Spicy Peanut Butter Chicken Stew

Hello lovelies,

I am so sorry I have been missing in action the past few months. It is often said that the top stressors in life are getting married, moving and changing/starting a new career and guess who is doing all three? Me! So please bear with me:). 

Today's recipe is one of my favorites, even Mr.B who is a very picky eater made a special request for it the last time he came to visit. I am by no means a peanut butter fan but from the first time I tried this dish at one of the African Student Association events back in school I was sold. Peanut butter chicken stew is very popular in West Africa particularly in Mali and Ghana. It is incredibly easy to prepare and comes out so tasty!

Ingredients

2 chicken breast (diced)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 roma tomatoes

1/2 small yellow onion

1 tbsp ground pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp thyme

Directions

1. In a blender, combine peanut butter, tomatoes, 1/4 onion, 1 1/2 cup water, and liquefy till smooth

2. Pour peanut sauce into a small-size pot, add ground pepper and thyme

3. Stirring occasionally, boil peanut sauce over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes or till oil floats to the top***

4. Scoop out the oil with a spoon and discard
5. In a frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat on high heat till hot

6. Add chicken, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and 1/4 onion (diced) to the hot oil and sautée till the chicken is golden

6. Remove frying pan from burner, add peanut sauce
7. Reduce heat to low, return pan to burner and allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes

8. Turn off heat
9. Serve peanut chicken with rice or carb of choice

***PS: It is really important you stir the peanut sauce occasionally when boiling to avoid burning 

I really hope you guys give this recipe a try. Have a blessed week lovelies!

Ajike...Xx

Shark Week 2012

Hello lovelies,

How are you all doing? I've missed blogging so much and I am so happy to be back. It has been an amazing couple of months and I am very overwhelmed and thankful to God for all His blessings. I have loads of cool stories and pictures from the cruise and life in general that I can't wait to share with you. I just completed my move to Texas and I am still in the process of unpacking and as such this is not a recipe post.

Who else is following The Discovery Channel's Shark Week? I have really enjoyed watching them prove or disprove the various shark myths. Thankfully, the only encounter I've had with a shark was on the daily didja (as in did you ever) menu on the cruise. It was a shark and langoustino fire cracker roll served with salsa verde (picture below) which was delicious, and in my opinion shark tastes a little like salmon. 

Just thought I contribute to the shark week craze, I plan to start uploading recipe posts once I get done unpacking hopefully by the end of the week. On that note, I hope you all have a great week lovelies.

Ajike...Xx

Tagged!

Hey lovelies,

I hope you guys are having an amazing week so far.  I was tagged by my lovely friend Christiana, you can follow her blog here. 

The Rules

1.  Post rules 
2.  Post 11 random things about yourself
3.  Answer questions posted by the person who tagged you
4.  Create 11 questions and tag 11 people to answer your questions
5.  Notify those tagged of the game
6.  Notify the person who tagged you after you have answered the questions
7.  No tag backs

11 random things about myself

1. I am the first child; I have 2 lovely sisters and an amazing brother.

2. I love my company and just don't get it when people say they're bored.

3. I love to sing even though I can't sing to save my life. I am thankful for my family who take it upon themselves to constantly remind me of this or else I will probably be one of those delusional American Idol contestants.

Source

4. I am a very emotional person. I hate seeing my mum cry, I can't help but cry too.

5. I look quiet and people generally assume that I am, however, once I get comfortable I can talk for days.

6. I feel like I am stuck in the 80s and 90s. The way I dress, the music I listen to, how I dance...Mr.B teases me about this all the time!

Source

7. I have a fear of flying, I wish I didn't! I am so jealous of people who love flying. 

8. I will pick dining out over shopping any given day#teamfood.

9. I have been on the hunt for macarons since I first laid my eyes on them, they are the cutest little things. I was going to try and bake them by myself but after reading Jessica's ordeal over at From Marriage to Motherhood, I think I am just going to wait till I find a store in my area that bakes them or better yet plan a trip to Paris just for them(I wish).

Source

10. I get so excited when I hear something on the Food Network channel and I see it on a menu at a restaurant. I've just got to try it!

11. I am very good at procrastinating, I am working on this though *covers face*

Answers to Christiana's Questions

1. What's the last song that you listened to?

Ice Prince-Find you, its such a beautiful song.

2. What's your biggest fear?

Height/Flying

3. What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
Going on a bike ride. I was so scared, I doubt I will ever do it again.

4. What's your dream vacation?

Culinary vacation in the South of France or Italy, I am such a dreamer!

5. What are you most proud of that you've accomplished?
Learning to live in the moment.

6. What is the most memorable thing you've seen or witnessed? 
A car accident I witnessed a few days ago, the car had flipped upside down. I said a little prayer for the victim(s).

7. Do you have a bucket list, if yes, names at least 2 things on there.

Start my own business(es) and plan a trip to India.

8. Are you an outdoor or indoor person?

I'm an indoor person all the way.

 
9. Would you rather cook in or dine out, excluding special occasions.

It depends, I would rather dine out when I'm alone to try new things and get inspiration. However, I love to cook in and have people over, its easier for everyone to get comfortable and we can talk for days without worrying about whether or not we are being too loud or holding up the table.

10. If you had the chance to start your life all over again, what would you do differently?

Nothing, I have no regrets. I believe everything happens for a reason and God is working everything out for my good (Jeremiah 29:11).

11. If you have the opportunity to be on TV, what will appear as (actress, anchor, presenter,..) and which show or program?

I would love to be a judge on Chopped a show on the Food Network. Who can say no to tasting all that yummy food prepared by the contestants!

I am probably one of the last bloggers to be tagged so I am not going to tag anyone else.  Have a blessed week loves and make sure you enjoy every moment of each day because it’s a blessing.

Ajike...xx

Graduation and More...

Hello lovelies,

I hope you guys had a great week. I graduated last weekend, it could only have been the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes! After the graduation ceremony, I had a get together at my apartment which was so much fun, there was a lot eating, dancing and laughing. I started prepping/cooking a couple of days before, and was so happy everything turned out well and delicious. Someone *cough Mr.B cough* forgot to take pictures of the food, I guess he was too busy having fun:).

I am so thankful and excited for the upcoming weeks, I make the big move down south closer to family and Mr.B. I also get to go on a 7-day cruise with 3 of my closest girl friends, we'll be going to Montego Bay (Jamaica), Grand Cayman Islands and Cozumel (Mexico)...YAY!!! Then I have to start cramming studying for the board exams. So for the next few weeks, you guys will have to bear with me as I won't be posting recipes as much. Do you guys have anything fun planned for the summer? Also do you guys have any tips for a first-time cruiser..what to pack/do?


Ajike..Xx

Wordless Wednesday: Chicken Kebabs and Grilled Pineapple

Happy new month lovelies. Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Ajike...Xx

Akara recipe

Hello lovelies,

I hope you all had a great weekend. Today's post came about as a result of my best friend calling me at 7 in the morning *side eye* to find out if I could come up with a recipe for akara for one of her coworkers. Her coworker in question is a Caribbean lady who had tried akara once and has fallen in love with it ever since. After giving my best friend a hard time for waking me up so early, I tried going back to bed but couldn't...lol. For starters, I was very excited about my first official recipe request since starting the blog. Secondly, I began craving akara myself! 

Ingredients

2 cups black-eyed peas (beans)

1 red bell pepper (seeded)

1 small red onion

2 habanero peppers (optional)

1 small yellow onion (diced)

4 knorr cubes (crushed)

¼ tsp salt

2 cups vegetable oil

Preparation

1. In a blender, combine beans and enough water to cover the beans

2. Crush for about 15 - 30 seconds, to loosen the husks from the beans

3. In a medium sized bowl, pour the crushed mixture

4. Drain off floating husks and excess water

5. Add more water, and rub beans between palms to remove the husks

6. Continue steps 4 and 5 until all the husks are removed

Directions

1. In a blender, add ½ cup water and half the amount of; beans, red onions, red bell pepper and habanero pepper and puree

2. Pour half of the blended mixture into a clean bowl

3. To the remaining mixture in the blender, add ¼ cup water and the rest of the; beans, red onions, red bell peppers and puree

4. Combine the blended mixture with the mixture in the bowl

5. Add knorr cubes, salt and diced yellow onion to the blended mixture in the bowl and stir

6. In a frying pan, add vegetable oil and heat on medium heat till hot

7. Scoop blended mixture using a spoon or small scoop and carefully drop into hot oil

8. Fry akara on each side until golden brown

9. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towel

10. Enjoy with bread, cereal or pudding of choice

I am such a pushover when it comes to recipe requests, so if there is anything you would like to see on here feel free to let me know. Have a blessed week lovelies!

Ajike..Xx

Cooking Themed Engagement Pictures

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are all having a great week so far, I am having a fabulously chilled week and loving it. Planning for my wedding has been on hold because of the crazy workload that comes with being a pharmacy student. Now that I'm all done with school I need to get back on top of things as the wedding is just a few months away. I have a long to-do list including deciding on an engagement shoot theme. Mr.B and I have so much in common but I will have to say next to our love for God, our families and friends is our love for FOOD! I love to cook and he loves my cooking which works out well for us, so we've decided to have a cooking themed engagement shoot. I got online to find some inspiration and I found these adorable pictures. What do you guys think? Feel free to drop a comment below.

Source 

 Source

Source

 Source

 Source

Source

Source

Ajike...Xx

Peppered Gizzard

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are having a great day so far. It feels so good not to have anywhere to go or anything to do for a change. I’m sitting pretty counting down to graduation and moving closer to Mr.B. As promised in my last post, here is the recipe for the peppered gizzard. Trust me, it is not as intimidating as it looks and the end result so worth it!

                                  

Ingredients

2 lb gizzard

2 bouillon cubes

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp ground pepper

1 small yellow onion (peeled and diced)

5 tbsp vegetable oil

2 roma tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 habanero pepper

1/2 small yellow onion

1 tbsp ground pepper

Directions

1. Rinse gizzard under cold water

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine gizzard, bouillon cubes, salt, ground pepper, curry, and diced onions and mix

3. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 1 hour

4. In a medium-size pot, pour gizzard and marinade

5. Add 6 cups of water and boil on med-high for 1 hour or till tender

6. Remove gizzard from broth

7. Discard broth

8. In a frying pan, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil till hot

9. Add gizzard to frying pan

10. Fry gizzard till golden (Picture 1)

11. Drain gizzard on paper towel

12. In a blender, combine tomatoes, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and habanero peppers, 2 tbsp. of water and blend (half the ingredient at a time)

13. In another frying pan, add 2 tbsp. oil and heat till oil

14. Add tomato blend to the hot oil and fry for 10 minutes or until it becomes dry and puree-like in consistency

15. Add gizzard to the tomato sauce in the frying pan

16. Sauté for 5 minutes, turn off heat

17. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

18. Cover baking pan and with aluminum foil

19. Transfer gizzard unto baking pan

20. Bake for 15-20 minutes

You can enjoy it with some rice as seen in my last post or with some garri as pictured above.

Ajike...Xx

Nigerian Fried Rice

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are all having a great week so far. I am so excited that tomorrow is officially  the last day of my college career. God has been too faithful to me even when I am undeserving, to Him be all the glory! So to today's post, I am a jollof rice person on any given day, however, once in a while I get this craving for fried rice. Fried rice is somewhat easy to prepare, the most time is spent prepping and once this is done everything else is smooth sailing. Nigerian fried rice can be prepared in so many ways you just need to find out what works for you. I believe everyone should have a foolproof way of making jollof rice, fried rice and stew, so today I will be sharing with you my way of preparing fried rice.

Ingredients

2 cups parboiled rice

4 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup chicken liver

2 boneless chicken breast

1 cup cooked shrimp

1 cup carrot (diced)

1 cup whole kernel sweet corn

1/2 cup green peas

1/2 green bell pepper (seeded and diced)

4 bouillon cubes

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

2 1/2 tsp curry

Preparation

1. Rinse liver under cold water

2. In a small pot, add liver, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 cup of water

3. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes or till cooked

4. Dice cooked liver

5. Remove chicken skin and excess fat

6. Rinse chicken under cold water and dice

7. In another small pot, add chicken, 2 bouillon cubes, 1/2 tsp. curry and 1 1/2 cup of water

8. Boil for 15 minutes or till cooked

9. Remove chicken from broth and save broth for later use

10. In a medium sized pot, add 2 cups of rice and 6 cups of water

11. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes or till rice is white but not tender enough to eat

12. Drain excess water, rinse rice under cold water and drain excess water again

Directions

1. In a frying pan, add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and heat on medium-high heat till hot

2. To the hot oil add half the amount of; shrimp, chicken, liver, and carrot

3. Add 1 tbsp curry, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 bouillon cube and saute for approximately 5 minutes

4. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and stir in half the amount of cooked white rice

5. Mix rice in gently

6. Transfer frying pan content to a clean medium size pot

7. Repeat steps 1-6 with the remaining half of the ingredients

8. Add sweet corn, green peas, and green pepper to the rice

9. Mix veggies in gently and salt to taste

10. Cover pot and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or till the rice is tender (turning halfway through the simmering process)

I made some plantains and peppered gizzard to go with the fried rice and it was oh so yummy! I will be uploading the recipe for the peppered gizzard in my next post. Good night my lovelies and don't forget to always live on purpose!

Ajike...Xx

Happy Easter

Hello lovelies,

Happy Easter and may God's blessings be with you always. I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday. I made some sugar cookies for the kids at church today which they totally loved! I got the recipe from Bridget's blog, Bake at 350. These cookies are to die for! She did a great job on the recipe so I did not make any changes to it.

PS: You are not allowed to laugh at my rabbits, this was my first attempt at baking and decorating sugar cookies..LOL.

Have a blessed week my lovelies!

Ajike...Xx

Fish, Chips and Mango Salsa

Hey lovelies,

I hope you are all having a great weekend. Mine was spent chilling and watching loads of movies which I don't think now was such a great idea. I need to start preparing for a very busy week ahead and so I'm going to be leaving you guys with a quick and easy fish and chips recipe. Did I hear some say...YUM?! *insert smiley face*

Mango Salsa

1 mango (peeled and diced)

1/2 cucumber (rinsed and diced)

1/2 red onion (peeled and diced)

1/2 tbsp crushed pepper (optional)

2 tbsp. cilantro (chopped)

2 tbsp. lime juice

1. In a medium size bowl, combine ingredients

2. Cover and refrigerate

Baked Fish

3 white fish fillets (halved)

1 1/2 tsp. lemon and pepper seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ginger powder

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 tbsp. melted butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

2. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel

3. In a small bowl, combine lemon and pepper seasoning, garlic powder, ginger powder and ground pepper

4. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on both sides of each fillet

5. Grease baking pan with olive oil

6. Place fish on baking pan

7. Brush fish with melted butter

8. Bake in oven for 20 minutes turning once halfway through the baking period

Chips

1 large russet potato

4 cups vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1. Peel potato and cut into large strips (chips)

2. Rinse and drain off excess water

3. In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat till hot

4. Add chips to the hot oil and fry till golden

5. Remove chips from oil and drain on paper towel in a large bowl

6. Season with salt to taste

Hope you have a lovely week ahead!


Ajike...Xx