Many people do not know that the term Jollof, refers actually to a concept/technique of cooking. It involves the cooking of food in one pot with ingredients added at different / key stages during the cooking process. IT is actually this timing or you may also call it precision, that make up for the variations that emerge in the resulting dishes. OF course the quality and quantity of ingredients used play also a really important role.

So its not surprising to have diffident types of Jollof. There is Jollof rice, Jollof beans, Jollof yam and of course Jollof Spaghetti.

Spaghetti is well loved and fully embraced import to Nigerian cuisine, and as expected, we have found our own ways of cooking and enjoying it.

Jollof Spaghetti can be made simply or quite elaborately as we choose. A variety of meat, dish and vegetables can be added, according to your preference. The crucial thing is to make the base sauce right. This will almost certainly guarantee a delicious dish.

What you need

• Durum wheat spaghetti
• Tomato paste
• Scotch bonnet chilli
• Red pepper
• Onion
• Cheddar cheese (optional)
• Chicken stock
• Salt
• Coconut oil

What to do

1. Blend the pepper, chilli pepper and onion in a blender. (the amount you use will depend on the amount of spaghetti you wish to cook). 
2. Then transfer the blend into a large sauce pan in which you have heated some oil. Also add tomato paste and stir well. 
3. Allow to sizzle for about 2 minutes then add some chicken stock. Turn heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes or until the emerging sauce thickens. 
4. Simultaneously, cook some spaghetti in some salted boiling water, al dente. This should be for about 5 minutes. 
5. Then strain the spaghetti and transfer into the sauce. Make sure the sauce pan is large enough to contain all. Stir well for even distribution, then turn heat down and allow to simmer until spaghetti cooks to your degree of softness or tenderness. You can add your preferred vegetables at this stage and allow all to cook through. 
6. Serve hot, with freshly shaved/grated cheese.

Beans and plantains are a foodie match. Their tastes and flavours, textures complement each other so well.

As one gets older, it's advised to make plant proteins the primary source of protein, and in Nigerian cuisine, beans (cow-peas) features prominently on the list of vegetables with high protein content. Beans also have high fibre, not forgetting other minerals and vitamins.

So I am always trying out new things with beans, just so that I do not get bored eating them or get stuck on just one way of eating them..! Check out my Beans Hummus & Bread recipe here.

One new way I enjoy eating beans is to make a paste out of them, similar to making hummus...actually my new Bean Paste dish is essentially fashioned after Hummus made from chickpeas...

The result is fantastic, healthy and versatile. Can be eaten any time of the day and super healthy.

What you need

• Ripe plantain
• Cooked cowpeas
• Salt and Black pepper
• Coconut oil
• Aganyin sauce (see recipe here)

What to do 

1. Slice the plantain across its length and deep fry until golden brown. 
2. Place the cooked beans in a food processor, add a pinch of salt and black pepper to season, a dash of coconut oil and some water to aid blending. 
3. Then blend into a smooth or coarse paste, depending on your preference. 
4. Serve

If you haven't already done so, you have to read my previous post on "no cooking but fridge raiding days"...! (Check it out here) Still continuing in the mood, I have also come up with something light to have for lunch without actually cooking....God help you that you have some left overs of the key ingredients in your fridge.

Jollof is arguably Nigeria's national dish, yet we only ever seem to eat it in a one-dimensional way. Though it could sometime be served with salad (typically a coleslaw) but it is never as a salad.

My concept for this recipe is clear, I wanted to enjoy this delicious rice dish with a variety of my favourite salad vegetables. I was also looking for a light lunch idea that requires very little effort to make.

All you require for this dish, is some pre cooked jollof rice. You also need a lot of your favourite salad ingredients. finito...!

I am currently obsessing over red cabbage at the moment, so I thought it would be visually appealing to serve my salad in a cabbage bowl, in the process increase my intake of vegetables... Its all good stuff. So try it out..

What you need

• Left over jollof rice (get recipe here)
• Stewed chicken
• Plantain fries (Aka Dodo)n 
• Salad leaves of choice
• Red cabbage (white cabbage can also be used)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Ata din din (used as salad dressing) See recipe here

What to do

1. Carefully cut the whole cabbage side ways and remove sheath of the it, to create the bowl. Soak the cabbage bowl in some salted water to allow to soften a little and also add some flavour
2. Heat up you jollof rice and add some ata din din to give it flavour. 
3. Then carefully arrange all the different components into the cabbage bowl. 
4. Explore your creativity.
5. Serve as a warm salad

We all have days when we just want to do absolutely no cooking at all, curl-up on the sofa, switch on our favourite TV show and just laze around....all day, day in day out.... however, that does not stop the pangs of hunger hitting though, so what does one do...!?

So on those days that I get to cook, I cook a lot, I mean a lot of different dishes and delicacies, and store them up in my freezer, for those days when you don't want to do any thing...!

Confident that I would always find something to rustle up, I raided my fridge and freezer, I found different things, but based on my craving, I opted for some moin moin and eko. (Eko is made by boiling maize pap and allowing it to solidify into a jellylike dough. By the way, this also freezes well and once you are ready to eat it, pop it into a microwave for a few minutes, trust me it tastes as good as fresh.)

Because I was looking for something light, I pondered on making a form of salad with Moin Moin & Eko...

Easy, satisfying and delicious, did I forget, nutritionally balanced. That's it, Lunch is served..!


What you need

• Pre made moin moin (check out my moin moin recipes here)
• Pre made Eko (get recipe here)
• Salad leaves of choice
• Soft boiled eggs

What to do

1. Cut the moin moin and eko into small bite size chunks, shell the eggs and slice. 
2. Arrange all components on a plate. Ready to eat...!

Moin Moin & Eko in a Salad

The typical Nigerian meal features a carb rich side, served with a bowl of vegetable soup/stew, which would contain some assortments of meat and/or seafood. The truth is there are many times you don't want to eat a traditional meal, all you want is something light and quick to put together.

I often enjoy to eat bread and stew simply for the fact that it is quick to prepare, no ceremonies about it. All you require is good quality bread and some pre-made red pepper sauce. In actual fact, bread is eaten with what we call in Nigeria ""Stew", which really is a sauce made with red peppers, tomatoes and onions. (Check out a recipe here).

So to make my stew more interesting and wholesome, I decided to add a few more protein elements to it, in the form of left over boiled cow-peas and shredded roast chicken.It was enjoyable and very filling.

PS.... not every time swallow swallow, transform bread and stew into proper lunch...!

What you need

• Pre-made tomato and red pepper sauce (Get recipe here)
• Left over boiled cow-peas
• Left over shredded chicken
• Agege bread

What to do

1. Place some pre-made sauce into a small sauce pan and allow to simmer for a few minutes. This will also help reduce the sauce and thicken it to your liking. 
2. Then add the cow-peas and chicken. You can also add pre-cooked vegetables such as mushrooms, courgettes etc, according to your preference.
3. Allow all to simmer together, then serve with some slices of bread.

Presenting a great dessert made from an unlikely ingredient...!

Through all of my culinary journeys I have come to learn that, "everything is possible", so long you have a strong desire for it to happen...!

As you may now already have established, I love to explore new uses for indigenous Nigerian (West African ) food ingredients. My discoveries do catch me by surprise sometimes, and I get a lot of thrill from the results I am able to achieve.

I have explored the use of Gari in the past, especially making it more nutritious....as it is largely carbohydrate. and not much else. Some of my recipes feature the incorporation of vegetables into the process of making a local dish (eba) using Gari. I have also discovered that due to its grainy texture and crispy dryness, it can be used as a substitute for bread crumbs.... yes! I have effectively used Gari in meatballs, scotch eggs and a variety of other dishes that require a bulking agent. And yes, the results are very impressive. You have to try it out for yourself to experience it.

Toasted Gari with added Zobo (Hibiscus flower) Syrup

So during a cookery exploration session I had recently, several ideas popped up regarding what ingredients can be used to make some of the dishes we were making extra special and mysterious.....

My dish today is one of the outcomes of my exploration, slash, experimentation, slash, playing with food.... call it what you may, but its a success and I love it.... You've got to try it.

What you need

• Gari (I prefer the Ijebu Gari variety, because of its naturally sour flavour which works well in this dessert dish)  Read a little more about Gari here
• Brown sugar
• Zobo Syrup (Get the recipe here)
• Good quality Vanilla ice-cream

What to do

1. You need a good pan which will not readily allow burning or sticking of the gari. Place the pan on a medium heat and pour some gari. Stir continuously to prevent burning. 
2. Add some sugar and continue to stir. You have to be really patient and careful not to burn the sugar and the gari because burnt sugar will leave a bitter taste. Watch the heat closely, and turn down heat if needs be to regulate it. In effect, you are toasting the gari, to drive out moisture and make it crispy. 
3. Have a little taste and when you have achieved this, then add some minced, precooked zobo leaves, and also add some zobo syrup, a little at a time, stirring constantly. 
4. You will notice that the gari will start to clump together similar to what happens with brown sugar. This indicates its ready. Serve with some ice cream..!

So when I see or hear about foods of West African origin being transformed into something new, I get really excited, and very interested to find out more about what is being done and why... (Image above: cooking with Power Gari)

A few days ago, I received a link to the JUST website (an American company) which featured one of their products being introduced to Liberia. Its called Power Gari, and my reaction was, hhhmmm.... I became curious, worried and excited all at once..

Gari is a West African food ingredient made from cassava, an indigenous root vegetable that serves as a staple source of carbohydrate.

Frying/Roasting Gari - Photo credit: http://pedagogie84.pagesperso-orange.fr/g-gari.htm

Gari is processed by grating peeled cassava tubers, soaked/steeped for a few days, strained and fried/roasted to drive the moisture out. Check out the entire process of making Gari here. The resulting flakes or granules is referred to as Gari and this is further cooked in hot water to make a paste which is served with a variety of soups/stews.

There is no doubt that Gari is the most commonly consumed food ingredient in the whole of West Africa, particularly by the common men, women and children. The popular dish called eba is consumed once a day by the average West African...!

Nutritional Data
Gari is very high in carbohydrate with about 4% fibre per content. Based on 100g serving of uncooked gari granules -
Calories - 365.8 kcal
Dietary Fibre - 4g
Carbohydrates - 86g
Protein - 2g
Fat - 0.2g
Vitamins - N/A
Minerals - Iron Calcium, Phosphorus

Its not surprising to see that the major vitamin found in cassava (which is Vitamin C), is lost during processing. There are however, still some minerals present in the final product, though it has to be said, very minimal.

Gari on its own is far from being a balanced meal. Traditionally, it is cooked with some hot water (almost like polenta) and served with a variety of vegetable soups/stews. The soups usually contain fish and/or meat, so this way, a balance can be reached. However, the truth is, in most West African countries, due to poverty, most people are unable to afford fish/meat or certain other vegetables, to ensure they eat a balanced meal.

Health Concerns
A diet based solely on carbohydrate rich foods such as gari, pose health risks such as development of type 2 diabetes and obesity. For this reason, I have been very keen to see how best gari can be fortified to ensure its consumers gain the most nutritional benefits. I have created recipes adding fresh vegetables to gari during the process of cooking. See recipe here: Veggie Eba

Power Gari - by JUST
Introduction of Power Gari is promising, in terms of the potential advantages it can offer consumers. According to JUST, Power Gari is fortified with vitamins and minerals; and they have also increased its protein content to about 12g per serving. Their aim is to ensure that consumers of their product will be assured of their daily intake of the vital nutrients they need; pretty much similar the malt drinks introduced to African many years ago...!

Check out the video below:



Insight
The fact is, the idea of fortifying gari is not new, its just that we have not taken it as a serious prospect...! I personally believe, that as the primary consumers of Gari, we should be in forefront of innovation ...

So I am really keen to find out more about this product and to explore the possibilities of what can be done with it. And also to investigate if truly it can meet the aims for which it was developed. The success of Power Gari will open a floodgate of similar products, which I believe will have major economical implications particularly for local producers of traditional Gari, who would now have new avenues to increase revenue.

According to JUST, this is already the case in Liberia, and they have their sights on other West African countries, such as Nigeria, as mentioned in the video above.

One last thing, I am looking forward to seeing the actual nutritional data breakdown and content.

Power Gari made in form of a porridge

Those who follow me and read my blog posts do so largely for the creativity and art that I incorporate in my dishes/artistic recipes....( at least that is what I have been told, anyway).

It's a fact, I love food, the theatricals of food, food presentation and art. I strongly believe that all these, coupled, of course, with great tastes, flavours and textures, make for a complete eating/dining experience...! It's all about creating for your eyes, your taste buds and ultimately your tummy. It's part of living a full life.... in my opinion.

Now for me, my major challenges lie in the "nature" of Nigerian food ingredients. In other cuisines, you see the different ways food ingredients are carved out and used to create dishes that wow diners and usually arouse them to want to take a bite... In Nigerian cuisine, it's a little different. Generally, very little is known about these ingredients, so how to prepare them or manipulate them can be a little tricky. But, hey, I love the challenge, and I have enough time and imagination to explore and experiment with them!


So in today's post, I have chosen to serve some fried yam with some fried fish and some fried spicy pepper sauce.... yes, do you notice the fact that all are fried....hhhmmm, the frying helps to develop all the lovely tastes and flavours of the different ingredients. This dish combination is so typical and is one of the traditional dishes eaten in Nigeria, actually a dish eaten between meals, or as a snack (ipanu, as the Yoruba people will call it.)

So I present to you, my Fried Yam Hoop, Grilled Salmon and Spicy Ata Dindin... This will make your guests wonder and marvel, and also get excited with all its elements!


Here is how to try it out....

What you need

• Yam (I used the puna yam variety in this recipe. Read more about yams here)
• Salmon (or any other fish of your choice)
• Pre-made Ata Dindin (get the recipe here)
• Coconut oil for frying

What to do

1. Cut chunky slices of the yam, across its width, carefully peel the skin off and rinse. Then using a cooking ring, cut out the core of the yam slices. 
2. Try as much as possible to get a perfect hoop being careful not to break the hoop. The cored out parts of the  yam can still be cut into chunky sticks/batons and can also be fried and served with the hoop. 
3. Now, I usually per-boil the yam in some salted water for about 2-3 minutes. Then I remove the half boiled yam and transfer into cold water to stop further cooking. Then I drain off the excess water from the yam, dip into whisked egg wash and dip fry. As an alternative, the yam can be fried in one single step without the need to pre-boil. Drain excess oil from yam using clean kitchen towels.
4. Clean the fish and pan fry or grill. Then serve with some pre-made ata dindin.

Wakanda Jollof Rice, Plantains, Prawns, Gizzard, Aganyin Beans Puree, Steamed Rice & Red Pepper Stew.

I watched the "Black Panther", and I absolutely loved it..! full "on the edge" action from start to finish...! The cast, the effects, the story line, all ticked my boxes. I am so proud of the movie. I loved it...needless to say. Loved the whole concept of a futuristic African country; called Wakanda, waoh, I cant wait to see the sequel(s). 😊😊😊😊💛💛💛💛💛💛

Howwwwwever.....there were certain things that were missing in the movie... (in my opinion)..! Being a foodie, I waited anxiously through the movie to get a little inkling into what the people of Wakanda have for food..! you know; the type of things they eat... but other than a joke made by one of the clan leaders, suggesting they are vegetarians (ooopss spoiler), there was nothing else to shine any light on the type of food Wakandans eat...!

Wakanda is an Afro-futuristic country, located, most probably in sub Saharan Africa... This fact makes it easy to try to visualise and imagine the sort of food the Wakandans eat...

I am from West Africa and through out the movie, I could see a lot of influences from West Africa particularly in the costumes, some cultural beliefs / behaviours and especially fashion and make-up... So my conclusion is Wakandan cuisine will bear close similarities with West African cuisine...to some degree I presume. I believe it will be made up with elements from different parts of sub-Saharan Africa, by this I mean,  ingredients, spices and methods of cooking. also Wakandan cuisine will feature a great deal of fusion from other parts of the world.

So off I went to explore some of the possibilities for Wakandan cuisine....

Find below some of the dishes I imagined the Wakandan people eat (would be eating)....

I present, Wakandan Cuisine...which quite honestly has similarities to my long held vision for West African food of the future...!

PS.... if you have not yet seen the movie, hurry along and go watch it now...!

Assorted Meat & Veggie Stew, Rice Balls & Stew, Plantain covered Mackerel, Gari & Okra Gumbo, Jumbo Prawns with spicy Dip

Exotic, Aromatic Spices, Okra Prawns & Dried Fish Gumbo, Eba Balls

Maize Meal & Groundnuts Energy Balls, Yam & Fish Balls, Hibiscus Cake, Mulled Hibiscus Syrup with Ice-Cream

Sometimes when entertaining visitors, you do not have to go all out to cook the usual, y'know, rice, pounded yam with all sorts of soups bursting with different cuts of meat and fish.

If you haven't you must first read my previous posts on puff puff, to get an understanding of what it is... (See all my Puff Puff Recipes here)

Its a snack, can be served at parties as canapes, can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and also, as one may have suspected, its also great in desserts. In one word, puff puff is great...!

So in this post, I demonstrate how you might want to serve puff puff in your dessert.

What you need

• Plain flour
• Baker's yeast
• Sugar
• Nutmeg
• Chocolate syryp
• Fruit of choice (here I used bananas)

What to do

1. Start by adding some baker's yeast into a small bowl, then add couple table spoons of sugar, and warm water. This process is to activate the yeast. If after about 10 or 15 minutes you do not see any frothing (or foaming) action, then you know the yeast is not good and cannot be used otherwise the puff puff will not rise.
2. Next combine the sugar and flour in a separate bowl and nix well. The quantity and ratio of flour/sugar should be to your preference. Add a small quantity of nutmeg as required. Aim to achieve a soft sticky dough which is not too thick nor runny. 
3. Then add the dissolved and activated yeast mix. Incorporate into the dough. Cover with a tea towel and keep in a warm place to proof. Give it about 30 minutes to proof, by which time the dough would have risen double its size. 
4. Then heat up oil in a deep base pan and deep fry dollops until evenly brown.
5. Take one or two pieces of the fried puff puff, slice through its centre and plate with a scoop of ice-cream, some fruits and a good drizzling of chocolate sauce.

So I was not feeling so hungry today, I just wanted something a little spicy and savoury. I also wanted something sweet and crispy/crunchy....

I am home alone today and after rummaging through the fridge for a while, I came across some beef suya made by my brother in-law (uncle Sam).... he makes the best suya in the whole of London, I tell you. So quick I got it out and made a quick salad with it....and after having a hot beverage with it, I reached my point of satisfaction....! so that's it. lunch done..... looking forward to dinner... 😄

What you need

• Iceberg lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Suya spice/yaji
• Pre-bought suya (or you can substitute beef suya with grilled chicken or fish or vegetables of choice such as aubergine, courgettes)

What to do

1. Heat up the suya if required. 
2. Then chop up your lettuce, tomatoes and onions. 
3. Arrange all components on a plate and serve; preferably warm.

Puff Puff remains one of Nigeria's most favourite snack...! Every where up and down different places you find Nigerian families, puff puff balls are featured one way or another. They are great as snacks at home, starter or canapes at parties, and increasingly, they feature in dessert dishes...!

I have posted a couple of exciting puff puff recipes, which actually demonstrates how versatile it really can be. One of the most common questions I get from my readers when it comes to making puff puff is that, they are unable to get perfect round shaped ones....!



Making Perfect Puff Puff 

1. My number one all time fail proof tip for making perfect puff puff is......the yeast. Yes, the yeast. A crucial step in the making of puff puff is the proofing step, i.e., the stage where you allow the puff puff batter to ferment / proof, usually for a short time (between 30-60 minutes depending on the volume of the batter). You must ensure you buy/use active baker's yeast. It could be tricky to know for sure if your yeast is active. So what I do is to put the yeast into a bowl with some sugar and warm water. The warm water will help to activate the yeast. Set this mixture aside for about 10 minutes, by which time, you will see some evidence of yeast frothing. If your yeast is not active, it will not froth, and if you add yeast which is not active to your batter, you will never get a good outcome. 
2. You cannot rely on all the different brands of yeast sold out there. What you want to look out for is 'baker's yeast'. Some, when bought, do not become active even when you add sugar and warm water. If after about 10-15 minutes of adding sugar and warm water, and you do not see any evidence of frothing, you should know that the yeast cells are not active, so do not use.Try out a couple of different brands and settle for the one which gives you the best result.
3. Another tip is, you need a lot of oil to fry your puff puff. The traditional process of making puff puff requires deep frying. So you have to ensure you use a deep base pan, filled with enough oil that will allow the puff puff balls to float to the surface. This condition also allows the puff puff to form round ball shapes without any obstructions from the base. 
4. You can add any flavouring or seasoning of choice to your batter, and frankly they should not really have that much impact on the shape but will certainly have a lot of impact on the taste. 
5. One final tip is..., the temperature of the oil. This is really quite important because if the oil is not hot enough, then the puff puff can soak up so much oil, or if too hot, it can lead to puff puff being burnt on the outside but still raw on the inside. In order to be sure, put a small portion of the batter into the hot oil. If the batter floats to the surface almost instantly, then the oil is hot enough. If it sinks to the bottom of the pot, that shows the oil is not hot enough.

Over the holidays, my nieces came visiting and they were delighted by my puff puff clusters, which I made by sticking them together with some hot sugar syrup with a drizzling of a rich chocolate sauce. They loved it.....


What you need

• Plain flour
• Baker's yeast
• Sugar
• Nutmeg
• Chocolate syryp
• Fruit of choice (here I used bananas)

What to do

1. Start by adding some baker's yeast into a small bowl, then add couple table spoons of sugar, and warm water. This process is to activate the yeast. If after about 10 or 15 minutes you do not see any frothing (or foaming) action, then you know the yeast is not good and cannot be used otherwise the puff puff will not rise.
2. Next combine the sugar and flour in a separate bowl and nix well. The quantity and ratio of flour/sugar should be to your preference. Add a small quantity of nutmeg as required. Aim to achieve a soft sticky dough which is not too thick nor runny. 
3. Then add the dissolved and activated yeast mix. Incorporate into the dough. Cover with a tea towel and keep in a warm place to proof. Give it about 30 minutes to proof, by which time the dough would have risen double its size. 
4. Then heat up oil in a deep base pan and deep fry dollops until evenly brown.

1. To make them into clusters, dissolve some sugar in water and heat up gently until it turns into sugar syrup. 
2. Pick one puff puff piece at a time, dip a side into the syrup and stick onto one another to form a cluster.
3. When the syrup cools, it will harden and stay in place.

The African Star Apples are in season again (around December - March)....in Nigeria and in most of West Africa.

Below is a compilation of some of my favourite food ideas and tips on how best to enjoy these exciting fruit....

So the African Star Apple is in season again... (around December - March), well in Nigeria that is. (Click here to read more about African Star Apples)

I am sharing a recipe which I developed a while back and have just failed to post due to oversight...! It was really exciting at the time for me, and I think its actually a first, have not seen it anywhere else.

The exciting sweet and sour taste of this fruit makes it really adaptable for use in making different types of desserts and / or snacks.


Well, not a lot to say but do really, so see below how I achieved this exotic dish...

What you need

• Good quality milk chocolate
• Ripe Agbalumo
• Demerara Sugar

What to do

1. I started off  by scooping out the flesh of some star fruits and chopping finely. I then sweetened with sugar. (The amount of sugar you use depends on your preference). 
2. Next spread the flesh on a baking tray and oven dried for several hours. Care must be taken not to cook or burn the flesh. 
3. You need to set the oven to low temperature not higher than 50 degrees C. 
4. Check regularly to monitor the drying process. (you can sun dry as an alternative to the step). Once dried enough, I rolled out the flesh into a thing layer. 
5. Then melt some chocolate, again spread out a layer into a mould of your choice. Then place the thin layer of the agbalumo over the base layer of chocolate. Then carefully pour over a second layer of chocolate, to cover the middle layer of agbalumo. Place the chocolate/agbalumo layers into the refrigerator to set. 
6. Enjoy...

Chopped agbalumo flesh

Chopped and dried agbalumo flesh

Its tradition... every new year, we all aim to change a lot of things about ourselves, particularly our diet. We  strive to be healthy, and eat healthy, and lose weight.....and look younger....😊. We tend to start off well, but very quickly fall off the track... trust me, I know this story well.

What I have discovered over the years is....[pause], making a conscious decision to adjust one's lifestyle in its totality, is far better than following fads or trends.  To get to the point of making that decision, I believe one must have certain level of knowledge and understanding.....because Knowledge as they say is Power.

Your knowledge about the food you eat or about other aspects of life will help you determine if you wish to (or should) be having more or less of them.

So this year, one thing which I would be having more of is the Zesty-Gingery Tea. I have drunk this tea, usually at the start of the day, for so long now, and I see the difference it makes to my general well-being.


Starting your day with this zesty/peppery tea has a lot of benefits. You get a boost of vitamins, particularity vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system and also fight signs of ageing.

It also promises minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium. From the ginger, you get vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, folate, riboflavin, niacin. How cool is that...! So in one cup, you stand to gain so much goodness that have tremendous impact on your health....

Make the conscious decision to start your day with a nice cup of Zesty-Gingery Tea. Here is how:

What you need

• Fresh lemons or Key lime (osan wewe)
• Fresh ginger (atale)
• Spring water
• Pure natural honey or pineapple slices (juice) to sweeten. (This is optional)

What to do

1. Slice you lemon or lime, thinly (while will help them release all their goodness easily). 
2. Also slice the ginger and gently crush using a mallet of just bash with a heavy object. This process also helps to release the nutrients easily. 
3. Place your sliced lemon and ginger into a large mug. The amount you use should be to your preference, but bear in mind that the more lemon you use the more tart the tea becomes, and the more ginger you use the more peppery the tea becomes. 
4. Now put some spring water in a kettle and boil. So for this step be really careful not to let the water reach full boiling point, or if it does, then wait for about 5 minutes to bring the temperature of the water down. Most vitamins, particularly vitamin C, get destroyed at 100 degrees C..!, so you would not be getting maximum benefits from your tea if you have destroyed you key benefit. 
5. Pour some of the hot (not boiling) water into the cup with the lemon and ginger. 
6. Add some honey or pineapple juice (or slices) to sweeten it a little. 
7. Allow to stand for a few minutes, and drink. Aim to drink 1 or 2 cups per day.

Happy New 2018...!

2017 started out really exciting and I was hoping to reach some great milestones.... but other things happened along the way, which led to some unmet targets, and meant I had to go back to the drawing board....

I am thankful to God for a sound mind, and for the support I received from my family, without whom I cannot stand.

I am also grateful to my supporters and friends particularly on social media, who have stayed connected with me even with the inconsistencies that seem to plague my blogging and social media activities...!(working on this in the new year...!)

This year will be so exciting, I am working on a couple of concepts, all around healthy eating and also creating new food ideas to add variety to your diet and/or serve at your dinner parties.

This year, you can continue te expect creative, fun and spectacular recipes/dishes with will be exciting to make and enjoy.

Thank you so much.... your connections, comments/likes and support keep me motivated. Counting on your continued interest and support in 2018.

xxx

Do you have yogurt, condensed milk, some zobo syrup, some fruits that are very ripe, sweet or tart/tangy, do you want to make a simple dessert? Read on...

Come let's explore Chin Chin together...!

Chin-Chin is a pastry based deep fired snack, very popular in Nigeria and some other west African countries. Making chin-chin follows a very simple process of making a dough first, rolling it out and then cutting it into shapes, then fried.

Usually chin-chin is cut into strips or into small round or square shapes...and nothing else really, don't know why we are stuck with this way of eating chin-chin, ....but well I know, Nigerians are very precious about their food and also so stubborn about it that if it is not shaped exactly a certain way, then its not acceptable..., well I am one of the growing number of food rebels changing all of that...!..(wish us luck)

Ever since I wrote my cookbook almost 10 years ago, I have explored different Nigerian food items / dishes and created non-conventional versions, which I find really exciting and fun. And I love sharing my culinary adventures..!


So recently, I went through my archives to check out all of my Chin-Chin Recipes to share with you, to inspire you to try something new this festive season. Chin-Chin is excellent in desserts and can be part of a medley of snacks...!

All My Chin-Chin Recipes

• Star Chin-Chin, 
• Jammy Chin-Chin, 
• Choco Chin-Chin, 
• Chin-Chin Truffles, 
• Chin-Chin Cheese Cake, 
• Baked Chin-Chin  
• Chin-Chin Chocolate Mud
• Chin-Chin with Milk

Check out all of my Chin Chin Recipes here

In today's I have Chin Chin Stars served with Chocolate Ice Cream.

Method
To make the star shape, follow your favourite chin-chin recipe to make your dough then cut with star shaped cookie cutters. Deep fry as usual.

Las Gigi Mess...! I struggled a little with the name to give this recipe. Its been a dessert idea that I conceived many many years ago, I took the picture and totally forgot about it,,,..! That is so typical of me though, those who know me know how I often put doing things off and then I forget about them all together, am sure I resemble some of you in this habit sha..., no bi only me!

Anyway, I was exploring how to make a dessert that will represent at least something about Lagos, which is by the way known as Las Gigi (by some youths).

So I wondered, what do most Lagos youth love as dessert, answer is ice-cream. What else do they eat as snack mostly, answer is Chin-Chin.... Okay, what are some other snack items that can combine well with the two items above....so I determined, a fruit, some nuts, delicious syrup or chocolate / fruit sauces, the result Lagos Mess / Las Gigi Mess, following on in the tradition known as Eton Mess...! I tell you, its a really Delicious Mess..! oya go and try it too.


You can explore this further, by adding shuk shuk, crushed chocolate etc....anything you fancy

What you need

• Good quality creamy ice-cream of your choice
• Coconut candy
• Groundnut
• Chin-Chin
• Good sweet fruit of your choice (I used tangelo in this recipe)
• Chocolate sauce
• Honey or fruit syrup of choice

What to do

1. Arrange the tangelo wedges in the bottom of a dessert bowl, the add a few scoops of ice-cream. 
2. Top with crushed chin-chin, groundnuts, crushed coconut candy. 
3. Finish off by drizzling chocolate sauce, syrup over, in a carefree manner. 
4. Never mind the mess, that's where it got its name!