Fresh Citrus Punch | Refreshing Summer Drink

Keep things simple with this sweet-tangy citrus drink. Unashamedly chilled to within an inch of its life with all the ice cubes in my ice tray! 

This is also a great non-alcoholic alternative to serve at dinners or BBQs.

You'll need:
- 6 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup freshly squeezed  lime juice
- 4 cups sparkling water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a large jug and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Serve over ice, with fresh fruit of your choice.

SOAKED GARRI

The ever-versatile garri is back, arguably in its best form. If you've never had this then I can only shake my head sadly and plead with you to make it as soon as possible. 

This is one of the quintessential Nigerian snacks/meals/drinks (yes, all in one). I never went through the boarding school experience in Nigeria but apparently, having a stash of garri was essential to surviving those long weeks away from home. As a day student, that didn't stop me from overloading on soaked garri after school.

Grab yourself a large cup or cereal bowl. Fill it about 1/3 way up with garri. Add ice cold water (the colder the better). Add some sugar (to taste). Throw in a handful of roasted groundnut.
Thank me later...

PINEAPPLE AND GROUNDNUT STIR-FRY

Does this qualify as a weird flavour combination? I'm not entirely sure, but it made sense as I was making it. The results were satisfying - refreshing pineapple, crunchy peppers and earthy groundnut coated in a sticky-sweet sauce. Serve it up with some brown rice or other grain to complete the meal.

Ingredients

(serves 1-2)

- 1 small pineapple

- 1/2 red bell pepper (chopped)

- 1 small onion (sliced)

- 1 large tomato (finely chopped)

- 1/2 cup groundnut (peanuts)

- 1 vegetable stock cube

- Fresh herbs (chopped, to garnish)

Take out the pineapple flesh and cut into chunks. Retain any natural juices in a cup and set aside.

Add the pineapple, chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions to a frying pan and sauté for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pineapple juice and stock cube, reduce the heat and simmer for a further five minutes.

Finally, add the groundnut and garnish with some freshly chopped herbs. I used basil here to give it an extra kick.

EATING OUT - SALADS

I am often wary of ordering salads whenever I eat out. You just never know what you're going to get. As much as I love my greens, I also want to know that the money I'm spending on a meal is worth it and that I won't leave feeling more deprived than when I walked in.
Unfortunately, some restaurants tend to make salads an afterthought of oversized leaves spotted with limp, watery extras.

It's always a nice surprise when you find a restaurant keen to put in some effort and my general tip would be: don't be afraid to talk it out with your waiter/waitress. Ask for extra stuff to bulk out the meal (like beans) and see where it gets you.

This is the last salad I had when I ate out - the best and tastiest I've come across so far. The fruit salad wasn't too bad either:

Watermelon and Grapefruit Punch | Refreshing Summer Drink

Make drinking water that bit more interesting with this refreshing drink idea. Ideal for those scorching hot summer months.

You'll need:
- 1/2 watermelon (cut into 15-20 bite-size cubes)
- 2 litres water
- peel from 2 large grapefruits
- juice from 2 large grapefruits
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- fresh herbs (mint or basil)

Freeze the watermelon to form "watermelon ice cubes".
Fill a jug with 2 litres of chilled water. Add the grapefruit peel, grapefruit juice and maple syrup.
Crush the fresh herbs to release some of the oils then add to the water.
Add the frozen watermelon cubes just before serving.

LIGHT COCONUT CUPCAKES

Short of calling them airy fairy puffy-cloud feather-light delights, these cupcakes really do melt in the mouth. The centre texture is extraordinarily fluffy with a delicate, crumbly exterior.
If you weren't convinced about vegan baking before then this is sure to change your mind.




















Ingredients

(makes 12)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup wholegrain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the coconut milk and sunflower oil in another small bowl and add that to the dry ingredients. Beat to form a thick, gooey mixture.

Line (or grease with oil) a cupcake tin and scoop the cake batter into each cupcake mould.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 5, for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes have risen slightly and are golden brown.

Leave to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

GROCERY HAUL #6

I beat my alarm by two hours this morning. Two hours! And what's more, I was feeling unusually upbeat, raring to go, eager to get outside for some fresh morning air. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a morning person (and I believe I have stressed this point somewhere else on this blog). In fact, a little part of me resents the upbeat, glowing morning person. You know the kind - up at the crack of dawn, a million and one things already accomplished, breakfast downed and lunch already on the cooker. Throw in some cheerful humming and the resentment might just grow into hatred for the next hour or so, or at least until my own brain kicks into gear and I can string a sentence together.

No, I am more of a night owl. The kind of person who wishes the world would operate back to front - work all night and sleep all day. I guess I can see how this could maybe be a waste. I mean, the sky was pretty blue and gorgeous this morning and the fruits did look extra dazzling with the sun rays bouncing off them...

Anyway, on to my purchase. As it's summer, I'm trying not to overload on the heavy stuff like yams and potatoes etc..and opting instead for more cooling, refreshing fruits, salads and whatnot.

- coconut milk
- pineapple
- watermelon
- dates (great for snacking)
- fresh basil
- green lettuce
- tomatoes
- grapefruit
- apple (crimson red, almost black! caught my eye so thought I'd try one)
- groundnut
- lime
- golden pear

Oh, and look what I came across on my morning stroll:

As a book addict, of course I had to stop for a browse. I ended up picking up a book on salads. I need as much inspiration as I can get. Plus, it was such a steal - we're talking mere kobo/pennies/cents.

Happy weekend, but most importantly, happy eating!

BEANS & PLANTAIN CAKES WITH A TOMATO-ONION SALAD

Can you believe I almost named this recipe 'PEPPERED "STEAKS"'? I was going for the whole juicy-alternative-to-regular-steak thing but decided against it. It wouldn't have been such an atrocious idea I suppose, after all I've dabbled in spicy burgers and meat-less pies in the past. But let's get real - it tastes nothing like a steak, maybe looks like a steak with the right angle and lighting, but yeah... Let's celebrate it for what it is this time around - beans and plantain (classic combo) under a different, arguably chic guise.

Long before I even considered a plant-based diet as a valid way of eating, I used to tease a veggie friend of mine for eating things like veggie burgers and veggie sausages and veggie mince etc etc. I always wondered why so much effort went into making mock versions of meat products. I can't speak for any of the vegetarian/vegan food production companies, but I've come to realise that there's something fun about trying to re-appropriate long-standing dietary favourites that I once thought I couldn't live without. The creative side of me wants to push the boundaries of what food can be transformed into. A bit like a mad scientist in a lab, without the fly-away hair and villainous laughter of course...

Ingredients

(serves 3-4)

- 1 cup cooked beans (I used black-eyed beans)

- 1 very ripe banana

- 1/4 cup wholegrain flour

- 1 vegetable stock cube

- 2 tsp ground ginger

- Ground black pepper

- 2 large tomatoes (chopped)

- 1 small onion (chopped)

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- Salt to taste

Mash the beans and ripe plantain in a large mixing bowl to form a smooth or chunky texture, depending on which you prefer. Add the wholegrain flour, ground ginger and crushed stock cube, give it a good mix to achieve a light, sticky mixture.

Line a baking tray with some greaseproof paper and drop two to three tablespoons of the mixture on at a time (use the back of the spoon to spread it out a little and form roughly round shapes). Lightly sprinkle each 'cake' with black pepper.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 6, for 20-25 mins or until brown and firm to the touch.

Leave to cool for a few minutes and serve with a refreshing tomato/onion salad (chopped tomatoes and onions tossed with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste).