Tanzanian Mchicha

After having had a little bit of Tanzanian inspiration, and was told to listen to some African pop music the other day, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to look up some classic recipes from aforementioned part of the world. I haven't cooked African food in so so long, so it sure was about time!

Being a big fan of spinach, I did not hesitate jotting down this recipe when I came across it! I didn't have curry powder at hand though, so I had to make my own curry spice as I went along, which made it even more exciting when it came out actually tasting like it! I even had to make a phonecall to another cook who knows more about what spices belongs to what part of the world - I really need to improve upon my geography skills, both facts and foods... Anyway, here it is: Mchicha! Humble, quick, and packet full of flavour.

Tanzanian Mchicha
(Serves 3-4, served with rice)

3 tbsp butter (oil for vegan)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large/two small tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 cup coconut milk
700g spinach (I mixed frozen and fresh - use what you've got!)
Rice to serve

- Start by melting the butter in a large casserole, and add your onion, tomato, peanut butter, salt and curry powder, soften for about five minutes. Add a splash of water if it goes a little dry, and stir continuously.

- If serving with rice, please take this into consideration when cooking!

- Now, add the spinach and cook for 15-20 minutes until it has completely wilted, ten minutes in, you can add the coconut milk. Season to taste, before serving with rice.

I hope you enjoy it! I was surprised at how quickly it was ready - not a bad thing ;)

So, last week... I found a little mobilution in the flat...

"Nokia - connecting people...with the Julie", currently, I am using the second one from the top, the smart phone has a broken screen, but I don't mind, cause I need a phone with buttons anyway! The others work just fine, but it is funny to see how it hasn't really changed much for me over the years...

And yesterday, I had people over for Norwegian waffles and Scottish whisky!

I made a little waffle station and everything! Later on in the evening, we were invited to a little party some neighbours of us had, I haven't met them before - but I have missed just hanging out with the people who live around you *smiles*.

I also finished reading a book this weekend called "The Invisible Ones" by Stef Penney, it was a really good read!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Have you been up to much?


Original Source:
http://www.food.com/recipe/mchicha-tanzanian-spinach-peanut-curry-310341

- Jules

Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew

I had read good things about this dish, but also that this was due to some tweaking here and there, and so I did a bit of my own tweaking and here's hpw this hearty vegan dinner came to life - it's SO tasty! Technically this could serve one hungry human, buuuut then again - maybe serve this with some rice ooooor serve up a dessert? Either way, this is delicious! And I love how all the flavours come together so well, will definitely make this again!

After a good portion of this, I had two little pumpkin pancakes waiting for me in the fridge, sorted!

Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew
(Serves 2, about 320 calories each)

1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
200g sweet potato, diced
400g chopped tomatoes
1/2-1 tsp hot chilli powder (depends how hot you like it!)
1 tbsp peanut butter
200g greens, I used round lettuce, but you can use spinach, chard, cabbage, whatever!
A handful fresh basil, torn (optional)
200-300 vegetable stock
Pepper to taste
25g roasted and salted peanuts for garnish
Rice or bread to serve (optional)

- Start by bringing a medium pan on the hob on fairly high heat, toast the cumin seeds for about a minute until fragrant, then tip in the oil and onion and soften for a couple of minutes.

- Then, add the sweet potato, chilli powder, tomatoes, peanut butter, stock and basil (if using), cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

- 15 minutes later, it is all looking pretty delicious, no? Tip in the greens and stir until wilted, add pepper to taste before serving! Top it off with some lovely salty peanuts, and you're ready!

Ooooft, going to the dentist's today, which is by far my favourite place.... Wish me luck!


Original source:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/420645/chard-sweet-potato-and-peanut-stew

- Jules

Zingy Avocado Humous

Humous, what so many of us love, is so simple to put together, yet for some reason we don't find the time to do it. We've got to do something about that! Here's a zingy version, packed with good fats and proteins, and boy does it taste good too!

Zingy Avocado Humous
(Serves 4, about 135 calories each)

300g tin chickpeas (180g drained)
1 fat garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 ripe medium-sized avocado, a 175g flesh, roughtly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & black pepper to taste

- Simply prepare all your ingredients and toss them into a tall bowl or measuring jug.

- Use a stick blender to whizz smooth until it has the texture you prefer. Season to taste and serve with whatever you want! I had run out of pita bread, and so I added it to my steak dinner!

Don't forget to pop the avocado stone back into the humous! That will prevent the avocado from going that brownish colour!


Original source:
Delicious Low-Fat Recipes, p. 21

- Jules

Creamy Spiced Dahl

An easy, but really tasty- and not to mention filling, vegan meal! I was pleasantly surprised whenever this was ready, and it came out much more creamier than I had expected it to be, hence the name I suppose, hehe. This might just become a regular in the flat!

Creamy Spiced Dahl
(Serves 2, about 540 calories each)

2 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin or cumin seeds
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2.5 cm fresh ginger, grated
7 cardamom pods
200g red lentils
400ml reduced fat coconut milk
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

- Start by gently frying the mustard seeds in a medium sized pot, then pour into a small bowl and set aside.

- In the same pot, heat a small dash of olive oil, and add the onion, garlic, ginger and cardamom pods. Stir frequently on low heat for 5-10 minutes, add water if it looks like it#ll get burnt or catch the bottom.

- Now, stir in the lentils, seeds and spices. Wait a few minutes before adding 200-300ml boiling water and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, If it gets a little too dry, add a little more water. The texture should be almost like thick porridge.

- Season to taste and serve with naan, flatbread, or simply on it's own, brilliant!

Original source:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/13602/creamy-spiced-dhal

- Jules

Baba Ghanoush

Good morning! And thank Faramir it's Friday! Here is a little recipe for the infamous aurbergine dip Baba Ghanoush, perfect with flatbread, vegetable sticks, or on the side with a main meal perhaps?
I found it tastes better overnight when it#s been sitting in the fridge and cooled down properly.

Baba Ghanoush
(Serves 4-6, 100-70 calories each)



1 large aubergine, pricked all over with a fork
3 fat garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp light tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh coriander to garnish (optional)

- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, and bake the aubergine for 25 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and bake for another 15 minutes until tender.

- Half the aubergine and scoop out the flesh into a bowl or a food processor, peel the garlic and add to the aubergine along with the spices, tahini, lemon juice and oil. Process until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, garnish, and cover until serving, or keep it in the fridge for a few days.

Serve with flat bread, pitta bread or experiment accompanying it with other tasty toppings!

Original source:
A collection of essential Mediterranean recipes, p. 20

- Jules

Egyptian Lentil Soup

Simple, quick and delicious! No green fancy stuff on the top, just a humble, hearty bowl of soup for a quiet evening. It hit the spot perfect tonight for winding down from the weekend, mmm *smiles*

Egyptian Lentil Soup
(Serves 4, 305 calories each)



2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
300 g onions, chopped
1 l vegetable stock
200 g dry red lentils
175 g potatoes, peeled and diced

- Start by dry-frying cumin, tumeric, salt and ground black pepper for a minute. This helps releasing all the flavours in the spices.

- Add the sunflower oil, garlic and onions, soften for a few minutes on medium heat. In the meantime, you can prepare the potatoes.

- Once the onions have softened a little, add potatoes, lentils and boiling vegetable stock. Cover and simmer for about half an hour until the potatoes are tender.

- Mix with a stick blender until smooth and add a little more water for a thinner soup. Season to taste, start with adding more pepper, you don't want too much salt in it if you can get just as good a flavour with the pepper. I also added two good splashes of light soy sauce instead of extra salt.

Serve with flatbread, any other types of bread, or simply on its own and enjoy!

Original Source:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/520631/egyptian-red-lentil-soup

- Jules

Hummus B'il Tahina

It wasn't until I moved to Glasgow that I came to discover the amazing thing that is..humous! My favourite would probably be the red pepper humous, but the other day I decided to make my own plane one. You can probably add vegetables or chilies to it if you want, but if you want it nice and simple, here's what to do:

Hummus B'il Tahina
(Serves 4, 180 calories each)

400 g can chickpeas/240 g soaked ones, leave a few aside for garnish
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp Tahini (I used the light one)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch of cumin
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
A sprig of fresh parsley, garnish

- In a bowl, mix chickpeas, oil, tahini, lemon, garlic and salt. Use a stick-blender to make a nice fluffy paste.

- Add the cumin and stir. Transfer to a serving bowl. You can try and create a whirlpool effect with a spoon and drizzle a little more oil over for presentation if you want. For garnish, top with the extra chickpeas and a sprig or two of fresh parsley.

Serve with anything from nice crispy biscuits to bread and vegetable sticks - hopefully you'll like it!

Original source:
http://www.alternativeegypt.com/Food-&-Recipes/Egyptian-Hummus-Recipe.html

- Jules

Creamy Coconut Dahl

After having had coffee with a close friend in one of my favourite cafès today *Cough cough* Caffe Nero *cough*, I came home only to find I was a liiiittle bit hungry. So I decided to have a go at a different kind of dahl - much to my delight! The dish needs a good bit of seasoning to it, and perhaps a dash of cayenne would have made it even better, but this is still a really lovely, hearty meal. I will make it again for sure!

Creamy Coconut Dahl
(Serves 4, 410 calories each)

200-250 g red lentils
400 ml light coconut milk
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tumeric
2 chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 onions, one chopped, the other one sliced
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp black mustard seeds
Handful fresh curry leaves (I used dry curry leaves)
Salt and pepper to taste

Naan breads to serve

- Bring 300 ml water to the boil, and have in a medium sized pan along with lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes, the chopped onion, tumeric, chillies and Garam Masala. Add a dash of salt and pepper for good measure. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, and tip in the sliced onion along with chopped, or crumbled curry leaves, and add the mustard seeds as well. Fry until the onion is nice and crispy.

- Divide dahl between four bowls, top with onion and serve with warm naan bread, enjoy!
Original source:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3794/coconut-dhal

- Jules

Foul Mudammes

Not long ago, I decided to try and make some different foods, and I came across lots of different dishes. One that caught my eye, was an Egyptian dish that was named Fooll Mudammes. Now, I know there are loads of ways of spelling it, but I decided to use the spelling that they use in an Egyptian restaurant I'll mention below...

I tweaked the recipe a little bit, adding garlic and some butter. The reason? I visited an Egyptian restaurant for my second time only last week, and I had this as a side with my main meal, and it was heavenly! It said in the menu description that "foul" (like I said, there are many ways of spelling the name of it!) were slow-cooked fava beans (broad beans) with butter and garlic.

Foul Mudammes
(Serves 2, about 300 calories each)

2 tbsp olive oil
40 g (light) butter
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic (or more!) finely chopped
50-100 ml water
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Handful fresh coriander
1 can fava beans (about 200g drained)

- Heat up most of the oil and butter in a frying pan, add the chopped onion and garlic and soften for about 5 minutes before stirring in the tomato purée, water, and spices.

- Once it is all nicely blended and the flavours are coming together, tip in the broad beans, and turn down the temperature on medium low heat, and add the rest of the butter and oil, or even add a little more of each to taste if you want.

- After 5-7 minutes, when it is all softened and is cooking away, mash half of the beans with a masher. Stir in the coriander, stir a little, and it's ready!

Serve with flatbread, on top of a baked potato, with potato scones, farls, with rice, or do as I did - and try and make your own flatbread! Mine turned out like a cross between a potato scone and a pancake, hah!

PS. This dish can easily be made vegan if you just use a little extra oil instead of the butter, happy days!


PPS. Should you find yourself in Glasgow, and want something to eat, here is the restaurant I mentioned earlier on - Nur - lovely owners, delicious Egyptian cuisine!

www.nur-restaurant.co.uk

Original source:
http://www.food.com/recipe/fooll-mudammes-fava-bean-egyptian-breakfast-1601-1608-1604-1605-1583-1605-1587-18236

- Jules

Falafel Burgers

A couple of years ago, I came across a recipe for falafel bugers. Never having had falafel before, nor knowing what it looked like, I thought I'd try and make them. A good hundred times or so later, I've come up with a basic recipe, where I sometimes vary the different spices used.

To make the ones you see below, follow the recipe under it, I would suggest using a little bit of oats for a bit more texture, as that's my usual method!

Falafel Burgers
(Makes six, 145 calories each if you're using 40g oats)

400g tin chickpeas (260g drained)
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp hot chilli powder
Small handfull fresh, chopped parsley
(Small handful oats)

- Fry chopped onions and chickpeas in some of the oil in a frying pan.

- Mix in spices and after about 5-10 minutes, transfer the mix into a bowl and mash with a masher.

- Add the eggs (and oats, if using) and blend it all together well.

- Pour a teaspoon sunflower oil in the pan, and then use a tablespoon to scoop out a couple of spoonfulls into the pan. Leave for a while until it's starting to set, and then flip over. Fry a couple of minutes on each side until golden.

- Serve in a pitta bread along with other goodies, or keep it simple and pour a little tomato ketchup or sweet chilli sauce over and eat on their own.

You can also make different ones swapping the tumeric and coriander for pepper, salt and thyme.
Other spices that works well with the recipe above is coriander, cayenne pepper and curry powder. So really whatever spices you have that adds a bit of kick and work well together.

PS. Lots of kethup is not a bad thing

-Julie