Vegetable Curry (Kenya)

  
 SERVES 8 -12

* 2 large onions, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon cumin seed
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (the black kind, if possible)
* 8 medium potatoes, quartered
* 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, crushed



* 1 large garlic clove, minced and crushed
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed, crushed
* 2 chili peppers (I will used a lesser amount of crushed red pepper flakes.) or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I will used a lesser amount of crushed red pepper flakes.)
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 cinnamon sticks
* 6 cloves
* 4 ounces tomato paste
* 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
* 1/2 small cauliflower, broken into pieces
* 1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
* 8 ounces green peas (fresh or frozen)
* 8 ounces leafy greens, chopped (small bunch, fresh or frozen, kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard, etc.)
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained (garbanzo beans)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large, heavy skillet or pot, brown onions in moderately hot oil along with the cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Add the potato pieces and stir to coat each piece with spices.

Add remaining spices and continue to stir for several minutes.

Thin the tomato paste with 2/3 cup of water and stir into the pot.

Add vegetables, one at a time, cooking for a minute or so between each addition, add chickpeas last.

If your pot isn’t oven proof transfer mixture to one that is and cover with a lid or seal with foil, and bake for about 45 minutes, checking after the first 20 minutes.

The consistency of this curry should be thick, rather than watery, but add more liquid if needed to prevent burning. Stir occasionally to keep ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Serve over rice or with Indian bread.

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Spinach and Peanut Sauce Over Rice

Gambian recipe. Serve over rice or couscous or millet.



2 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 green bell pepper
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach (or fresh spinach)
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes
1/4 cup peanut butter
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Rice or couscous or millet
Optional: fried tofu

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Sauté onion, garlic, and green pepper in the oil until onion is translucent. Scoop out the vegetables and set aside. Add the tomato paste to the saucepan for the process called "burning the paste," which means cooking the tomato paste until it bubbles and is thoroughly cooked.

2. Stir in the onions, peppers, garlic, and spinach. If you're using frozen spinach, no additional liquid is needed. If you're using fresh spinach, add 1/8 cup of water. Add the bouillon cubes. Sauté spinach until cooked.

3. Stir in the peanut butter. Add cayenne and salt to taste. Serve over rice or couscous or millet.

Optional fried tofu: Cut extra firm tofu into cubes. Place millet or corn meal in a bowl; stir in the tofu to lightly coat the cubes. Add approximately 3 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil to a medium skillet. Sauté the tofu until lightly brown; stir into the spinach mixture.

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Gambian Stew

2 lb vegetarian meat replacement, cubed

1 can/28 oz tomatoes

1 bell pepper, cut in strips

1 stalk celery, sliced diagonally

1 potato, cubed

1 large carrot, sliced diagonally

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 cup/4 oz creamy peanut butter

1/2 cyp/4 oz frozen peas, thawed

Directions

Combine the beef, tomatoes, bell pepper, celery, potato, carrot,onion, sweet potato, salt and tomato paste in a 5-quart saucepan, and mix well.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, adding water if necessary.

Stir in the cayenne pepper and peanut butter.

Simmer for 1 hour longer or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the peas, and simmer for 5 minutes.Ladle onto a large platter.

Garnish with bell pepper slices and parsley.

Serve over rice.

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Beans and Rice

Beans and Rice (or Rice and Beans) is a nutritious and economical dish. Beans and rice have probably been cooked and eaten together since prehistoric times. Even before the beginning of the agricultural era, wild grains and legumes may have been cooked this way. Cooking the beans and rice in the same pot (after giving the beans a head start) is likely the original cooking method.
field work, guinee

What you need

* one or two cups (up to a pound) dried beans or peas (such as kidney beans, red beans, black-eyed peas, pigeon peas, or split green peas, or similar)
* one cup uncooked rice, rinsed and drained
* salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)

What you do

* Clean, rinse, and soak the beans or peas in cold water for three or four hours or overnight. Drain.
* In a large cooking pot, combine the beans with enough cold water to cover them by two inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (approximately one hour).
* Stir in rice. (There should be between two and three cups cooking liquid in the pot -- if desired, the cooking liquid can be poured from the cooking pot into a bowl, measured, hot water added if necessary, and then returned to the pot with the rice.) Season to taste.
* Cover and cook until rice is done and all liquid has been absorbed (about twenty minutes). Remove from heat and let stand uncovered for five minutes before serving.
* Fluff with a fork, serve hot, as a side dish, or with any dish that is accompanied by white rice.

In Ghana, beans and rice is called wakye or waakye. It is served as a side dish with meat and gravy, fried fish, hard-boiled egg, or alone -- but almost always with Shitor Din. Baking soda is sometimes used in place of salt. A richer dish can be obtained by adding coconut milk at the end.

The basic beans and rice recipe is the distant ancestor of dozens of bean stews found in Africa, Europe, and the Americas, including Red Beans and Rice (Louisiana); Hoppin' John (Southeastern U.S.); Peas and Rice (Caribbean); Moros y Cristianos (Spain, Cuba, Mexico); and Feijoada (Brazil).

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Vegetable Curry (Kenya)

From: “The Africa News Cookbook, African Cooking for Western Kitchens”.

SERVES 8 -12

* 2 large onions, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon cumin seed
* 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (the black kind, if possible)
* 8 medium potatoes, quartered
* 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, crushed
* 1 large garlic clove, minced and crushed
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon whole coriander seed, crushed
* 2 chili peppers (I will used a lesser amount of crushed red pepper flakes.) or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I will used a lesser amount of crushed red pepper flakes.)
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 cinnamon sticks
* 6 cloves
* 4 ounces tomato paste
* 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
* 1/2 small cauliflower, broken into pieces
* 1 medium eggplant, cut into chunks
* 8 ounces green peas (fresh or frozen)
* 8 ounces leafy greens, chopped (small bunch, fresh or frozen, kale, spinach, collards, swiss chard, etc.)
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained (garbanzo beans)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large, heavy skillet or pot, brown onions in moderately hot oil along with the cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Add the potato pieces and stir to coat each piece with spices.

Add remaining spices and continue to stir for several minutes.

Thin the tomato paste with 2/3 cup of water and stir into the pot.

Add vegetables, one at a time, cooking for a minute or so between each addition, add chickpeas last.

If your pot isn’t oven proof transfer mixture to one that is and cover with a lid or seal with foil, and bake for about 45 minutes, checking after the first 20 minutes.

The consistency of this curry should be thick, rather than watery, but add more liquid if needed to prevent burning. Stir occasionally to keep ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Serve over rice or with Indian bread.

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Kuku Paka

Kuku Paka, a chicken-coconut curry, is a Swahili dish from the coast of Eastern Africa. It is also sometimes called an Ismaili dish, and it shows up on some Indian menus -- which all makes sense when one considers that the Swahili civilization itself is a mixture of influences from Africa, Arabia, and India. Etymologically, Kuku Paka is somewhat unclear. The African origins of Kuku Paka are clearly seen in the word kuku, which means chicken in Kiswahili (the Swahili language) and other African languages. But the paka part is unclear. It's notable that nazi (the Swahili word for coconut) is not used in the name of this dish, as it is in other Swahili dishes. Some say that paka denotes a dish made with coconut milk. However, paka is also the Punjabi word for delicious. (Paka is also the Swahili for cat, and it is related to Indian words for the verb to cook and pure; probably just a coincidence.) Gastronomically, there's no mystery at all: it's delicious chicken.
clove market, zanzibar

What you need

* two or three spoonfuls cooking oil or butter
* one onion, finely chopped
* two sweet green peppers (bell peppers), chopped
* one clove fresh garlic, minced
* one-half teaspoon ground ginger
* one teaspoon curry powder (or a similar amount of a combination of ground cayenne pepper or red pepper, cumin, coriander, and turmeric)
* a few whole cloves
* one teaspoon salt
* one chicken, cut into small serving-sized pieces
* one cup water
* four (or more) potatoes, cleaned and cut into quarters
* three ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
* two cups coconut milk (see Wali wa Nazi)
* fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
* one tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

What you do

* Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Over high heat fry the onions and green peppers for a few minutes, stirring constantly Stir in the minced garlic and fry for a minute longer. Add the spices and salt and mix well.
* Add the chicken to the pot. (Add another spoonful of oil if necessary to keep chicken from sticking.) Brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside.
* Add the water to the pot and bring to a slow boil. Add the potatoes and cook them until they begin to become tender. Return the chicken to the pot and continue to cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the chicken and potatoes are done.
* Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more. Then add the coconut milk, reduce heat, and gently stir and simmer until sauce is thickened. Stir in the lemon juicec. Garnish with the fresh coriander leaves or parsley immediately before serving.
* Serve Kuku Paka with Chapati or Rice.
* Drink Cardamom Tea or Chai with the meal or afterwards.

Another way: In a separate pot, boil or fry the potatoes at the same time the onions and chicken are cooking, (no need to remove the chicken). Add the cooked potatoes to the onions and chicken when the chicken is done, before adding the coconut milk.

Some cooks also add a bit of lemon juice and/or grated lemon peel as is done in Akoho sy Voanio, which is another African chicken-and-coconut dish, from farther south on Africa's east coast.

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Dahomey Fish Stew

Dahomey was an African kingdom (part of the region called the "Slave Coast") that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries in what is now Benin. The modern nation of Benin was known as Dahomey in the early 1970's when this recipe was published.
stilthouses built over water in benin

What you need

* two porgies (or sea bream, scrup, tilapia, or any firm, low-fat flesh fish), one to two pounds each; cleaned
* flour
* salt, black pepper, to taste
* one quarter cup palm oil or vegetable oil
* two onions, finely chopped
* two tomatoes, chopped
* one cup fish stock or water
* red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)

What you do

* Cut the fish crosswise, into two-inch sections. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Roll the fish in the flour mixture.
* Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the fish in the oil, turning it until it is golden brown all over. Remove the fish and set aside.
* Fry the onions in the skillet for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for about ten minutes. Add the fish stock (or water). Reduce heat, cover and simmer for ten minutes more.
* Return the fish to the skillet. Add red pepper if desired. Simmer for twenty to thirty minutes. Serve with Rice.

Adapted from The New York Times International Cook Book by Craig Claiborne (Harper & Row, 1971).

Maryse Condé
What a strange fruit it was, the tomato!

Tomatoes, both fresh and canned, are so commonplace in African cooking today that many Africans might be surprised to learn that tomatoes originated in the Americas and were brought to Africa soon after Columbus sailed to the new world. It is easy to imagine Italians feeling the same way. In Segu (New York: Viking Press, 1987), Maryse Condé recounts traditional Bambara beliefs concerning the tomato. (Segu, once a Bambara empire, is a city today's Mali.)

Naba put his tomatoes carefully into a large gourd. What a strange fruit it was, the tomato! The god Faro used it to make women pregnant. It contained the germ of the embryo, for its seeds were multiples of seven, the figure linked to the twinning which lay at the origins if the human race. In Segu, beside her hut, Nya had a little bed of tomatoes which was dedicated to Faro; she used to crush the fruit and offer them up to the god in the altar hut. And so whenever he picked his own tomatoes Naba felt himself back near his mother, back in her smell and warmth.
(Part One: The Word That Descends by Night)

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Chicken in Cumin Sauce

An easy-to-make chicken stew. Cumin is a popular spice in Africa. See also: Beef in Cumin Sauce.
woman with baby on vine bridge over river, west africa

What you need

* two onions, finely chopped
* one can tomato paste (or tomato sauce)
* one large can of stewed tomatoes or several fresh tomatoes
* four cloves of garlic, minced
* one teaspoon cumin
* cayenne pepper or red pepper, black pepper, salt (to taste)
* one chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

What you do

* In a large stew pot combine everything except the chicken. Stir until all is well mixed. Bring to a slow boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
* Add chicken, cover, and simmer for another half hour or more, stirring occasionally, until chicken is throughly cooked.
* Serve with Baton de Manioc (also called Chikwangue), or Fufu, or Rice.




Common table salt is now available all over the world, but in the past it was rare and valuable in many places. (The English word "salary" comes from the Latin word for "salt".) Leo Africanus (born Al-Hasan Ibn Muhammad Al-Wazzan Az-Zayyati, 1485-1554) wrote The Description of Africa in 1526 and remarked on salt's value in Timbuktu.

Grain and animals are abundant, so that the consumption of milk and butter is considerable. But salt is in very short supply because it is carried here from Tegaza, some 500 miles from Timbuktu. I happened to be in this city at a time when a load of salt sold for eighty ducats.
(Description of Timbuktu)

Red-Red

Red-Red, a popular dish in Ghana made from cowpeas (black-eyed peas), might be named for the combination of red pepper and red palm oil. The Red-Red cowpeas stew is usually served with Fried Plantains.
plantains in cameroon

What you need

* two to three cups dried cowpeas (black-eyed peas) or similar
* one cup red palm oil (or vegetable oil)
* one or two onions, thinly sliced
* two or three ripe tomatoes, quartered
* one or two bouillon cubes or Maggi® cubes (optional) -- or -- small piece of smoked or dried fish and/or one spoonful shrimp powder
* cayenne pepper or red pepper
* salt and black pepper
* several ripe or near-ripe plantains (but not overly ripe)

What you do

* Clean the black-eyed peas in water in a large pot. Soak them in water for at least an hour or overnight. After soaking them, rub them together between your hands to remove the skins. Rinse to wash away the skins and any other debris. Drain them in a colander. If using smoked or dried fish: remove bones and skin, rinse and soak in water, then dry. If using dried shrimp: grind the shrimp (or obtain already ground or powdered shrimp).
* Place the black-eyed peas iIn a large pot, fill with water to just cover the peas. Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender, thirty minutes to an hour. When cooked, the peas should be moist, but not standing in water.
* While peas are cooking: Heat oil in a skillet. Fry the onions until slightly browned, then add tomatoes, and fish and dried shrimp (if desired). Mash and stir the mixture to form a sauce.
* Stir the onion-tomato mixture into the black-eyed peas. Add buillon or Maggi cubes (if not using fish or shrimp). SImmer for ten minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne or red pepper to taste.
* While peas and sauce is simmering: Prepare Fried Plantains.
* Serve peas and plantains side by side on a plate.

Maybe you would like some Kelewele, instead of plain fried plantains.

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Pepper Soup

Pepper Soup or Peppersoup—which is especially popular in the English-speaking countries of Western Africa: Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria—doesn't have any more pepper than many other African soups. It is usually made with goat meat, but can also be made with beef, chicken, or mutton. There are many ways this soup can be seasoned. One Nigerian company makes "Peppersoup cubes" (for "easy, tasty, convenient peppersoup in double quick time"), which may be available in import grocery stores.
palmnut warehouse in nigeria

What you need

* two pounds goat meat, lamb or mutton (beef for stew can also be used); cut into bite-sized pieces
* one or two onions, quartered
* two or three hot chile peppers, cleaned and chopped
* peppersoup seasoning (see below)
* four cups meat broth or stock
* two tablespoons ground dried shrimp
* one small bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
* one tablespoon fresh or dried utazi leaves (or bitterleaf) (see below)
* salt and black pepper to taste

What you do

* In a deep pot or dutch oven, combine meat, onions, chile peppers, and a cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook until meat is done, twenty to thirty minutes, adding water as necessary to keep pot from becoming dry.
* Add peppersoup seasoning and the broth or stock (or water) and simmer over low heat for ten to twenty minutes.
* Add the dried shrimp, mint leaves, and utazi leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until soup is to be served.

Packaged peppersoup seasoning mix, usually imported from Nigeria, may be found in African grocery stores. The traditional spices used in pepper soup are little known outside of Africa.

Jessica B. Harris and others report that expatriate Nigerians make a substitute peppersoup seasoning mix from allspice, anise pepper, anise seeds, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dried ginger, fennel seeds, and tamarind pulp.

Some cooks also use thyme, Maggi® cubes, curry powder, cayenne pepper or red pepper, and tomato paste.

Utazi leaves and bitterleaf may also be found in African grocery stores. If they cannot be obtained, any bitter green can be substituted.

Okra & Greens

Okra is generally thought to have originated in the wild in Northern or Northeastern Africa. It has been cultivated throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for centuries, where it is used to give a mucilaginous thickening quality to soups and stews. It can be used fresh, or dried for storage. Okra was brought from Africa to the Americas by enslaved Africans. Africans also brought their names for okra. The English word okra comes from the West African Twi (or Tshi) language's nkruman or nkruma which was shortened in English to okra. In many Bantu languages of Central Africa, okra is called ngumbo, or ngombo, from which the Louisiana Creole-Cajun Gumbo soup-stew made from okra gets its name. See the early Gumbo recipes among the Rare Recipes of Mrs. M. Randolph, Mrs. L. Bryan, and Mrs. A. Fisher.

What you need

• one onion, chopped
• two tablespoons of palm oil or any cooking oil, (palm oil gives the most authentic taste)
• one cup water
• one pound greens, cleaned, stems removed, ,and shredded: cassava leaves ( Feuilles de Manioc), kale, collards, or similar)
• twenty okra
• two cups palm butter or nyembwe sauce, or canned palm soup base -- peanut butter can be substituted
• two or three chile peppers, chopped (or cayenne pepper)

What you do

• Heat oil in large pot. Saute onions until clear. Add water and bring to boil.
• Add all remaining ingredients. Cook until all is tender, stirring often.

Canned palm soup base is usually available only in large cans; if you have more than needed, make some Poulet Nyembwe.

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African Hot Sauce

An all-purpose hot sauce.

What you need

• one dozen chile peppers (i.e., hot red peppers!)
• one small sweet green pepper (or bell pepper)
• one clove garlic
• one medium onion
• two cans tomato paste
• four tablespoons vinegar
• one teaspoon sugar
• one teaspoon salt

What you do

• Remove stems and seeds from peppers. -- Careful! Wear kitchen gloves! Do NOT touch your eyes or face while handling hot peppers! Wash your hands with soap and water after you have handled hot peppers -- Grind hot peppers, green pepper, garlic, and onion (or use food processor). Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Simmer for an hour or two. Add cayenne pepper if desired. Put in jars and refrigerate.
• Serve with everything.

---

Pili-Pili Sauce

An easy-to-make hot sauce. Pronounced "pee-lee pee-lee", also spelled pilipili. From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, this word is used throughout tropical Africa to refer to hot red peppers, sauces made from them, and foods cooked with these peppers or sauces. Is Pili-Pili a reduplication? See the Coupé-Coupé recipe.

What you need

• several chile peppers (i.e., hot red peppers!), cleaned and finely chopped
• juice of one lemon
• a few cloves of garlic, minced
• several pieces of parsley, minced (optional)
• a few tablespoons of cooking oil
• a pinch of salt

What you do

• Mix all ingredients by hand or with a blender, food processor. Cook in a hot skillet for a few minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
• Serve with everything.

Instant pili-pili: Mix cayenne pepper or red pepper powder, garlic powder, and onion powder with a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce.

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Peanut Soup

Various peanut soups are common throughout Africa. Some are very simple, others more elaborate. They are often eaten as a main course along with Rice, or one of the Fufu-like staples: Baton de Manioc, Fufu, or Ugali.

What you need

• two or three cups chicken broth or chicken stock
• one small onion, minced
• one small sweet green pepper (or bell pepper), minced
• one clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
• salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
• one hot chile pepper, minced (optional)
• one carrot, chopped fine or one sweet potato or yams, boiled and mashed (optional)
• one or two tomatoes, chopped or canned tomatoes (optional)
• one cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or make your own peanut paste, see the simple peanut soup recipe below)

What you do

• If using homemade peanut paste, simmer it with the broth for fifteen minutes, then add all other ingredients and simmer over low heat until everything is thoroughly cooked. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.
• If using peanut butter: Combine all ingredients except the peanut butter and simmer over medium heat until everything is tender. Reduce heat, add the peanut butter and simmer for a few minutes more. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.

Simplest Peanut Soup

The simplest Peanut Soup recipe calls for two parts chicken stock, two parts shelled peanuts, and one part milk or cream. Start by roasting the peanuts in a baking pan in a hot oven, or on the stove in a large skillet, turning often. Remove the skins from the peanuts and mash them with a mortar and pestle, mince them with a knife, crush them with a rolling pin, or use a food-processor. (Or you could use one part peanut butter, preferably natural and unsweetened.) Combine the peanut paste with the chicken stock in a saucepan and simmer for thirty minutes to an hour. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir in milk before serving.

Colonial American Peanut Soup

Make a roux by heating a spoonful of butter in a saucepan and slowly stirring in a spoonful of flour, then add the other ingredients (as above). Consider including a chopped celery stalk and a chopped leek along with the other vegetables. Also add some milk or cream just before serving.

See also: Nkatenkwan on Rare Recipes: Alice Dede; and Groundnut Stew; Peanut Sauce; and Chicken in Peanut-Tomato Sauce.

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Quick Vegetable Curry

INGREDIENTS:

* Frozen vegetables (Broccoli, carrots, beans, etc)
* 1 onion - sliced
* 1-teaspoon salt to taste
* 2-tablespoons cornstarch
* ¼ cup water
* 4-tablespoons olive oil
* 1-teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 4 tablespoons curry

Shop Now for Jamaican recipe ingredients & seasoning in our online store.

METHOD:

1. Add olive oil into a skillet and heat
2. Add curry & mix with hot oil
3. Add onion slices & sauté
4. Add frozen vegetables to skillet
5. Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup water until a paste is formed
6. Add cornstarch paste into skillet until lightly thickened.
7. Cook for 10 minutes then serve

Low Country Red Rice

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion
1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3 thick slices bacon
1 cup long-grain white rice
Salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup chicken stock

Chop the onion. Have the can of tomatoes opened and ready to use. In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion. Saute until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute until the grains are coated with the bacon fat and are very hot, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and black and cayenne peppers, mixing well. Pour in the stock or water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Do not stir the rice during this time.

Spoon the rice into a serving bowl and crumble the bacon over the top. Serve at once.

Serves 4-6

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

"The Sugar Reef Carribean Cookbook," by Devra Dedeaux. See the Amazon link to the right to learn more about the cookbook (used copies should be available).

* 1 tablespoon Ground allspice
* 1 tablespoon Dried thyme
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground sage
* 3/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
* 3/4 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons Garlic powder or fresh
* 1 tablespoon Sugar
* 1/4 cup Olive oil
* 1/4 cup Soy sauce
* 3/4 cup White Vinegar
* 1/2 cup Orange juice
* 1 Lime juice
* 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (habanero)
* 3 Green onions -- finely chopped
* 1 cup Onion -- finely chopped
* 4 to 6 chicken breasts


"JERK: This method of cooking pork and chicken dates back to the Carib-Arawak Indians who inhabited Jamaica. After capturing an animal and thoroughly cleaning and gutting it, the Indians placed it in a deep pit lined with stones and covered with green wood, which, when burned, would smoke heavily and add to the flavor. But first, the carcass was "jerked" with a sharp object to make holes, which were stuffed with a variety of spices. The holes also allowed heat to escape without loss of moisture.

The results were superb. The meat was not only wonderfully spiced, but moist and tender." (Note: Sugar Reef is a restaurant in Manhattan) Seed and finely chop Scotch Bonnet pepper. Trim chicken of fat. In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar. With a wire whisk, slowly add the olive oil, say sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice.

Add the Scotch Bonnet pepper, onion, and mix well. Add the chicken breasts, cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, longer if possible.
Preheat an outdoor grill.

Remove the breasts from the marinade and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. While grilling, baste with the marinade. Bring the leftover marinade to a boil and serve on the side for dipping.

Note: Scotch Bonnet peppers, also known as "Habaneros" are the hottest of the capsicum peppers, they're truly incendiary. Substitute Serranos of Thai Bird Chiles if you can't find them.

Grilled Cajun Style Gator Tail

Ingredients

4 To 6 Lbs Gator Tail
Lemon wedges

Seasoning Mix:


12 T Paprika
6 T Garlic powder
3 T Salt
3 T White pepper
3 T Oregano, crushed
3 T Black pepper
2 1/2 T Thyme
1 T Cayenne pepper

To make seasoning mix, combine paprika, garlic powder, salt, white pepper, oregano, black pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper in jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well to combine. Mixture may be stored for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, cut gator tail meat into 1/2" cubes. Roll each cube in 1 tablespoon of the mixture. Cook over high heat on an outdoor barbecue grill or under the oven broiler for 4 to 6 minutes, or until gator tail meat is white and firm to the touch. Serve warm with lemon wedges. The seasoning mixture will coat up to 24 (4 oz.) servings of gator tail.

Blackened Red Snapper

This blackened red snapper is cooked with a coating of spicy homemade blackened seasoning and served with a flavorful Creole sauce. Serve this with or without the Creole sauce, or use your own sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 red snapper fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each
* 3 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
* .
* Blackened Seasoning
* 1 heaping tablespoon paprika
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon leaf thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon leaf oregano

PREPARATION:

Creole Sauce

Mix the blackened seasoning ingredients well and funnel into a shaker.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush red snapper fillets all over with butter; sprinkle with blackened seasoning. Place, skin side down, in hot skillet; drizzle a little more butter over each fillet. Cook for about 4 minutes, until blackened; turn fillets carefully and drizzle with another small amount of butter. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with Creole sauce (see link above) or as is, with rice and a green vegetable.

Serves 4.

Blackened Catfish Recipe

Recipe ingredients:

6-8 - catfish fillets, thinly sliced
1 – teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves
1 – teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 – teaspoon black pepper
1 – teaspoon salt
1/2 - teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 – teaspoon onion powder
1/2 - teaspoon paprika
1/2 – cup butter, melted
1/2 – white wine, dry cooking
lemon juice

Cookware and Utensils:

1 – cast iron skillet or large heavy skillet
1 – mixing bowl
1 – spatula

Recipe instructions:

As always the key to great cooking is to be prepared and to use quality ingredients.

Rinse catfish fillets under running cold and then thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.

Make your seasoning mixture by combining crushed dried thyme leaves, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika in a small bowl.

Brush melted butter lightly over catfish fillets and sprinkle with blackened seasoning mix. Repeat for other side. Be sure to completely coat each fillet.

Heat iron cast skillet until it is very hot, about 10 minutes. Pour the leftover butter into your skillet. Carefully place the catfish fillets into the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes on both sides. This blackened seasoning mixture will produce some smoke so another way to tell when to turn over you fillets is when the smoke turns gray.

Serve finished fillets over a bed of white steamed rice. Add lemon juice to the top of each fillet. I also recommend Caesar or Garden salad with baked potato.

Spicy Four Alarm Vegetarian Chili Recipe

A spicy vegetarian chili recipe1 calling for hot sauce, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper. For an even hotter vegetarian chili, toss in some minced and crushed fresh chili peppers. Click here2 for more easy vegetarian chili3 recipes.

Ingredients:

* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 onion, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
* 4 tbsp chili powder
* 1/2 tsp cayenne
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp red pepper flakes
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 cups hot salsa
* 1 cup water
* 3 cups canned or pre-cooked kidney beans

Preparation:
In a large pot, sautee the onion and garlic in oil until the onions are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, red pepper, salt, salsa and water. Bring to a slow simmer, and allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beans and simmer for at least another 30 minutes.

More Vegetarian and Vegan Chili Recipes:

Super Easy Vegetarian Chili
Vegetable Chili
Crockpot Chili
Crock Pot Barley Chili
Tofu Chili
Black Bean Chili

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