RECIPE 2: EWA AGOYIN MADE EASY

EWA AGOYIN MADE EASY

I noticed peeps found it difficult to make the sauce from the first ewa agoyin recipe , so now I challenged myself and looked for a less stressful way to achieve this lovely sauce……….Enjoy

Recipe for Mashed Beans
1 cup brown beans
1 small Onion
1 satchet Ginger/Garlic
water

Method
1 , Wash beans, chop Onion and pour everything into the pot add the seasoning and a little salt and boil for 30 minutes.
2, When beans is cooked ,using a spoon mash beans into a smooth paste

Recipe for Pepper sauce
1 cooking spoon wet ground dry Pepper (atagungungun mixed in water ,Note: the mixture must not be runny may be 1 and half teaspoon of water per 2teaspoon pepper )
1 Shawa  fish (optional)
1 cooking spoon ground Onion
1 tsp Ginger powder
2 cooking spoons Palm oil
1 beef seasoning

Method
1, Heat the palm oil but not to smoking point
2, Fry the onion,  wet ground pepper,fish, seasoning , ginger powder and salt
3,Fry till very dry but not burnt.
4, Spoon unto beans

Enjoy with Agege bread and or yam

Recipe: PLANTAIN EMPANADA

PLANTAIN EMPANADA

INGREDIENTS
ripe plantain

minced meat or beef
green pepper
red habanero pepper
fresh tomatoes (optional)

onion
spring onion
seasoning cubes
vegetable oil

eggs

~METHOD
1.wash plantation, cut into smaller chunks and boil
2.if you didnt get mince meat, but just normal beef like me, cut into small pieces, marinate. I seasoned with cubes, salt, gjnger and garlic powder . Cover
and leave for about 10minutes.
3.in a clean dry pot, on heat, pour your marinated meat, keep using a spoon to stir and turn. It will simmer in its own juice, when it is cooked, add your pepper, onions, tomatoes. taste for salt. Do not overcook, just immediately after it leaves the raw state, remove from heat, set aside.
4.when your plantain is completely over cooked, remove from heat, drain water and mash.do this till you have zero lumps.
5.either on a board, or on your palm (squeaky clean palm), flatten some of the plantain paste like you are making the wrap for a pie, should be about 2 inch thick.
6.add just a spoon of your meat sauce in the middle, and close it.
7.you can add more plantain if you discover any loop holes where your sauce is dripping from.
8.seal edges with raw egg.
9.just try to form a particular shape and stick to it.
10.pour oil in a pot, or deep fryer, when its very hot, fry till golden brown.
11.its best served when warm, can be eaten with rice or pap/custard.

12.I didn't use up all my sauce (I had to eat serve with boiled rice it was fantastic)

You can also google plantain empanada  because this recipe isnt exclusive thereare different varieties and there is even one made from potatoes,and then some add flour to it and stuff like that so just try to experiment and see what you come up with..
This was fun.

EWEDU EGUSI SOUP     

Ewedu soup is one of the main food eaten by the Yoruba‘(A tribe in the southwestern part of Nigeria, Africa) but it is becoming popular among other ethnic groups in Nigeria. It is made from the vegetable called jute leaves. This soup is very good for burning fat and weight loss. It contain low-calorie content which is one of the best and for anyone who want to burn fat, have a flat belly and lose some weight; it is advisable you consume low-calorie content meal such as ewudu.

An ewedu soup without meat contains 97 calories. This is how it is achieved. It has fat content of 4 grams out of which 10% is cholesterol, it carbohydrate content is 300mg (i.e 0.3g) with a protein of 18 grams. So, as part of low carbohydrate meal you can take for weight loss and healthy diet as a whole, ewedu soup is very good for such and is also highly medicinal.

So make ewedu soup one of your best diet not only for weight loss or burning fat in certain part of your body but as a healthy diet to glue with.

Loosing weight motivated me to making and sharing this lovely meal i loveeeeed it i hope you'll love it too 

                                      ...................enjoy     

Ingredients

8 pieces Beef(optional)
4 pieces Tripe{shaki}(optional)
4 pieces Cow leg(optional)
4 medium size Tomato
4 medium size Scotch bonnet pepper( or pepper to taste)
1 cooking spoon of palm oil
11/2 cooking spoons finely chopped Ewedu
1 table spoon ground Egusi (previously roasted seeds)
2 cooking spoons Onion ( chopped)
Beef Seasoning to taste

iru
Salt to taste

Method
1, Season meats with onion, pepper, seasoning and salt and steam till cooked.

2. blend your tomatoes pepper and onion with little water

3.heat oil and fry onions in it

4. wash your iru
5, Pick the Ewedu wash and chop into very tiny shreds. It will require that you chop the vegetable by hitting the vegetable severally with a knife until it is very finely chopped. I will not recommend blending as we don’t really want a paste.
6, When meat is almost cooked, pour in the oil and onion and the blended tomato/ pepper/onion and continue cooking for about 15 minutes. Taste to be sure the sourness of the tomato is off.
7, Correct the seasoning, add the Ewedu , iru and Egusi and cook for about 3 minutes, and soup is ready.
8, Serve hot with ‘ swallow ‘of choice.......... ENJOY

CORN IN COCONUT SAUCE

CORN IN COCONUT SAUCE

The rains are here in Lagos. Nice weather at night …. Not quite sure I want to leave this bed. The splatter of the sound of the rain drumming on the roof just brings me close to nature and the wonders of God. Day dreaming a bit.

Yes the corn season is here …………… And guess what I love corn (love struck)

The love for corn made me share a few health benefit a few days ago and now this recipe ………………….ENJOY

INGREDIENTS
3 Corn cabs

(you can use 1 tin of sweet corn)
8 pieces boiled/ roasted Chicken breast (bite-able sizes)
2 cloves Garlic, pinch thyme, dry Pepper(I advice Cameroon ), 1 cooking spoon Vegetable oil, chicken seasoning, salt to taste( mix together for seasoning the chicken)
11/2 cups  Coconut milk

1/4 cup Green peas
1/2 cup Carrot ( cubed)
1/2 cup Cabbage ( chopped )
11/2 cooking spoons Tomato/ Pepper mixture
1 medium size Onion( chopped)
1 tablespoon ground Crayfish
Seasoning to taste
Salt to taste

Method
1, Cut the chicken into cubes, season with the seasoning mixture in the recipe, allow to stand for about 30 minutes  boil  or  roast in oven for about 25 minutes till brown
2, Grate coconut or blend and extract the juice and pour into a pot
3, Using a knife slice the kernels from the corn cob. This is the fastest way to get your kernel out.
4,Pound the corn coarsely and set aside..

(please if you are using sweet corn just rinse don’t pound)
5, Place the coconut milk on the burner, add the tomato / pepper blend, onion, seasoning to taste, ground crayfish, chicken pieces and the drippings from the baking tray or chicken stock, and salt to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes
6, Add the corn, green peas and carrots and using a wooden spoon stir well into the coconut sauce. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes stirring in between to help the corn cook evenly.
7, Serve hot .

FOOD COOKING TIPS

FOOD COOKING TIPS

Decided to share a few tips on some randomly selected food i sincerely hope it will help most household

Enjoy……..

generally:

1.                  When boiling beans or corn, do not add salt. Wait till they are tender before salting.

2.                  Smelly spices like dadawa should not be added to tomato stew, they are good with Nigerian soups and porridges.

3.                  Porridges taste better with smoked fish. Beef enhances the taste of food but does not flow with yam, potato or plantain porridge.

4.                  Do not add green leafy vegetables at the beginning or middle.Vegetables should be the last ingredient added to the pot.

5.                  Cook with as little seasoning as possible. Too much seasoning changes the natural flavor of your food.

6.                  Tomato stew cam be cooked without necessarily frying.

7.                  Beef must be boiled until juice dries up before adding water. Never add washed beef to a pot of water.

8.                  Adding green vegetables to ogbono soup dissolves ogbono lumps.

9.                  Boiled chicken must be left to simmer if you must enjoy great chicken taste.

10.              Palm oil and sardines is a wrong combination. When you cook with sardines, use other cooking oils.

plantain and bananas:

Plantains are best bought unripe. I love ripe plantains and bought them a lot before I discovered the sellers force them ripe with corrosive chemicals. 

Chemicals used in forcing those plantains  to be ripe is a chemical that is considered to be slightly toxic by skin contact and moderately toxic by ingestion.

Although these chemicals are washed off the ripe plantains before they are sold. How clean is the washing? Only God knows. Preferably buy unripe, leave in a warm area until they get ripe.

To buy good plantain, select the ones that look very green and fresh. Those turning black may not be mature enough for good enjoyment. 

·              Good and mature plantains are heavy when lifted.

·              The skin is fresh and like a bit shiny

·              Mature ones look darker than immature ones. Sometimes they are harvested prematurely because of the long trips to cities.

·              Very Mature ones get ripe while being conveyed and this is a big loss to farmers and traders. So, they buy pre mature plantain that can last a long time before beginning to ripen. 

·              Those harvested prematurely can be a headache when you want them ripe. Sometimes, rather than turn ripe, the skin begins to dry and turn black and difficult to peel. What I do is buy a bunch that has at least one finger that is ripe or beginning to show signs.  The remaining green fingers get ripe at home.

·              The heat from this chemical forces  plantain and bananas to ripen early. 

·              Even bananas should be properly washed before serving, if possible with soap. That powdery chemical makes the ripe bananas look bright and appetizing but who knows what they cause if ingested?

·              Even bananas, if possible, buy unripe.

Egg Boiling Tips:

1.                  Wash eggs with detergents like Omo, Klin or Ariel. I don't know why but washing with these gets to harden the shells and no one cracks during boiling.

2.                  Boil water and add eggs to boiling water or put the eggs in a pot and pour the boiling water in the washed eggs; This way you can time the cooking to avoid over boiling ( I don't like hard boiled eggs neither do I like half cooked eggs). My eggs boil for 10 minutes and I get the perfect boiled eggs.

3.                  Once it's ten minutes boiling time, remove eggs from boiling water and drop straight into cold water where they stay until you can handle with bare hands to remove egg shells.

4.                  Following one to three above, you discover that your boiled eggs come out with no stress, perfect, yummy, easy to peel, fun to eat and healthier too. 

                                                                                                   HAPPY EASTER

Health Benefit: CORN

CORN

Corn grows in 'ears,' each of which is covered in rows of kernels that are then 

protected by the silk-like threads called 'corn silk' and encased in a husk. Corn is

 known scientifically as Zea mays. This moniker reflects its traditional name, maize, 

by which it was known to the Native Americans as well as many other cultures throughout the world.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CORN

Health benefits of corn include controlling diabetes, prevention of heart ailments, lowering hypertension and prevention of neural-tube defects at birth. Corn or maize is one of the most popular cereals in the world and forms the staple food in many countries including USA, Africa etc. It not only provides the necessary calories for daily metabolism, but is a rich source of vitamins A, B, E and many minerals. Its high fibre content ensures that it plays a role in prevention of digestive ailments like constipation and haemorrhoids as well as colorectal cancer. The antioxidants present in corn also act as anti-cancer agents and prevent Alzheimer’s.

Health benefits of corn are offered by presence of quality nutrients in it. Also, being rich in phytochemicals, it provides protection against numerous chronic diseases. Following are some of the health benefits of corn:

• RICH SOURCE OF CALORIES: Corn is a rich source of calories and forms a part of the staple diet among many populations. The calorific content of corn is 342 calories per 100grams, among the highest in cereals.
• PREVENTION OF HAEMORRHOIDS AND COLORECTAL CANCER: The fibre content of one cup of corn amounts 18.4% of the daily recommended amount. This aids in alleviating digestive problems such as constipation and haemorrhoids, as well as lowering the risk of colon cancer.
• RICH SOURCE OF VITAMINS: Corn is rich in vitamin B constituents, especially Thiamin and Niacin. Thiamin is essential for maintaining nerve health and cognitive function. Niacin deficiency leads to Pellagra; a disease characterised by diarrhoea, dementia and dermatitis and is commonly observed in malnourished individuals. Corn is also a good source of Pantothenic acid which is a vitamin necessary for carbohydrate as well as protein and lipid metabolism in the body. Deficiency of folic acid in pregnant women leads to birth of underweight infants and may also result in neural tube defects at birth. Corn provides a large chunk of the daily folate requirement. Yellow corn is a rich source of beta-carotene which forms vitamin A in the body, essential for maintenance of good vision and skin. The kernels of corn are rich in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant essential for growth.
• PROVIDES NECESSARY MINERALS: Corn contains abundant phosphorus apart from magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper. It also contains trace minerals like selenium. Phosphorus is essential for maintenance of normal growth, bone health and normal kidney functioning. Magnesium is necessary for maintaining normal heart rate and for bone strength.
• ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF CORN: According to studies carried out at Cornell University, corn is a rich source of antioxidants which fight the cancer causing free radicals. In fact, cooking increases the antioxidants in sweet corn. Corn is a rich source of a phenolic compound ferulic acid, an anti-cancer agent which has been shown to be effective in fighting tumours in breast cancer and liver cancer. Anthocyanins, found in purple corn also act as scavengers of cancer-causing free radicals.
• CARDIO-PROTECTIVE ATTRIBUTES: According to researchers, corn oil has been shown to anti-atherogenic effect on the cholesterol levels, thus preventing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
• Prevents Anaemia: The vitamin B12 and folic acid present in corn prevent anaemia caused by the deficiency of these vitamins.
• LOWERING LDL CHOLESTEROL: According to Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, consumption of corn husk oil lowers plasma LDL cholesterol by reducing cholesterol absorption by the body.
• PROTECTION AGAINST DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION: Consumption of corn kernels assists the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and is effective against hypertension due to the presence of phenolic phytochemicals in whole corn.
• COSMETIC BENEFITS: Corn starch is used in the manufacture of many cosmetics and may also be applied topically to soothe skin rashes and irritations. Corn products can be used to replace carcinogenic petroleum products which form major components of cosmetic preparations.

Recipe: Gbegiri( mashed beans sauce

Gbegiri 

Ingredients

Beans 1 cup

Palm oil (1.5 serving spoon)

Habanero Pepper/ Rodo (some people use dry pepper also known as cayenne pepper)

Stock cubes

Potash ( a little)

Salt to taste

Locust beans{iru} (optional)

Procedure:
Peel your beans like you would do to moin-moin, place a pot on medium heat,

add your potash and boil till its soft,

 blend your pepper (6pieces would do) to a smooth paste,

 I use the traditional broom to mash my beans the same way it is done for ewedu, but in place of the 

broom a blender can be used..

 The beans must be warm not scalding hot before blending so you don't destroy your blender. Once the 

beans is in a smooth paste either from blender/broom, place back on low heat, add one single stock 

cube, your pepper and your oil, then you stir.

Add salt to taste and a little water to reduce the thickness. Leave on low heat for 5mins, if u want to put

 locust beans, now is the perfect time, add it and let it steam for 1min.

Turn off the heat

serve hot with ewedu (I personally enjoy it with ewedu)(optional)

Note :Gbegiri gets thickened when cold, little water can be added when warming.

       ENJOY