African Peanut Soup

Adapted from Show Me Vegan

I had seen this recipe on several blogs and finally had to try it out. It was excellent. The flavors were warm and different than the palate that I usually cook with. It was spicy and sweet and so easy that I will be making it again soon!

1 Tbsp oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp fresh ginger (1 tsp dried)

cayenne pepper to taste

salt and pepper to taste

6 cups vegetable stock

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can of tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 cans red beans (about 2 cups)

1/2 pound cabbage, thinly sliced (kale or spinach would also work)

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, and ginger for 5 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup peanuts, cayenne, salt and pepper and saute for about 30 seconds. Then add broth, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and red beans, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Add cabbage and simmer for about 20 minutes, then add peanut butter and brown sugar and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately

Cari Poulet

My sister Kate has lived on a small island off the coast of Madagascar for the past year and a half. The food on her island was a bizarre blend of French food, Creole, Malagasy and Indian cuisine. On her way home to the USA, she visited us here in Finland and we made this traditional creole dish:

Cari poulet is French for curry chicken, but everything sounds prettier in French, so cari poulet it is. The dish was great and it was fun to experiment with the local spices she picked up from the island. What really knocked it out of the park was the hot sauce and beans, so be sure to make the complete meal.

1-2 Tbsp oil

3-4 chicken legs (skinless)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

5-6 tomatoes, diced

1/2 tsp curcuma (Tumeric)

enough water so the chicken is mostly covered in the pot

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Sauce: (combine into a bowl)

1/2 onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp salt

2-3 finely diced tomatoes

chili paste to taste (we used Pimo from Reunion island, use as much as desired...)

Beans: (Saute oil, onion and garlic in a pan until soft, add beans and cook until heated through)

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup kidney beans, drained but not rinsed

In a large pot, sear the chicken legs in olive oil on high until cooked. Then add minced garlic and diced onion, and stir until fragrant. Then add tomatoes, curcuma, enough water to cover the chicken and salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low for 45 minutes, then serve on rice accompanied with hot sauce and beans.

Apricot Lamb Tangine

Adapted from Closet Cooking

For Easter this year, I decided to try out a lamb recipe. I saw this one from Morocco and wanted to try it, but was a bit intimidated by the ingredients. Nevertheless, I kept going and was wonderfully surprised at how good it was. First bite was a huge burst of sweet and spicy flavors, and the lamb itself just melted in your mouth.



Ingredients:
1 lb lamb, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch saffron (I omitted this because I didn't have any, and it tasted fine)
1 tsp lemon (zest)
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 Tbsp garlic (finely minced)
1 Tbsp ginger (grated)
2 Tbsp tomato paste (I also added a few chopped sun dried tomatoes)
Enough beef stock to cover meat (I used about 4 cups)
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp harissa (I couldn't find this in Finland, so I just used 1/2 tsp chili pepper)
Parsley (garnish)

Directions:
1. Mix together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cayenne pepper, lemon zest and oil. Place in a ziplock bag along with the lamb chunks and marinate in the fridge for a few hours to overnight.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan and when it is hot, add the lamb searing until the sides are all brown. Take off the heat and set aside.

3. In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp oil and add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and ginger and saute about one minute more. Add the lamb, tomato paste, and cover with beef stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the lamb is fall apart tender (about 2-3 hours)

4. After 2-3 hours, add apricots, raisins, and extra beef stock if it isn't covered. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 more minutes. Then add the honey and harissa. Serve on couscous and garnish.