PUFF PUFF 2

I made these beauties for a friend's sons birthday. They all loved it and are still talking about it. If you wish to learn how to prepare  these African Style Puff Puff , feel free to visit my blog.

UNIQUE CARROT CAKE RECIPE

 

Ingredients

 

Two medium carrots

1 cup of self - raising flour

1 nutmeg

1 tsp. of baking powder

Chocolates

2/3 cup of milk

½ cup of sugar

Pinch of salt

4 tbsps. of butter (at room temp.)

1 tbsp. of vanilla essence

6 eggs (at room temp.)

Almond flakes

PREPARATIONS

• In a bowl, put in the sugar and 4 tablespoons of butter.

• Cream together with the aid of a food processor or mixer or wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

• In a small pot, add 2 tablespoons of white sugar, a teaspoon of butter and heat until the sugar is melted and colour changed to light brown. Add little water; this prevents it from sticking together. Set aside

• In a bowl, sieve the all dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg)

• Separate the egg whites and yolks.

• Put the yolks in pairs into the butter mix and cream for about 3-5 mins.

• Then add the vanilla essence. 

• Beat the egg whites until white, foamy. 

• Pour in the butter mix into the foamy egg whites, and then add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Add the milk and stir.

• Melt the chocolates and set aside

• Stir in the carrots. pour 2/3 of the batter into the cake tin.  Add the melted chocolate into the remaining batter and stir properly and then pour into of the cake tin

• then add the almond flakes on top

• When completely mixed, add the caramelised sugar, stir and add into your cake tin.

• Remember to grease your cake tin with butter or veg. oil and set the oven at 180, preheat the oven about 10 mins before the cake goes in.

• Bake for 35 mins.

BEEF HOT POT

INGREDIENTS

7 medium size Potatoes – Irish potatoes

Knorr cubes for seasoning

Fresh Spinach leaves

3 medium Tomatoes
Beef (any quantity)

1 Red bell pepper

2 large Carrots

Sunflower oil

  1 Aubergine

    Hot pepper

1½ onion

Thyme

Curry

Salt

PREPARATIONS

• Peel potatoes and cut them into wedges. Remove the cores of tomatoes and red pepper, cut them into cubes, set aside.

• Cut also the aubergine, carrots and dice the onions. Set aside. It is important to get these ingredients ready, so one doesn't stay in the kitchen forever

• In a medium pot; add beef, quarter of the diced onions, 2 cubes of knorr, ½ tsp. of both curry and thyme and pinch of salt. Cook for approximately 10 – 15 mins or until tender and cooked.

• Remove the meats from the pot and place on a plate, leaving the stock in the pot. Then add the potatoes into the stock and cook until soft. Sieve and set aside.

• In a medium pot, add 185mls/2/3 cup of sunflower oil. Allow to heat up. Once hot, add the meat, fry for about 2 mins, add onion. Stir for some seconds, and then add tomatoes and hot pepper.

• Fry the tomatoes for about 5 mins, add a cube of knorr seasoning. Add the aubergine, red pepper and carrots. Turn down the gas heat and allow to  simmer for 8 – 10 mins so all the ingredients can blend together.

• Then add the potatoes, turn and allow simmering for another 5 mins, so the potatoes sucks up some of the juice from the ingredients.  Turn, taste and turn of the gas. Then finally add the spinach, turn and serve

UNRIPE PLANTAIN POTTAGE

I remember when I was in UNN, a roommate of mine was pregnant at that time and her midwife advised her to be eating unripe plantain pottage, as it is very healthy and rich in iron. There are loads of reasons why we need this important mineral.

Even before you're pregnant, your body needs iron for several reasons:

• It's essential for making haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells.
• It's an important component of myoglobin (a protein that helps supply oxygen to your muscles), collagen (a protein in bone, cartilage, and other connective tissue), and many enzymes.
• It helps you maintain a healthy immune system.

But during pregnancy you need a lot more of this crucial mineral. Here's why:

• The amount of blood in your body increases during pregnancy until you have almost 50 percent more blood than usual, so you need more iron to make more haemoglobin.
• You need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta, especially in the second and third trimesters.
• Many women need more because they start their pregnancy with insufficient stores of iron.
• Iron-deficiency anaemia during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality.

How much iron you need?

Pregnant women: 27 milligrams (mg) of iron per day

Non-pregnant women: 18 mg

You don't have to get the recommended amount of iron every day. Instead, aim for that amount as an average over the course of a few days or a week.

THE RECIPE

 

Ingredients

5 plantains – 4 unripe and 1 ripe

Crayfish

Dry fish

Palm oil

2 knorr cubes

Pepper

Salt

Frozen spinach

Onions

Method:

Peel off the skin of the plantains. Cut plantains into small cubes and into a medium pot it goes.

Add water, same level as the diced plantain. Allow cooking for about 5-7mins.

Using warm water, wash the dry fish removing the bones. Set aside. Wash the crayfish and pepper. Blend together with half of the onions.

Add the mixture and fish into the pot. Add the cubes, ½ teaspoon of salt, 4 tablespoons of palm oil and cut in the remaining onions.

Cover the pot and cook for about 10-15 mins, then turn the food.  Check that the plantains are cooked. Then continually turn the plantain until it thickens. Add the spinach, cover the pot and cook for the next 2-3mins. Food is ready!

STEWED GOAT MEAT WITH ROASTED POTATOES AND SPINACH!

Ingredients

salt 

curry

onions

pepper

thyme

spinach

rosemary

tomatoes

goat meat

knorr cubes

red bell pepper

garlic granules

sunflower/vegetable oil

Preparations 

• Cut the meat into medium size. Put in a medium pot; add 2 knorr cubes, curry, thyme, salt and cut in onion. 

• Allow cooking until meats are tender and properly cooked. Fry and set aside.

• Freeze the meat stock, would come in handy in the future.

• Blend the tomatoes, pepper, onions and bell pepper together. Pour into a pot, boil until thick and water dried.

• Add sunflower oil, slices in onions and allow cooking for about 10-15 minutes.  Then add knorr cube, pinch of salt, little rosemary, turn and cover the lid for about 2 mins.

• Then turn down the gas to the lowest. Add the fried meat, stir and allow to heat up.

• Leave the stewed goat meat in the pot on low heat until the potatoes are cooked. 

• Please find how to prepare the potatoes here --> roasted potatoes . 

• In a frying pan, add a teaspoon of sunflower oil, cut in half onions. Fry for about 2 minutes, then add the spinach.

• Fry for just a min or less. Serve with potatoes and stewed goat meat.

ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST AND POTATOES.

ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH CHICKEN SAUCE PEAS

INGREDIENTS

White potatoes (Irish potatoes)

Peas

1 Onion

Chicken stock

3 Chicken breasts

Ginger

Garlic

Black pepper

Salt

Knorr Aromat

Vegetable oil

Lime

Flour  

PROCEDURES

For chicken breasts

In a food processor or blender, blend the ginger, onions and garlic. Set aside.

Pat dry the chicken breasts with kitchen tissue. Rob on the chicken, 2 tablespoons of knorr aromat. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the lime then put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

In a frying pan, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and allow heating for few seconds. Add the chicken breasts and fry one minute on each side to seal in the spices.

In a roasting pan, put the fried chicken breasts. Cover each breast with the ginger-onion-garlic mix. Sprinkle black pepper; roast for 45 minutes or until cooked.

For potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges. In a pot, add water about half the pot, bring to boiling. Add pinch of salt.

Once boiled, add the potatoes and poach for 4-5 mins. Sieve and allow cooling.

In the roasting pan, add about 5 tablespoons of veg oil, put in the oven and allow heating. Once the oil is hot hot, add the potatoes and roast for 15 mins gas 250 degrees, until golden brown.

For the sauce

In a small pot, add the chicken stock and flour. Mix until smooth then bring to boiling. Once thickened, add the peas and carrot. Taste and serve.