Blog / African Cuisine

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

We love Tilapia and this simple, straightforward version is easy to make. African cuisine uses peanuts in a variety of different ways to create tasty culinary treats. This one will become a favourite, we're sure!

There are lots of online recipes for this dish. This recipe is a basic recipe showing how we make it in our family. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. Tons of great recipes in an easy-to-prepare format.

Bon Appetit has a fabulous recipe for Red Curry Peanut Sauce that you can make ahead and use in a variety of recipes. They call for cilantro which we don't personally like. You can substitute broad leaf parsley.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup of cooking oil (we used a blend of canola and olive oil that we use all the time)
• 1 entire Tilapia per person (suggest 1 to 2 pounds each), filets
• 1 to 2 onions (we like 2 mediumsize sweet onions)
• ½ cup peanut butter (we use natural, unsweetened peanut butter)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (use your own judgement - to taste)

Like with any recipe, the first time you make this you'll determine whether you want more (or less) onions or seasonings. For example, we use a heaping teaspoon of curry powder.

You can also grind your own peanuts rather than use a prepared peanut butter. We really like the sauce, so we tend to increase the peanut butter a bit.

Preparation

Fish

1. Pre-heat oven to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Rub salt and pepper (to taste) into each fish fillet.
3. Heat your oil in a deep frying pan until hot enough to fry. Remember, if you use the canola and olive oil blend, to watch your oil carefully. Don't let it "burn" as this will ruin the flavour.
4. Fry the fish until browned and crispy on both sides.
5. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Let the fish cook for about 2 minutes more.
6. Remove the fish fillets from the oil, drain on some paper towels for a minute.
7. Place the fish in a lightly greased casserole dish.
8. Shut the oven off.
9. Place the covered casserole dish in the oven. This is only done to keep the fish warm while you are preparing the sauce.

Sauce

1. Using the same pan you used to fry your fish fillets, saute your onions (we chop ours roughly) until caramelized. We like the crunchy bits!
2. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and use them to cover the fish in your warm casserole dish.
3. Now add the peanut butter and curry powder and mix well with the oil remaining in the pan.
4. On very low heat slowly stir in about a cup of water and blend thoroughly. We usually whisk our sauce until blended, but a friend of ours uses an immersion blender.
5. Pour your well-blended sauce over the fish and onions.

We like this dish over rice but you can also serve it with Ugali (which we consider to be the polenta of Africa!). There are plenty of recipes for Ugali available online.

Variations

There are plenty of variations we've seen. Some people like to add garlic (we often do), peppers, hot chili peppers and tomatoes.

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

---

A great way to show off your African culinary skills is to present this dish at a table set with our hand-beaded table mat set table mat set. Each package consists of table mats, table runner, colour coordinated napkins and beautiful hand-beaded napkin rings.

Currently on sale and available in a variety of gorgeous colours to match your decor. Bring Africa into Your Home!

Cover Photo Source: Creative Commons (via Google Usage Rights) - bonappetit.com

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

We're (as the headline suggests) absolutely coocoo for Kuku Paka. What's that you say? Simple - Coconut Chicken Curry. Originating from the East African coastal area, this is a lovely dish for hot summer days. The word "kuku" means chicken in Swahili. Most believe that "paka" means the dish is made with coconut milk, although "paka" is also a Punjabi word meaning delicious. And, it is! Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. Their recipe is the closest we could find to the way we prepare this dish. The trick is to find a good, basic recipe and then tweak it to your taste!

INGREDIENTS

Marinade Ingredients

• 1 Hot Chili Pepper, chopped
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon of Ginger, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of natural Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of Salt

You can add some dried hot chili flakes if you want to. Combine all the marinade ingredients. Now, add the chicken! Add approximately 3 pounds of chicken to a large plastic bag. We use boneless breast, but chicken thighs work equally well. Cut the chicken into "bite-sized" pieces and pour the marinade over the chicken. You can marinate the chicken for as little as one hour but we prefer overnight for the best juicy flavour! Curry Ingredients

• 1-1/2 medium size onions, chopped
• 1 Star Anise (this is optional but we like to use it)
• 1 small stick of cinnamon
• Half a can of plum tomatoes, chopped (Hint: We just use already diced, canned tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon of tomatoe purée
• A handful of chopped coriander
• 50 grams creamed coconut OR half a tin of coconut milk

PREPARATION

1. Head up about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (we use a canola/olive oil blend) in a frying pan.
2. Add the chopped onions and the star anise, along with the cinnamon stick and fry until the onions are caramelized.
3. Add the marinated chicken and sauté until the chicken is browned.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato purée and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes. Make sure you stir occasionally to avoid sticking and burning. You can add a little water if need be.
5. Add the coconut (creamed or milk) and cook another 5 minutes.

You're done. We usually serve this dish with rice or a side salad. {{cta('8c265d8e-66d3-4312-8081-e468b63c7828','justifycenter')}}

Variations

Some people add potatoes or hard-boiled eggs to this curry. Potatoes can be pre-cooked and then cut into bite sized chunks. Add toward the end. Allow enough time for potatoes to absorb the heat and flavours. Hard-boiled eggs should be added to each plate (sort of as a "garnish"). If you like a milder version, we suggest not adding the optional chili flakes. If you really like a mild curry, then don't use the hot chili peppers. Substitute a chopped sweet bell pepper instead. A friend of our recently recommended that we reserve some of the coconut milk that gathers at the top of the can (the really creamy stuff) and add it at the very end. We tried it and found it makes the curry very "silky" - delicious! They also sometimes add some lime leaves as a garnish. Equally delicious is to just provide some lime quarters and let people choose how much (or if) to add. Sometimes, we grill the chicken on the bbq, instead of pan frying. Also just yummy!

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

You might also enjoy our recipe for Tilapia in Peanut Sauce. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Actually, this summer our bike riding has pretty much eliminated the winter love handles! That said, we simply love "ftat", which is a simple flat bread. Easy to make, can be stored for up to a week and pairs well with lots of different meals. Ftat is a tasty addition to pretty much any summer meal and is often served with salad. Usually this "cooked on the stove top" flatbread is just roughly torn up and either covered with soups, stews or salad, or is used as a "dipper" for a variety of foods. Many cultures have similar recipes. This particular recipe originates from Libya and is the best one we've found to make the flatbread as thin as possible. As usual, while there are a variety of recipes available on the internet, the trick is to find a good basic recipe and then tweak it to add your own personal touch and taste! Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. Another website we really like is Libyan Food - step by step recipes and photos of food from the modern Libyan kitchen. Their recipe for ftat is the closest to the way we make ours at home.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 1/2 litre of water (sometimes you need a little bit more)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil (or olive oil/canola blend)
• 3 - 1/3 cups flour

Keep your olive oil handy as you will need it to "brush" the dough and coat your hands when kneading. Paste

This paste is what helps make the flatbread so thin. Stay with us - you'll see. It's almost magical!

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 5 or 6 tablespoons of cornflour

The above amounts are approximate. What you are looking to achieve is a thick but smooth paste.

PREPARATION

Start with the dough. Don't be alarmed at the number of steps. We broke it down into easy descriptive chunks to make it simple to follow.

1. Combine the flourt, olive oil and salt and gradually stir in water until your dough is no longer sticky. It should be soft to the touch.
2. Knead the dough really well.
3. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a light brushing of olive oil.
4. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and leave it along to rest for about an hour.
5. After the dough has rested for an hour, knead it again. We suggest you oil your hands so it doesn't stick.
6. Then, pince of pieces of dough and form into balls. They should be around the size of a pingpong ball but you can make them the size you like. Experimentation is a good thing!
7. Flatten the dough balls.
8. Spread approximately a teaspoon of your cornflour paste onto half your flattened dough balls.
9. Take the other half of the flattened dough balls and place them on top of the pieces you've just spread with the cornflour paste. See, this makes your "sandwich".
10. Now, cover the dough balls with saran wrap again and leave them to rest for another hour.
11. Pinch/crimp the edges of each dough "sandwich". They should now look like little "hats".
12. Get to work flattening each sandwich. Libyan Food's recipe suggests using a dinner plate and, in fact, that's the way we've always done it. They say it helps to keep the round shape consistent. The way we do it is to oil a large dinner plate and then use our fingers and the heel of our palm to gradually flatten and stretch the dough sandwich to the size of the dinner plate.
13. Now to cook them! You can use a griddle or any large frying pan over medium heat.
14. Make sure they don't burn. Turn after about 8 to 10 seconds.
15. Brush the upturned side with a little olive oil.
16. Here comes the magic! Once each dinner plate sized piece of ftat is cooked, it will separate into two pieces. The cornflour in the middle of the sandwich has done the job.
17. Once that happens, just flip them over and cook the interiors for a few seconds each.

We like ours "done" a little more than most recipes call for. We like to get some char marks on each side and crisp the edges. Just a suggestion! If serving right away, wrap them up in a clean tea towel to keep them warm. They tend to harden a bit when cool, so this also helps to keep the ftat lovely and soft. You can make a big batch ahead and refrigerate for up to a week. Some people wrap them in foil but we keep ours in a large, airtight plastic container and just take out what we need and warm them up. Ftat are often filled (sort of like dumplings or calzone) with all sorts of ingredients. Omelet-like egg mixtures, herbs and potatoes, mushrooms and tomatoes, etc. Just experiment with any filling you enjoy! We like to use our like a "wrap", placing the filling in and rolling them up into a tight little sandwich. A friend of ours came to our house and we served her some filled Ftat. She said they were very similar to a Cornish Pasty her Nana used to make. Much flatter thinner bread rather than a pastry shell, but the fillings reminded her of her childhood. We have taught our children to cook as soon as they were old enough to participate. Flatbreads are a great way to get them involved, especially with the kneading. Jamie Oliver has a terrific recipe for what he calls Easy Flatbreads - and says they are a fun way to start kids learning about food preparation.

Enjoy! Please tell us what you pair your delicious flatbread with and share your recipe modifications or variations.

Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Spelled "peri peri" in Africa, Piri piri sauce (used as a seasoning or marinade) is Portuguese in origin. Peri Peri African Chicken is popular in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa. We say you can't go wrong with this combination of ingredients! Yum Yum, indeed. You can make a big batch of the sauce and store it in the fridge for future use. We always triple our batch and enjoy this delicious flavouring for many meals. Although we particularly enjoy this family recipe, remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We found a good basic recipe at Allrecipes.com and tweaked it a bit to reflect the way we make our Peri Peri. We make it so often we do everything automatically, without thinking about how much of this or how much of that. Don't hesitate to experiment. A little more this, a little less that - is a great way to express your unique culinary talents and make things taste just the way you like them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup of paprika
• 2 tablespoons of hot chili powder
• 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger (we use a little more - probably 2 teaspoons)
• 4 cloves of garlic (AllRecipes.com calls for 3 cloves but we like more)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
• fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• 4 to 6 bone-in chicken breasts (or a similar quantity of chicken thighs)

We like our peri peri sauce quite spicy, so I add a little Sriracha to the mix. You can also add some hot chili pepper flakes. Simply combine all the ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl. We like to let it sit for at least an hour so the flavours meld. Rub or brush the chicken with the peri peri sauce. Place your chicken in a bowl, cover with sarah wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to marinate. We often marinate ours for at least 6 hours for maximum flavour. It's up to you! Reserve the leftover peri peri sauce in the fridge. It is delicious "on the side" to dip your chicken in ast you eat. Peri Peri Chicken has roots in both Africa and Portugal. The dish was created in Angola and Mozambique when Portuguese settlers arrived with chile peppers (known as piri-piri in Swahili). PREPARATION

1. When you're read, just heat up your grill (medium is good for chicken - not too hot or it will burn quickly).
2. Cook your chicken as you usually would, turning occasionally. Make sure the juices run clear before taking off the grill for service.

A little tip for you. In the middle of winter (or if we just don't feel like firing up the BBQ), we use a FlavourWave convection oven to make our Peri Peri Chicken. We highly recommend this device. They are so handy, we've got FlavourWaves at home and at our cottage. They are inexpensive and save you having to heat up your kitchen with the oven on.

Variations

We like our Peri Peri Chicken with a variety of sides. Rice, chunky spicy oven roasted potatoes, salad - whatever your heart desires.

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

Cover Photo Source: Flickr - Start Cooking (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Spicy Ethiopian Red Sauce has long been a favourite in our family. You can prepare the spice blend ahead and use it on all sorts of things. We use it to flavour salmon, chicken breasts or thighs, steaks or even on shrimp. We guarantee you'll love this dish. Some recipes we've seen suggest a dollop of yogurt on top just before serving. It is delicious! We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. As pretty much always, while most recipes specify chicken breasts, you can certainly substitute an equal amount of chicken thighs. Frankly, we find thighs more flavourful.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 4 lemon wedges
• 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro (We don't like cilantro so we use broad leaf parsley instead)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (We prefer sea salt)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (Use something with a good strong flavour)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (We use a canola/olive oil blend)
• 2 medium size onions, chopped (rough chop)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Berbere Spice Mix

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground red pepper
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Remember, as with all our family recipes, these ingredients are approximate. Play to your taste by varying the spice amounts according to your family taste. PREPARATION

1. Combine all the Berbere Spice Mix Ingredients in a bowl
2. Put your chicken into a shallow baking dish and sprinkle it with lemon and half the salt.
3. Marinate your chicken (covered) for at least an hour in the fridge.
4. In a large deep frying pan, saute your onion and garlic in olive oil. Don't burn it!
5. Take about 2 teaspoons of the Berbere Spice Mix and add to your onion and garlic along with the rest of the salt, butter, ginger, cardamon and nutmeg.
6. Saute, blending the spices, onion and garlic. This only takes about a minute or two at most.
7. Then add the tomato paste, wine and broth. Stir well to blend and bring up to just a boil.
8. Now add the marinated chicken. (Take it out of fridge so it isn't super cold when you add it).
9. Now put a lid on your pan and reduce the heat to a nice simmer.
10. It should take about an hour to cook the chicken. Make sure you turn the pieces over a few times.
11. When chicken is done, you can stir in the cilantro (or broad leaf parsley).
12. Place a lemon wedge on the edge of each serving plate.

A little tip? This chicken is excellent cold as well. Not that there will be any left! There are lots of variations of Spicy Red Sauce. Search online for other ways to create this tasty concoction. Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Sambal is the perfect summer side to accompany almost any dish. Fresh and flavourful, this lovely combination is easy to prepare. Grated carrots and apples pair up with garlic, ginger and rice wine vinegar to produce a tasty slaw. There are many varieties of Sambal, showing up from Sri Lanka to South Africa, incorporating different ingredients - cucumber, tomato, onion and even pineapple! Most Sambals have a common trait - they are crisp and fresh versions of a slaw salad. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. South African Tours and Travel is a good resource for South African recipes. As always, we've tried to approximate our family method of preparing this recipe. This one is from a favourite Auntie. We recommend having a good look online as well for different types of sambal recipes.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 2 cups grated apples (we like a tart apple rather than a sweeter variety)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped broad leaf parsley (many people use cilantro but we don't like the flavour)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped red chilies
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Just toss the carrots and apples along with the lemon juice and the salt and let it sit for about a half an hour. Carefully pour off the excess liquid and then combine all the other ingredients. Cover with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before dinner. As with all our recipes, this is just sort of the basics. We have both experimented and substituted when an ingredient wasn't at hand. For example, if we don't have chilies, we've chopped up some bell peppers and used a bit of hot sauce for heat. You can adjust the seasonings to your own tastes. We like a bit more ginger than most recipes call for. If you have any of this delicious slaw left over (and you probably won't), we find it to be very tasty on chicken sandwiches. Cover Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

There's just nothing like a hot, satisfying bowl of stew to cheer everyone up as the weather turns cold. This is our "go to" recipe for the fall season. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. INGREDIENTS

• 500 ml of chicken stock, heated up
• 2 peppers, seeds removed, cut into rough chunks (we use 1 red and 1 yellow or orange)
• 2 onions, thin sliced (we use sweet onions)
• 3 sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
• 340 gram jar of smooth peanut butter
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil (or canola oil is fine too)
• 3 tbsp of fresh ginger, finely chopped up
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper (you can vary the amount according to taste, or use black pepper if you prefer)
• 1.5 kilograms of chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 to 2 scotch bonnet chilies, deseeded and chopped (again vary the amount according to your own taste)
• 3 tsps of ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 400 gram can of diced tomatoes
• handful of chopped broadleaf parsley (some people like coriander but we use parsley)
• Prepare rice (whatever kind you prefer). Serve the stew over a ladle of rice at bottom of bowl
• Cut some lime wedges up. The stew is delicious with a slight squeeze of lime over the top.

Instructions

1. Pour your already heated chicken stock over the peanut butter and stir until all the peanut butter is dissolved.
2. In a large frying pan, saute the onions in the oil until they are soft.
3. Then, add the cayenne and/or black pepper, coriander, chilies, bay leaves, cumin and ginger and saute for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and your chicken/peanut butter stock mixture.
5. Add your chicken thighs. (Cut your chicken thighs up into large bite sized pieces)
6. Cover your pan and simmer for about a half an hour. Stir often, making sure nothing is sticking to bottom of pan.
7. Add the sweet potatoes, peppers and the chopped broad leaf parsley (or coriander). Reserve a bit of the chopped parsley to sprinkle over the top of each bowl.
8. To serve, place a ladleful of rice at bottom of a large soup bowl. Then ladle chicken stew over rice. Serve with reserved chopped broad leaf parsley and lime wedges.

This recipe is a snap to make and serves 6 to 8 people. We often make two batches and freeze one for a future quick meal. This stew freezes well for at least a couple of months. Although, it never lasts that long in our house! This recipe lend itself well to modification. Sometimes we add a carrot or some chopped cabbage. Recently, we had some leftover baby spinach and added that just at the end of the cooking process. In our house, recipes are often "tinkered" with, often with delightful results! Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

After Thanksgiving, each year, you can often take advantage of post-holiday turkey sales at your local grocers. Try this North African inspired recipe. Harissa is a spice often used in Moroccan foods. Basically, a hot chili sauce comprised of several varieties of peppers, spices and herbs. This kicks up the flavour immensely! You can keep any leftover rub in the fridge for a couple of weeks and enjoy it on all sorts of things. We use it on both chicken and steak. Delicious! We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. INGREDIENTS While there are quite a few ingredients, don't be discouraged. This recipe is quite easy to put together and the results are well worth it. Harissa Spice Rub

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
• 1 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

Roasted Turkey

• 12 to 14 pound turkey
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt
• black pepper (we like a rough ground pepper)
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 cup of Harissa plus at least a tablespoon more
• 2 red onions (quarter or chop into large pieces depending on size)
• 2 cups of sweet potatoes (cut into large cubes, about 1/2 inch or a bit bigger)
• 2 springs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped

Stuffing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 5 to 6 cups of cubed white bread (suitable for stuffing)
• 2 tablespoons of finely slivered almonds
• 3 parsnips, cut in cubes (about same size as sweet potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 shallots, diced
• 2 quinces, cubed (preferred fresh but use canned if you can find them) Note: We have substituted apples and/or pears for the quince very successfully.
• 1 tablespoon of Harissa rub
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Harissa Spice Rub

1. Heat up the olive oil in a small frying pan. Use about medium heat.
2. Then add the garlic and saute it until it turns a golden colour. Should take 3-4 minutes.
3. Take your frying pan off the burner and then add the caraway, coridander, chili powder, mint and salt.
4. Stir all your spices in the oil and set the mixture aside to cool off.
5. You can store any leftover rub in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Note: You can buy Harissa Spice in a variety of formats including dry rub mixture and paste. We highly recommend you make your own, though. It is easy and the results are far superior in our opinion. Here's a neat little video on how to make Harissa Spice. Especially useful if you have a garden, or a great farmers market source for peppers.

Source: Learn How To Garden, YouTube

Turkey

1. You need to cure the turkey overnight in a brine made from stirring 1/2 cup of kosher salt into 8 cups of water. You can use a large pail or any large container with a lid that will accomodate the turkey and brine.
2. A really good suggestion from a friend of ours is to line the container with a garbage bag. It makes cleanup easy!
3. The container must be kept chilled.
4. In the morning, put the onion, garlic, sweet potatoes and thyme in a bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of the Harissa Spice Rub and toss ingredients until well coated/mixed.
5. Preheat the oven 4o 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry.
7. Sprinkle salt and pepper both inside and outside of the turkey.
8. Place the vegetable mixture inside the turkey cavity and then use a skewer to seal up the turkey.
9. If you have extra vegetable mixture, just place around turkey in roasting pan.
10. Tie the drumsticks together with some kitchen string and afix the wings with small skewers.
11. Then place the turkey in your roasting pan. We cover the breast with some foil.
12. Roast for 20 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and pour two cups of broth into the roasting pan.
14. Stir the roasting pan to scrape up the good brown bits!
15. Place back in oven and roast again for 40 minutes.
16. Remove any "extra" vegetables from the pan and reserve.
17. Now, turn your oven down to 350 degrees F and continue roasting the turkey.
18. Baste with pan juices.
19. When the turkey reaches 170 degrees, it is done. Test with a thermometers but totaly roasting time is usually about 3 to 3.25 hours for us.
20. We take the foil off for the last half hour so the bird browns nicely.
21. To make gravy: Skim excess fat from pan juices. Over medium-low heat (not too hot) add 1 cup of water and stir, scraping all the caramelized bits off bottom of pan. Heat to a simmer.

Stuffing

1. Heat up 1/4 cup of oil in a big frying pan and add the bread cubes.
2. Saute the bread cubes for about 5 minutes, until they are nicely toasted.
3. Then add the finely slivered almonds and set pan aside off the heat.
4. Now, combine the rest of your oil with the parsnips and the cinnamon sticks in a "Dutch Oven" type casserole dish and saute everything for around 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Then add the quinces (or apples and/or pears), the harissa rub, shallots, and garlic and continue to saute until the garlic has softened up.
6. Once garlic is soft, you can add the stock, honey and orange juice.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes.
8. Now add the thyme, salt and raisins, as well as your bread cubes and almond mixture you set aside back in Step 3.
9. Cook over low heat, making sure to stir frequently. Don't let anything stick to bottom!
10. Once well heated through, you can stir in the chopped parsley.

We have given you the basic rundown of what we do. As always, our amounts are sometimes a range and our cooking times and methods are relating "how we do it". There are some Harissa Turkey recipes online that you can use as a reference as well. Ours always turns out well but, by all means, check out other versions. Again, the Harissa Rub is incredibly delicious and can be used to flavour other dishes. Here's a recipe that caught our eye from familyeducation.com. Harissa Rubbed Grilled Skirt Steak with Orange Fennel Relish. We're going to try that one! Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

While Canadian Thanksgiving is past, American Thanksgiving is coming up soon! There are still lots of good buys on turkey at local supermarkets. Whether made with inexpensive turkey legs or (as we usually do) with leftover turkey, this stew is a great "warmer upper" for those nippy fall days. We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes along with African Cuisine Made Easy. Many similar recipes for this delicious stew start with turkey legs. We use leftover turkey most of the time. If you like your stew a little "juicier", reduce the amount of turkey. Play it by ear and vary this recipe and you will end up with a family favourite, we're sure. INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of leftover turkey, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 litre of chicken stock
• 2 orange (or yellow) bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (we use chopped garlic in oil- comes in a jar - much easier)
• 4 hot peppers (your choice but chop them up fine and be careful handling them)
• 6-8 plum tomatoes (cut up into chunks) You can use canned plum tomatoes if you want. We do and it works just fine. We use an entire can because we like our stew with lots of juice.
• 1 sweet onion (cut into bite size chunks)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt (to taste)
• 1 cup of olive oil (it is okay to use vegetable oil - we just prefer using olive oil)

Instructions

1. Put your leftover turkey into a big saucepan and then pour in the chicken broth. It must cover the turkey meat.
2. Bring it to a boil slowly over medium heat and cook until the broth has been absorbed/reduced by at least half.
3. Cut your bell peppers into bite size chunks and blend them roughly along with the onions, hot peppers, garlic, tomato paste and tomatoes. We use our food processor. Don't puree them until they are a paste! Make sure some of the pepper and onion chunks are still recognizable.
4. Now heat up your olive oil in another big saucepan and pour in your vegetable mixture from the step above. Watch (and stir) carefully as you simmer the mixture in the oil. It will take about 30 minutes for this to be done. Don't let it burn.
5. Now add your turkey and simmer for another 15 minutes or so. Add salt to taste.

Now, here's the nice thing about this recipe. Sometimes we add some more chicken broth and a can of black beans. Other times, we add more chicken broth and tomatoes to make a juicier stew - adding some beans (you can use black beans, navy beans - whatever you like). Sometimes we don't puree the bell peppers. This recipe really lends itself to variations. We often serve this recipe over rice. And sometimes couscous. We often serve it with fresh, hot biscuits. This is a good basic recipe to enjoy any way you want to! It freezes fairly well so, if you find you like it, make a double batch for the next rainy fall day you need something warm in your tummy! Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Sometimes a cigar isn't just a cigar! These little "wrap-ups" are cigar shaped morsels of goodness and (as we thought everyone would be a bit sick of both turkey and holiday cooking by now) a terrific quick recipe that's sure to please. The truly ambitious cooks can make their own phyllo dough but, we can assure you, we buy the frozen dough when we make this recipe! New York Times - Cooking has a great recipe for making your own dough, including a handy video on rolling out the phyllo - something we find rather challenging!

Source: Creative Commons, Labeled for Reuse

We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. Just a simple web search will turn up a wide variety of recipes for you to try. We like to have something to "dip" these little cigars into. Sometimes we make a cucumber and sour cream concoction and we also like to serve these with our homemade hummus. Jamie Oliver's hummus recipe (also sometimes spelled houmous) is our "go-to" reference recipe. We like the consistency and the flavour is amazing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sixteen ounce package of frozen phyllo dough
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of crushed plum tomatoes
• cooking spray (we use canola)
• 1/2 pound of lean ground beef

As always, this is just a basic ingredient list. We often fiddle with the spices, sometimes adding a bit more cumin and bit less cinnamon. It's entirely a matter of taste so don't hesitate to experiment!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a baking sheet.
3. After heating up the olive oil in a frying pan, cook the ground beef until good and brown. No pink bits!
4. Drain the fat from the ground beef and then add all the spices and the tomatoes.
5. Let this mixture cook on a simmering heat for around 10 minutes.
6. Make sure to cover the phyllo dough with a damp cloth or it will dry out very quickly!
7. Take out one sheet of phyllo and cut it into two equal pieces. Spray one piece lightly with cooking spray and then put second sheet on top of first sheet. Spray second sheet lightly with cooking spray.
8. Now, take a heaping teaspoon of the meat and tomato mixture and place it near the narrow end of your phyllo sheets. Fold the phyllo dough over the meat and then turn in the sides of the phyllo sheet. Now roll your phyllo with the teaspoon of meat mixture inside up into a cigar shape.
9. Make as many of these little cigar packages until you run out of meat mixture.
10. Place your "cigars" on your greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes. They should be lightly browned when done.

Although none of the recipes we've seen recommend this, we often use parchment paper rather than greasing our baking sheet. Originally, we were introduced to these by friends who serve them as an appetizer but we often have them as a main dish with a little salad or slaw on the side. As a main dish, the recipe will serve 4 people. Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make. Vegetable Photo Source: Wikipedia (Creative Commons - Labeled for Reuse).

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

Make these for your sweetie pie! Now, we have to confess, we've never made these ourselves. Although, we can say with certainty that they are truly delicious. This recipe comes to us from a favourite "Auntie". We've enjoyed these special treats since we were quite little! The recipe couldn't be easier and the results are delightful! So, go on, delight your honey!

Source: Creative Commons, Labeled for Reuse

We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. Just a simple web search will turn up a wide variety of recipes for you to try. INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of unsweetened (flaked) coconut (We buy ours at the Bulk Barn)
• 1/2 cup of self-raising flour
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup of superfine/caster sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Mix the sugar, egg yoks and the flaked coconut together. The resulting dough will be a bit stiff.
3. Pat and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter.
4. Roll each ball in the flour
5. Place on a baking sheet about 2 inches away from each other. We like to line our baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes. Check them carefully after 15 minutes. They are done when they turn a lovely golden colour.

Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.

Getting to know Africa includes experiencing the vastly different - and yummy - expressions of each culture through food.

We love to read Jamie Oliver's recipes because we always learn something from them other than just the ingredients and instructions. Jamie uses food to tell a story - about where the recipe came from, the diaspora of people and the spread of cultures (and therefore their cuisine). He makes food interesting and we follow him closely. So, although we'd been making this recipe for years and years, we suddenly thought "why is it called Jollof Chicken & Rice". So we turned to Jamie Oliver to find out why! His explanation follows: "Jollof rice is more of a concept than a recipe, because it’s found in various guises all over West Africa. Its other name is Benachin, which means “one pot” in the language of the Wolof people who invented it – evidently throwing lots of lovely food in a pan and letting the heat do its thing has always been a popular cheat."

Source: Creative Commons, Labeled for Reuse

The Wolof people ruled in what is now known as Senegal (1360 to 1549). They were quite powerful and wealthy and before their empire disintegrated, The Wolof traded with Europe. Before their kingdom disappeared, The Wolof spread through travel, trading with others and conquests.

Source: Creative Commons, Labeled for Reuse

As a result, Jollof Rice is a popular dish in Ghana - over 2,000 km from The Wolof homeland in Senegal. It is also found in Nigeria and Cameroon. This "spread" of the recipe has resulted in varying ingredients but the basic recipe has stayed pretty much the same. Jamie Oliver often says that "the devil is in the detail" and recommends using the best ingredients you can find and ensuring you use long grain rice. Jamie's recipe is amazing - we highly recommend checking it out! Here's an interesting fact! The word Ghana means “warrior king”, so they can probably stand the heat of the Scotch Bonnet Pepper often used in this delicious dish. Our family recipe doesn't include a Scotch Bonnet Pepper, although we have prepared this dish with one in the past. We warn you, it does add quite a bit of heat!

We love sharing our family recipes with you but please remember you can search online and find lots of variations on this dish and other terrific African recipes. An online recipe site we use over and over again is The Congo Cookbook. My East Africa Journal is also a great source for recipes. We just came across a terrific culinary resource - African Cuisine Made Easy. AllRecipes and Food.com are also good resources. Just a simple web search will turn up a wide variety of recipes for you to try. INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds of chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 cup of long grain rice
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 16 ounces of canned tomatoes (we use plum tomatoes and we break them apart with our hands), including the juice
• 1-1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of thyme (we use fresh and crush it up but you can use ground or rubbed)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the chicken thighs in a large frying pan. When brown remove the thighs and place them aside.
2. Saute the onion in the pan drippings until onions are translucent and soft but not caramelized brown.
3. Put the chicken back in the frying pan.
4. Add the tomatoes (including the juice) and the chicken broth and seasonings.
5. Don't stir the chicken around while bringing the mixture to a boil.
6. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for approximately 1/2 hour.
7. Skim off the fat and then add the rice. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the rice. If there isn't add chicken broth or water to cover.
8. Cover the pan again and simmer for another 1/2 hour. When the rice is cooked, you're done!
9. Take the bay leaf out and sprinkle the fresh chopped parsley on top.

We serve ours family-style by placing the hot frying pan right in the middle of the table (on some heat protective trivets, of course). Everyone can help themselves to the amount they want. We usually have a little salad or slaw on the side. Check out our recipe for Sambal (a lovely slaw recipe). Enjoy! And please let us know how you enjoy this recipe and any creative culinary modifications you make.