Belle's Okra Soup

 BELLE'S OKRA SOUP

Yes! I am back but part – time. I have a lot going on in my life at the moment – work, childbirth, family and school  - Multitasking Career Woman! Time management is something I know how to do best but having a newborn and a 2 year old to look after, really it seems I have forgotten what it means to manage time.

My son is a very picky eater and this drives me mental. I am always on my toes trying new recipes so he can eat something everyday; but I have just given up struggling to figure what he likes. I create different recipe almost every other day, most of them are easy to prepare and they taste heavenly. Here is one of them – Belle’s Okra Soup

Ingredients

1kg Okra

2 Fresh or frozen Mackerel fish

Mackerel fish stock

1 medium size Onion

3 cubes of knorr

Salt

Water

A cup of Palm oil

Procedure

• Wash, clean and slice the mackerel. Put into a pot, add 1 cubes of knorr, and slice in a quarter of the onion. Add a pinch of salt and cook till properly done.
• Bring the fish out of the pot, pour the stock into a bowl and set aside.
• Remove all the bones from the fish just like in the photo (remember this is for the kids, so one has to carefully remove the bones); then set it aside
• Cut the Okra and the remaining onions just as seen in the photo or as you want it.
• Now put these ingredients in a dried pot, add oil. Then allow it to heat for few seconds. Add the diced onions and fry for about a minute.
• Add 2/3 of the okra into the pot.  Add the remaining knorr cube, stir at intervals and allow it to fry. Cook until the okra mixes properly with the oil and becomes slimy.
• Then add the fish into Okra, mash it into the okra so one barely notices the fish.
• Pour in the fish stock, turn and taste for salt. If not satisfied with the taste, add salt or another knorr cube.
• Finally add the remaining Okra, this is to give it that special very fresh looks.
• Then Stir and taste at different intervals as need be… 

This could take about 20 – 30 mins to get done. 

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