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West african Banana Fritters (Klako – Klaklo – Kaklo – kakro)

West african Banana Fritters (Klako – Klaklo – Kaklo – kakro)

3 large overly ripe bananas

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt or more adjust to suit preference

1 teaspoon garlic

½ teaspoon ginger

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 -1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your tolerance level

Mash plantains with a potato masher or spoon until puree or use a food processor to blend.

In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, garlic, paprika, ginger, cayenne pepper to the mashed plantains. 

Adjust seasonings.

Let rest for 1 hour

Using your hands roll about a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand into little bite size balls or use spoon to scoop it out.
Heat oil to 350 degrees in a skillet or saucepan. You may also use the oil test by dropping a 1-inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at around 350 degrees

Carefully place spoonful of the batter into the hot oil and fry for 3-4- minutes, or until the fritters are crisp and golden-brown (you may need to do this in batches).

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

You may drain on paper napkin to remove any excess oil

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Rum Cake from Scratch

Rum Cake from Scratch

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup dark rum

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, for dusting baking pan

RUM BUTTER SAUCE:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (125 g)

1/4 cup water

1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 – 1/2 cup dark rum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Using pastry brush, oil the bundt cake pan and sprinkle it with fine dry bread crumbs so that the cake doesn’t stick. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, mix eggs with oil, milk, lemon juice, rum, vanilla extract and rum flavoring. 

Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into prepared bundt cake pan and bake in 350 F (175 C) oven for about 20 minutes. Rotate the cake, set the temperature to 300 F (150 C) and bake for another 20 minutes. Check with wooden skewer for doneness.

RUM BUTTER SAUCE: In a small saucepan, cook butter, water, sugar, rum and vanilla for a few minutes or until sugar dissolves.

After the cake has cooled a little, use a skewer to poke lots of holes (at least 20) all over the cake. SLOWLY pour the sauce over the cake. Let it rest until the sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

At this point either serve the cake, or cover it and until serving.

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Stuffed rolled pastry

Stuffed rolled pastry

2 cup of very fine semolina

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of sugar (optional, but it helps to give a nice golden color to pancakes)

1/2 liter of lukewarm water

Butter mixture (50g) + Sunflower oil (50ml)

1 tablespoon of oil

300 g ground meat

Spices: salt, pepper, ginger, garlic powder, harissa

1 cup of vegetable

1 onion

Salt to taste

In a large casserole, heat the olive oil and add the onions over medium heat. Add the vegetable and cook for 2 mins

Add the minced meat and the seasoning. Stir to break up the meat until the meat is browned all over and all liquids have evaporated, about 5 minutes. At this stage your filling is ready, set aside and keep in the fridge.

In your robot or bread machine, mix the flour, semolina salt, sugar and add small warm water until obtaining a very smooth dough (about 5min at medium speed)

Form small balls and let stand 5min

Spread the dough with the butter / oil mixture, without tearing it

Add the ground meat and roll

Bake in the oven at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes until lightly golden

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Easy chicken nuggets

Easy chicken nuggets

Homemade chicken nuggets are healthier and tastier than the fast-food and frozen chicken nugget. Chicken nuggets are a common staple in the diet of many kids.  Contrary to popular believes, homemade chicken nuggets are easy to make. They are fresh, delicious and you don’t have to wonder what type of meat is ground up and packaged in your nuggets. To make the homemade chicken nuggets, you will need a food processor or something to ground the chicken breast.  The grounded chicken is battered, breaded then deep-fried in vegetable oil.

  • 4 – 5 chicken cutlets cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 glass of milk tea
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons brie cream
  • 1 egg + 2 tablespoons milk + pinch of salt
  • breadcrumbs

How Do You Make Homemade Chicken Nuggets?

Trim off the fat from the chicken breasts. Then, chop them up into cubes.

Blend the chicken, garlic, parsley, pepper 

Add the flour, milk and the brie cream. Stir for 30 second.

With lightly oiled hands shape balls and drop as you go on the plate. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Spread the breadcrumbs in one bowl and the beaten egg, milk and salt in another.

Drench each chicken kibble in the egg then coat in bread crumbs. Deposit as you go on the plate.

Place in a cool place time to heat frying oil and fry each kibble until golden brown.

Drain and place on paper towels.

Serve hot with the sauce of your choice or simply mustard.

Note:

  • To save time, you can double or triple the recipe and keep the extra uncooked nuggets in the freeze for future meal. One the nuggets are ready to be cooked, remove them from the freezer, leave at room temperature until it unfreezes and fry. You can also freeze the cook chicken nuggets in which case, you can warm up in the oven or microwave.
  • To bread the homemade chicken nugget, you can use your own breadcrumbs, instead of store bought. You will need to dehydrate the bread in the oven and pulsing it in a food processor until you reach your desired size and texture. You can also add herbs and spices. If they are well dehydrated, it can be preserved for a longtime. To make these chicken nuggets more fun for your kids, because the chicken is soft and moldable after blending, you can shape them into cool shapes. You can use cookie cutter to make hearts, dinosaurs… before covering them with the egg and breadcrumbs.
  • Once the homemade chicken nuggets are you can serve with honey mustard, ranch or barbecue sauce.
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The easy recipe of French toast with brioche

The easy recipe of French toast with brioche

1 long brioche

20 cl of milk

20 cl of liquid cream

3 eggs

50 g of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

20 g of butter

50 g of chocolate

Cut the brioche into slices 2 cm thick.

In a salad bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream and the milk. Add vanilla extract and sugar and mix. Pour the mixture into a shallow and wide dish.

Arrange the baguette slices in the dish.

Preheat the oven on the thermostat 6. Pour the mixture into the dish and let the baguette slices soak for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle top with chocolate and butter. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy warm or warm with or without accompaniment: crème fraîche, jam, compote …

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Attiéké braised Chicken

6 pieces Chicken

8 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons ginger

2 cloves

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup vinegar 

1/2 onion

1 cubes

Salt

Blend the spices

Mix the chicken pieces and half the marinade and leave to marinate for at least an hour but overnight will give you a great flavor.

Place chicken on the grill and grill for about 10-15 minutes an each side you may need to turn the chicken occasionally on each side until it is cooked all the way. Remember to brush the chicken with the marinade

1 ball of Attiéké

1 or 2 large tomatoes

1 big onion

Salt to taste

1 cube Maggi (optional)

African pepper (optional)

Oil

Some water

Place Attiéké in a microwave-safe dish.

Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to Attiéké.

Allow the semolina to absorb all the water.

Microwave for 5 minutes (repeat by adding 1/4 of water until desired consistency)

Cut the fresh tomato, the African pepper, the fresh onion into thin cubes.

On a medium heat , in a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion.Cook for 10 mins

Add tomatoes, cube taste and add salt if necessary.

Serve Attieke with the tomato mixture and the chicken

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Merveilles donut

Gbanplè, Bugnes, oreillettes, merveilles, ganses

200 g All purpose flour

40 g Butter

2 eggs

50 g Sugar powder

30 cl Oil

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Icing sugar

Make a fountain with flour and yeast. Pour in the center the powdered sugar, the eggs, the nutmeg and the melted butter. Knead by hand to obtain a homogeneous paste.

Form a ball with the dough and Spread each slice finely on a floured work surface and cut.

Heat the oil in a large pan and put the pieces of batter. Drain the ear cups on paper towels, place them on a dish, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

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Ivorian Chicken Jollof rice

Ivorian Chicken Jollof rice

4 cups rice (Jasmine)

1 chicken (cut into pieces)

2 tomatoes

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon cayenne

5 clove garlic

2 tablespoon ginger

1 onions

2 cubes

1 cup oil

1 cabbage

2 carrots

10 habanero pepper (optional)

Pinch of baking soda

Salt to taste

Blend the garlic, ginger, ½ onion, clove.

Season the chicken with half of the blended spices, add the cube and salt to taste. Add 1/2 sliced onion. Add water and cook until tender. Fry the chicken

Add the tomato puree, the tomato paste, ½ onion puree, the cube, the remaining blended spices, the cayenne, the carrots sliced in half and the cabbage slice, a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste. 

Add 7 cups of the water to the tomato mixture add the watched rice and salt to taste. Cook the rice.

When all the water evaporates from the rice add the habanero pepper.

Serve the rice with the side of vegetable and the chicken.

Voila!!!

I noticed that other cultures serve their jollof with a side of salad, which is a good idea.

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Ivorian Pepper Soup

This Ivoirian pepper soup is a quick meal loaded with goat meat and spices in an onion, tomato and eggplant broth. The Ivoirian pepper soup tastes the same in all west Africa but we all have a different way of cooking it. for this recipe the whole tomato, onion and eggplant is cooked with the goat (or meat of your choice) and the spices; once the goat meat is tender the tomatoes, onion, and eggplants are pureed and added back to the stock and the goat meat.

Ivorian Pepper Soup
Ivorian Pepper Soup

Obviously, the authentic pepper soup is very spicy, but you can adjust the pepper to you family’s taste. Typically, the pepper is treated like the whole tomato, onion and eggplant but I leave them whole because of my kids. It can be prepared with various meats, such as fish, shrimp, tripe, oxtail, chicken, goat, beef and/or cow. The Ivoirian pepper soup can be cooked using several meats in the same pot.

Ingredients

  • 1 kilo of goat meat
  • 1 big eggplant
  • 1 large tomatoes
  • 1 big onions
  • 3 peppers
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 5 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoon ginger
  • 1 cube Maggi
  • Salt

How to make Ivorian Pepper Soup?

Add the meat in a saucepan, add enough water to cover the meat.

Add a tablespoon of concentrated tomato, garlic and ginger.

Add onion, eggplant and tomatoe.

Cover and let boil for 20 minutes and make sure the vegetables are well cooked. At this point the meat should be half cooked and tender.

Remove the vegetables and crush and add the crushed vegetables, pepper and the cube.

Let it simmer for 15 minutes and season to taste!

Ivorian Pepper Soup
Ivorian Pepper Soup

You can accompany your sauce with foutou banana or rice.

Here are couples of Foufou recipes