¤ Coconut Rice ¤

Try out some coconut rice in place of your regular jollof rice. I've got two plates here. Pick yours. Lol

Always remember to add some vegetables to your meals.

Eat healthy, Stay healthy!

* 1 large coconut

* 2 cups Rice

* 11/2 cups (generous) Boiled mackerel (Deboned and shredded into large chunks, keep stock)

* 1/2-1 cup Carrots (diced)

* Seasoning cube

* Curry and thyme

* 1/2 cup green, yellow or red peppers (or a combination)

* 1/4 cup chopped Onions

* 1 Scotch bonnet (minced)

* 1/2 cup Vegetable oil (+ 2tsps for stirfrying)

* Salt to taste

MARY's Method

» Cut your coconut into pieces and blend with some water in a high powered blender. Pour into a saucepan and bring to boil. Sift and keep the liquid.

» Partially boil rice with a little water.

» Pour the coconut milk into a pot. Add seasonings scotch bonnet, stock, and vegetable oil. Bring to boil and pour in the rice. Check for salt.

» While rice is cooking, pour peppers, onions and carroy in a frying pan. Add 2 tsp oil and stir fry.

» When the rice is ready, pour your peppers, carrot and fish. Allow to steam for about 2 minutes.

» Your coconut rice is ready.

Enjoy!

~MARY's Kitchen~

©2015

¤ Plantain Boats ¤

Here's a creative way to serve your plantains. I hope you love the sight and of course the taste, as much as everyone in my house did!

Ingredients

* 4 Large Plantains (ripe but firm)

* Vegetable Oil for deep frying

* 2 tbsp Margarine

* 11/4 cup diced Carrots

* 3/4 cup chopped Peppers

* 1 scotch bonnet (minced)

* 1/3Tomatoes

* 1/2 cup chopped Onions

* 3/4 cup finely shredded Chicken

* Seasonings

* Salt to taste

MARY's Method

» Peel the plantain. Cut in half and then cut each half into two( cutting right through the middle this time). Gently make a well across the centre of each piece. Deep fry till golden brown and drain oil off.

» Stir-fry the vegetables and peppers (using the margarine and seasoning). Add in the chicken.

» Gently spoon the stir-fry into the well made at the centre of the plantain.

» Serve warm.

Enjoy!

MARY's Kitchen

2015

¤ Jollof Rice ¤

I know there are several methods of cooking jollof rice.

Here's one of the methods I've adopted.

Ingredients

- 2 cups Rice

- 4 medium sized Tomatoes

- Stock (beef or chicken)

- 2 large Bell peppers

- 1 Scotch bonnet

- 1 large onion + 1 small for ganishing

- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil

- 2 tbs Margarine

- Spices (curry, thyme)

- 1 Seasoning cube

- Salt

MARY's Method

* Blend the 3 tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet and 3/4 of the onion.

* Dice the remaining onion. Fry the blended pepper with the oil, salt and diced onion for about 4 minutes in a pot.

* Add water to the sauce. Add the stock, margarine, seasoning, and spices. Bring to boil. Wash your rice, drain and pour into the boiling sauce.

* Once rice is cooked, pour the sliced onion into the pot and allow to simmer for about 4 minutes on low heat. (You can add carrots at this point, if you desire) Your jollof rice is ready.

* Enjoy 

~MARY's Kitchen

2015

¤ Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins ¤

This is a healthy way to start your day. This treat can also serve as a snack at any time of the day.

Ingredients

-1cup Rolled oats

-1cup Flour (plain)

-1cup Buttermilk

-1/2cup Butter

-1/2cup Sugar

-1 Egg

-1tsp Baking powder

-1/4tsp Bicarbonate of soda

-1/8tsp Salt

-1/4cup Raisins

MARY's Method

* Combine the oats and buttermilk in a bowl. Leave to soak for 1 hour

*Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius.

* Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

* In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbobate of soda. Stir the dry ingredient into the butter mixture, alternating with the oat mixture. Fold in the raisins. (Do not overmix, we don't want tough and rubbery muffins)

* Fill greased muffin cups or paper cases two-thirds full.

* Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

~MARY's Kitchen

¤ Oaty Coconut Cookies ¤

I simply love coconut incorporated recipes. This is not left out. This cookies have a great texture. Thank God for creating the coconut. I hope you love it too.

Ingredients

-2cups Cooking oats

-1cup Dessicated coconut (unsweetened)

-1cup Butter

-3/4cup Superfine sugar

-2 Eggs

-4tbsp Milk

-11/2tsp Vanilla extract

-1cup Flour (sifted)

-1/2tsp Bicarbonate of soda

-1/4tsp Salt

-1tsp Ground cinnamon

MARY's Method

*Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius.

*Spread the oat and coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

* Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients and the baked oat-coconut mixture.

* Drop spoonfuls of mixture on to two greased baking sheets.

*Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

~MARY's Kitchen

¤ Corn Cups ¤

O my my! I love this. You should try it.

Ingredients

-1 Egg

-1/2cup Milk

-1tbsp Vegetable oil

-1 scant cup Cornmeal

-1/2cup Flour (all-purpose)

-2tsp Baking powder

-3tbsp Sugar

MARY's Method

*Preheat oven to 190 degree celsius

*Beat the egg in a small bowl. Stir in the milk and vegetable oil. Set mixture aside.

*Stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour in the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

*Spoon the mixture into baking cups. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre. Comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

*Serve warm. (Enjoyable when cool too).

Enjoy!

~MARY's Kitchen

Beef Curry Sauce

A little variation from the chicken curry sauce previously posted. . .

ENJOY!

MARY's Kitchen

¤ Chicken Curry Sauce ¤

I can bet it with you that you will enjoy ditching your red stew for this at least once in a while. The flavour is spectacular. And the taste? Short of the right adjective. I'll leave you to be the judge.

Ingredients

* 2 cups diced boneless Chicken 

* 1 generous cup Coconut Milk

* 2 Seasoning Cubes

* 2/3 cup Sweet potatoes (boiled and diced)

*2 tbs Vegetable oil

* 2tbs Butter

* 1/2-1 cup sliced carrots

* 1/2 cup chopped ugwu leaves

*1/2 cup chopped onions

* 2-3tbs curry (depending on the brand you use)

* Salt to taste

MARY's Method

- Put the vegetable oil in a pan and pour in the onions and chicken. Cook lightly, tossing around in the pan constantly, till the chicken is golden brown.

- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the curry and mix properly. Pour the coconut milk into the saucepan. Add the sauteed chicken mix and potatoes. Add the seasoning ingredient. Cook for about 25 minutes and add in the vegetables. Add salt to taste. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes.  (Hope you can wait for the sauce to get ready before eating, the aroma is tempting)

- Serve with white rice (see me with your cheque for my rice recipe. Lol).

- Enjoy!

~MARY's Kitchen 

¤ Pankara ¤

Nothing stops you from eating your akara even if you don't like oily foods. You can try out this method. Hope you like it.

Ingredients

- 2 cups Black eyed cowpea

- 3 Red bell peppers

- 1 Scotch bonnet

- 2 Large onions

- 1/2 cup chopped Ugwu leaves (optional)

- 2 Eggs

- Seasoning

- Salt

- Vegetable oil

MARY's Method

* Peel the beans. Blend with the vegetables, peppers and 1 onion. Make sure not to add too much water while blending; just enough to keep the grinder/blender running.

* Beat in the egg into the bean paste. Chop the other onion finely and pour into the paste. Add the seasoning and salt to taste. Stir continuously for 7-10minutes.

* Heat up your frying pan. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the pan and pour in about 2 cooking spoons of the bean paste into the pan. Allow to cook on low heat for about 3 minutes. Turn over to the other side and allow to cook for another 2 minutes until both sides are golden brown in colour.

Enjoy!

»MARY's Kitchen« 

¤ Baby's Potato Porridge ¤

Something for your little one. . .

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup diced sweet potato (yellow flesh)

-1/3 cup diced irish potato

- 1/4 Flaked sardine

-2 tsp Ground crayfish

-1 tsp Butter

-1tsp Vegetable oil

-Salt (to taste)

MARY's Method

* Boil the potatoes till soft in about 3/4 cup water. Add in the sardine (I prefer to use sardine because of the soft bone for calcium) and allow to simmer for about 3 minutes.

* Blend the potato and sardine. (I prefer to blend because of the fibre in sweet potato).

* Pour the  paste into a saucepan. Add the crayfish and butter. Add salt to taste ( a pinch might be enough if using salted butter). Allow to simmer for about 4 minutes.

* Serve warm.

~ Enjoy!

MARY's Kitchen