Here is how it turned out: PHENOMENAL! My husband gobbled it up and so did my mother, who happened to be over for supper. So, here are my versions of the original recipes. I tweaked them, as I usually do.
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| Clockwise from top: Jollof Rice, West African Red Beans, Fried Plantains, West African Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew |
West African Chicken & Sweet Potato Stew:
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. oil
8 chicken thighs
1 sweet onion, sliced very thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, roughly chopped
2 Bay leaves
1 cup water
1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Maggi cube (*sold only in ethnic/African stores)
Preheat oven to 350'F. Season sweet potato chunks with 1/2 tsp of the ground coriander and 1/2 tsp. of the ground ginger, salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. oil. Mix well and bake for up to 30 minutes, turning once. Season chicken with remaining ground coriander, ground ginger, salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in a pan, fry chicken until cooked through, remove from pan and set aside. In same pan, add onions, garlic, peppers and bay leaves, fry 1 minute until fragrant. Add water, simmer until onions are soft, stirring occasionally Add diced tomatoes and Maggi cube. Simmer 15 more minutes. Add chicken and sweet potato to the pan; simmer another 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 4 servings.
West African Red Beans:
(original recipe here)
1 cup dried pinto beans, thoroughly rinsed
1 1/4 cup onion, chopped, divided
1-2 Tbsp. oil
1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper to taste
Soak the beans overnight in 2 quarts of water, or you could quick soak them by putting the beans into a heavy pot and cover with 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans soak, uncovered for 1 hour. Bring the pot of soaked beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add 1/4 cup of the onion and simmer, partly covered, about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender but not mushy. Drain the beans and set them aside. In a large skillet, heat the oil, saute the remaining cup of onions until soft and translucent, but not brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stirring frequently, simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the beans and cook, uncovered, for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Makes 6-8 servings.
Jollof Rice:
(original recipe here)
1/2 large onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
1 Bay leaf
2 Tbsp. water
2 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 2/3 cups basmati rice
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/3 cups water
1 Maggi cube
Salt to taste
Heat oil in a pan, add onions, garlic, bay leaf and 2 Tbsp. water. Stir fry 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, fry for 30 seconds and add the rice; stir until completely coated. Transfer to rice cooker, add coconut milk, water and Maggi cube. Mix well, adjust seasonings. Cook until done, fluff with a fork. Makes 4 servings.
Fried Plantains:
2 large ripe plantains
salt to taste
oil for frying
Peel and slice the plantains, add to hot oil in pan, sprinkle with salt. Cook until brown on bottom side, flip and cook until brown on other side. Drain on paper towel; serve. Makes 4 servings.
