Here are some African (and other) Recipes we've come to enjoy!
Salad— (Togo, Niger…taught in French Cooking Schools)
This is served for festive occasions, and has a very specific name in the French, but I don’t know what it is! It is basically tossed salad, but the arrangement is what makes it festive. Take a platter and break your lettuce into bite sized pieces till the surface is covered and you have a bed. Next you arrange a series of vegetables in symmetric arrangements over the top of the lettuce to form a sort of mosaic design. Perhaps the outer ring--at the edge of the platter-- might have slices of tomato end to end to make the appearance of a ruffle. The next ring might be green things--alternating slices of cucumber or pepper. Then there may be a ring of blanched carrot slices (still crisp, but steamed lightly), with a center of radishes, or whatever other veggie you might like to add. In Africa, they will add steamed green bean, or potatoes (sliced). Our family is not as crazy about these additions, so I omit them, and add broccoli or cauliflower here and there instead. Makes a beautiful platter.
Potato Zucchini Curry
1/4 c. margarine 1/2 tsp salt
1tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard 3 large potatoes peeled & cubed (4 cups)
3/4 tsp. cumin 1 large zucchini, sliced
3/4 tsp coriander 1 med. tomato chopped
In large skillet, melt margarine. Stir in spices and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Stir in potatoes. Cook covered over med.-low heat 10-15 mins, till tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in zucchini. Cover. Cook 4 minutes or till tender. Stir in tomato and heat through. Serve over rice or couscous. (A short cut is to get a mild curry powder and omit all spices, and instead add about 2 tsp. of curry powder.-- Ask at the store whether the curry is hot or mild. It is always easier to make it hot with cayenne, but not easy to calm down. ) This is good served with pineapple or a fruit salad. I have also had this recipe with added stew meat (beef, lamb, or chicken) and carrots and green beans. This is the way our family enjoys it most.
1tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard 3 large potatoes peeled & cubed (4 cups)
3/4 tsp. cumin 1 large zucchini, sliced
3/4 tsp coriander 1 med. tomato chopped
In large skillet, melt margarine. Stir in spices and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Stir in potatoes. Cook covered over med.-low heat 10-15 mins, till tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in zucchini. Cover. Cook 4 minutes or till tender. Stir in tomato and heat through. Serve over rice or couscous. (A short cut is to get a mild curry powder and omit all spices, and instead add about 2 tsp. of curry powder.-- Ask at the store whether the curry is hot or mild. It is always easier to make it hot with cayenne, but not easy to calm down. ) This is good served with pineapple or a fruit salad. I have also had this recipe with added stew meat (beef, lamb, or chicken) and carrots and green beans. This is the way our family enjoys it most.
Niger Peanut Sauce with Beef
1 1/2 lbs beef (chuck or round) (Cut into chunks)
Water (Salt to taste ) oil
1 med onion chopped fine 2-3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 to 2/3 cup peanut butter (in Africa they only have ground peanuts, like natural peanut butter. Nothing like Skippy)
2 cloves minced garlic cayenne pepper powder
1/2 cup tomato paste
Brown meat and onion in a small bit of oil, adding garlic when almost browned. Stir in tomato paste and coat meat well. Cover with water, add salt, bouillon cubes, stir and simmer 'til meat is tender. Add peanut butter, and stir 3 minutes. This will thicken the sauce. Add more water or bouillon or water as needed. Add cayenne pepper according to taste, and serve over rice or couscous. This is a good recipe to introduce people to African cooking.
( West Africans are too poor to serve desserts, but they have terrific fresh fruits—like pineapple, mango, papaya, oranges.)
Water (Salt to taste ) oil
1 med onion chopped fine 2-3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 to 2/3 cup peanut butter (in Africa they only have ground peanuts, like natural peanut butter. Nothing like Skippy)
2 cloves minced garlic cayenne pepper powder
1/2 cup tomato paste
Brown meat and onion in a small bit of oil, adding garlic when almost browned. Stir in tomato paste and coat meat well. Cover with water, add salt, bouillon cubes, stir and simmer 'til meat is tender. Add peanut butter, and stir 3 minutes. This will thicken the sauce. Add more water or bouillon or water as needed. Add cayenne pepper according to taste, and serve over rice or couscous. This is a good recipe to introduce people to African cooking.
( West Africans are too poor to serve desserts, but they have terrific fresh fruits—like pineapple, mango, papaya, oranges.)
Germany-- Strawberry Torte
Shell: 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour 1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. sugar 2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder (maybe a tad more)
1 tsp vanilla
Knead quickly, refrigerate till cool, then press into pan. It you have a fluted flan pan, use this. If not, use cake pans (whatever shape) pressing into pan so that the dough is about 1/4 -1/2 inch thick. Bake about 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes...till golden brown. Cool. Wash and hull strawberries. Arrange berries--cut side down-- on circular torte shells in concentric circles until top is completely filled. Do rectangular pans in rows. Warm a jar of jelly...currant, or apple until it is thin, and spoon over fruit in a thin layer to seal out any air. (The strawberry pie glaze that is sold in grocery stores would do about the same thing.) Then decorate the top with real whipped cream put through a cake decorator--or do it the easy way with the canned whipped cream. This would be served after a Sunday dinner or for a special afternoon coffee break comparable to the English tea time.
1/2 c. sugar 2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder (maybe a tad more)
1 tsp vanilla
Knead quickly, refrigerate till cool, then press into pan. It you have a fluted flan pan, use this. If not, use cake pans (whatever shape) pressing into pan so that the dough is about 1/4 -1/2 inch thick. Bake about 325 F for 15 to 20 minutes...till golden brown. Cool. Wash and hull strawberries. Arrange berries--cut side down-- on circular torte shells in concentric circles until top is completely filled. Do rectangular pans in rows. Warm a jar of jelly...currant, or apple until it is thin, and spoon over fruit in a thin layer to seal out any air. (The strawberry pie glaze that is sold in grocery stores would do about the same thing.) Then decorate the top with real whipped cream put through a cake decorator--or do it the easy way with the canned whipped cream. This would be served after a Sunday dinner or for a special afternoon coffee break comparable to the English tea time.
I hope these help. I love to cook and these are some of our family's favorites.
In His love,
Cheryl Boisvert
Tri-M: Africa
In His love,
Cheryl Boisvert
Tri-M: Africa