Asun (Smoked Peppered Goat Meat)

This is smoked goat meat diced up with a whole lot of chillies. It goes well with a cold nice beer on a sunny afternoon and some serious banging Afrobeats. Lol! 

Asun means enjoyment as it puts you in a feel good mood. Remember the feeling you get when you steal meat from the pot when you were young, now imagine having so much meat you can’t contain it. Asun baby.... 

Ingredients 

500g Goat Meat 
4 Scotch bonnet (you can mix the colours)
1 red onion
2 knorr cubes
1tsp Onion powder 
1 tsp grounded ginger 
Olive oil

Wash the goat meat and seive the water completely. 

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Steak and Chips with Creamy Tarragon Sauce

Tarragon is an herb that is mostly used in French cooking. It has an anise-based flavour so it goes well with chicken and fish. As I can’t be asked to make béarnaise sauce this is my second option during the week as its quick and taste almost as good.

Ingredients

500g Beef Steak

1tsp Onion powder

1tsp Garlic powder

½ tsp Rosemary

Chicken Broth

2 tbsp dried Tarragon

Virgin Oil

1/2 cup of whipping cream

Remove the steak from the fridge; season it with the garlic and onion powder, 2tsp of the dried tarragon, rosemary and small amount of virgin oil. Cover it and leave in room temperature for 30minutes.

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French Toast and American Style Pancakes

Today is one of those days I felt like having a big breakfast and as it is bank holiday I have the whole day to burn it off (at least try to).
French toast is one of those happy food that starts your day right. Adding pancakes just puts you in a celebration mood.

Ingredients for French Toast 

2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 thick slice bread
Butter

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk cinnamon and nutmeg.

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Coconut Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is an African dish. An African party without Jollof rice is not a party. Maybe Supermalt and small chops too but Jollof rice is crucial.

When I think of Jollof rice, I remember growing up on Saturday mornings and the smell of my mum’s cooking wakes me up. There is a particular smell that not only wakes me up but also makes me offer my assistance as it means I will get the taster. A plate of fresh hot Jollof rice with fried meat....priceless....until she sends me back to brush my teeth.

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VIDEO: RESTAURANT REVIEW SARASTRO

Sarastro is a Turkish orientated but mainly Mediterranean restaurant. It is one of those places you have to try just for the experience. The interior design is modelled on theatre so you feel like you are dining in one. As we stepped in, it felt like a different world entirely; shoes, umbrella and all sorts hanging in every corner. It definitely has the novelty factor. We sat in one of the booth which gave an overview of the restaurant but wished we sat downstairs as all the fun were downstairs even though they tried bringing it upstairs to each booth.

Another touch was the live performance by a string quartet and opera singers which made it all magical.

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Yamarita Fries with Fried Goat Meat Stew

After the yam porridge post, I got an email asking what I did with the left over yam. So here it is; YAMARITA. This is basically fried yam but with a bit of kick so it’s not like Dun Dun (plain fried yam). You can serve Yamarita as a starter to share with a plain tomato sauce or if you are going to have it as a main meal add other bits to it like meat, fried turkey, fish, prawns and plantain.

Ingredients

Yam

2 Eggs

Plain Flour

Sugar

Salt

Sardine

4 Tomatoes

1 scotch bonnet

1 onion

1 Knorr cubes or 2 maggi cubes

1/4 tsp dry chilli pepper

Cooking oil

Plantain

Fried Goat meat

Cut the yam in circles, peel skin off and cut in a rectangular shape. Wash and place in a pot. Add water, sugar and salt to taste.  Parboil for 10 minutes. Depending on the amount of yam, cooking time might be less (key is the yam should be semi cooked). Sieve the yam and set aside to cool.

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Meat Pie

I have spent a reasonable amount of my future pension on meat pie. Seriously!! I have travelled almost two hours for meat pie several times. *covers face*. The amount of time I have suffered over meat pie - Chai! So let me save myself and some of you like me from the constant suffering of accessing meat pie.

Meat pie is a Nigerian snack that is made from flour, mince meat, potatoes carrots etc.. It is quite simple to make and can be stored in the refrigerator. It is also part of the small chops family in any Nigerian party and is loved by many.

Ingredients

500g Butter

1kg Plain Flour

1tbsp baking powder

1 egg

500g mince meat

1 onion

1/2 tsp of thyme

2 carrots

1 potato

2 Knorr cubes

1/2 cup of water

Vegetable oil

Peel the potato and cut it in cubes with the carrots and onions. Heat the cooking oil, add the carrots, onions, potatoes, mince meat thyme and seasoning. Add a bit of water and stir till the meat is all brown.

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Grilled Plantain Boat

It gets so hot sometime I feel like eating something filling but not too heavy. This is one of my quick summer delights. It also goes down well when having a BBQ.

 Ingredients

Plantain

Sausages

Red and yellow bell peppers

1 tomato

I scotch Bonnet

1 onion

Seasoning (Maggi)

Vegetable oil

Cut the plantain in the middle but not to separate it and put it on the grill.

Put your sausages on the grill medium heat. (If you are using frozen sausage, take it out in advance so it can cook quickly and thoroughly)

Turn the plantain and sausages around until it is cooked. This should take about 15 - 20 minutes.

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Thai Rice with Sweet Sizzling Prawn Sauce Inspired by Wagamama Firecracker Prawns

The Hubz and I always pass by Wagamama every time we are shopping but we never go in. So we decided to break this tradition lol. We ordered Firecracker prawns and after the first taste I realised why I had never gone in. The food was OK, but it lacked that extra touch for a restaurant menu. Although they had other rice dishes the firecracker was recommended and I was disappointed. I will probably try some of their noodle dishes next time.

So I decided to remake firecracker prawns and the Hubz said, “So why did we pay so much for this when you can make it at home? Well, yours taste fresh and it’s less oily.” Lol! He does crack me up.

So let’s get straight into it.

Ingredients

Rice (Preferably Thai rice)

Prawns

Tomato Puree

Spring onion

Red and Green Bell Peppers

1 Scotch bonnet

2 cooking spoon of Soy sauce

2 table spoon brown sugar

1 cooking spoon of Rice Vinegar

Vegetable Oil

Pinch of paprika

1 tsp sesame seed

Pinch of grounded black pepper

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REVIEW: BURGER & LOBSTER HARVEY NICHOLS

I have had burgers but this place truly serves special burgers. As the name says they only serve burgers and lobster. Simplicity is always the best. I truly believe the simplicity of the menu allows them to focus on the quality of the food. 

We got in to a buzzing restaurant due to the amount of tourist. The decor was not out of this world but it was decent with a lot of lighting. They had lobsters in the show glass that were moving around so if you find stuff like that creepy request not to seat in that area.

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Yam Porridge

Whenever I want to cook something different from rice but not as heavy as solid, I think of yam porridge, Asaro or Ebe. It’s refreshing and it still has sufficient carbs to keep me moving. Yam porridge is basically yam with tomato sauce and seasoning. It is like Ikokore but made with dry yam instead of water yam. I used Puna yam for this recipe.

Ingredients

Yam

4 Tomatoes

2 scotch bonnet

1 red bell pepper

1 onion

Dry prawns

Dry fish fillet

2 knorr cubes or 4 maggi cubes

A Handful of spinach

Palm oil

2 table spoon sugar

Pinch of salt

Blend your tomatoes, scotch bonnet, red peppers and onions.

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