Cucumber The Nutritious

On my way back from work everyday, I walk by a line of women selling fruits e.g. pears, groundnuts, garden eggs, and cucumbers among others. The good thing about these fruits are that they are fresh from the farms. That's to tell you how common it is tocome by fruits where I live. I could buy 3 cucumbers for N100 (about 60 cents). That's also how come I eat have developed a good appetite for cucumbers. they taste nice and I heard they are quite nutritious. So, I went online and

MOIN MOIN

I honestly don't know who owns this food. Some people say it belongs to the Yorubas, some say the Igbos. But the Moin Moin when done right is really delicious. I must warn you if you are prone to heart burns though. Well, heart burns or not, I like this food, especially when you enjoy it with Ogi (akamu) or soaked gari with sugar...mmmmm!

INGREDIENTS ----------- QUANTITIES

Dehulled beans ----------- 2 cups
Shrimps or Crayfish ----------- 1 cup
Onion (sliced)----------- 1 medium size
Tatashe(blended)----------- 4 big sizes
Tomatoes(blended)----------- 6 medium size
Fresh pepper(blended)----------- 2 medium size
Vegetable Cooking oil ----------- 1/4 cup
Maggi/knorr cubes ----------- 2
Water ----------- 1&1/2 cups
Salt ----------- to taste
Shredded Dry Fish(optional)----------- 1 whole fish
Boiled Eggs, sliced (optional) ----------- 3


METHOD

Blend the dehulled beans in a blender or in a local mill and set aside,
Heat the vegetable oil for 2 minutes
Add the onions, tomatoes, tatashe, fresh pepper and shrimps
Fry for 10 minutes, stirring continuosly at intervals and set aside
Add the sauce to the blended beans
Pour in water and blend till fine.
Dissolve Maggi or Knorr cubes in a little hot water(this helps to melt the cubes properly) and add to the mixture.
Add salt to taste.
Mix properly
Prepare foil wraps, or small plastic plates with covers
Using a scoop, wrap the mixture in small portions or scoop mixture into the small plates.
Optional: add the shredded fish into each portion, or the slices of boiled eggs
Place on a raised pot base. Steam till firm (about 40 minutes). make sure the pot doesn't go dry, so that means you have to keep checking to add a little water for steaming.
Serve with vegetables, Ogi (akamu) or soaked gari with sugar and mmmmmm!

How to Cook Bitter Leaf Soup/ Onugbu Soup

This soup has a divided fan-base. some do not like it just because of the smell of Ogiri, while some love this soup for the taste. I'd say kudos to the founders. Onugbu soup is indigenous with the the Anambra people (an Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria). Every occassion celebrated by the Anambra people is not complete without the Onugbu soup. I personally like it (not love), and one thing I'm sure of is the fact that it's very nutritious.

Onugbu Soup/ Bitter Leaf Soup/ Ofe Onugbu

INGREDIENTS ---------- QUANTITIES

Beef or Goat meat(optional) ---------- 8 medium pieces
Stockfish ---------- 1 medium size
Smoked fish ---------- 1 medium size
Onugbu or Bitter leaves (shredded & washed) --- 1 large bunch
Cocoyam (as thickner) ---------- 3 small sizes
Crayfish (ground) ---------- 3 tablespoons
Palm Oil ---------- 2 cooking spoons or half a cup
Dried pepper (ground) ---------- 1 tablespoon
Ogiri ---------- 1 wrap
Maggi Cube or knorr cube ---------- 2 cubes
Water ---------- 2 litres
Salt ---------- to taste.

METHOD
Wash and boil the stockfish for about 35 minutes to soften.
Peel and boil the Cocoyam for about 20 minutes till soft.
Strain the Cocoyam and pound to form a paste.
Place the pot on the burner.
Add water and allow to boil for about 3 minutes.
Add the palm oil, stockfish, washed and boned dried fish, crayfish, pepper and the Cocoyam paste.
Stir and allow to boil for 10 minutes.
Add Maggi Cubes, Ogili and the washed Onugbu leaves.
Cook for another 10 minutes. The soup should thicken by now.
Stir and taste the soup.
Add salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve with cassava fufu, Eba or with pounded yam.