Sauces & Soups Archives

Posted on April 15, 2019July 1, 2019 by admin — Leave a comment

Jollof beef and shrimp Tagliatelle Pasta

Jollof beef and shrimp Tagliatelle Pasta

Jollof Tagliatelle Pasta is Tagliatelle Pasta cooked in flavorful tomato sauce and you will have a delightful lunch or dinner you and your family or guests can hardly forget. This recipe originated from west Africa and is a little different from the western recipes. The sauce is made of cooked tomato, spices and the meat of your choice. If you like jollof rice or jollof couscous, you will appreciate this recipe. This delicious Jollof Spaghetti recipe is very easy. You can choose to add vegetables. I already have some Jollof rice recipes, click on any link below to view the recipes if you’re interested.

1 box thin spaghetti (pre-cooked) – I used Collezione Tagliatelle Pasta
2 cup shrimps
1 lb kg beef
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
2 3/4 cups chicken stock
5 large about 2 lbs plum tomatoes
1 large onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

In a medium saucepan heat the oil and add the shrimp , garlic, ginger, chilli powder, curry powder, ground allspice, paprika and chicken bouillon powder. cook for 5 mins (until the shrimp turns pink).

Remove the shrimp and add 1 lb beef. Cook for 5 mins.

Add the chopped onion, tomato paste, blended tomato Add the chicken stock and cook until the beef is tender (sauce is about half the amount, and has thickened significantly to look like a paste). This takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on your beef.

Be sure to stir the sauce occasionally to prevent it from burning.

Once the sauce is reduced, taste the sauce and adjust for salt.

Add in the spaghetti and the shrimp. Cover and allow to cook for 3 minutes on low-medium heat.

Serve hot

How to cook the Tagliatelle Pasta?

To make a good Jollof Tagliatelle Pasta, the Tagliatelle Pasta need to be cooked to perfection. The first step is to boil a big pot of water and add a generous amount of salt (about 1 or 2 tablespoon). It should taste like the sea. Please remember to use a lot of water to avoid that the pasta sticks together. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. As the pasta starts to cook, stir it well with the tongs so the noodles don’t stick to each other or to the pot. Cook the pasta 4 mins less that the cooking time on the package, but always taste pasta before draining to make sure the texture is right. Pasta will be cooked in the sauce for 4~7 mins to rewarm the pasta, get “al dente”—a little chewy. Drain cooked pasta well in a colander. I add a little bit of oil to help the pasta not stick together.

Posted on February 21, 2019March 20, 2019 by admin — Leave a comment

Yassa liver

1 pounds of beef liver
2 Large Onions Sliced
4 cloves of garlic , minced
1 teaspoon ginger
1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon
2 Tablespoon mustard
Salt and pepper
½ cup oil

Marinade the liver with onions, mustard, ginger, minced garlic, bouillon, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours , preferably overnight

Fry the liver in the oil for 10 min or until you dont see any blood.

Fry the onions with the marinade for about 5 minutes

Slice and transfer the diced liver in the cooked onion and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes

Remove from the heat and adjust for seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Posted on February 21, 2019July 2, 2019 by admin — Leave a comment

Yam and Egg sauce

Yam and Egg sauce

Boiled yam is often served with egg stew. Yam are delicious superfoods is found largely in tropical region like Africa, Jamaican and Caribbean and very different from the “Yam” found in most leading grocery store. The US’s yam is a variation of sweet potato. The African Yam has a dark brown peelable skin and the inside is white or yellow. We have a variety of recipes made with Yam: pound yam or Fufu, Fried yam and baked Yam.

1 yam
4-6 eggs
1 smoked mackerel
1 cup shrimp
2 garlic chopped
1 teaspoon ginger
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-2 scotch bonnet, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
Salt and Seasoning cube (to taste)

How to make boiled yam?

Peel and Wash yams, then cut into bite-size cubes into 1 inch size.

Rinse in clean water till water runs clear and no residue in water.

Choose a saucepan that will be large enough to hold the yams without crowding them. Put yam in a saucepan, add enough water to cover it, add salt and Bring to a boil.

Cover the saucepan and cook yams for 10 to 12 minutes or until just tender on the outside but resistant in the center when pierced with a knife or fork. For soft, tender yams, cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the stove and drain; And voila, you have yourself boiled Yam

To make egg sauce…

I usually served my boiled yam with sardines, egg stew, green pepper, tomato stew… Today, I am going to serve my boiled yam with a delicious and easy egg stew. I wanted to change thing up a little bit therefore I added shrimp and smoked fish to the egg stew. This recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, onion and spices which goes heavenly with my boiled yam.

Remove all the fishbones from the fish and set aside.

Place frying pan on a medium/low heat, add about 1/2 cup cooking oil.

Add the garlic, ginger, shrimps and salt to taste. Cook until the shrimps are pink, remove and set aside.

Add the tomato, the tomato paste and onion. Cook until the water evaporate.

Add smoked mackerel, shrimp, chopped peppers salt and cube to taste. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or till oil floats on the sauce.Stir in the egg then stir to form a scramble.

Serve egg sauce with yam

Posted on December 12, 2018December 12, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

Yassa fish and shrimp

Yassa fish and shrimp
2- 2 1/2 pounds fish skin (I added shrimp too
4 Large Onions Sliced
1 lemon juice
2 Tablespoons mustard
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger
½ cup oil
Salt and pepper
½ tablespoon chicken bouillon Maggie powder

Mix the onion, lemon juice, onions, grated garlic, ginger, oil and Maggie.

Douse the fish with the marinate and refrigerate for an hour or preferably overnight.

In large skillet heat oil over medium heat, until hot, add the fish, cook each side- for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through and crispy on both sides. Remove fish and set aside.

Heat a pan and fry the onions and marinate juice left over from the fish for about 5 minutes. Adjust for seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Place the fish back in the onions sauce.

Simmer for another 5-8 minutes until flavors come together,I served it with some baked and fried potatoes

Posted on November 10, 2018December 23, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

Curry Goat

One-pot Curry Goat

Curry Goat is a combination of goat meat and spices mainly curry seasoning slow cooked until the goat is tender. The curry goat may have originated from the Caribbean or India. The Jamaican curry is marinated overnight and slowed cooked.

Goat is a popular meat of choice for Hindus because they do not eat beef and for Muslims because they do not eat pork, so it is a good medium. This seasoning can be used with beefs, chicken or shrimps. If you follow my blog, you know I love my goat meat because the flavor is quite appealing, cooked properly the meat is succulent tender and rich. I get my goat meat from Restaurant depot but you can purchase goat meat at most African or from Mexican markets and Latin American butchers.

Chunky pieces of goat are slowly simmered in aromatic blend garlic, onions, hot pepper and the start of the sow “curry”. Jamaican adds ginger, thyme and scallion. Indian adds ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground coriander, plain yogurt, fresh cilantro, garam masala, fresh cilantro, and fresh lemon juice. They are all succulent.

Curry Goat can be served with roti cane flatbread, steamed rice, fried plantain. There are many variations on the dish that include using mutton when goat is not available or bulking it out with potatoes, carrot or the vegetable of your choice.

I use my One-pot slow cooker because I was in a rush. I came back from work and my kids absolutely wanted Curry Goat. I worked out at the end and they love it.

3- 3 1/2 pounds goat meat (cut in chunks)
5 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium onion sliced
5 Tablespoons Curry powder
1- teaspoon pepper
4 medium potatoes
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Bouillon powder (optional)
Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together except for the potato and scotch bonnet pepper. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.

Transfer to the one-pot and add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 30 mins.

Add potatoes and adjust seasoning to taste. Add the scotch bonnet pepper.

Slow cook for 15 or until potatoes are tender.

You may adjust thickness of soup with water or stock.

Posted on November 5, 2018November 21, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

Goat Gari Pinon

Goat Gari Pinon

The short way to describe the Pinon (or Eba) as fufu made with Gari (Gali). Gari is a west African made with grated cassava and have a finer consistency then the regular couscous. Gari can be used to make GariFoto (Galifoto), GariDochi (GaliDossi) or just be consumed with an cooked black beans and palm oil, okra stew, tomato stew, goat meat stew, Ademe, egusi soup …

Gari Pinon (or Eba) is Gari cooked in hot tomato broth. In some West African countries like benin and Ghana, the Gari is cooked on a medium heat but in Togo the gari is added to the hot broth (A Si Pinon). The gari soaks up the flavor of the tomato broth.

Traditionally the meat (chicken, goat, or beef) is boiled with spices (garlic, ginger, paprika…bouillon cube, salt) to tenderize it and the broth of the meat is use to cook the Gari Pinon. I use goat meat for my Pinon and serve it with some pepper, a quick tomato and onion cooked mixture and the fry goat meat.

1 kg goat meat

1 onion

1 tablespoon ginger

2 cloves

2 whole all spice

3 tablespoon garlic

1 cube

Salt

Mix all ingredients, add water and cook for 1 hour.

Remove the goat meat from the stock and fry until golden. Set aside

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tomato puree

1 cube

Goat stock

Gari

On a medium heat, in a saucepan with the goat stock.

Add the paste tomato, tomato, and cube

Add the gari the hot broth gradually stirring vigorously until obtaining a homogeneous paste (Pinon).

1 onion

2 tablespoons oil

4 tomatoes

salt according to your taste

1 tablespoon cube

Cut the onion in half, mince very finely and set aside in a bowl

Cut the tomatoes in half and slice very thinly

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.

1/4 cup oil

1 onion

10 bonnet pepper scotch

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and add the crushed pepper and onion, Add salt to taste. Cook for a min or 2

Serve the Pinon with the tomato mixture, goat meat and pepper

Posted on October 30, 2018November 16, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

Fish stew

M’gbagba, Dja, Sauce de tomate or tomato stew

M’gbagba au poisson (Dja)

2 tilapia

10 large tomatoes

2 big onions

4 teaspoon tomato paste

2 ground garlic

3 tablespoons fresh ground ginger

3 tablespoons crayfish powder

1 ~ 3 West Indian peppers or 5 gboyébssé

salt pepper

potash (pea size)

1 bell pepper

1 cube

1 cup oil

Cut and salt the fish to taste

Heat the oil and fry the fish and set aside.

In a saucepan, on a medium heat, add the blended tomato, onion and cook for 20 mins.

Add the tomato paste, oil (water to the consistency desired). Cook for 10 min.

Add water if needed, oil, garlic, ginger, crayfish, peppers, potash, the fried fish, cube, salt, pepper and fry for another 20 minutes.

Serve your sauce with your main dish.

Enjoy your meal!

Posted on September 30, 2018November 27, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon salt

8 pieces chicken thigh

Wash and thoroughly dry chicken pieces and place in single layer in pan

Mix all the dry ingredients

Sprinkle flour over chicken in pan. Toss chicken to coat well in flour.

Heat up the oil in a cast iron pan and place chicken pieces, skin side down in hot oil.

Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until skin is pale golden brown. Turn chicken over and cook for 10 minutes on second side. Turn chicken pieces once more, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to paper towel lined plate and allow to drain for about 5 minutes.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds (1 kilo) white potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 400°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray.

Arrange the potatoes on the sheet in one layer, and add the oil and salt. Toss until the potatoes are well coated and seasoned.

Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, while flipping occasionally, until crisp and golden.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and season with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with parsley and serve immediately

Posted on October 25, 2018November 12, 2018 by admin — Leave a comment

Powder Foufou recipe

The foufou (fufu or foutou) is usually obtained by pounding yam, cassava or boiled plantain. But I’m going to take a shortcut: the powdered foufou flour!

Fufu (Powder) is a white fermented carbohydrate food, produced from cassava, plantain, yam. Unlike the traditional product, which is in normally obtained in wet form and highly perishable, the mechanized product is presented in dried flour form. It’s a great substitute for the pounded fufu.

4 cups of fufu flour

6 cups of water, everything depends on the consistency you want

Boil 2 cups of water and add the mixture

Cook until the liquid turns into a paste.

Test: wet your hand and touch the dough … if it sticks to your fingers, cover and cook longer.

As soon as it is cooked remove from the heat and put in a ball.

Foufoui dessi or “sauce (white) of foufou”

1 chicken (1 onions, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 ginger teaspoon, 1 bouillon cube, 2 cloves, 2 allspice)

Smoked fish

Vegetables (okra, eggplant, tomatoes, green pepper)

Salt and pepper

Put in a large saucepan the chicken cut into pieces with enough water to cover the meat, the bouillon cube and the seasoning. Bring to a boil and keep on the heat for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on whether the chicken is more or less hard).