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Recipe: Ayamashe Stew

You start appreciating the things that are most distant. I never thought I was such a fan of Nigerian food till I moved from Nigeria. I was always the first person who would want to try Mexican, Italian or Indian but these days I would be craving rice and stew from Olaiya.
A good friend decided to pity me and make me the most delicious stew I have ever tasted till date. This wonder stew was called Ayamashe; I enjoyed it so much I want you to make this for someone you love. You can serve this stew with rice and fried plantain, boiled egg and chilled coke if you must.

Ingredients
Meat; the more, the merrier. Every spoonful should have some meat. You should use a variety, cow leg, shaki, kpomo, round about, liver, etc.
2 cups of palm oil
2 cups of chopped red onions
Eight bell green peppers
Two red peppers (rodo)
Locust beans
Seasoning cubes
Salt
Method

Cut the meat into tiny pieces and boil
Blend the green peppers and red peppers to form a paste
the pepper to remove all the moisture and sour taste
Bleach the palm oil; heat the palm oil in a covered pot for about ten minutes till it becomes almost transparent
Reduce the heat then add the chopped onions and locust beans
Put the meats into the oil to fry for about 10 minutes then add the pepper
Make sure the pepper is properly , keep stirring till the oil floats on top
Add the meat stock in small quantities, do not let this turn to soup
Let it for a bit
Like I serve with steamed rice, fried and chilled coke.

Enjoy!
 
 

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Gelatine: The Forgotten Superfood

Gummy bears/candies, jams, marshmallows, ice cream, desserts and lots more contain Gelatine. Gelatine, that colourless, tasteless rubber-like solid substance used to be a big part of healthy traditional diets around the world long ago, but today, people don’t have a clue about what to do with it, so it’s not given a second thought. Some people aren’t even conscious of its existence as a gelling agent in several of the food products they buy off the shelves in grocery stores. And for those that do, it’s often misunderstood as sugar-loaded and associated with unhealthy food.
On the contrary, gelatine is highly nutritious it’s been recently classified as a superfood! I was in the category of those who don’t know jack about what gelatine is till I stumbled on a book about it. This got me searching and desiring to know more. That I did, and I’m excited to share some of my discoveries here.
Usually, in powder form, gelatine is gotten from animal bones, skins, cartilage, and tissues.  Containing as much as 18 amino acids and brimming with substantial health benefits, it’s no wonder that gelatine is classified as a collagen protein.  These are the building blocks of proteins; essential not only for rejuvenating healthy cells for your skin and hair and promoting nail growth but for optimal immune function, healthy mood, weight maintenance, and appropriate muscle synthesis.
Gelatine is highest in essential amino acids glycine and proline. Glycine promotes the healthy functioning of your liver by working to eliminate toxins from your bloodstream. But that’s not all Glycine does. It also strengthens the gut lining which primarily facilitates the balance of digestive enzymes, plus it lowers inflammation and prevents gut damage. Here’s another good one – considered an “inhibitory neurotransmitter,” glycine acts just like an anti-anxiety or antidepressant drug but without side-effects. This means as you ingest gelatine, more happy hormones are triggered; you feel less stressed, and your mental clarity enjoys a good boost.
Another worthy fact is that gelatine is capable of absorbing water and fluids. This helps effectively to prevent fluid retention and bloated stomach which of course limits constipation and improves your digestive system.
Its gelatinous nature is that very advantage that makes gelatine a strong promoter of healthy joints. It helps forms strong connective tissue to give parts of the body the required elasticity, and due to the high amounts of protein in gelatine, degeneration of collagen which occurs naturally with aging is prevented. Consuming gelatine regularly can also drastically reduce arthritis-related stiffness and pain in joints.
Finding it difficult to sleep, dissatisfied with your sleeping pattern or having difficulties with your daytime cognitive functions? Add some gelatine powder to your smoothies, and you’ll be amazed at how well you sleep at night. Worried about the signs of aging and wrinkles showing on your skin? Consuming gelatine is a smart skincare therapy to try. You’re protected from free radical damage and potential skin cancer plus you get the youthful healthy skin to enhance your appearance.
And for the weight-watchers, do you know that you can make gelatine a helpful weight loss tool? With its high protein content, adding gelatine to your diet helps increase satiety and control hunger hormones significantly.
Gelatine is one of those ingredients you can add to practically any smoothie because it’s got no flavour (more ideas on consuming gelatine coming up).
 
 
 

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Flush Out Sugar With Smoothies

Quick and healthy snack options – that’s what smoothies are mostly regarded as. But beyond this, do you know that smoothies are natural reliefs to some health issues? Yes, they are, and today we’ll look at how effective they are in lowering blood sugar.
If you are having problems with blood sugar control, it’s important to routinely check your levels while also finding ways to increase insulin sensitivity within your system. Exercise is a great way to increase insulin sensitivity as your muscles use up blood sugar for energy.
And then food.
The foods we eat directly affect our blood sugar levels. And while it’s important to avoid certain foods if trying to put your sugar level under control, there’re certain foods to consume deliberately in achieving a healthy blood sugar level. These foods are loaded with nutrients that not only stabilize blood sugar levels but also protect your heart and further save your vision from the damaging effects of high blood-sugar levels.
Your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose during digestion, and with the help of insulin, the broken down glucose (sugar) is transferred from your blood into cells and used as energy. But when insulin sensitivity is low, your body can’t effectively transport sugar from blood into cells. This results in high blood sugar and if unchecked, diabetes ensues.
Cinnamon is especially rich in chromium and comes highly recommended due to its proven ability to lower blood sugar quickly.
Next on the list is Fenugreek. With similar anti-diabetic properties to cinnamon, Fenugreek is one of the most valuable spices for the control of blood sugar levels and promotes glucose tolerance. The use of fenugreek has been shown to lower blood glucose levels of Type 2 diabetics by as much as 46%. Wow, right?
Foods high in quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant have significant reductive effects on blood sugar. Good sources of this natural compound include: apples, dark cherries and berries, cocoa (dark chocolate), leafy greens (spinach, kale), tomatoes, black and green teas, and citrus fruits.
Nuts, especially cashew and almonds are brimming with magnesium, an essential mineral which improves insulin response and lowers blood sugar. Avocados and Bananas are also magnesium-rich.
Beta-glucan, a heart-healthy soluble fiber that slows down digestion to prevent big spikes in blood sugar levels is predominantly present in oatmeal. Consuming oats has also shown to improve insulin sensitivity remarkably.
Vinegar is a known ancient remedy for several ailments and health issues. Vinegar enhances glucose metabolism (an increase in sugar uptake from the blood into cells).
That’s it, now you’ve got a list of several blood sugar reducers. When next you observe a spike in your blood sugar, simply make a combo selection from them and make yourself some sugar flushing smoothies!
 
 

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Nigerian Snack recipe: Chin Chin

Chin chin is a crunchy deep-fried snack which is easy to make. What I love best about chin chin is the fact that it can be stored for extended periods of time if stored in airtight containers. So, here is a recipe for this great snack, enjoy!
Ingredients for chin chin
1kg Plain flour
150ml evaporated milk/150g powdered milk
275g granulated sugar
250g margarine
Two tablespoons ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying
Method

Mix the milk and sugar in a bowl. For powdered milk, mix the milk and sugar, add 150ml of water and mix well
In another bowl, the nutmeg and flour, rub the margarine into the powder and mix until it looks like fine

Add the Sugar-Milk mixture into the Margarine-Flour mixture and mix till you achieve a smooth but stiff dough

Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and transfer the dough onto the surface
Knead the dough and roll the dough flat with a rolling pin

Cut the dough into any shape of your choice

Heat up some oil until hot and deep fry the cut-up dough
Stir continuously till you get a golden-brown
Scoop the fried chin chin onto a flat plate lined with a paper towel and allow to cool
Store in a dry container after cooling or serve with a chilled drink

Tips

If you don’t have a dough roller, you could use a clean bottle
Don’t cut the dough too big in step 6, as the dough doubles in size when placed in hot oil
Fry the chin chin in batches and try not to too much in the oil at a time; this will prevent from being oil-soaked.

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Jerk Chicken

Hi Guys, I have an idea for you to use your oven. I know some of you cook, but I know many do not use the oven often here in Nigeria. I had the privilege of been a guest at a fantastic dinner at my friend’s house. I sat in a corner and chewed on the chicken bone after. It was that good. I enjoyed it and later made the dish in my way.
I am going to tell you how to make jerk chicken. The reason why this is such a great idea is that it would have less cholesterol than if you had to fry the chicken.
Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken (Cut into good chunks)
2 Scotch Peppers
One large Onion
2 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil (or any cooking oil you like)
1 Lime
One small clove of Ginger
Three buds of Garlic
Black pepper
1 Tablespoon of Thyme

What I like best about this dish is that you can make it your own and use a variety of spices that appeal to you
Method

Prepare the marinade: These are all your ingredients.  What I like to do is to blend the ginger and the garlic to form a paste, add this to 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil, and add a dash of black pepper and salt. Then I massage the chicken with this sauce. Allow to stay for a while to get the flavours down to the bone. You can leave overnight.

Preheat the Oven: You should heat to about 220-degree centigrade or the six mark on the gas cook. In Naija English- the highest. Although you should use medium heat when you put the chicken in.

Put the chicken in an oven pan: Slice onions in it, the scotch pepper and half of lime. Then put the pan in the oven, the chicken naturally has its juices, so this will come out as it cooks in the oven. Cover with foil.

Allow to cook for about 20 minutes: You may need to flip it in 10 minutes, so it has the same colouring all round and to prevent one side from getting burnt. Remove the foil for the last 3 minutes.

Voila! Bye bye to Rice and Stew. Serve Jerk Chicken with Rice.