BOOK + GINGER SPICE COOKIES

Shameless plug time! Although technically it's not really shameless seeing as this is my blog and I am allowed to take liberties hehe :p 

Ok, so today I'm coming at you with two things I hope you'll enjoy. One is my recently published novel called Dear Junia and the other is a stellar recipe for ginger spice cookies that you can make and then enjoy while reading the book. See, not at all tenuous...

I'm sure I've mentioned it somewhere else on this blog, but I'll say it again: I love to write. I was that kid who filled every notebook with outlandish stories about spy sisters and gangster dads and everything in between. These days, I don't always get the time to dive into fiction writing as much as I would like and so when NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) rolled up last November, it provided me with a cheeky and totally legitimate excuse to write on a regular basis. With an average word count of 1,667 words per day to reach the NaNoWriMo target of 50,000 words in one month, self-discipline was the name of the game. Miss a couple of days and I'd frantically have to catch up, often spinning my story in weird and fearless directions (thank goodness for the editing process!).

What makes NaNoWriMo so unique is the instant support and community that comes with the process. Those weekly pep talks and words of encouragement from fellow writers striving for the same goal were priceless. There was also the adrenaline rush that came with wanting to show that seemingly impossible word count who's boss.

To cut a long story short, I reached the target and the sense of relief was overwhelming. So overwhelming that I couldn't turn my back on the experience and forget about the draft sitting in my laptop. Fast forward to now and I've decided to put it out there on Amazon, not knowing what will come of it, but incredibly excited that it is done!

If you'd like to support, take a sneaky peek or share, then here is the link:

Dear Junia by Tomi Makanjuola

It is available in all Amazon stores - UK, US, Canada, France, Australia, etc.

Synopsis: Wura is a young woman in her early twenties. Fed up with wallowing in apathy, she embarks on an epistolary journey that will change her life forever. Through her candid letters to the unborn Junia, she begins to confront the murky depths of her past. Why did her mother leave? What really caused her father to give up their home and life in Africa for the too-neat streets of England? The closer she gets to finding the answers to her questions, the more she is forced to face the dark reality of family secrets that have been suppressed for years.

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Now on to the cookies! 

Ingredients

(makes about 20)

- 2 1/2 cups plain flour

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 cup vegan margarine

- 1-2 tbsp ground ginger or 4 tbsp ginger juice*

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 tsp cinnamon

*pop a good chunk of ginger into a juicer to extract the juice (great if you want a more intense flavour)

Place all the ingredients in  large bowl and combine to form a cookie dough. It shouldn't be too sticky or too dry.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Pinch little bits of the dough and flatten onto the baking tray to form roughly round shapes.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 4, for 15 minutes or until nice and golden brown. (Go order the book while you're waiting ^_^). 

Leave on a wire rack to cool before eating. Yum!

HEALTHY NEW YEAR

There is something empowering about making a commitment to good health, don't you think? And not just the sort of commitment you make on the first of January and forget about two weeks later. I'm not opposed to New Year resolutions, in fact when you're really serious about making that big life change (such as taking better care of your health), positioning that commitment at the start of the year gives that initial boost and burst of motivation. But how many times do we start off with good intentions before giving up or getting frustrated? That question comes up so often that it has become a cliché in itself. It's still worth asking though, especially when it actually leads to a remotely useful exchange...

It has taken me a while to understand that the key to health is not to view it as some goal you can reach and then tick off a checklist and forget about. The decision to be healthy needs to be a weekly, daily, hourly thing for the rest of our lives (dun dun DUN!...only kidding :p It's not that daunting...kinda...)
As it's an established fact that we're all imperfect human beings, isn't it about time we stopped acting so darn emotional each time we 'fail' or encounter an obstacle? (And by emotional, I'm talking frustration and self-loathing and throwing shrivelled carrots across the kitchen). The fact of the matter is that 'failing' is inevitable - the cheeky fried snack or two (or five, or ten) will find its way onto our plate; we will go a couple of days without eating fresh fruit and veg. It will happen. We should expect it.
It's what we do with the next mealtime that's the important thing. It's about the process of making better choices until it becomes second nature. It's about holding on tight to the conviction that our health does matter and should be the best that it can be. Once that is the primary motivation, then we can be quick to forgive our little slip-ups and commit to making the next time better. Over and over again. Until the year comes to an end and we can look back and say: "Hmm, this and this has changed for the better. Still a few more things to keep working on, but I do this and that now without really thinking too much about it". Whether it is significantly reducing the number of fizzy drinks we have every week or upping our fresh food intake by always having a salad with dinner, it's all good stuff. Little changes add up over time, leading to significant health benefits.

Let's take the pressure off this new year and appreciate the 'bigger picture' aspect of health. Let's recommit as often as is necessary, especially in those moments after we've wiped the sugar off our lips or let the leafy greens wilt at the back of the fridge.

I am looking forward to what 2014 has in store, both on and off this blog. Thank you to everyone who reads, tries a recipe, leaves a comment or sends an e-mail. This still blows my mind.

God bless + Happy New Year! :)

NIGERIAN ROAST VEG MEDLEY + RED ONION GRAVY

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you're making the most of this festive season by indulging in some healthy, tasty food...oh and you know, by spending time with your loved ones and all that good stuff. 

If you're looking for some last minute inspiration for the dinner table tomorrow then how about this medley of bright roasted veg. Nigerian-style no less, with yam and plantain and sweet potatoes thrown in for good measure. There's also a recipe for a rich red onion gravy to pull the whole dish together. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

(serves 6)

- 2 cups diced yam 

- 4 medium potatoes (diced) 

- 1 large sweet potato (diced) 

- 1 green bell pepper (diced)

- 1 red bell pepper (diced)

- 2 large carrots (cut into thick batons)

- 1 medium red onion (cut into chunks)

- 1 plantain (cut into thick batons)

- 5 garlic cloves

- 2 bay leaves 

- 4 tbsp sunflower oil 

- salt and pepper to taste

For the gravy:

- 1 large red onion

- 1 vegetable stock cube

- 1/4 tsp curry powder

- squeeze of lemon

- 1/3 cup water

- 1/2 tsp corn flour mixed with 1 tbsp warm water 

Place the diced yam, potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots in a large pot and cover with water. Parboil the vegetables for 10 mins on a high heat. Drain well.

Place the parboiled vegetables, diced peppers, red onions, plantain, garlic cloves and bay leaves in a large baking dish. Drizzle with sunflower oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together until all the vegetables are well coated.

Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 2, for 20-25 mins.

To make the gravy, blend the red onion with a little water. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the stock cube, curry powder, squeeze of lemon and 1/4 cup of water. Stir continuously on low-medium heat for 5 minutes to cook off the onions. Add the corn flour mixture and keep stirring for a few more minutes until the gravy thickens slightly.

MALTINA ICE CREAM

Hands up if you think we could do with a few more Nigerian desserts. 

I paid a visit to my local African food store yesterday and spied a row of malt drinks - Maltina, Malta, Amstel Malta etc (so many brands for such a popular beverage). I must have looked a bit dim as I stood staring at the row for longer than could be considered normal. In actual fact, the wheels were turning as I wondered how these carbonated malt drinks could be used in cooking. I imagined using it in a stew or a kind of rich vegetable soup. Then I remembered the tin of coconut cream I had at home and thought it'd be cool to blend the two to make some kind of ice cream. Fast forward to now and I'm glad I grabbed that bottle of maltina.

Few ingredients go into this but the process is long if you haven't got an ice cream maker. 

A labour of love, but well worth it!

Ingredients

(serves 4)

- 1 cup coconut cream or tinned coconut milk

- 1/4 cup maltina (or any other brand of malt drink)

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

Place the coconut cream, maltina and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk (I used an electric hand mixer) for 5 mins until the mixture is well combined and aerated.

Cover and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Take out and give another whisk. 

Repeat this process several times until the ice cream mixture is creamy. The purpose of repeating the process is to make sure you end up with smooth, scoopable ice cream and not rock-solid cream with large ice crystals. Alternatively, you can use an ice cream maker to speed up the process.

Serve in bowls or little glass cups and spoon some of the malt drink over the top for an extra kick.

NUTTY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

These truffles would make a great home-made Christmas present. Just pop them into cellophane bags and tie up with some ribbon. 

Or you can serve them as a post-Christmas dinner treat. 

Or you can keep them all for yourself and devour in one sitting (not recommended). 

The possibilities are endless...

They require zero cooking time, just a short rest in the freezer. Pay special attention not to use salted peanut butter though, no one wants to bite into a salty truffle.

Ingredients

(makes 20)

- 4 tbsp smooth, unsalted peanut butter

- 1 tbsp cocoa powder

- 8 tbsp ground almonds

- 75g dark chocolate (melted)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 cup dessicated coconut


Mix the peanut butter, cocoa powder, ground almonds, sugar and melted dark chocolate in a large mixing bowl until all the ingredients are well combined. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Place the dessicated coconut on a large plate (for rolling your truffles in). Spoon out little rounds of the truffle mix, drop into the dessicated coconut and roll them around until evenly coated.

Lay them out on a lined baking sheet. When they're all coated and laid out, place in the freezer for about 10-15 mins until they harden.

Sweet Potato Pancakes | Vegan Breakfast Recipe

These pancakes are fantastic if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake. A wholesome way to start the day. The touch of cinnamon also creates a warm Christmassy aroma that fills the entire house.

I've made these pancakes several times over and they never fail to hit the spot. If you do try it, I'd love to see your final dish. Take a pic, share and tag me over on Instagram :)

Ingredients

(serves 2-3)
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 cup self-raising wholegrain flour
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- sunflower oil
- lemon juice (optional)

You'll need to bake the sweet potato first and there are two ways you can do this:
1. Microwave: poke the sweet potato all over with a fork, wrap in a damp sheet of kitchen paper and microwave for 4-5 minutes. Turn over and microwave for another 4-5 minutes. You should be left with a soft and squishy potato afterwards.
2. Oven: poke all over with a fork and place the sweet potato on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, gas mark 6, then turn it over and bake for another 20-30 minutes.

To make the pancakes, cut the baked sweet potato length-wise and scrape out the soft flesh into a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour, milk and cinnamon, and give it a good mix.

Lightly oil the bottom of a frying pan and drop the pancake mix in one tablespoon at a time, using the back of the spoon to spread and flatten the pancake. Cook the pancake for about 5 mins on low-medium heat until brown on one side. Flip over and brown the other side.

Serve warm with a little lemon juice drizzled over the top.

BEANS AND PLANTAIN CANAPES

If you're planning to host a big Christmas party this year, these quick and easy canapés are the way to go. A fancy-looking addition to your spread with minimum effort required. And if you've got some leftover cooked beans in your fridge or freezer then these will take half the time. This recipe makes about 18-20 canapés, but if you've got more guests then go ahead and double the quantities.

Lay them out on pretty trays with festive napkins to give them that special edge.

Ingredients
(makes about 20)
- 2 plantains
- 1/2 cup brown beans or green lentils
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- tomato (diced, to garnish)

If you're using leftover beans, then skip this step. Otherwise, boil the beans/lentils in salted water until it turns soft and mushy. Season with a touch of cinnamon.

Peel and slice the plantains into thick rounds. You should be able to get 18-20 rounds from each plantain. Shallow fry the plantain in a little sunflower oil, browning on both sides. Drain on some kitchen paper.

Using the tip of a teaspoon, spread some of the beans on one slice and place a second slice on top. Hold in place with a cocktail stick and garnish each canapé with a little cube of tomato.

CLUB SANDWICH

Club sandwiches exist in various forms around the world, but the essential features remain the same - lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise. Nigerians have also managed to put their own spin on the sandwich, adding things like hard boiled eggs, sardines and grated carrots to the mix. Although there isn't a massive sandwich culture in Nigeria (you won't find sandwich shops scattered around Lagos city, for example), club sandwiches are eaten a lot, usually served up at exclusive hotels, clubs and restaurants - no doubt with tourists and cosmopolitan high-flyers in mind.

In this vegan version, I use hummus in place of the usual mayonnaise and I replace the meat with avocado and roasted yellow pepper. I've also used brown bread instead of white to up the nutritional value.

Be warned: with its multiple layers, this sandwich is enormous and you'll probably need to share it with someone. Enjoy!

Ingredients
- 3 slices of wholegrain bread
- 2-3 tbsp hummus
- 1 yellow pepper (cut into thick slabs)
- 1/2 ripe avocado (cut into strips)
- medium tomato (cut into thick round slices)
- lettuce leaves
- seasoning of your choice
You'll also need 4 cocktail sticks to hold the sandwich together.

Start by placing the slabs of yellow pepper on a baking tray. Season with spices of your choice and black pepper. Bake in a hot oven for 8-10 minutes.

Toast the bread slices and spread some hummus on the face of all three slices.

To assemble the club sandwich, start with a layer of lettuce and tomato on the bottom. Place the next slice of toast on top, spreading another layer of hummus on the underside.

Next, add the layer of roasted yellow pepper and avocado and cover with the last slice of toast.

Hold the sandwich down on all four corners with cocktail sticks and cut into four triangles.