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.

 

SPINACH OMELET

I love eggs. Frying them with vegetables makes  it more exciting for me. 


INGREDIENT:


onions 
spinach
pepper
eggs
knorr seasoning


Please see similar recipe here ---> http://www.labelle-afrilight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/vegetable-omelet.html and find out how to prepare this.

MEAT PIE

Blogging the recipe soon!

Can find recipe on how to get started here ---> http://www.labelle-afrilight.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/perfect-fish-pie-and-pastry-dough.html

AVOCADO RICE

AVOCADO RICE

Rice and avocado goes very well together. Its one of those combos I really enjoy. I’ve not seen anybody that doesn't love avocado really. This recipe is quite simply and has to be consumed the same day otherwise the avocado changes colour. Here we go!

INGREDIENTS

Avocado –  back peeled, cored and cut into cubes

1 cup of long grain rice

Prawns

Carrots – cut into cubes

Peas

1 Onion

2 cubes of knorr

Salt

Curry

sunflower/veg oil

PROCEDURE

In a medium pot, pour in water, about half the pot. Bring to boiling. Add the rice, add salt and cook the rice until done and make sure there is enough water, just like when one cooks spaghetti. The reason for this is so the rice comes out not sticking together.

Transfer the rice to a sieve and drain the water. Transfer the rice again quickly into the same pot, add a tbsp. of curry, I cube of knorr and a tbsp of sunflower oil. Turn and put on the gas, turn it down to the lowest and allow simmering for 3 mins, so the ingredients go in. After 3 mins, transfer back to the sieve; spread them so it cools faster and avoid sticking together.

In a wok/pot, add 1 tbsp. of sunflower oil, add the prawns. Sprinkle salt and add the remaining knorr cube. Fry for 1 min., then add the carrot and peas. Fry for another minute.

Add the cooked rice in batches, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until the rice is really hot. Taste for salt, and then add the avocado. Stir and serve hot!

***Note: Because avocado changes colour when it stays for a long time, please try and consume this food the same day.***

BITTER LEAF SOUP

Ingredients:

Goat meat/cow meat/cow leg/ Chicken (a little bit of every)

Trips (towel or sharki)

Ede (cocoyam)

Crayfish

Bitter leaves

Pepper

Red oil

Knorr cubes

Salt

Onions

 

Preparation:

Season the cow leg with 2 cubes of Knorr and salt. The cow leg has to be cooked separately until almost done and bones taken off. Preferably, cook overnight.

Put the trips in a pot, season with 2 knorr cubes, teaspoon of salt, then put in the cut onions and sufficient amount of water, a little above the meat level. Cook for 25mins or so, then add the other meat and stockfish, add 2 cubes of knorr again, turn the meats and allow cooking for about 15mins (its shouldn’t be fully done because it will get done with the other ingredients).  Add the cow leg. Wash the dry fish and set aside.

While the meats are cooking, boiling the Ede until done (use a knife to check or press with your fingers). Sieve and rinse with cold water. Peel off the skin and blend in the blender – add water while blending, this makes it easier.

Pour in the blended Ede into the meat pot and turn. Wash crayfish and pepper, put into the blender, and then add water and blend – this helps take out all the remaining Ede. Please don’t put to much water, so that the soup doesn’t come out watery; then add dry fish, Now add a little bit of red oil, as need be, turn it and taste.

If you are not satisfied with the taste, please add a little bit of knorr as need be. Do not use salt at this stage, if need be very little salt to blend. Cover the lid and allow boiling for about 5 to 10 minutes checking the soup every two minutes, Then add the Bitter-leave and leave the lid open. ** Please remember, don’t put too much water, so it stays thick **. Allow cooking until ingredients are mixed together and the soup is thick enough. Please do not cook for too long, manage the cooking very well, once the soup is thick enough for your liking and meat is well done – then the soup is ready.

N.B: the amount of water, red oil and the seasoning cubes you will use would depend on the amount of soup you want. Please manage the quality well; medium pot of soup, for a start is better.