Zucchini, Eggplant, and Green Beans with Tomatoes

Recipe Type: Vegetables, Squash, Tomatoes, Green Beans
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min

Ingredients:

3 to 4 large tomatoes, stem end removed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
1 medium-large zucchini squash, sliced
1 medium Japanese eggplant, sliced
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 handful of young green beans or Chinese Long Beans, cut into 2-inch lengths
Chicken broth, if needed
Fresh oregano leaves and flowers*
Fresh thyme springs
Pinch saffron
Several shakes of Zatar (optional)**

* Fresh oregano is preferred for this recipe, and if you have it in your garden, be sure to use the flowers. Dried oregano may also be used.

** Zatar is a popular spice/herb blend of the Middle East and is used in many Turkish dishes. Crushed Sumac is mixed with thyme leaves, salt, and sesame seed creating a flavorful tabletop condiment.

Preparation:

If you have an instant hot water tap at your sink, fill a four cup measuring cup with the hot water and add tomatoes. If not, boil water and pour over tomatoes. Let sit a few minutes until you can easily peel off the skins. Cut into quarters and set aside. LearnHow To Peel Fresh Tomatoes.

To a large sauté pan, add olive oil and onion, sauté over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften. Add zucchini, eggplant, garlic and green beans, and sauté. Add salt at this time as it helps to release juices from the vegetables. Note: If the vegetables seem dry, add a little chicken broth. Place lid askew on pan and let the mixture cook until almost softened.

Add the peeled tomatoes, oregano, thyme, saffron, and Zatar; toss well, replace lid, and turn heat to low and finish cooking. Taste for seasoning and correct to your taste. If desired, drizzle a little more olive oil over vegetables prior to serving.

Makes 4 servings.
 

Related articles

• Eggplant and Tomato Salad
• Five Different Ways To Stuff Chicken Breasts
• Quick Summer Side Dishes
• Taste The Rainbow! - North Dakota State University

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

SERVES 12

* 1 lb dried black beans, sorted and rinsed
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1 large bell pepper, chopped
* 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 5 cups water
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 tablespoons ground cumin (optional)
* 1 finely chopped jalapeno
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups hot cooked rice, for serving

Soak beans overnight.

Combine all ingredients except rice in slow cooker 6 to 8 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove bay leaves.

Serve beans over rice.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cuban Black Beans and Rice
• Betty's black beans
• Cuban Black Beans and Rice
• How To Make Sofrito, The DIY Condiment

• 10 Gourmet Meals For $10 or Less (mint.com)
• You: Vegetarian recipe special: the chefs (guardian.co.uk)
• Projects " How-To's " Black Bean Burgers (cutoutandkeep.net)

Grilled Vegetarian Panini with Mozzarella and Basil

This is a grilled vegetarian panini sandwich recipe made from mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. You can think of this vegetarian panini like a bruschetta sandwich, as the ingredients and flavors are similar. If you don't have a panini press1 or a grill, you can use a regular skillet.

Ingredients:

* French bread
* mozzarella cheese
* sliced tomato
* fresh basil, minced
* olive oil

Preparation:
Pre-heat your grill, panini press3 or skillet to medium.

Slice your French bread on a bias cut. This panini sandwich would also taste great on sourdough bread.

Slice your mozzarella cheese about 1/4 inch thick, and cut the tomato into thin slices.

Assemble your panini by placing the mozzarella cheese on top of the bread, then add a single layer of tomatoes. Add about 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil on each sandwich, and add the top layer of bread.

Lightly brush each side of your sandwich with olive oil and place on your grill or panini press.

Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy your grilled vegetarian panini! Scroll down for more vegetarian paninis and sandwiches to try.



©2010 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

Related articles

• Grilled Vegetarian Panini with Mozzarella and Basil
• Changing our Mind About Eggplant through Eggplant Sandwiches
• Cheesy Brown Tomato Panini with Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
• Easy Chiquita Banana &Amp; Almond Butter Panini With Chocolate Fondue Recipe

Mchicha - Tanzanian Spinach & Peanut Curry

Mchicha is a very traditional dish in Tanzania & can be made like this with peanut butter - homemade or natural is best - or it can be made with a whole coconut (grated flesh & milk) instead.

SERVES 4 -6

* 2 lbs spinach
* 1 1/2 ounces peanut butter
* 1 tomato
* 1 onion
* 2 teaspoons curry powder (or paste, your favourite blend!)
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 3 tablespoons margarina or oil
* 1 teaspoon salt

Wash the spinach & roughly chop. De-skin the tomato, peel and chop. Peel and chop the onion.

Mix the peanut butter with the coconut milk in a jug & set aside.

Heat the margarine or oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the onion, tomato, salt and curry powder / paste and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft.

Add the spinach, continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the spinach is cooked.

Pour the peanut butter and coconut milk mixture into the pan & stir gently to mix.

Simmer, for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to ensure that the mixture does not stick to the pot.

This dish makes a lovely side dish, & can also be eaten with rice, ugali or samp and beans to form a delicious main course.

Eggplant Curry

Ingredients:

* 4 lg Eggplants peeled & cubed
* 2 ts Salt
* 2 lg Onions chopped
* 2 ea Garlic cloves crushed
* 4 tb Oil
* 1 ts Cumin seeds crushed
* 1 ts Coriander
* 3 ea Cardamom pods
* 2 ts Ginger grated
* 1/2 ts Turmeric
* 1 ts Salt
* 2 ea Chili peppers crushed
* 3 lg Potatoes chopped
* 1 ea Tomato peeled & chopped
* 1 ts Tomato paste


Instructions:

Sprinkle eggplant pieces with salt & set aside for 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile in a large skillet saute onions & garlic in the oil until golden stirring & ensuring that it's not scorching. Add all the spices & peppers & stir-fry a couple of minutes. Squeeze eggplant pieces to get rid of excess moisture. Dump the pieces into the pot. Stir until they become limp & slightly golden. Add more oil if necessary Add the potatoes & let them brown on all sides. When potatoes are somewhat tender but still fork resistant add tomatoes paste & 1 1/2 c water. Stir bring to a boil reduce heat & simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy. The sauce should be thick like syrup. If too thin simmer a little longer. Serve over rice.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Gnocchi Puttanesca (nami-nami.blogspot.com)
• Rajdoot dal recipe (telegraph.co.uk)

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.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Seed / Nut Cheese Recipes (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)
• You Are What You Eat: Healthy lunchbox ideas (ballardnewstribune.com)
• 7 Hearty Soup Recipes (lifescript.com)

Tofu Fajitas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 package of firm tofu
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
chopped up cilantro (to desired taste)
1/2 cup of tequila
1 onion
1 lemon
1 lime
1 firm tomato
garlic
spices - oregano, paprika, basil, salt and pepper.
favorite hot sauce (sauces)
5-6 vegan tortillas

Directions:

first you must chop up your ingredients. Cut the tofu into long strands, place in a small bowl and save, next chop all the bell peppers, first remove the upper part by cutting in a circle around the stem, then slice pepper into stands, (NOTE: Keep the seeds to add to the fajitas) Cut the onion into halves and then cut sideways to the onion (you'll have half moons) Cut the tomato into long slices, and mash the garlic. Cut lemon and lime in half, and have a fork handy to aid you in squeezing them. (All ingredients must be ready, or you may burn your fajitas.)

In a semi deep pan, add canola oil (or olive oil works fine) and let heat at a medium flame. When oil is hot, add the onion and the garlic, stir constantly until you can smell the onion, but not too long or the garlic will bur and stink up the whole thing.

Next, add the peppers and then the tomato. Be careful not to smash the tomato or it will be all liquidy. Now add the strands of firm tofu. (after this point the order of the ingredients is irrelevant.) Squeeze in half a lemon and half a lime, salt slightly, Add a dash of the tequila, a dash of each of the spices , your hot salsa, your cilantro, and remember to keep stirring. Keep adding the ingredients until you feel it is well seasoned.

When all the ingredients have been added, and all the peppers, onion and tomato look cooked, your fajitas are ready. NOTE: you can add other veggies, but then it is only stir fry, not fajitas. The tequila gives it flavor, and all alcohol evaporates when cooked.

Serves: 5-6

Preparation time: 15 minutes cook time, 15 minutes prep time

Related articles by Zemanta

• Recipes for Health: Tuna and Pepper Stew (nytimes.com)
• My Vegan Sweet & Spicy Chili (hellfood.com)

Ceylon Vegetable Curry

Keeps well a couple of days in the fridge, and freezes well too. Great with rice or green salad.

THE SPICES MIXTURE

* 30 g. vegan margarine
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 3 large onions, finely chopped
* Garlic and ginger, finely chopped (lots of both!)

Tandoori Spice:

* 3 - 4 tablespoons of Tandoori Paste (e.g. Patak’s), OR
* 4 - 5 tablespoons of Tandoori Spice Mix (e.g. Clive of India)
* 1 cup of water

2) THE VEGETABLES

* Cubed: potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, green beans, peas, red capsicum strips

3) THE SAUCE

* 300g (1/2 bottle) of tomato salsa / puree e.g. La Gina
* OR
* 2 large tomatoes, chopped
* OR
* 1 tin tomatoes, pureed
* White Vinegar, ¼ to ½ a cup
* Marmelade or apricot jam, ½ to 1 cup (whatever you like the taste of)
* Some Chilli powder / paste, if you like it (I DON'T USE IT)
* 1-2 cups of coconut milk.

4) THE GARNISH

* Pineapple pieces banana chunks shaved coconut chutney pappadums sultanas plain yoghurt cucumber slices and / or tomato wedges

1) THE SPICES MIXTURE
Fry it all together over MEDIUM HEAT, until all the WATER IS GONE, and the mixture is SOFT and starting to turn DARK REDDISH BROWN, and stick to the pan.

2) THE VEGETABLES
Now add the cubed vegetables (** they could be pre-microwaved or steamed) to the spices, and brown gently. Cubed: potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, green beans, peas, red capsicum strips

3) THE SAUCE
Next add the sauce ingredients to the vegetables and spices in the pan. Leave to simmer VERY VERY SLOWLY on LOW HEAT, until it is no longer runny. Just before the end, add the coconut milk. If the mixture becomes too runny, keep cooking it until it thickens.

4) THE GARNISH
Serve with an assortment of bowls on the table.

Related articles by Zemanta

• A Simple Curry with Coconut Milk (simplycooking.wordpress.com)
• Kari Ayam - Take 3 (wino-sapien.blogspot.com)
• South-East Asian salmon curry (gastronomydomine.com)
• The Temporary Vegetarian: A Vegan Main Dish of Indian Green Beans (dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com)

Spicy Vegetable Stew

1 very large onion,chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 can garbanzo beans 500 g (known also as chick peas, ceci, etc.)
1/2 cup raisins 75 g
1/2 cup uncooked rice 100 g
several fresh tomatoes (or 1 large can 800 g of canned tomatoes)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
2 yams
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco sauce to taste

Fry onion, garlic, and white stems of chard until barely limp. Add chopped greens and fry a bit. Either peel the yams or scrub them well with a vegetable brush, then slice them into thick slices. Add garbanzos, raisins, yams, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook a couple of minutes. Make a well in the center of the mixture in the pot. Put the rice in the well and pat it down until it's wet. Cover and cook until rice is done\(emabout 25 minutes. Add Tabasco sauce to taste. I find that the flavors of the vegetables don't stand out unless you put in a lot of tabasco. But then, I've got a cast-iron tongue. You should add enough to make the stew seem spicy to you.

Difficulty: easy.
Time: 15 minutes preparation, 30 minutes cooking.
Precision: no need to measure.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Soup combines tomatoes, tortellini for a winter warm-up: Take Five (cleveland.com)
• Recipe: Rice Pilaf and variations on the recipe (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Gazpacho recipe (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)
• Indian-Spiced Chicken and Rice (timesunion.com)

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)

Riz Senegalais (Senegalese Rice)

Senegalese Rice is a slightly simplified version of Ceebu Jën, with an English name. In Senegal, there can be new variation of this fish and rice dish every day, depending on the cook's preferences and what is available at the market. It is not necessary to use all of ingredients listed in this recipe, choose what you like. There are three essentials: (1) rice (2) fish, prepared as described; and (3) tomato, onion, and other vegetables. Include whatever ingredients you like: use a lot of different vegetables for a big dinner, or just a few for a simple meal. The French word riz (rice), pronounced "ree" rhymes with the English word "key".
western african fields

What you need

* several cups of rice
* stuffing mixture:
o one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); chopped
o one onion or two leeks or several scallions, chopped
o garlic, minced (optional)
o a small bunch of parsley
o salt
o hot chile pepper, cleaned and chopped (optional)
* two to three pounds of fish: whole, filets, or steaks; cleaned (sea bass, hake, haddock, sea bream, halibut, or any similar firm-fleshed fish)
* one cup vegetable oil
* two onions, chopped
* three or four tomatoes (peeled if desired), whole
* tomato paste (optional)
* one or more of the following root vegetables and tubers:
o carrots, chopped
o sweet cassava (also called manioc, yuca, or yucca) tuber; or potatoes, chopped
o yams (sweet potatoes are not the same, but may be substituted), chopped
* one or more of the following leaf and fruit vegetables:
o cabbage, chopped
o one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); left whole
o one squash (any kind will do) or zucchini, cleaned and chopped
o eggplant (aubergine, or guinea squash), peeled and chopped
o okra
o chile pepper, cleaned and chopped
* cayenne or red pepper (to taste)
* black pepper

What you do

* Cook rice in the normal manner. While the rice is cooking continue with the rest of the instructions.
* Combine the stuffing mixture ingredients. Chop, mix, and grind them into a paste. A small amount of water or oil can be added. (Use a food processor if you have one.) Cut a few slits into the fish. Stuff the slits with the mixture.
* Heat oil in a deep pot. Fry fish on each side, until nearly done. Add onions and fry until tender. Add tomatoes, cover, reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
* Remove fish and set it aside. Add the whole sweet peppers and the root vegetables and tubers to the same pot in which the fish was fried. Add water to halfway cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Then add the leaf and fruit vegetables. Add water only if necessary. Adjust seasoning. Place fish on top, but not in liquid. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
* When all the vegetables are nearly done, carefully remove the tomatoes and a cup of the broth and place them in a separate pot. Add the cooked rice. Stir to mix tomato into rice, continue to heat and stir until the liquid is absorbed and the rice begins to stick to the bottom of the pot. (A spoonful of tomato paste could be added to the rice at this point.)
* Place rice in the center of the serving dish. Scrape some of the crust from the bottom of the rice pot and put this over the rice. Put the fish on top of the rice, and surround it with the vegetables. Garnish with the rest of the parsley. Any remaining cooking liquid from the vegetables can be brought to a boil and served in a separate bowl as a sauce. Enjoy your dinner, you deserve it.
* Serve Ginger Beer or Green Tea with Mint with your meal or afterwards.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chorizo jambalaya with egg (thestar.com)
• Dinner Diary: Cajun Beans and Rice (dailywd.womansday.com)
• Cut-belly eggplants (Karniyarik) (thestar.com)

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.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chicken and Shrimp Soup (marksdailyapple.com)
• Tempeh Curry (101cookbooks.com)
• Winter Tomato Soup (christopherspenn.com)
• Sarah Asmah : Ghana (kiva.org)
• Recipe: Spicy plantains (thejc.com)

Ceebu Jën (Rice and Fish)

Ceebu Jën is one of Senegal's classic dishes. There are dozens of possible variations; use this recipe as a starting point and put in whatever you like or leave out what you don't.
There are three steps to making Ceebu Jën:

* frying onion and fish that has been stuffed with roof (or roff), a flavoring mixture
* cooking tomatoes and other vegetables in the oil that was used to fry the fish
* cooking the rice in broth from the vegetables.

The fish, vegetables, rice (including the scrapings from the bottom of the pot, called xooñ), and cooking liquid are combined for a grand presentation.
west african woman with basket

What you need

* stuffing mixture (roof or roff):
o one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); chopped
o one onion or two leeks or several scallions, chopped
o garlic, minced (optional)
o a small bunch of parsley or a bay leaf (or some similar fresh herb)
o salt
o hot chile pepper, cleaned and chopped (optional)
* one cup peanut oil, or for an authentic red color: red palm oil
* two onions, chopped
* a piece of dried, salted, or smoked fish, such as cod or herring, (stockfish is often used); the piece should be about half the size of your hand
* two to three pounds of fish: whole, filets, or steaks; cleaned (sea bass, hake, haddock, sea bream, halibut, or any similar firm-fleshed fish)
* tomato paste
* three or four tomatoes (peeled if desired), whole
* one or more of the following root vegetables and tubers:
o carrots, chopped
o sweet cassava (also called manioc, yuca, or yucca) tuber; or potatoes, chopped
o yams (sweet potatoes are not the same, but may be substituted), chopped
* hot chile pepper, such as habanero or serrano chile, whole, but pricked with a fork
* one or more of the following leaf and fruit vegetables:
o cabbage, chopped
o one or two sweet peppers (or bell peppers) (green, yellow, or red); left whole
o one squash (any kind will do) or zucchini, cleaned and chopped
o eggplant (aubergine, or guinea squash), peeled and chopped
o okra, whole, but with ends removed
* several cups of rice (In Senegal, this dish is often made with broken rice. Short-grained rice can be used, and it can be broken by soaking it in water, draining it, then mashing it with your hands or a blunt object like the end of a bottle.)

What you do

* Prepare the roof (or roff) by combining the stuffing mixture ingredients and grinding them into a paste, adding a little oil or water if needed. Many cooks include what seems to be an essential in Africa: a Maggi cube. Cut deep slits into the fish (but not all the way through) and stuff them with the roof mixture.
* Heat the oil in a large pot. Fry the onions and dried/salted/smoked fish for a few minutes. Then fry the fresh fish for a few minutes on each side. Remove the fish and set aside.
* Stir the tomato paste and a cup of water into the oil in the pot. Add the root vegetables and tubers and the hot chile pepper. Add water to partially cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or more.
* Add the leaf and fruit vegetables, place the fried fish on top of them, and continue to simmer for an additional twenty minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
* The fish and all the vegetables and set them aside, keeping them warm. Remove a cup or two of the vegetable broth and set it aside. Add the rice to the vegetable broth. Add water or remove liquid as necessary to obtain two parts liquid to one part rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on very low heat until the rice is cooked--about twenty minutes. It should stick a little to the bottom of the pot.
* Find the hot chile among the vegetables. Combine it to the reserved vegetable broth in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Remove and discard the pepper and put the sauce into a dish or gravy boat.
* When the rice is done turn the pot over onto a large serving platter. Scrape the crust (the xooñ) from the bottom of the pot over the rice. Arrange the fish and vegetables over and around the rice. Garnish with parsley and sliced limes (to squeeze over fish) as desired.
* Serve Jus de Bissap with your meal, and Green Tea with Mint afterwards.


Fish -- stuffed with onions or peppers, and fried -- is common in many African countries along the Atlantic coast; see: Fish & Onions in Tomato Sauce and Mulet Farci à la Saint-Louisienne.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Enza brings Sicily to Queen Anne, 1/7 (seattle.metblogs.com)
• 12 Super-Simple Suppers (womansday.com)
• Mushroom Recipes (foursightwines.blogspot.com)

Kachumbari

Kachumbari could almost be called East African cole slaw -- it is a mixture of chopped or shredded vegetables that is prepared ahead of time and served cold. The most basic version is onions and tomatoes in a vinegar or lemon juice dressing; cabbage, chile peppers, and other vegetables are often included.


What you need

* one (more or less) hot chile pepper, cleaned, seeds removed, chopped
* one medium onion, chopped
* two to four tomatoes, thinly sliced
* juice or one or two lemons or limes, or a few tablespooons of vinegar
* up to one teaspoon salt
* fresh cilantro (coriander leaves, dhania), chopped
* one cucumber, peeled and sliced (optional)
* one small cabbage, shredded (optional)

What you do

* Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat all ingredients with liquid. Set aside in a cool place for twenty to thirty minutes before serving. Consume within twelve hours.
* Serve Kachumbari with dishes from Eastern Africa.


If raw onion is not to your liking, try one of the following: (1) soak the chopped raw onion in salted water for a few minutes then squeeze the water and onion juice from the onion by pressing it in a sieve or a clean cloth, repeat if desired, or (2) place the chopped onion in a sieve or colander and pour a few cups of boiling water through it, then let drip dry.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Kimchi - chou fermenté à la façon coréenne (ckenb.blogspot.com)
• The Basics of a Great Salad Dressing (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)
• Floyd's Greek Mushrooms (thefrugalcook.blogspot.com)
• Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Chocolate in Every Savory Bite (huffingtonpost.com)

SALTFISH and ACKEE/CALLALOO

To make these dishes with Salt fish (Dried Salted Cod, a.k.a. Baccaloa), do this:

Boil 1 lb. boneless salt fish in a saucepan with fresh water. When the fish is cooked, pour off water.

Pour fresh cold water onto the fish and remove the skin, if you bought skin on cod fish. Pour off cold water and then flake the fish with a fork.

Add the fish to the sautéed onions and tomatoes before adding ackee/calllaoo respectively. Watch out how you apply the salt.

Although the salt is cooked out of the fish, a significant amount of it still remains.

POP CHOW (BOK CHOI)

1 lb Bok Choi

2 oz Cooking Oil

1 Large Onion

2 Plum tomatoes

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Black Pepper

2 Cloves Garlic

1 tbsp. Ginger (chopped)

2 sprig. Thyme

Wash bok choi to remove the dirt that’s usually found in the root area.

Chop bok choi into 1/8” pieces (don’t measure it just estimate). In the meantime you can sauté the onions, tomatoes, and garlic together.

Add bok choi to the ingredients in the pot, and then add about 2 tbsp of water. Now add salt and black pepper. Cover the pot and let the bok choi steam until soft.

Taste the stew; it should have a taste like it is ready, now add the ginger and thyme.

Turn the fire to low and let it simmer some more for about 3 minutes.

Serve with white rice or bread.

And like I said before, you can make any of these vegetarian dishes Ital by omitting the salt. Just imagine once or twice a week having delicious Jamaican vegetarian foods, without salt; that's healthy mon!

Ital Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1/2 Cucumber
2 medium sized carrots
3 medium sized tomatoes
3 ounces of beansprouts
1 tablespoon of vinegar
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
1/2 cabbage or whole chinese leaf
-freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

First wash cabbage or the chinese leaf,
drain and shred finely.

Next wash the cucumber and slice thinly,
peel and grate the carrots and slice the
tomatoes.

Next arrange the shredded cabbage onto a
serving dish. Edge the dish with slices
of cucumber.

In a bowl combine the grated carrots and
the beansprouts.

Mix together the dressing ingredients oil
vinegar with black pepper, use a fork and
beat until it’s well blended then pour on
top of the carrots and beansprouts.

Toss then arrange right in the center of
dish. Decorate with the sliced tomatoes.
Enjoy!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mary : Ghana (kiva.org)
• Tomato Cucumber Salad (chubbagurl.blogspot.com)
• My Vegan Sweet & Spicy Chili (hellfood.com)

Vegetarian Black-Eyed Peas

Serves 8 to 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 00 minute

Ingredients:

* 2 T. olive oil
* 3 cups finely chopped onions
* 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
* 1 15-ounce can low-sodium vegetable stock
* 4 cups dry black-eyed peas
* 5 cups water, plus more, if needed
* 2 15-ounce cans whole tomatoes
* 3 T. tomato paste
* 2 T. dark brown sugar
* salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent and fragrent. Add the vegetable stock, black-eyed peas, water, tomatoes, tomato paste and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, adding more water as neccessary, or until the peas are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Jamaican Stir-Fried Okra Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh Jamaican okra sliced
1 large Jamaican tomato, peeled and sliced
¼ cup Jamaican onions, sliced
1½ tsp. fresh Jamaican lemon juice
¼ tsp. Jamaican thyme, crushed
1 tsp. salt
A dash pepper
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. butter

PREPARATION

1. Prepare all vegetables as indicated and have ready for cooking.
2. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat oil and butter in a wok or large skillet. Add vegetables and seasoning mixture all at once.
4. Toss and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.