African Style Roasted Veggies

Photo of a plate of African Style Roasted Veggies

Hot and Veggie
When the weather is hot, I go veggie-heavy. This is by no means a revolutionary way of life. I know plenty of people who do this. Frankly, when the temps are above, say, ninety degrees, eating any kind of normal protein just seems heavy. Presenting me with a lovely and bright ceviche though, will change my mind.

My problem is I tend to get hungry later when I go full veggie. It’s a struggle I’ve dealt with forever. It’s why I am not a salad person. I will eat salad, but it won’t be the whole meal. Adding some grains or pasta helps, though. As does adding a lot of flavor. This recipe for African Style Roasted Veggies has lots of African flavor.

I made this last week when it was warm but before it got too hot to turn on the oven over the weekend. If you were looking for a recipe to try the Fonio we just brought in, this is the perfect thing. It’s also the answer for a veggie garden that has finally started producing. (It’s been a weird growing season.)

*Note-Plantains make a great addition to this recipe but can be hard to find. We have stocked them over the years in the store. But, have found that the day-in day-out demand for plantains just isn’t there. However, the recent rise in popularity of Caribbean flavors means that we are looking to bring them back in. Keep an eye out in the produce department.

African Style Roasted Veggies
Adapted from Africana by Lerato Umah-Shaylor
Yields 4 servings Read more…

Jollof Rice

Photo of a dish of Jollof Rice on a wooden table

The Lasso Way
Some of my biggest food obsessions can be directly attributed to something I saw in a movie or on TV. For example, had I not seen Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond eating Moroccan food with their hands in the 1995 movie Sabrina, I might never have understood the beauty of a perfect tagine, that harissa can go on everything, or how to make couscous the right way. (Yes, there is a wrong way). It happened again. But, this time on the small screen.

Like many others, I am a big fan of the Ted Lasso series. And, it was during the Season 2 Christmas episode that my latest obsession was born. In it, Sam is seen bringing some Jollof Rice to the potluck though he laments that it was made with chicken instead of goat. This struck a chord with me. And, the continuing storyline about Sam and his love of his native Nigerian food made me want to see what it was all about.

Though I am not totally unfamiliar with flavors from the African continent, my exposure has been limited to the northern regions and Ethiopia. I just never had the opportunity to taste Nigerian food or other regional flavors from the continent. So, I started researching cookbooks. It was harder than I thought. There are plenty of books about North African cuisine, but those are the flavors I knew the most about. I found a number of options that highlighted the influence African flavors had on traditional Southern cooking. Finding books that focused on other flavors was a bit of a challenge. I did manage to find a couple of good ones. Africana: More than 100 Recipes and Flavors Inspired by a Rich Continent is excellent.

My first mission was to try to make Sam’s Jollof Rice. There are a lot of versions. And, each West African country claims theirs is the best—which is fine. It just means you need to try all of them.

I have found Jollof recipes that I would refer to as “projects” because they take a long time. And, I have found versions that are a little less labor-intensive, though still probably too much work for a weeknight meal. Some recipes include plantains, some don’t. Some are smokey with paprika. Some aren’t. You could get lost in the possibilities. However, all of them will start with rice, tomatoes, and a preferred spice.

This recipe is from Food52 and it is excellent. Give it a shot if you are interested. You just might start your own obsession…

Jollof Rice Recipe
Adapted from Food52
Yields about 16 servings

Jollof Rice is a dish that is served across West Africa. This version is based on a Nigerian recipe. And, while each country has its own version, the consistent elements are rice, tomato stew, and seasonings. Jollof is often served as a main dish.

This recipe makes a large pot of rice, and it can easily be halved for smaller quantities. The dish can also be divided and frozen for later use. Read more…

Pikliz (Haitian Pickled Relish)

Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
We knew when we decided to go to New Orleans that, at the very least, we would eat well on the trip. And, we were not disappointed. However, our favorite meal was a bit of a surprise.

Anytime I travel, I do the research on where to stay, what to see, and certainly where to eat. Eater.com is one of my favorite destinations for food info. It is where I stumbled upon a recommendation for a Haitian place in the Treme neighborhood that sounded great. And, it was certainly something new.

I, to my knowledge, had never had the opportunity to try Haitian food, so I had no expectations whatsoever. I think ultimately that is what made the meal such a revelation to both of us. It was a surprise. With the other restaurants, we kind of knew what to expect. But, at Fritai, we were in uncharted waters.

I had the pork Griyo, my husband went with the chicken creole. Both were excellent. But, what sent us thru the roof was the Pikliz that was served with all of it.

Pronounced PEE-kleez, it is essentially a Haitian coleslaw or relish…but it packs a punch. This stuff is spicy. But, it hurts so good. The heat comes from little orange scotch bonnet chilies that my husband thought were bell peppers. To be fair, there were bell peppers in the pikliz, but they weren’t the only peppers. As a lover of all things coleslaw, he took a big bite…and needed a lot of water. The problem was that it tasted so good that you could not stop eating it. We had it on grilled shrimp with avocado, the creole chicken, and, of course, the pork. Just so good.

It should come as no surprise that I now have a new obsession with Haitian cooking and have started my quest to learn how to make traditional Haitian food. Yes, cookbooks have been ordered but there are not as many out there as you might think.

Finding a Pikliz recipe was fairly easy. Now that BBQ season is in full swing, I encourage you to give this relish a try at your next backyard feast. Just make sure to warn your people that those aren’t just bell peppers!

Pikliz Recipe
Adapted from Epicurious
Yields 4 cups Read more…

Grilled Artichokes and Lemons

Photo of Grilled Artichokes and Lemons on a serving platterWhen life hands you…Artichokes
Nothing says spring more than a fresh artichoke. Add some lemons to that mental picture and it would be easy to see yourself on the coast of the Mediterranean, in the country of your choosing. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? A little sun. A light snack of a grilled artichoke with some lovely aioli and, if you’re feeling frisky, some grilled lemons as well. Ahhhh…..

While I can’t transport that European sun, sand, or the smell of the Mediterranean Sea breeze, I can do my best to replicate the snack part. Sure, you could cook artichokes the old-fashioned way by steaming them. But, there is something about throwing them on the grill that raises the game and adds a bit more worldly sophistication.

If you have never tried a grilled lemon, today should be the day. Grilling lemons heats them up and helps to release the juice but it also mellows out the acidity and gives the flavor a little smoke. I could go all science-y about it but trust me on this, lemons are good on the grill.

The weather is supposed to be almost perfect this weekend. What better way to celebrate than by bringing a little bit of the Mediterranean to your backyard?

Grilled Artichokes and Lemons Recipe
Adapted from Home Cooked Harvest and The Spruce Eats
Yields 4 servings Read more…