Elite life
Sierra Leone (Sierra Leonean Recipes)
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1.3 kg chicken, cut into large pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
600 g fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 2 tins)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 habanero chilli, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
200 ml peanut butter
200 ml chicken stock
450 g fine (French) beans
Cooking Instructions:
Add the oil to a large pan and sauté the chicken pieces in this until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside then add the onions and chilli to the pan and sauté for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, salt, and cayenne and mix thoroughly. Mix the peanut butter with the chicken stock until completely smooth. Transfer the chicken to a casserole, pour the tomato mixture and the stock mixture over the top and add the fine beans. Cover and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180°C for 1 hour. Serve on a bed of rice.
Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
220g rice flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp groundnut oil
1 medium egg, beaten water
Cooking Instructions:
Mix the banana with all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Finally add enough water to make a thick batter. Add a little butter to a hot frying pan and add a ladle of the batter. Tip the pan to cover with the pancake mix and fry until the pancake sets on one side. Turn over and cook on the other side. Set aside in a warm oven and continue until all the batter has been cooked then serve.
Ingredients:
1 pound black-eyed beans
2 tsp. salt
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 cups oil
Cooking Instructions:
Pour dry beans in a blender with a cup of water. Chop for one minute. Pour in large bowl and add water. Stir until skins float. Strain into colander; allow all skin and eyes to flow out. Blend beans, onion and pepper. Pour in a bowl, add salt, and stir with a wooden spoon for two minutes. Heat oil until moderately hot. Drop mixture into oil with spoon. Fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Small balls can be served with toothpicks.
Ingredients:
2 pounds stewing chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. "Mrs. Dash" seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups oil
1 large pepper, chopped
2 large onions
4 oz. tomato paste
2 tbsp. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
1 large tomato, chopped or diced
Cooking Instructions:
Skin and trim fat from chicken. Cut 8 to 10 pieces. Rub in lemon juice. Rinse and drain chicken. Add spices and rub into chicken. Refrigerate for 10 hours. Heat oil and brown chicken. Sauté onions and pepper for 1/2 hour; add tomato and tomato paste. Stir to distribute evenly. Add salt to taste. Add chicken and 1/2 cup water. Simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes until chicken is tender.
Ingredients:
500 g meat
150 g ground egusi
1 maggi cube (beef bouillon cube)
200 g stockfish, optional
100 ml. palm oil
200 g smoked fish
200 g tomatoes
10 g (chili) pepper
25 g onion
Salt to taste
250 g vegetable leaves, optional
Cooking Instructions:
Season and boil the meat and the stockfish (if used, has to soaked in hot water and allowed to stand for at least a day/overnight) for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove and put aside. Blend/grind the pepper, tomatoes and onion. Heat the palm oil, and add meat, stockfish and the ground/blended ingredients. Cook for about 25 minutes (less without stockfish). Add the ground egusi, maggi cube and fish, and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable leaves (optional) to the soup. Cook for about 5-10 minutes on low heat. Stir and taste for salt. This sauce can be eaten either with fufu, rice or root vegetables like yam and cassava. For lunch, a very cold Bud. or Heineken to wash the throat is recommended. For dinner, chilled white wine is recommended.
Ingredients:
1 pound stewing meat
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup groundnut paste (peanut butter)
1/2 tsp. "Mrs. Dash" seasoning
1 large onion, chopped or sliced
1 large pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Season meat with Mrs. Dash. Let it absorb for three hours. Brown meat in oil. Add some water and simmer until tender. Remove and set aside. In the same oil, sauté pepper and onions. Add tomatoes and stir briskly. Mix groundnut paste with 1/2 cup water to form a thin paste and add to stew. Stir, add meat, salt to taste and let simmer 15 minutes over low heat. Serve with rice, boiled yam, cassava and green vegetable.
Ingredients:
750 g meat (depending on number of persons)
1 large onion
6 garden eggs/aubergines (eggplant)
20 g tomato purée
1.5 liters water
3 fresh tomatoes
Salt and (chili) pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Trim, wash, and cut the meat into small pieces, and put in a pot. Add water, some salt, and allow to boil for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garden and pepper. Cook on low heat until vegetables are tender. Slice the onion and the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the soup. Allow to simmer. Remove and grind/blend the cooked vegetables, mix with water and strain. Return the vegetables to the soup, and add the tomato purée. Allow the soup to simmer on low heat until meat is tender. Serve with rice or root vegetables like cassava, yam, potatoes (sweet or "Irish").
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
210 g plum tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbsp peanut butter
560 ml water
Sprig of thyme
1 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
450 g spinach, washed and finely chopped
1 fillet smoked fish
450 g prawns
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Place the oil in a heavy-botomed pan and when hot add the onions and tomatoes. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the peanut butter, ensuring it's completely combined into the sauce. Add half the water at this stage. Stir well and allow to simmer for about 9 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining water, along with the thyme, chilli, salt and pepper. Add the spinach, stir into the sauce and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Flake the smoked fish and add at this point, along with the prawns. Stir in and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve with boiled yams and rice.
Ingredients:
1.4 kg chicken, cubed
450 g beef, cubed
120 ml red palm oil (or 120 ml groundnut oil + 1 tbsp paprika)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mint
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp Patminger (use lemongrass as a replacement)
8 large, ripe, tomatoes, chopped
250 ml beef stock
Cooking Instructions:
Brown the meats in the red palm oil (or a mix of peanut oil and paprika) in a large pan then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onion and chillies and fry for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Then add the remaining ingredients, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of rice.
Ingredients:
500 g meat, cubed (beef, lamb, goat)
130 g Egusi seeds, ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
1 Maggi cube (of beef stock cube)
200 g dried, smoked fish
100 ml red palm oil (or groundnut oil with 2 tsp paprika)
200 g tomatoes, chopped
2 hot chillies (eg Scotch bonnet), pounded to a paste
50 g chopped onions
Salt and black pepper, to taste
250 g bitterleaf or sorrel leaves
Cooking Instructions:
Wash the smoked fish thoroughly then flake and remove as many bones as you can, before setting aside. Add the meat to a pot, season and add a little water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside (reserve he stock). Pound the chillies, onion and tomatoes in a pestle and mortar or food processor. Add the palm oil to the pot and use to fry the chilli paste for 2 minutes then add the meat and the meat stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with the maggi cube, ground egusi, smoked fish and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the greens and cook for about 10 minutes at a low simmer. Stir to mix and adjust the seasonings. Serve with fufu, rice or boiled yam or cassava.
Ingredients:
750 g meat (beef, lamb, goat), cubed
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garden eggs (or two aubergines [eggplants]), cubed
2 tbsp tomato purée
1.5 l water
3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 hot chilli (eg Scotch bonnet)
Salt and chilli powder, to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Pound the chilli, a little of the onion and the tomatoes to a paste in a pestle and mortar. Add the meat to a pot along with the water and a little salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the garden eggs. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chilli and tomato paste, the tomato purée and the onions. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes then transfer the cooked vegetables to a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste before returning to the stew. Allow to simmer gently for about 20 more minutes, or until the meat is tender and the stock has thickened. Serve on a bed of rice or with yam, cassava or potatoes.
Ingredients:
2 packages frozen chopped spinach
1/2 pound smoked fish, flaked
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup groundnut paste (peanut butter)
3 cups water
1-1/2 cups palm oil
2 hot peppers or 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pound meat, stewing or chuck roast
Cooking Instructions:
Cut meat. Put in saucepan with two cups of water, salt, onion and pepper. Bring to boil and add palm oil. Continue cooking partly covered. Cook for 1-1/2 hours over medium heat. Add spinach (previously thawed and drained), flaked fish and groundnut paste mixed with water. Stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
