Mint Iced Tea | Easy and Refreshing Summer Drink

There's just something special about a glass of fresh mint tea. The delicate flavour and intoxicatingly sweet scent make for a perfect chill-out drink on a lazy mid-August day.

This iced mint tea is fresh, easy to make, anti-inflammatory and wonderful for digestive system.

Method

Steep 4-5 whole stalks of mint leaves in 1 litre jug of boiling hot water for 10 minutes. Strain and dissolve 1/4 cup maple syrup or fruit syrup into the tea for a hint of sweetness.

Place in the fridge and allow to cool until ready to serve.

To serve, pour into individual glasses, top with ice and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime. Enjoy!

PLANTAIN MOSA

Every once in a while, I let that one plantain get away. A week or two passes by and the skin turns from a healthy yellow to a worrying dark brown with white fluff starting to form at the tips. Eugh!

Before you chuck that over-ripe plantain in the bin, here's a neat and simple recipe that restores the last bit of the plantain's dignity. Mosa is a yummy Nigerian snack that reminds me of a doughnut. Eggs are used in some recipes, but I've skipped out on that and find that the soft plantain acts as a good enough binder anyway.

Ingredients

- 1 ripe plantain
- 4 tbsp wholegrain flour
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
- Sunflower oil

Place the ripe plantain in a large mixing bowl and mash to form a smooth purée. Add the rest of the dry ingredients.

Heat some sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the mixture one tablespoon at a time. You can fry in batches, but be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry on medium heat, turning over once or twice to brown both sides.

Drain on some kitchen paper and serve hot or warm.

PAWPAW CRUMBLE

I'm a little annoyed because I'm pretty sure I posted this recipe a while back. A quick glance through my archives made me realise that the post had somehow been deleted. Never mind! Better late than never.

I made this back in May when I put on a lunch spread for some friends who had never tried Nigerian food before. I made sure the mains were typical Nigerian fare - jollof rice, plantain, stew, efo riro etc. etc. (it was quite a feast) - but when it came to dessert, I wanted to try something different.
I suppose I'll have to call this one a fusion dish because a crumble really is the quintessential English pudding. I've just given it an exotic twist with some juicy pawpaw (a.k.a. papaya) instead of the traditional apple.

Once upon a time, we had a pawpaw tree in our backyard. It served us well and was a source of many glorious moments spent gnawing through refrigerated mounds of bright orange goodness. Then one day its roots went out of control and nearly destroyed a part of the wall surrounding our compound. It got chopped down and uprooted and I doubt I've ever really gotten over it. Pawpaw is high up there on my list of favourite fruits, along with mango and orange. It's packed with a load of vitamins (A, B, C), potassium, calcium and fibre. It's also low in calories at around 40 calories/100 g. Sweet!

Ingredients
- 1 ripe pawpaw (cut into bite-size cubes)
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup wholegrain flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
- 3/4 cup vegan margarine
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place the cubed pawpaw at the bottom of a baking dish and squeeze on some lemon juice and sprinkle on 1 tsp of cinnamon. Give it a good mix and leave to the side.

To make the topping, place the flour, oats, sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon and vegan butter in a large mixing bowl. With clean hands, bring the mixture together gently until it resembles thick breadcrumbs.

Spread the crumble mix evenly over the top of the pawpaw and bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 6, for about 30 mins, making sure the top is nice and golden brown.

BOLI

Here's an idea - the next time you're invited to a barbecue, why not turn up with an armful of plantain. Yes, you'll probably look a bit strange, but at least you'll be guaranteed a tasty, filling alternative while everyone chows down on hot-dogs and drumsticks.

Boli (a.k.a. roasted plantain) is a popular Nigerian street food. Nothing fancy or complicated. Just a whole plantain thrown on a grill and turned around a few times to get it all brown and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. It is then wrapped up in old newspaper and handed over with some roasted peanuts.

What's so great is that it can be recreated at home, whether in a conventional oven-grill or out on the barbecue.

BREAKFAST #5 - OAT BARS

It's not every morning that you're in the mood to make porridge from scratch - even with the wonderful invention that is the microwave. These days, I grab a breakfast bar with a piece of fruit or two and I'm good to go. But not just any old shop-bought breakfast bar where half the ingredients are chemicals you've never heard of. These are homemade and packed full of all the good stuff. Sugar-free and sweetened with 100% natural apple sauce and raisins, these will give you the energy you need to start the day off, without the mid-morning sugar-induced crash.

Ingredients

(makes 10-12)

- 2 cups organic oats

- 1/4 cup raisins

- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

- 1 tsp cinammon

- 1/4 cup almond milk

- 3-4 tbsp wholegrain flour

- 4 apples (cored and chopped)

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- Water

Start by making the apple sauce. Add the chopped apples to a saucepan and cover with a little water and the lemon juice. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 mins.

Give it a good mix and leave to cool.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add the cooled apple sauce. Mix well and spread evenly onto a lined baking dish (flat and rectangular)

Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 5, for 40-45 mins or until set and golden brown on top.

Leave to cool for an hour or so then cut into bars. 

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

MINI PIZZAS

These thin-crust beauties are topped with home-made chilli-infused tomato sauce and  a scattering of veg I had lying around the house (green and red peppers, onions, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado). To replace the cheese, I sprinkled on some nutritional yeast (sounds nasty if you've never tried it, but look it up. It's packed full of crazy incredible vitamins such as B12, has a wonderfully cheesy taste, and adds to the aesthetics of the pizzas while also providing a nutritional boost).

I managed to freeze these for lunch this week, usually heating one up and serving with a fresh salad. If you do choose to freeze them, make sure you wrap each one individually (in cling film / foil etc) to stop them from sticking together.

Before I shoot off, here's a cool post from 'This Afropolitan Life'. She discusses whether Africans are natural vegans. Check it out!






























Ingredients
- 1.5 cups wholegrain flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- 4 large tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1-2 tsp chilli powder
- chopped vegetables of your choice
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)


To make the base, mix the flour, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of oil and a bit of water in a large bowl to form a firm dough. Add a bit more flour if you find that the dough is too sticky. Likewise, add a bit of water if the dough is too dry.
Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts and roll each piece on a lightly floured surface to form your mini pizza bases.

To make the sauce, add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, chilli powder, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt to taste and 3-4 tablespoons of water to a saucepan and bring the whole thing to a boil. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down (medium-low) and let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 more minutes or until it has reduced nicely to form a thick sauce.

Put it all together. Place your pizza bases on a lined baking sheet, spread the sauce over the top and sprinkle on your chopped vegetables (and optional nutritional yeast).

Serve it up with a fresh green salad!

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...