Chicken Biryani: Inviting and nourishing

 

TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE  looks at how a delicious Pakistani/Indian dish made of chicken  and basmati rice, which is reserved for  special  family occasions  like weddings, anniversaries and festivals, is being prepared. The balanced diet dish, which is  also  served when hosting special  guests, is now becoming a delight of many Nigerians and makes the list of  menu served  in five-star hotels.

You will need:
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 small potatoes, peeled and  halved

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

•1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and  chopped

• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

•2 tablespoons chopped fresh   mint leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks     

• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 pinch powdered saffron

• 5 pods cardamom

• 3 whole cloves

• 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 pound basmati rice

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Method • In a large skillet, fry potatoes in vegetable oil until brown, drain and reserve.

• Fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is soft and golden

• Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt, tomatoes and fry

• Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick and cook over low heat

• When mixture is thick and smooth, add chicken pieces

• Cover and cook over very low heat until chicken is tender

•  Wash rice and drain

• Heat vegetable oil  and fry onions until they are golden.

•  Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice.

•  Heat chicken stock and salt.

•  When mixture is hot, pour over rice and stir well.

•  Add chicken mixture and potatoes; gently mix both into rice.

•   Bring to boil.

• Cover saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes.

Read More

Ofe nsala uda: Spicy, tasty meal good for lactating mothers

 

 In this interview with BLESSING EKUM, Mr. Osita Obiokonji, branch head, Filmhouse Cinemas, Dugbe, Ibadan, Oyo State, shares his adventures in the kitchen and the recipe for a Delta-Igbo dish every post-natal mother should eat.

What is your take  on men taking over the kitchen?
The African mentality is that the kitchen is meant for women and that men are providers and so, it is rare to see men do the cooking, except for  professionals. The belief is that once the man starts cooking and doing some of the kitchen chores, the woman would take  him for granted.  You therefore  find out that even the men  who  actually know how to cook are a bit hesitant about it except on  rare occasions, like if the wife is ill or after she puts to bed. But  this shouldn’t be.  Men shouldn’t be afraid to be in the kitchen and mothers should teach  their sons how to cook like they teach their daughters.

Can you recall  those times you cooked as a child?
While growing, both male and female children participated in cooking and this was how I learnt  to cook. As a child, I could  pound, grind  and  cut things. With time, we were given the opportunity to try our hands on  real cooking and with constant practice, I realised I had flair for cooking. It got to a point that I wasn’t satisfied with other people’s cooking. Then in  preparing a meal, I felt certain procedures must be  strictly followed especially  in the area of timing and measurements, and when they were not followed, I usually felt the food  would not turn out nice. But I realised that sometimes, a food can be tasty even when the procedures were not strictly followed.
 
What was the first meal you prepared?
That was egusi soup.

How did it turn out?
Those who ate it said I did a good job, but I wasn’t satisfied. I felt I added too much seasoning.

How do people react to your cooking  now?
The reaction is usually ‘wow’.  When I cook, I have it at the back of my mind that I have to prepare something that is not just edible but also enjoyable.

Would you then  describe yourself as an adventurous cook?
I would. I enjoy cooking foods that are not common and are a bit out of the ordinary. I believe the common foods we have around can be altered to create something unique and tasty.

It is believed that men who cook are difficult to please. How does your wife handle your cooking? 
That could be  true especially if the man cooks better than  the woman. But it’s  not so with me. While my wife and I were dating, the first time  she  tasted my food, she knew she had someone to compete with. But despite my love for cooking, I  stilll give her  a space  in the kitchen. Since I love being  creative with cooking, I always  encourage her to try  and  turn normal dishes to something  unique. People should not be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. I like that kind of surprise.

What do you prepare when you want to give yourself a treat?
When I cook, I do so most times  for others to enjoy. But I love fish and so I try to  create something that would have fish in it.

Does that mean you create your recipes?
Yes I do. I try to think of ways  of  mixing  different ingredients  in order to  come up  with something tasty and also attractive.

What is your favourite local dish?
I enjoy okra and stew with lots of fish. I love eating  these with semovita.

In your opinion, which is the most  important  part  in preparing a meal?
I would say it’s  the presentation. It is said that the eyes eat before the mouth. Proper presentation gives the food life and makes it more appealing.

Can you share the recipe for one of the unique dishes from your  place of origin?
I’m  a Delta-Igbo man  and one of such dishes is ofe nsala uda. What makes it different from the common ofe nsala is the spice, uda. The ingredients needed are uda, oluma, dry pepper, utazi leaves, fish, meat, salt, seasoning, crayfish, little scent leaves, little pounded yam to thicken the soup. No palm oil is added to the soup.

Clean fish and cook. Keep aside. Place water in pot and add pepper, salt, crayfish, uda, olima, sliced utazi leaves and pounded yam and allow to cook. Cooked fish is added last to prevent disintegration. Serve hot with pounded yam.

What is special about this meal?
It is a spicy meal and the uda used in preparing it makes the aroma very inviting. It is great for women who have just put to bed.

Read More

Foods for healthy bones

When it comes to building strong bones, there are two key nutrients: calcium and vitamin D. Calcium supports your bones and teeth structure, while vitamin D improves calcium absorption and bone growth. These nutrients are important early in life, but they may also help as you age.

Yoghurt: Most people get their vitamin D through exposure to sunlight, but certain foods, like yoghurt, are fortified with vitamin D.

Milk: There’s a reason milk is the poster child for calcium. Choose a brand fortified with vitamin D to get double the benefits.

Sardines: These tiny fish, often found in cans, have surprisingly high levels of both vitamin D and calcium. Though they may look a bit odd, they have a savoury taste that can be delicious in pastas and salads.

Eggs: Though eggs only contain six per cent of your daily vitamin D need, they’re a quick and easy way to get it. Just don’t opt for egg whites — they may cut calories, but the vitamin D is in the yolk.

Salmon: Salmon is known for having plenty of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, but a 3-ounce piece of sockeye salmon contains more than 100% of your vitamin D. So, eat up for your heart and your bones.

Fortified cereals: When you don’t have time to cook salmon or get out in the sun, cereals can be a tasty way to get your vitamin D.

Tuna: Tuna, another fatty fish, is a good source of vitamin D. Three ounces of canned tuna contains 154 IU, or about 39 per cent of your daily dose of the sunshine vitamin.

Read More

‘Potato and chicken soup:Mouth-watering and nutritious’

Dr. (Mrs) Oyeduntan Adediran, acting Head, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, shares her adventures in the kitchen with BLESSING EKUM and also gives tips on how to get the best out of meat and fish before purchase.

Is taking breakfast your regular habit?
Most times I don’t eat breakfast, but when I have to, I make sure it is well-prepared. When I don’t have the time for a proper meal, I take fruits in the form of fruit salad.

Your job appears demanding. How do you create time to feed your family?
I buy foodstuff in bulk and most times, I try as much as possible to make sure my freezer is well stocked. And with the incessant power failure, I have no option than to use a generator but I ensure that the meals I prepare are well-balanced.
What was the experience like the first time you cooked a meal?
I can’t recall the first meal I prepared but I remember how the first amala I prepared turned out. I was about nine years old and my mum decided I should prepare amala that day. I had watched her prepare it before and with her supervision, I did it. It turned out so well; I was proud of myself.

Are there dishes you miss from your growing up years?
There are a number of local dishes that we ate while we were growing up, but I hardly have the time to prepare now. Some of them are egbo and ewa (a corn and bean meal), ikokore which is one of my favourite dishes and ekuru. I enjoy these dishes, but they appear occasionally on my table.

Were you selective of food while growing?
I wasn’t. In fact, I was quite adventurous when it came to food. I loved to experiment and create my own recipes and I still do.

Is there a recipe you have created of recent?
Yes. That is potato and chicken soup with white rice.

What was your family’s comment?
It was a hit. It is delicious and nutritious.

Can you share the recipe?
You will need Irish potatoes, canned beans, mushrooms, sweet corn, chicken, salt, green pepper, seasoning cubes.
Peel potatoes and cook for some minutes. Add canned beans, sweet corn, pre-cooked chicken, mushroom, salt, seasoning cubes and sautéed pepper. Allow to simmer. Serve with white rice.

Is this what you serve as a special treat?
If we are expecting guests, I prepare the traditional fried rice or jollof rice but if it is just the family, I serve it. In fact, I prepare it as often as anyone wants to eat.

Don’t you like solid meals?
I am not particularly fond of them though I prepare them at home at times. But I rarely take them in parties.

Is it same with your husband?
Interestingly, his favourite meal is pounded yam and efo riro.

Do you do the pounding?
I do. I see no reason I should use processed yam flour.

What do you look out for before buying meat?
As a veterinary doctor, I am trained to inspect meat and certify them healthy for human consumption. First, I look out for freshness and that would be indicated in the colour, appearance and smell. I also look at the muscles and the glands and make sure there are no cysts in them. For the offal, such as liver, I look out for the colour, freshness and make sure it is not hardened or fibrotic. For the heart, the fat surrounding  it should be solid not jelly-like and not too much. If the fat is jelly-like (watery), then it means the animal has been malnourished or was sickly. For the intestines, you can feel for nodules (tiny lumps) and where this is present, it means the animal is diseased. Though with the way meat is cooked in this part of the world, most bacteria can be destroyed but that also destroys the nutrients in it and also, no amount of cooking can restore freshness to spoilt meat. I actually look out for a lot of things the untrained eye may not see and sometimes, it discourages me from buying meat and I go for fish, snails and chicken.

Is frozen fish actually safe?
Most times, the problem with frozen dish is that because of irregular power supply, it is frozen and then it thaws and then re-frozen.
However, it is safe but that depends on if you know what to look out for. The appearance can tell a lot. It should be glistening and shiny and there shouldn’t be any discolouration anywhere. Sometimes, you see some yellow discolouration and they try to convince you it is normal, but it isn’t.

Do you insist on the family eating on the dining table or has it been converted to a mini-library?
The dining table in my house is both a dining table and a mini-library. I have growing children and often times they are reading. So, you see them with books even on the dining table. I just insist on them clearing both their dishes and the books when they are done with eating.

Read More

A+ A A- What diabetics should eat?

Eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, beans, and fruits such as apples, pears and berries. Even tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and pawpaws tend to have a lower glycemic index than typical desserts.

Eat grains in the least-processed state possible: “unbroken,” such as whole-kernel bread, brown rice, and whole barley, millet, and wheat berries.

Limit white potatoes and refined grain products such as white breads and white pasta to small side dishes.
Limit concentrated sweets—including high-calorie foods with a low glycemic index, such as ice cream— to occasional treats. Reduce fruit juice to no more than one cup a day. Completely eliminate sugar-sweetened drinks.
Eat a healthful type of protein at most meals, such as beans, fish, or skinless chicken.
Choose foods with healthful fats, such as olive oil, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), and avocados. Limit saturated fats from dairy and other animal products. Completely eliminate partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats), which are in fast food and many packaged foods.
Have three meals and one or two snacks each day, and don’t skip breakfast.
Eat slowly and stop when full.

Read More

Eat tangerines for nutrients

Tangerines

Tangerines have a deep orange colour with a flat shape. It can be peeled easily and is a fibrous fruit, nutrient-wise.  The fruit is known for its fresh and citrus taste, with its low calorie and high nutrient content. The vitamin content in the fruit is the best in its class.

Tangerines are also a rich source of vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene. The taste of tangerine is stronger than orange, it is less sour and much sweeter. So, why take tangerines? Read on.

Citrus fruits are naturally a great source of vitamins for the human body. And so are tangerines, with their rich Vitamin C sources providing the perfect antioxidants required for the body. These antioxidants prevent inflammation in the body.

They are known to prevent the formation of free radicals that make unnecessary oxidation reactions possible. According to some in-vitro studies, tangerine may help prevent certain types of cancer. For instance, tangeritin — a citrus flavonoids — has been shown to inhibit growth of leukemic cells through apoptosis (programmed cell death), while sparing normal cells. In addition, tangeretin has been shown to protect cells against the effects of bacterial mutagens. A mutagen is a substance or agent (physical or environmental) that induces change in the DNA (i.e. causes a genetic mutation).

Tangerine fruit has been used quite frequently in medical treatments, as they fight effectively skin diseases and arthritis. They help in healing minor cuts and wounds; and they also help to absorb iron from food very easily.

Tangerine consists of fibres like pectin and hemi-cellulose that restrict the absorption of cholesterol in the gut, which cuts the risk of obesity.

Read More

‘Edikang-ikong: My all-time favourite’

 

Mrs. Tessy Oluwatosin Olowola is a self-trained caterer and events planner. She speaks withMOYOSORE ONI on the secret of making tasty meals.

When did you realise that you have a passion for cooking?
When I was much younger, I realised that cooking was just something I never got tired of doing. 

Tell us about your educational background?
I had my first degree at Adeyemi College of Education where I studied History Education and then, Masters at the University of Ibadan where I studied Guidance and Counselling.

Why did you decide to venture into catering and not seek a white-collar job?
Catering and cooking is my passion and I get satisfaction when I do it. I believe that even if I work in an office, I won’t be fulfilled because I won’t be doing what I have flair for. Another reason is that I have always wanted to be self employed.

Most caterers have a special delicacy. What is yours and why?
I would say fried rice because I have a special way of preparing it. I use my mum’s recipe that has always been with me. I tried it and got it after two trials. 

Is there a special ingredient you use?
No. I am not in the habit of using thyme, curry and other processed ingredients. It’s better to use the local ingredients like onions and locust beans while cooking.

What is the major challenge someone hoping to go into your line of business should look out for?
A major challenge is to be able to please people in all ways because you have to meet with your customers’ standard and taste and this is not easy since most people will still criticise and undermine your work. Another challenge is when you are given an estimate of what to prepare only to realise that there are more people than you plan for at the event and you have to deliver. In this case, you have to make use of your initiative and make provision for more food and ushers. This is a big challenge because it can go south really fast. 

What type of food do you prepare for your family during special occasions?
My husband’s favorite food is fried rice. I prepare this for special occasions in my home and my family loves it.

Does your husband cook for you?
My husband is a talented and understanding man. He sometimes helps me in the kitchen and prepares my breakfast.

On occasion your child rejects the meal you have prepared and decides he wants to eat junks. What do you do?
As a mother, I understand the fact that little kids prefer sugary meals to their vegetables and nutritious food. I have therefore trained my son to know his vegetables are very important and so are nutritious meals but I spoil him sometimes with home-made hot chocolate and cakes.

What is your favourite food?
Edikang-ikong and  pounded yam

Can you share the recipe?
Wash and cut pumpkin and water leaf into tiny pieces and drain out water. Cut ponmo into small pieces and cook with beef and dry fish. Add dried onions and seasoning cubes with as little quality of water as possible. When the meat is done, add palm oil, crayfish and pepper and leave to cook for about 10 minutes. Add periwinkles and water leaf and leave to cook for another five minutes. Don’t overcook. Add pumpkin leaves and salt to taste. Stir contents of pot and turn off the heat. Simmer for about five minutes.

Read More

Foods that’ll make you look younger

 

Sweet potatoes: Beta-carotene, which makes these tubers orange, balances your skin’s pH, helps combat dryness, and promotes cell turnover, all resulting in smoother skin.

•Wild salmon: The pigment that makes the fish pink, astaxanthin, is a powerful foe of free radicals, rogue molecules that damage cell membranes and DNA and cause skin to age. A study found that eating one serving every five days can prevent actinic keratoses — ugly rough patches that are precancerous.

•Tomatoes: The fruit’s red pigment, lycopene, is a potent antioxidant that shields skin from sun damage — like sunscreen, but from the inside out. To best absorb lycopene, eat tomatoes with olive oil.

•Citrus fruits: Vitamin C is essential to building collagen, a vital component of young-looking skin, which starts breaking down in your twenties. Citrus also contains bioflavonoids, which protect skin from UV rays and help prevent cell death.

•Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and other greens contain lutein, which protects skin from sun-induced inflammation and wrinkles.

•Reject white foods: Need another reason to avoid white bread, pasta, rice, and other refined grain products? They’re quickly broken down into the ultimate white food: sugar. Once in the bloodstream, sugar bonds with protein and creates advanced glycation end products (aptly abbreviated AGEs), which cause collagen to become inflamed and stiff, leading to wrinkles.

Read More

Enjoy the goodness of tomatoes

Most people assume that a tomato is a fruit and some others regard it as a vegetable. But above all, experts say that tomatoes are definitely foods that contain a myriad of health benefits for the body, reports SADE OGUNTOLA.

TOMATOES are widely available, people of all ages and cultures like them, they are cost-effective, and are available in many forms. Tomatoes and tomato products are one of the most familiar vegetables in the many people’s diet. They are heaven on a burger and superstars in a sauce and a plate of rice served in the northern Nigeria is not complete when it is not garnished with slices of tomatoes and onion.

Most people tend to assume that tomatoe is more for making stews and soups to enjoy a bowl of boiled rice, amala, tuwo or fufu, but these fruits are definitely foods that contain a myriad of health benefits for the body because of its essential nutrients.

One serving of raw tomatoes (about 150 grammes) contains vitamins A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories. Tomatoes also contain thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper as well as natural oxidants such as lycopene. All are needed to support a healthy body.

In addition, a portion of tomato provides two grammes of fibre, which is seven per cent of the recommended daily fibre intake. Tomatoes also have relatively high water content.

More than that, there are a few more benefits of tomatoes for health that many individuals need to be aware of and maximise: Here are a few:
Protects from stroke

Researchers in a report published in the journal, Neurology, has linked lycopene levels in the blood to stroke protection. Lycopene is what gives tomatoes its red colour. They made this connection after following more than a thousand middle-aged men for 12 years.

Men with the greatest amounts of lycopene in their blood had a 55 per cent lower chance of having any kind of stroke. The lycopene connection was even stronger (59 per cent) when it came to protecting against strokes due to blood clots (the most common type).

The researchers suggested taken lycopene-rich meals, in addition to its ability to attack free radicals, may also reduce inflammation and cholesterol, improve immune function, and prevent blood from clotting. All of these may help reduce ischemic strokes, which are caused by clot-caused blockages in blood flow to the brain.

Supports beauty skin
Eating cooked tomato products such as tomato ketchups and pastes can help prevent sunburn and premature wrinkles. They also act as an anti-aging agent and lend a glow to one’s skin if consumed regularly or rubbed on the face on a regular basis.

Researchers in a study found that volunteers who ate helpings of ordinary tomato paste over a 12-week period developed skin that was less likely to burn in the sun.

The researchers at the University of Manchester found that the test subjects were 33 per cent more protected against sunlight than another group who were not given tomato paste.

The effect of eating tomatoes was equivalent to slapping on a factor 1.3 sunscreen. Changes were also seen within the skin of the volunteers that counteract the appearance of ageing.

Scientists think an antioxidant, lycopene, which gives tomatoes their colour, can neutralise harmful molecules produced in skin exposed to the sun’s ultra-violet rays.

Damage inflicted by the free radical molecules on skin structures and DNA can lead to premature ageing and skin cancer.  Skin levels of procollagen, which helps the skin stay supple and youthful, were also boosted by the tomato diet.

Fights cancer
Eating tomato products has been linked to reduced risks of colorectal, gastric, lung, prostate, and pancreas cancer. The anti-cancer properties in tomatoes seem to be related to their antioxidant levels, particularly from their lycopene, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and phenols.

But many doctors believe that tomato products, and lycopene, do not affect all prostate cancers equally, but may instead help to slow the growth only of aggressive and late-stage prostate tumours. There is some evidence that it is at the later stages of prostate cancer where lycopene might be most relevant.

But the first study to reveal tomatoes’ anti-cancer properties, conducted in 1989, had found that men who consumed one or more weekly servings of tomato sauce reduced their risk of prostate cancer by as much as 60 per cent.

Another large 12-year study of more than 47,000 men by Harvard researchers in 2002 found similar effects. Since then, however, other studies have failed to show the same benefits.

Supports healthy hearts
Scientists have observed that among people with high levels of lycopene in their bloodstream, there is a tendency for lower rates of cardiovascular disease such. In a 2003 study, researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that lycopene concentrations in the blood may play a protective role in the early stages of atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by narrowing of the arteries that can disrupt blood flow to the heart or brain.

Also, in 1997 Israeli researchers found that a tomato-rich diet increased “good” HDL-cholesterol levels significantly by 15.2 per cent in their report published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.  

In addition, daily intake of tomato products, like tomato sauce and tomato juice, may reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels by 13 per cent, according to 2007 Finnish study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Currently, millions of people take small doses of aspirin daily to improve blood flow. However, this can have unwelcome side effects such as bleeding in the stomach and the creation of ulcers. But cooked tomatoes are an alternative for aspirin.

Supports good blood pressure control
Tomato products are the second highest vegetable dietary contributor of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for heart attack and stroke.

A low potassium diet can cause high blood pressure. A potassium-rich diet blunts the effects of eating salt on blood pressure. Because potassium and sodium work in opposition to one another, pushing up potassium intake can help flush sodium from the body in order to decrease blood pressure.

Battles bad cholesterol
Chemicals found in cooked tomatoes could be effective as statins, the class of drugs commonly prescribed for fighting cholesterol. Scientists suggested that if more than 25 milligrammes of lycopene is taken daily, it can reduce “bad” cholesterol by up to 10 per cent. The effect was comparable to small doses of statins which are used to treat individuals with high cholesterol or blood pressure.

The secret of tomatoes battling against high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure is in the compound lycopene which gives ripe tomatoes their bright red colour. This powerful anti-oxidant is essential for good health as it helps lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Experts in Australia analysed the results of 14 international studies into the benefits of lycopene over the past 55 years. They concluded in the journal Maturitas that it could provide a natural defence to raised levels of so-called ‘bad cholesterol’ – or low-density lipoprotein – in the blood. The effect was comparable to small doses of statins which are used to treat individuals with high cholesterol or blood pressure.

Boosts bone health
Eating tomatoes boosts bone health.  A review article in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine showed a link between eating tomatoes and a lowered risk of osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that affects many individuals, and can lead to bone fractures, disability, and deformity.

Promotes healthier sleep
The next time, you experience difficulty in sleeping, reach for a juicy ripe tomato. Tomatoes are literally part of a dream diet: The healthiest sleepers consume more lycopene, compared to people who skimp on slumber or snooze too much, according to a new research study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, which was published in the journal Appetite.  

In addition, its high level of vitamin C also has been found helpful in ensuring healthy sleep. Interestingly, the same study showed that those with the healthiest sleep patterns (an average of seven to eight hours a night) also had higher levels of vitamin C in their diets.

Helps relieve back pain, arthritis
Tomatoes are believed to relieve pain experienced in diseases that involve inflammation such as arthritis or back pain. This is because tomatoes are rich in bioflavonoids and carotenoids known as anti-inflammatory agents.

Read More

Chips and salad: ‘My favourite continental dish’

In this interview with AISHA OLADIPO, Mrs. Jumoke Sanni, owner of B.J. Diners, shares her love for cooking and her adventures with different kinds of meals.

How long have you been in the catering profession?
I actually studied Catering and Hotel Management at the Kwara State Polytechnic, Kwara State and started the business in 2000.

What inspired your choice of course?
I was in my early 20s and I realised I didn’t want to have to search for a white-collar job. So, I figured this line of business would give me the independence I wanted.

Was it just about job prospects?
Not really, I equally enjoy cooking.

Where do you see yourself in the nearest future?
I still want to remain in the business. I offer outside catering and events planning services presently but I want to serve door to door meals, make deliveries to offices, homes and so forth.

Can you allow your spouse to cook for you?
Of course, I can.

Where are you from?
Ilorin, Kwara State.

What is the special dish prepared by your people?
Amala with Luru which is also known as “miyan kuka” in Hausa language

What is the recipe for this soup?
Luru can be of different forms; we have the dried leaves and the powdered type. The fresh ones are commonly found in the northern part of the country.

To prepare it, boil water and using a small broom, pour powdered luru in bit by bit. Spread it in the water, then mash thoroughly to prevent lumps and arrive at the consistency of your preference. Add other ingredients such as cray fish, dry fish, stock fish, ponmo.

Have you ever tried to create your own recipe?
I have tried rice and beans mixed together. I call it ewa riro. When I initially served this dish, it wasn’t accepted because it’s different from the way it is usually prepared. But as time went by, they got used to it and accepted it.

Who is your model when it comes to catering?
My model is the M.D of Tantalizers, Mrs. Ayeni.

Tell us about the worst dish you have ever prepared?
It was back in school when I wanted to write my final year paper. I picked a question which was about baking. It was a baking contest. We were supposed to use bi-carbonate of soda; instead I used baking powder because I did not know how to use bi-carbonate of soda. I spent all my money on it. When I presented my work, I got disqualified for using the wrong ingredient. I had to retake the course with OND students. By then, I had learnt my mistake.

Have you ever tried your hands on continental dishes?
Yes, I have. I tried chips and salad.

Can you share the recipe?
For the chips, slice and soak in salt and then deep fry. Most people eat it with tomato sauce. To prepare the tomato sauce, grate fresh tomatoes, onion, and little pepper. Fry it for a while and then boil. It shouldn’t be too oily.

 For salad, you cut cabbage, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, macaroni which must have been parboiled with little sugar, tuna flakes (fish) or corned beef and add salad cream to it.

What dish do you prepare with greatest ease?
Any food at all, because cooking has become a part of me.

Read More

Wash down your Suya with orange juice

Suya

Many Nigerians love suya.

It is delicious and can be enjoyed by both the young and the old. You get suya by roasting fillets of the best parts of beef, dabbed in the  Suya spice.

It is also very easy to prepare, the most important thing is the suya spice which is made with a unique blend of kuli kuli, although some people make use of groundnut or peanut, ground ginger, assorted types of peppers, stock cubes, ground dry onions and salt.

Ingredients
•Suya spice
•Beef
•Onions
•Fresh tomatoes
Preparation

•Cut the beef into very thin fillets.
•Thread the fillets of beef on the suya sticks. (optional)
•Using a cooking brush, rub some groundnut oil on the threaded fillets of beef.
•Spread  the suya spice in a wide dish and dab the threaded fillets of beef in the spice so that the beef takes up as much of the spice as possible.
•Put the spiced beef in a flat plate, cover with a thin plastic and leave to marinate for one hour.
•Set your oven to preheat for about 10 minutes.
•Place the beef flat on the oven rack and put in the oven to roast.
•After some minutes, flip the beef to roast the underside as well.
• Leave till it is fully done.
•Dress it with sliced onions, tomatoes and cucumber if desired.

Orange Juice
Serving suya with orange juice gives an appealing satisfaction. It’s very healthy and delicious too. It helps in the digestion of the suya meal or any other meal.

Ingredients
•Oranges
•Sugar syrup
•Water

Preparation
•Peel and cut the oranges in two parts, extract juice out of the oranges with a juice extractor.
•Add sugar in a boiling water to make sugar syrup. Be careful not to use too much water.
•Add the sugar syrup into the orange juice and pour water. Make sure the water is the amount required to get the desired taste.
•Refrigerate and serve cold or with ice cubes.

Read More

Delicious Nkwobi and pineapple juice

Nkwobi-recipe

Nkwobi is one of Nigeria’s most popular evening desserts. It is as old as time. It is a delicacy of the Igbo in the Eastern part of the country. However, everyone eats it, foreigners inclusive.

This delicacy is made with different kinds of meats, but preferably the cow leg and tail.

Nkwobi is usually served for relaxation purposes. One of the main ingredients for the delicacy is the utazi leave, which adds a faint bitter taste to it.

Ingredients

•Cow tail and assorted meat

•Utazi leaves

•Edible potash

•Seasoning cubes

•Palm oil

•Onions

•Ugba

•Salt and pepper to taste

Proceedure

•Cut meat in small pieces, season and boil it.

•Allow to cook for about 50 minutes or until the meat is completely tender.

•Slice the onions and utazi leaves, set aside in a plate. Some people add these two during the preparation process while others use them to garnish the dish. However, utazi and onions should be part of the ingredients used in preparing Nkwobi.

•Boil the ugba in small amount of water for about three minutes. This helps to eliminate every possible health threat.

•Dissolve the potash in about 15cl of water and filter into the pot.

•Add palm oil into the pot, stir to make a thick yellow paste; add the meat and the ugba, then stir very well. Add the sliced onions and utazi leaves. Keep some of the onions and utazi leaves for garnishing.

Pineapple juice

For the pineapple juice, use pineapple, sugar syrup, ginger and water.

Use a juice extractor to extract juice from the pineapple; blend ginger with water and add to it.
Boil sugar in water to make sugar syrup, pour it into the extracted juice and ginger.
Add enough water to it. Taste to see if sugar is satisfactory.

Leave to ferment for two hours and serve with Nkwobi in place of beer or wine.

Read More

The best of local meals is in local seasoning

Mrs Yetunde Bolarinwa is the proprietor of Yettymama Foods, Osogbo, Osun State. She shares with AISHA OLADIPO the recipe for a meal she considers the easiest to prepare.

At what age did you venture into professional catering?
 At the age of 25.

What was your motivation?
I have a passion for cooking but I also felt I could make a living from rendering the service.

Many men these days are at home in the kitchen. Does your husband belong in this category?
Yes, he cooks well.

Where are you from?
 Osogbo, Osun State.

What is the special dish from your place?
 Pounded yam with vegetable soup.

Is there an ingredient you can’t do without while cooking?
I can’t do without salt and seasoning cubes. I don’t use curry, thyme and the likes because I run a cafeteria and we deal with local food. Just seasoning cubes and salt are enough.

One would have thought that you would make use of local seasonings for your dishes.
Though I use seasoning cubes, I still try to prepare food as natural as possible. Moreover, using seasoning cubes doesn’t make the dishes any less delicious.

Is there any chef you greatly admire?
No one in particular. I believe I am good at what I do.

Can you recall your biggest cooking blunder?
That was a day I prepared vegetable soup and added too much salt.

What food do you prepare with ease?
Amala with gbegiri.

Can you share the recipe?
For gbegiri soup, you will need beans, potash, sliced onions, pepper, salt, palm oil and seasoning cubes.

Peel beans and pour in pot of water. Place pot on fire and add potash, sliced onions, and leave till soft. Add pepper and mash together with a small broom. Sieve and add salt, palm oil and seasoning cubes. Stir and leave it till it thickens. Serve with amala.

Read More

Eating spinach boosts muscle strength, blood level

They are in season. They come in abundance with the rains and they reduce the risk of developing many diseases. Not to mention its appealing looks on a plate of white rice or beans soup, high intake of spinach or amaranthus can prevent, correct or treat health disorders such as diabetes, cancers, arthritis, obesity, high blood pressure, haemorrhoids/pile, gallstones, stroke, among others.

Depending on the species, amaranth leaves can be round or lance shaped measuring between five to 15 cm and its health benefits may also differ from one specie to another.  But like other dark greens, it is an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting anti-oxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cataracts, fight heart disease and cancer as well. As a dark, leafy green, spinach when served raw is a good source of vitamins C and E and two powerful antioxidants. Because cooking concentrates nutrients and fibre, a serving of cooked spinach gives even more benefit than serving it raw. But if overcooked, however can make it lose most of its important vitamins.

So what are some of the health benefits of eating spinach?

Eating spinach boosts muscles
Spinach really can boost muscles. In a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, eating a bowl of spinach every day makes the muscles more efficient.

Researchers found that eating 300 grammes  of spinach reduces the amount of oxygen needed to power muscles when exercising by as much as five per cent.

The ingredients, which make spinach work so well are the nitrates found abundantly in spinach. Nitrates make the mitochondria, the “engine rooms” of cells, more efficient.

In the study, the researchers fed people the pure nitrate supplements equivalent to the amount in a plate of spinach every day for three days. At the beginning and end of the experiment, participants pedaled strenuously on an exercise bike while their oxygen intake was measured via a tube to the mouth. At the end of three days, the difference in energy intake was found to be between three and five per cent - which is considered to be a significant amount.

Treatment of piles
Researchers have recommended regular consumption of slightly cooked spinach as effective treatment for piles. This study, which identified 143 plants useful for the treatment of piles was, published in Nigeria Scholars Research Library Annals of Biological Research. It mentioned among others that green spinach,  amaranthus viridis (Amaranth, tete in Yoruba, akwukwo nri in Ibo), Celosia spp (Lagos spinach, Soko in Yoruba), and waterleaf (Talinum triangulare) were  very effective in the treatment of piles.

The study titled, “Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants Used in the Treatment of Haemorrhoids in South-Western Nigeria” was published by Mike O. Soladoye, Michael O.

Adetayo, Emmanuel C. Chukwuma and Amusa N Adetunji. All were from the Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State

Protects from diabetes
British researchers in a review of several studies on links between diabetes and the consumption of fruits and vegetables found that eating an extra serving a day of vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduced adults’ risk of getting Type 2 diabetes by 14 per cent.

The researchers found no significant difference in diabetes risk with higher intake of vegetables in general, fruits in general, or combinations of vegetables and fruits. Green leafy vegetables stood out, however, with an increase of 1.15 servings a day, producing a 14 per cent decrease in an individual’s risk of developing diabetes.

The review, published in the British Medical Journal, looked at six studies, which covered more than 200,000 people between 30 and 74 years old, in the United States, China and Finland.

Wards off cancer
Studies have repeatedly shown that increasing colon and stomach cancer correlate with low vegetable meals, and suggest that vegetables such as spinach may help resist these types of cancers. They are valued mainly for their high vitamin, dietary fibre and mineral contents.

A carotenoid found in spinach and other green leafy vegetables also fights human prostate cancer two different ways, according to research published in The Journal of Nutrition. The carotenoid, called neoxanthin, not only induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct, but is converted in the intestines into additional compounds, called neochromes, which put prostate cancer cells into a state of stasis, thus preventing their replication.

Boosts immunity
There is increasing epidemiological evidence in favour of an association between nutrition and susceptibility to infection. Like other dark greens, copious consumption of spinach provides powerful disease-fighting antioxidants that have become synonymous with good health.

Antioxidants are a class of compounds thought to prevent certain types of chemical damage caused by an excess of free radicals, charged molecules that are generated by a variety of sources, including pesticides, smoking and exhaust fumes. Destroying free radicals may help fight cancer, heart disease, stroke and other immune compromising diseases.

Reduces bad cholesterol
One of the key benefits of spinach is cholesterol-lowering ability. Being fibrous, this leafy vegetable is effective in reducing LDL levels in the blood and promotes weight loss. Presence of tocotrienols (a type of vitamin E) also aids in cholesterol-lowering activity.

A 2007 study involving patients who presented with coronary heart disease and hypertension indicated in the journal, Lipids in Health and Disease, that inclusion of amaranth in their diets caused a decrease in the amounts of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL significantly in them.

Ensures smarter brains
In animal studies, researchers have found that spinach may help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related declines in brain function. Researchers found that feeding aging laboratory animals spinach-rich diets significantly improved both their learning capacity and motor skills.

Good for anaemic patients:
The most common form of anaemia is iron-deficiency anaemia. Individuals with iron deficiency anaemia need to focus on foods that are high in iron such as spinach.

Red amaranth leaves contain five times the iron content of wheat and its high consumption can increase haemoglobin content and red blood cell counts.

Cooked spinach is an excellent source of iron, a mineral that it is particularly important for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency.

Treats diarrhoea
Juice extracted from fresh spinach can be prescribed for treating diarrhoea and hemorrhage conditions due to its high fibre content. The insoluble fibre in spinach is not digested by the gastro-intestinal system, but the fibre attracts water like a sponge as it passes through the large intestine. Absorbing water increases the volume of the faeces, making it more solid and allowing it to accumulate more material as it passes through the bowel, according to “Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach.” However, consuming dietary fibre is a balancing act; too much fibre without drinking enough fluids may lead to constipation, whereas not enough fibre promotes loose stools.

Improves digestion
Easily available all over, spinach has always been known to be a master-food with regards to a healthy digestion. Though most leafy green vegetables are considered good, spinach is the one that rules this group. Apparently, half a cup of spinach has about 3.5 grammes of fibre. Its high dietary fibre content (three times that of wheat) improve digestive health and reduces constipation. It is easily digestible and good for both young ones and elders.

Read More