzy_rac

GHANA PEPPERSOUP!!!

    I really do not know, why my mum calls this soup "Ghana peppersoup" it could have been simply called "white melon soup" but I grew up knowing this recipe by this term.........and I think, it will be great for me to show appreciation to my mother by leaving the name true to its source (smiles)
   This soup is great for those trying to eat healthy and cut down excess oil. The healthy version can be made with dried fish and shrimps or meat but I'm sorry loves, I left the recipe true to my mom's by cooking it with  ham ( the leg of a pig which has little fat,).
    I hope you enjoy this finger-licking,fast, oil less and delicious soup .ENJOY!!!

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 whole ham (could be roasted)
1 bell pepper, chopped into dice sizes (to add color)
1 cup of white melon seeds grounded and soaked with water just to its quantity level (melon paste)
1 white onion
2 Tbsp of grounded crayfish
1/4 Tbsp of salt
2 and a 1/2 maggi cube
1 and a 1/2 Tbsp of peppersoup spices (you could use fresh spices)
2 Tbsp of dried chilli pepper (grounded)
1 Tbsp of paprika (grounded)
a tiny bit of potash ( optional)


Directions

Chop meat into desired size and season ( spice up) with a pinch salt, onion, one and a half maggi cube and half a tablespoon of pepper ( pepper gives meat a nice taste and aroma).......Please do not add thyme or curry. Add a cup of water,as meat would let out more water while cooking. Cook for 20 minutes or more.

When the meat stock is ready, check water level and add more water to suit your desired soup quantity (I added a cup of water). Add the melon paste , the left over spices, grounded crayfish, bell pepper and potash.(additional spice can be added according to taste) Cover the pot led half way, to avoid spill overs. Cook for 10 minutes, then open pot lid to allow the soup thicken.(dry a little)........ready!!!

Soup can be served with garri, fufu, starch, wheat, amala, semovita or taken along side with yam when made light. I hope I was able to give detailed explanation to this recipe. I believe after trying this out, it would be a solution for those lazy days (winks).

Recipe source: Uzzy_rac (from mother to daughter).