Kelewele (Spicy Fried Plantain)

Ahhhh!! Who remembers kelewele from Ghana. Just passing by the lady making it will make you want to stop and buy some! If you don't know by now I am a plantain addict, yes I love PLANTAINS!! lol So its safe to say this has got to be one of my favorite things too. This goes very well with some peanuts.

Video for kelewele is on my YouTube channel at - Theedee's Kelewele(Spicy fried plantain)


Ingredients:

• 2 yellow plantains
• 1 tablepoon salt
• 1 tablespoon powdered ginger or 1 fresh ginger
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of powdered red pepper (cayenne could be used if you don't have the red pepper from the African shops) or 2 or 3 fresh red pepper
• 3 ginger
• Oil for frying

Ps: You can blend ginger,scotch bonnet pepper and some powdered red pepper if you don't have the powdered ginger(that gives you the authentic kelewele after all, but to make things easier I like the powdered stuff). You can increase the amount of spices to use depending on your preference some like it really spicy, others don't. 

Method:

1. Peel plantain and wash it. Cut the plantain into small sizes (see pictures below).
2. Season plantains with salt,ginger and pepper, set it aside for about 30minutes if you want it to "marinate" very well(that's if you have time to spare)
3. If using fresh ginger,garlic and pepper blend it, pour it on the cut plantains, let it marinate(yes lol) for a while then go to number 4.
4. In a frying pan, on medium heat, heat up the oil, pour seasoned plantains in and fry till its golden brown(see after picture)

The ingredients (using the powdered pepper and ginger,which I got when I was in Ghana)

Before seasoning(I cut the plantain into 2, then into another 2, that's how I got these sizes)

Well seasoned and ready for frying

Deep frying the kelewele(so you will need enough oil for this, that's why I didn't specify how much oil you will need)

Yummy kelewele

Yummy kelewele with roasted peanuts

Yellow or Curry/Turmeric rice

I can give up somethings but unfortunately rice isn't one of them. Lol. I tried brown rice for like a week and I wasn't happy that whole week(maybe a bit drastic but that's the only expression I can give for how I felt. Anyways here's something I tried with my rice. Oh how I love rice lol

Ingredients

• 4 cups of rice
• 2-3 cups of water(depending on the kind of rice you use,every rice cooks differently. I use Jasmine so typically I use 2 and half cups of water)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon thyme
• 1/3 teaspoon of parsley flakes
• 1 small red or green pepper

Method:

1. Chop the vegetables,in a saucepan or rice cooker add the veggies, rice, and water stir, then add in your curry and turmeric making sure that it all dissolves probably. Add your salt, parsley flakes and thyme. Cover saucepan with foil and allow it to cook until it's soft to touch(or if you are using your rice cooker, should be a whole lot easier)

Ingredients

Didn't have onions in these

Corned beef stew

I don't know about you but as for me when I was little and growing up in Ghana this was one of my favorite stews to eat with white rice lol. This can also be eaten with boiled yam or boiled plantain and even spaghetti, whatever you like, as long as it tastes good, YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!! So simple and easy to make. This was by request, so here you go.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper(depending on how hot you want it)
• 1 teaspoon ginger(or half from a whole...look below to get what I mean)
• 2 pieces of garlic(my family likes garlic so if you aren't a garlic person this can be optional)
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 can corned beef
• Oil 
• Spices to taste (seasoning salt,black pepper,curry powder,etc....whatever you use to season stew) 

Method:

1. Cut the 1 and half of the onions and slice the remaining half and set aside, then blend your onions,tomatoes,garlic,pepper and ginger
2. In a saucepan, pour the oil and sauté the sliced onions for about a minute, pour in the blended ingredients and allow it to cook for about 15minutes. Add the tomato paste stir and let it for another 15 mins. Add spices then corned beef,stir once and let it simmer for 10minutes(DONT STIR IT TOO MUCH, because you don't all the corned beef to break in the stew,if you get what I mean)

Ps: I usually use 2 cans of corned beef thats because I really do love corned beef so you can use one or two depending on your preference 

Like I said I love corned beef so I often use 2 of these. (Exeter is a bit pricey, so if you don't have this any will do)

Ingredients before blending

Step by step to the corned beef stew

Kaaklo/Tatale

Don't throw away the black,soft plantains yet. Kindly use that for some Tatale which is more flatter than that of kaaklo. Tatale is usually fried in a much flatter frying pan while kaaklo can be deep fried. This is typically eaten with Bambara beans or regular beans.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 plantains
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 Jamaican hot pepper(or more depending on your preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Oil (for frying)

Ps: You can use powdered pepper and ginger if that's your preference. 

Method:

1. Peel and wash the plantain, then in a big bowl mash it all till resembles what I have in the picture below. (Some people like to blend the plantain, but one problem with that is,if you are not careful you might end up with watery plantain)
2. Blend the pepper and ginger and mix it with the plantain. Add the flour and salt,mix until all ingredients are combined well, now you are ready to fry some kaaklo. 
3. On medium heat, heat up the oil and using a tablespoon full fry the kaaklo. I used in my hand in other for me to get the size in the picture below. Fry until golden brown

PS: The flour is to help hold the plantain together, so if you fry one and it doesn't hold together, then add some more flour to your plantain mix. I was told that in Ghana sometimes they use cornstarch instead of flour. So whatever you have available when you are ready to make this.  Also note that in the picture below, I was making kaaklo not tatale. 

Ingredients and step by step directions

This is how Tatale is usually fried

The difference between kaaklo and tatale

Kaaklo, along with some beans stew and gari(cassava flakes)

Grilled tilapia

Goes soooooo well with banku or kenkey with red pepper/black pepper(shito)

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Tilapia
• 1onion
• 1-2 whole ginger
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2-4 scotch bonnet pepper(depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1 tablespoon of seasoning salt(or regular salt,like always I prefer Lawry's)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper(optional)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup of oil

Method:

1. Wash tilapia and remove any scales or fins
2. Grease a baking pan or if you are like me,line up your oven with foil 
3. Blend all ingredients with 1/3 cup of oil and season the fish, make sure all parts of the fish gets some of seasoning.(allow it to marinate overnight or 1 to 2 hours)
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) or on low broil. Grill for for 20mins then turn the other side of the tilapia and allow it to grill for 20mins. (DO NOT ALLOW IT TO BE COMPLETELY DRY OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE TOO HARD.....WE WANT SOFT YUMMY GRILLED TILAPIA :-D) 

Ps: You can use the whole tilapia or cut them into 2. Just like I have in the picture below. Cutting them too small leaves you with little to no fish when it's done grilling

Before cleaning

After washing and cleaning it well

Seasoned and ready for the fridge for marinating

All seasoned and ready for the oven or grill

Had it with kenkey,black pepper,red pepper,sardine and some chopped vegetables

Grilled using essiespice's mango chili medley, it was just as yummy, I added more pepper to this because we wanted it really spicy.

Egg White omelette

In an effort to eat a lot more healthier. I made an omelette full of veggies mainly spinach lol I love spinach. 

Ingredients:

• 2-3 egg whites

• 1/3 cup fresh spinach

• 1/2 yellow bell pepper 

• 1 turkey bacon 

• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil 

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper(optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt

Method:

1. Wash spinach and bell pepper,chop them and the bacon into small pieces just like in the picture below.
2. Crack your eggs,removing the yolk, add the chopped ingredients, adding the salt and pepper after, stir well  
3. In a frying pan on medium heat, add coconut oil after it has melted, add the egg and let it fry for 2-3mins on one side with a spatula turn it for the other side to fry as well

Ps: You can use green pepper, onions,tomatoes and one of my personal favorites broccoli to this. Also if you are doing 2-3 eggs and you like the yolk you can have one yolk in there. I eat the egg whites because I was told it was good for me. 

Ingredients

Before turning

Almost ready

Served with whole grain bread and fruits

Lean Beef stir fry(I guess...lol)

My mom decided that we have to start eating healthier this year so I've been trying out some recipes on my own. Just because I'm eating healthy doesn't mean it has to be boring lol

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2lbs of lean beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green or red pepper (or both)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 jalepeno pepper

Method:

1. Wash meat, there should be little to no fat on this, but if there is, make sure you remove all of it, season meat with spices
2. Chop your vegetables(look at the pictures below to see what size I had mine)
3. In a large sauce pan pour your coconut oil and allow it to melt, then add in your meat and allow it to cook, after 20 minutes the meat should be all cooked and no longer pink, add in your vegetables. Let it cook for about 5-10 minutes, the stir fry should be ready by now. (You can season to your taste, if you prefer it more salty or less spicy)

PS: If you want this saucy(with some sauce), add 1/2 teaspoon of flour to 1/2 cup of water and add it to the meat, let it cook for 5 mins or until it thickens

Beef

After washing and cutting

All seasoned 

Coconut oil melting 

In the process

Ready for vegetables

Stir fry lol

All Ready!

Chicken spaghetti?(Idk...lol)

Or maybe I should call it chicken lo mein like the Chinese restaurants call it? lol I really don't know but anyways you get the point.

Ingredients 

• 1 box of spaghetti 
• 1 or 2 Chicken breast(boneless chicken)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 2 carrots
• 1 red & green bell peppers
• 1 small onion 
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or more depending on the kind of pasta you use)
• 1 tablespoon oil(vegetable,canola,coconut)

Method

1. Wash chicken breast and chop into small pieces, season with black pepper and seasoning salt
2. Chop your vegetables into medium sizes, set a side 
3. Boil your spaghetti with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil(so you don't have sticky spaghetti)
4. In a deep frying pan, pour your oil and fry your chicken breast, when the chicken is all done (no longer pink), add in your vegetables, stir for a while then pour in your spaghetti, keep stirring for about a minute then add in your soy sauce, add some seasoning salt to taste if you want it a little more tastier. ENJOY :-) 

The ingredients: I decided to use whole grain linguine and coconut oil because thats what I had at the moment(it was really good too, healthy and GOOD)

The chicken

Before cooking the spaghetti

The spaghetti is all ready to be mixed with the chicken and veggies

Chicken and vegetables

I skipped adding the soy sauce to this because well the whole grain linguine is already brown in color

All ready to be served...this was missing green pepper but you see the carrots and red pepper and the invisible onions lol

Suya

Let's not get this confused with khebabs lol. Suya is what Nigerians call this. I tried this when I visited one of my favorite Nigerian restaurants in New York and I fell in love. I ordered this spice from Essiespice called Meko dry and I used it instead of suya spice wanted to try something new and I am glad I did. 



Ingredients:

• 2lbs of beef(with little to no fat at all)
• Suya Spice(or Essiespice meko dry)
• Peanut Oil (if not, then Vegetable Oil will do but peanut is ideal)
• 1 tablespoon salt

Method:

1. Cut the beef into very thin fillets.
2. Put some peanut oil in a bowl, add the salt and stir it 
3. Using a cooking brush, rub peanut oil on the fillets of beef. (This helps the Suya spice stick to the meat so make sure you do not leave out any part of the meat.)
4. In a baking sheet, spread the Suya spice and dab the fillets of beef in the spice making sure that the beef takes as much of the spice .When you are done with the dabbing, all the beef should covered with the suya spice
5. Place all the spiced beef in a plate, cover it(with a clean film preferably) and leave it to marinate for about an 1 hour.Once the beef has marinated, preheat oven at 350°F or 177°C(If you will be using a grill the settings should be at  about 300°F or  150°C)
6. Place the beef flat on the oven rack(you can place foil on the oven rack and poke some holes in it if you don't want to make your rack dirty lol) and put in the oven to grill.After 15 - 20 minutes, flip the beef to grill the other side as well.  Rub some of the remaining peanut oil on both sides of the beef. Increase the temperature a little bit(not too high) and grill both sides of the beef for 5 minutes each.

Before the cutting

Fillet cutting(was a lot of work...lol)

I couldn't cut it as fillet-ish as i wanted but it still worked lol

Essiespice to the rescue

All dabbed in spice, ready to marinate

Marinated for an hour

Bottom shelf in my oven with foil

All ready

In the roasting process

All ready

Method:

Ps: The length of time you'll roast each side of the beef depends on how thick the fillets are. So the total grilling time for the beef is 30 - 40 minutes.

Ready to be served