YAM AND SAUTÉED SPINACH

While digging around for a few facts about this wonderful root vegetable, I discovered that although it is grown throughout Africa, Nigeria is actually the world's largest producer and exporter of yam, responsible for over 70 percent of the world total output. For some reason, this makes me extremely proud and I'm not exactly sure why. And while I'm on the topic of weird sensations, I guess this would be as good a time as any to admit that one of my guilty pleasures in life is sneaking a bit of cold yam from the pot long after the end of the meal and munching my way through a thick chunk of the stuff. Again, not exactly sure why.

Moving on, I must admit that yam is not the most attractive looking vegetable around and if you're not used to cooking it, it might seem a little daunting at first. BUT once you get past the thick, knife-blunting, rough exterior, you've got yourself a versatile super food packed full of A B C vitamins, iron, potassium and dietary fibre to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Not bad, not bad...

I've kept this recipe pretty basic but it's delicious to boot. The mild taste of the yam soaks up the intense flavours of the spinach sauce. It's fresh and moreish all at once.

Ingredients

- 1/2 yam tuber (cut in thick slices and peeled)

- 3 cups chopped spinach

- 1 red onion (sliced into thin circles)

- 1 green pepper (finely chopped)

- 4 tbsp lentils or cooked beans (for some extra protein!)

- 1 vegetable stock cube

- 1-2 tsp chilli powder

- 1 tbsp palm oil

- 1/2 cup water

- Salt to taste

Start by boiling the yam in lightly salted water until soft (but not mushy!).

To make the spinach sauce, sautée the red onions in oil for 5 minutes before adding the spinach. Sautée for a further 5 minutes then cover with half a cup of water. Add the cooked beans or lentils, chopped green pepper, stock cube, chilli powder and salt to taste. Leave uncovered and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated. 

Serve the yam and spinach hot. Enjoy!

PLANTAIN FLATBREAD

A soft, mellow alternative to regular bread. And it only requires 2-3 ingredients. Roll it out thin enough and you can even turn it into a wrap to fill with vegetables, beans and whatnot. It's great for tearing, sharing and dipping into hot & spicy soups. Try it with bean chilli too.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

- 2 ripe plantains

- 2-3 cups wholegrain flour

- 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

Peel and cut the plantains into small chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl and add the chilli powder. Add the flour slowly, mixing as you go along, until you have a firm dough. 

Wrap the dough in some cling film and refrigerate for 20 mins. 

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 4-6 portions. Roll each portion out on a lightly floured surface to form a round flatbread shape.

Cook each piece in a non-stick frying pan on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side (or until it has browned nicely)

COUSCOUS SALAD

A light lunch idea inspired by North African cuisine. I'm a bit of a couscous fiend to tell you the truth and this recipe is one of my favourites at the moment. Takes hardly any time to make, it's fresh, healthy and addictive for all the right reasons. The hardest part of this recipe is probably boiling the kettle - doesn't get any more accessible than that.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

- 1 cup couscous

- 1 cup boiling hot water

- 1/2 red bell pepper (finely chopped)

- 1/2 yellow bell pepper (finely chopped)

- 1/2 green bell pepper (finely chopped)

- 1/4 cup dried raisins

- 1 lemon (for the juice)

- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 1/2 tsp salt

Place the couscous in a bowl and add the boiling hot water (straight from the kettle!). Leave to sit for 5 minutes, add the lemon juice and olive oil, then fluff the couscous with a fork. 

Add the chopped vegetables, raisins and salt. Mix it round a bit and you're good to go.

DODO AND BEAN CHILLI

Dodo is just another name for fried (ripe) plantain. Lovely on it's own, even better with something else on the side to make a complete meal.



















Ingredients
(serves 2)
1-2 ripe plantains
Sunflower oil, for frying
1 cup cooked beans (black-eyed, brown, red kidney...whatever you have at home)
3 tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
1/2 green bell pepper (finely chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 onion (finely chopped)
2 tsp chilli powder
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the bean chilli, place the chopped tomatoes in a large saucepan and simmer with a 1/4 cup of water for 5 mins. Add the chopped vegetables (peppers, onion, carrot). Simmer for a further 10 mins until the vegetables are soft (but not mushy!) and most of the water has evaporated. Stir in the cooked beans, chilli powder and season to taste.

To make the dodo, peel the plantain and cut into medium-thin diagonal slices. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the plantain slices. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden brown underneath then turn over to brown on the other side. When done, drain on some kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil.

Plate up the dodo and serve with your scrumptious bean chilli.

MOIN MOIN

Packed full of wonderful protein and fibre, this savoury steamed bean cake is a "superfood" in my opinion. Glance at any plate of jollof rice or fried rice at a Nigerian wedding or party and you're bound to see some moin moin hanging about on the side. It's not the quickest thing to prepare but the final product is totally worth all the effort.

There are various ways to steam moin moin but the traditional method is with ewe eran (uma leaves) which you're likely to find in any good African shop/market place. These are folded into little parcels to hold the bean mixture, giving you the signature pyramid shape - I will try my absolute best to describe this in the instructions below. The leaves also give the moin moin a distinct smell and flavour so it's worth buying some if you can. Otherwise, little ramekins or pudding moulds should do the trick.

Picture updated: March 2020

Picture updated: March 2020

Ingredients

(makes 12-15)

- 2 cups black-eyed beans

- 1 red onion

- 2 tomatoes

- 1 red bell pepper

- 1 scotch bonnet pepper

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 vegetable stock cubes

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 1-2 bundles of banana leaves

Soak the beans (overnight, if possible) in warm water, then peel and discard the outer layer. 

Blend the beans, peppers and tomatoes with a little water to form a thick batter.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the stock cubes, vegetable oil and seasoning. You can get a little creative here and add some vegan extras like sweetcorn to liven it up a bit. Loosen the mixture with a bit more water. You want it to be thick but pourable.

If you're not using the banana leaves, divide the mixture into little moulds and steam on low-medium heat for 1hr 30mins until the moin moin is firm and solid.

If you're using the banana leaves, prepare a large pot by filling it a 1/4 of the way up with water. Now, grab 2 or three leaves at a time and lay them on top of each other. Hold upright in the palm of your left hand and start by folding the sides and then bottom in to form an open-topped parcel. 

Pour the mixture into the leaf mould, making sure you're still holding on to it securely in one hand. To close it up, fold the top section inwards and bend the loose flap backwards. Place it flat and ever so gently in your large pot of water. Don't worry if a little mixture seeps out at this point, even the experts can't avoid this (so I'm told...). 

Repeat this process until your pot is filled with the moin moin parcels.

Set the pot on a low-medium heat, cover and steam for 1hr 30 minutes until the moin moin is solid. You can test it by sticking a skewer or toothpick in to see if it comes out clean. 

Moin moin can be served hot or cold. Pair it with a plate of fresh salad and you've got yourself a tasty, light lunch.

GROCERY HAUL #5

I honestly feel like I robbed someone today. Here's a top tip: if you want a truckload of fresh produce at knock-down prices then make your merry way to a large produce market. Even though I hated going to the market with my mum as a kid (it was always too noisy, crowded or smelly), I'm beginning to realise that our parents and grandparents had it good! Nothing beats the experience of actually "looking, touching and smelling" before you buy. It's a highly sensory experience, not to mention the opportunity you'll get to practice your haggling skills!
When it comes to fruit and veg, most supermarkets will only charge you for the extra packaging, and chances are that you'll be left with some measly items that are totally lacking in taste and personality. Well, sometimes anyway...
So, whether you live in a small town or a big city, I encourage you to get out there and see what's on offer. Spread your wings a little and pay some extra attention to the food you allow in your body.

List:

~ Almond milk, yam, plantain, red onions, avocados, dark chocolate (vegans need treats too!), pawpaw (or papaya), tomatoes, spinach, maize meal, black-eyed beans, egusi ~

A few shots from the market I visited today.

  

EATING OUT #3 - HAAGEN-DAZS

There are a few things to do if you find yourself in an ice-cream shop with a group of others.

One is to sit in the corner with your arms folded.

The other is to order a sorbet and join in the fun! Sorbet is basically a frozen dessert alternative to ice-cream. It's made with sweetened water flavoured with fruit (juice or purée).

You'll want to avoid the chocolate sorbet as it contains egg-whites.

Otherwise, there's mango, raspberry, lemon, peach, strawberry...

Haagen-Dazs has over 650 shops in 54 countries across the world so, for the folks in Nigeria, it probably won't be long before it makes its way over there. If you really can't wait, then I have a great sorbet recipe coming up soon.

CURRIED RED LENTIL SOUP

This soup turned out to be surprisingly light and refreshing. The fact that I skipped out on adding any oil probably helped. I've been making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of oil I use in my cooking recently, but I've found it to be surprisingly difficult. I could be halfway through making a dish and this inexplicable (almost irrational) urge to add an unnecessary drop or two of oil suddenly emerges. 

Now, I'm not totally anti-oil or anything - a little goes a long way in binding flavours together and giving dishes that extra 'je ne sais quoi', but sometimes you just feel like pulling back a little, you know? And I happen to feel that way this week. Except, there's a bit of a disconnect somewhere. The act of adding oil to nearly everything is somehow so engrained that I find myself reaching for it before my brain even has time to process what I'm about to do. 

Oil is pretty central to Nigerian cuisine. If we're not deep-frying our snacks (puff puff, chin-chin, plantain chips...need I go on?), we're giving our stews and soups a glazed sheen with the stuff. This always makes for incredibly yummy food, but it's probably not something you want to have every day if you're trying to develop a healthy lifestyle. With that in mind, don't be too surprised if I stray into alternative, oil-free cooking methods in future recipes. 

Thankfully, lentils are extremely flavourful and the spices I used provide an additional lift. This is great for lunch or dinner and will leave you feeling full without the added calories.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

- 2 cups red lentils

- 4 cups water or vegetable stock

- 1 grated carrot (optional)

- 1 clove crushed garlic

- 2 tbsp curry powder

- 1 tsp mixed herbs

- Freshly squeezed lemon juice

- Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer for 20-25 minutes (until the lentils are soft). I didn't use the grated carrot this time but it occurred to me afterwards that it would work great in this dish, not to mention giving it an extra nutrition boost. If you have other vegetables at home, feel free to add them too.

Serve hot or warm with a slice or two of wholegrain/seeded bread.