Funny enough, Ofada gets it name from the local rice it is usually served with (Ofada rice), the sauce itself is called Ayamase aka Ofada sauce. The pairing is however so perfect that when people talk about ofada rice they automatically associate it with the ayamase stew. First time I tried Ofada sauce was in 2003, it was at a wedding and as at that time it was one of the best things I had tasted. I tried to recreate the sauce , here is what I came up with. Enjoy
Ingredients
4 large green bell peppers (chopped)
1 large red bell pepper (chopped)
1 medium red onion (chopped)
6 chilli peppers or 3 habanero pepper (chopped)
1 cup each (pre boiled)( Goat meat, shaki, Ponmon, beef) *chopped into smaller pieces*
2 tspns locust beans
2 cups palm oil
3 cubes maggi
Salt to taste
Direction Here
Banga is one of the most delicious soups I have ever tasted. it has the savoriness of Gbegiri but it's in a class of it own. The soup is widely enjoyed all over Africa and it's called different things by different groups. (Banga by the Deltans/Benins, Obe eyin by the yorubas, Mbanga by the Cameroonians, amiedi by the urhobos and obey-ekpo itsekiris to name a few). If you havent tried it yet, please do you will not regret it.
Ingredients
2 cups palm nut fruits (I used Ghana Fresh)
2 cups Assorted meat of choice (Precooked) (I used Shaki, Dried fish and Ponmo)
3 Tspns grounded crayfish
2 cubes Bouillon cube (Maggi or Knorr)
1 tspn salt ( to taste)
1/2 tspn locust beans (Iru) (optional)
1 tspn bitter leave (optional)
Direction HERE
Chicken is such a common protein, finding ways to enjoy it in a new way might sometimes be difficult, I have concocted two new chicken recipes that are fast, tasty and healthy. Pick your favorite and enjoy!
Peanut chicken
Ingredients
4 half breast boneless skinless chicken
2 cubes maggi (bouillon cube)
1tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
1/4 cup roasted peanut/groundnut (crushed*)
1/2tscpn dried rosemary
4TSpns olive or sunflower oil
1 Jalapeno Pepper (chopped)
1 red peppers (chopped)
2 large tomatoes (crushed)
2 Tspn peanut butter
* I crushed my Peanut in a Ziploc bag using a rolling pin*
Direction
- Cut the chicken into one inch cubes, season with maggi, salt, black pepper, and rosemary. set aside for 25mins.
- Place a medium size Saute pan (or a large pot with depth) on medium heat, add in the oil. Once the oil is hot (~3mins) add in the chicken. Make sure the pot isn't crowded. cook the chicken for 4min then turn it and cook the other side for 4 mins
- Add in your peanut butter and crushed tomatoes, simmer for 4 mins
- Add in the chopped peppers. Stir. simmer for 2 more mins
- Your chicken is ready to serve. try it with rice.
Enjoy!!
Cashew Chicken
Ingredients
4 half breast boneless skinless chicken
2 cubes maggi (bouillon cube)
1tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
1/4 cup roasted Cashew nut (crushed*)
1/2tscpn dried parsley or rosemary
4TSpns olive or sunflower oil
1/2 green and red peppers (finely chopped) (optional)
* I crushed my cashew in a Ziploc bag using a rolling pin*
Direction HERE
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Palm oil is widely used in African cooking, especially in soups and sauces. If you are the health conscious type, you probably already avoid palm oil as much as you can, not yet avoiding palm oil? here is why you should;
While palm oil is trans-fat-free, about half of its fat is saturated, adding about 1.5 grams sat fat to each 2-tablespoon serving—and a diet high in saturated fat has been linked with elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease. Though you may have heard that palm oil has less of a cholesterol-raising effect than other tropical oils, the research isn’t conclusive.
In addition, recent research shows that palmitic acid, a saturated fat found in palm oil (and beef, butter and cheese), caused mice to become resistant to the appetite-suppressing hormones leptin and insulin, which in theory could make them eat more.
Ugba (Oil Bean Seed) is native to Eastern Nigeria, Ugba undergoes extensive fermentation before it is considered edible. This recipe is a Modern spin on the traditional dish, the use of parsley gives it a fresh taste.
Ingredients
- 2-3 dried stockfish (Okporoko, panla) pieces ~ 2 cups cooked
- 1 cup Ukpaka (Anambra); Ugba (Imo)
- 1Tspn Ground dried pepper
I do not have a favorite food, but RnB is definitely one of my favorite things to eat, I love it when the rice is cooked in the beans, it tastes quiet differently than when the rice and beans are cooked separately. I usually don't care for my rice to be al dente, a little mushiness makes it very comforting, that is just my personal preference though.
Ingredients
2 cups Beans
1 cup rice
Salt to taste
Direction
For this Akara, I didn't use much pepper. I used one chilli pepper and a lot of basil. It turned out tasting very different and amazing. I think I will keep trying fresh herbs in my akara.
Ingredients
1 cup peeled beans
1 raw chilli pepper
I find it extremely hard to eat food without meat, and somehow I have never been able to wrap my head around pairing protein with beans, it just doesn't feel right to me. But since I am a strict "meatitarian" I served the beans with blackened salmon and cubed fried plantain. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Black eyed beans (2cups) * (Or Nigerian red beans ewa oloyin) 1medium onion( chopped)
Palm oil ( 4Tbs)
