Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Corn, corn, and more corn

Hey friends... really haven't been doing too much experimenting with food lately. However... it's rainy season in Nigeria! Why is this good news folks? Corn (on the cob) that's why. Maize, corn, or whatever you call it, is an excellent option as a side dish... both on or off the cob. It's healthy, and as such fits into any diet, but most importantly, if you are a foodie like me... it tastes delicious.

As you walk or drive around the streets of Lagos. At almost every corner, there has emerged in the last few weeks, a street vendor steaming or roasting (BBQ style) some fresh corn.

After salivating for weeks, and convincing myself that I wouldn't have a single bite until I (or my mom or dad) purchased some fresh corn and I (or my mom) cooked it ourselves at home... my corn dream finally came true about a week ago.

There isn't really much to cooking corn on the cob. Some people like to steam it, which is actually an excellent way of retaining all of its nutrients.... but, sticking to the way it was done by my mom when I was a kid, and... considering that Nigerian corn is a little more tender than corn in the US (an attribute I actually prefer), I like to boil it in salted water. Depending on the quantity and tenderness, it takes about 30-45 minutes, and voila... happy eatings (feel free to rub on some butter/spread before devouring, but for me... I've never really been a fan of buttering my corn).

The batch we cooked last week was gone in a few days. Mostly my fault, I confess. I'd have corn alone for dinner some days (no shame in my game folks!), and so I hooked up another batch today. I enjoyed it so much I was inspired to share my joy with you. Yum all the way!!!!!!!!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Jerk Chicken

Since I've been back, the one thing I have been doing more than usual, on the cooking tip, is firing up the grill.

Forget the fancy, smancy, dual this, dual that, state-of-the- art grills out there on the market. What we've got is a simple, but highly effective charcoal (coal) grill. I've been experimenting with this grill since my teenage years, and today, with self proclaimed 'grill-master' status, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Today's recipe is 'Jerk Chicken'. A Jamaican classic, found in every self-respecting Jamaican restaurant, anywhere in the world. It has been one of my favorites for years, and I've made versions of it using the dried spice mixes, and jarred pastes.

In the absence of the above, I went back to basics. I pulled up a recipe from a cookbook, tweeked ingredients here and there, based on availability... and voila - Jerk Chicken a la moi!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of chicken
1 large scotch-bunny(habanero) pepper
1/2 medium red onion
1 2-inch piece of ginger
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsps white wine vinegar
3 tbsps light soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Method

- Prepare chicken and drain water (set aside)
- Finely chop the onion, scotch bunny pepper(remove seeds), ginger and garlic, place in bowl

- Add, thyme, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper, mix well

- Using a mortar & pestel (or a food processor) combine the mixture as well as possible

- Pour the mixture over the chicken, making sure all pieces are well coated

- Cover the chicken and place in a refrigerator to marinade for at least 2 hours
- Prepare your grill
- When hot, cook chicken on the grill, basting with the left over marinade and oil as often as need

Sit back and relax... while you enjoy this mouth watering dish on its own, or along with your favorite sides.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Christmas Delights

Happy New Year family!

Christmas traditions are common in most families, and in mine, it's in the way we prepare our Christmas lunch/dinner. The food preparation starts sometime in the evening on the 24th and ends early in the morning on the 25th.

Glad to be home again after so many years, although it was just me and my mom this year, my mom sat back and allowed me to prepare our spread. After she had done the grocery shopping (went to the market), I got down to business, and by 10 am on Christmas day, as we headed to church, we were looking forward to the following;

- Poulet braisse (grilled chicken)
- Stewed beef
- Curried goat
- Jollof rice
- Coconut rice
- Fried plantain

... and then we washed it all down with some store-bought fruit cake and ice-cream. Couldn't have had a better 2009 Christmas experience.



p.s - most recipes are already on here, the rest are coming soon...