Cashew and Hazlenut Butter

Yay, woohooo!! I made my own nut butter, it is amazing. You can make your own nut butter in less than 15 minutes. Here is how to go about it...

Ingredients

4 cups unsalted cashew nuts (roast in the for 6 - 8 minutes, gas 100)

1/2 cup hazelnuts 

1 tablespoon Foodace cameroon pepper spice

6 tablespoons water (optional)

6 Ehuru (African nutmeg - roasted and cracked open)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a food processor or strong blender and process until smooth. 

Scrape sides occasionally to ensure all blends equally.

Scoop cashew and nut butter into a mason jar or any air tight storage container and store in the fridge. 

xoxo

Foodace Green Chilli Sauce

Since we had our kids, I hardly cook spicy foods. As my husband loves spicy foods, I started making chilli sauces, which we store in the fridge for when we need that extra kick.  

I went to the market the other day, I saw this bowl of beautiful green chillies for £1, I just could not resist.  I bought it and was so excited the make this sauce; cooking just excites me. The last time we made rocket chilli sauce, it was just too amazing. We used it for practically everything; as a dip, even as a spicy marinade. It was just perfect for grilling meat.  Same goes for this one, I have used it to marinate chicken wings and it was superb. We have used it as a dip too. My friend that was visited could not get enough, she absolutely loved it. 

Here is my simple green chilli recipe

Ingredients

470g green chillies 

2 scotch bonnets

2 small onions

1 cup olive oil (or any oil of choice)

2 handfuls parsley 

2 knorr seasoning cubes

1/4 teaspoon cardamom pod powder

Salt to taste

Cooking procedures

Place all ingredients (except for the seasoning cubes, oil and the cardamon) in a food processor, blend until they are roughly chopped.

Pour oil in a pot, heat up. Then add the roughly chopped ingredients. Fry for about 5 minutes. 

Add the cardamon powder, seasoning cubes and leave to fry for another 5 minutes. (Turn occasionally).

Enjoy. 

Simple Chicken Pepper Soup

Ingredients 

2 whole broiler chicken (cut into small pieces)

3 knorr  chicken cubes 

salt to taste

1 tablespoon Foodace all purpose seasoning 

1 teaspoon Foodace pepper soup spice 

1 onion 

4 garlic glove 

2 and 1/2  cup water 

few basil leaves

2 scotch bonnets

thumb size ginger

Cooking Process

Wash chicken, place in a pot. 

Add Foodace pepper soup spice,  Foodace all purpose seasoning, salt and knorr seasoning cubes.

In a blender, add the onion, garlic, ginger and some water, whiz up. 

Pour in the chicken pot, add the remaining water, stir and turn on gas: medium burner.

Boil for about 20 minutes, then turn down gas heat to the lowest. 

Allow to simmer 20 - 30 minutes or until chicken is soft and cooked. 

Add cut fresh basil leaves, stir and turn off gas. 

Enjoy. 

Beans porridge

Ingredients

2 cups black eyed beans 

2 knorr seasoning cubes 

2 paprika peppers (tatashe)

1/3 cup palm oil

2 scotch bonnets

1 onion

1 cup water 

2 pack of smoked mackerel fillets (from lidl)

2 ripe plantains (peeled and cut up to desirable shape)

Cooking process

In a medium pot, add water and bring to boil.  Rinse beans and add in the pot.

Transfer pot to the smallest gas burner, turn down heat to the lowest. (tip: always cook beans on low heat and ensure the water level is always same as the beans level. This way the beans cook nicely and remains "single")

Cook until beans are soft. Drain beans using a sieve. Run cold water on it, just to rinse out the "beans water". (Tip: draining the water makes the beans porridge look more palatable. The water is just too dark)

In a blender, combine the onion, scotch bonnets, water and paprika peppers. Blend all together and add in the beans pot. Turn on gas, medium heat.

Then, add plantain, palm oil, smoked mackerel, seasoning cubes and little sea salt. Stir, cover pot with lid and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. 

After 10 minutes, stir again, taste for salt (adjust to taste) and then reduce gas to the lowest. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes and food is ready.

Note: you can stir the beans as much as you want, if you want it to be all mushy. 

Creamy Mango Smoothie

Ingredients

2 handfuls frozen mango cubes

1/2 banana

1 green apple

1 carrot

2 tablespoons natural Greek yoghurt

1 and 1/2 cups coconut water

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender/smoothie maker

Whiz all together until smooth.

Pour into individual cups and enjoy.

3 berries dessert sauce

This 3 berries sauce is one of the easiest of them all and requires just two all natural ingredients but then again, you can add extras such as vanilla. My husband loves this sauce, particularly in his creamy breakfast oats. Give it a go and see if you like it. 

Ingredients

2 cups frozen mixed berries (mixed berries - blueberries, raspberries and blackberries - was purchased from Costco).

4 tablespoons organic honey

Instructions

Combine frozen berries and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stir and allow to sizzle for a while, turn occasionally. 

Reduce gas heat to lowest and allow sauce to simmer.

Allow simmering for about 10 minutes, until the juice starts to thicken or look more like syrup. 

Turn of heat and allow to completely cool down before using. 

Enjoy

Okra and Ukpaka sauce

Okra is one of my favourite vegetables and a natural diuretic too. They are very low in calories, 30 calories per 100g. If you have never tried okra or you do not like it, sadly you will not know what you are missing. It is simple the best when cooked as soup (Nigerian style) and makes a perfect side too.

Ingredients 

140g frozen slice okra

1 small organic onion (sliced)

Handful ukpaka/ugba 

1 scotch bonnet (sliced)

14 pieces king prawns

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons palm oil 

1 tablespoon of water

1/2 knorr seasoning cube

Salt to taste

Instructions

In a non stick frying pan, add palm oil, coconut oil, onion, scotch bonnet and heat up. 

Once the mix starts sizzling, add the ukpaka and a little salt; allow frying for about 2 - 3 minutes. 

Add prawns, fry until prawns start changing colour. 

Throw in the frozen slicedokra and season with the seasoning cube. 

Add water, cover pot with lid and allow to simmer for about 5 - 6 minutes or until okra cooks to your satisfaction; stir occasionally. 

Turn of gas and enjoy. 

Mackerel Pepper Sauce

Ingredients 

2 paprika peppers (tatashe)

1 tomato

5 rocket chillies

1 onion

1/2 knorr seasoning cube

1 tablespoon foodace suya spice

1 pack smoked mackerel fillets (I buy from Lidl)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Instructions

In a food processor, add paprika peppers, onion and tomato; blitz and transfer to a pot.

Bring to boil; boil for about 3 - 4 minutes. 

Add the olive oil, mackerel fillets, suya spice, seasoning cube and salt to taste  (if need).

Stir sauce and allow to simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.

Turn off gas and enjoy.