Just because I cannot settle for the usual, I present honey bean hummus...! I have made this dish many times before, and I kind of love the taste and smooth texture. It is simple to make too. Here served with plantain chips, it can be served with bread, boiled yam, potatoes or even with rice. It's healthy and versatile like its chickpea counterpart....! What to do Boil some honey beans preferably with a pressure cooker.  Then transfer into a blender, add some water and coconut oil to aid blending, some salt.  Blend until smooth.  Make the blackened pepper sauce separately and serve. Check out my other bean hummus recipes here.

From all my diverse learning and discoveries about food and nutrition, I can safely conclude that good health is about understanding the food you eat and striking a balance in what you choose to eat, to create harmony in your body... does that make sense...?! I understand that certain food items support the production of certain substances in our bodies... For instance some foods will support the production of collagen to make our skin healthy and fresh. Others will support the production of harmful substances in our bodies such as bad cholesterol, which has damaging effects on our hearts. Further more, I have discovered a balance needs to be struck in our internal gut flora....! The  human gut is inhabited by trillions of micro-organisms, some of which are friendly and highly beneficial to our general health, and as expected some could be really dangerous to our health and cause diseases. So its a game of finding the types of food that promote the growth and sustenance of these good bacteria, over the bad and dangerous ones. My very faithful readers know my style of experimenting with food. I tend to focus on one food ingredient and explore all possibilities with it. I read all about its nutritional data, y'know, just to get to understand and respect it. Then I begin to think of ways to process, cook, present and enjoy it... That's where I get the most fun. I have been focusing on cabbage recently, especially the red variety, and have come to understand that it is one of those super food veggies that the friendly bacteria in my tommy love...! Cabbage is typically served in salads in Nigeria, rarely cooked, so it is a little adventurous, what I came up with in this recipe...presenting Cabbage Alata. What you need Red cabbage Mushrooms Onions Yellow scotch bonnet chillis Chives for garnishing Palm oil Locust beans Dried fish Chicken stock What to do Grate some red cabbage and set aside.  Blend tomatoes, peppers and onions.  Add blend to some hot palm oil in a large sauce pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes then add the dried fish, and locust beans. also add the stock. Stir all together and allow to cook for another 10 minutes or until the sauce is reduce to half its original volume. Taste for salt.  Turn heat down and add mushrooms.  Finally add the grated red cabbage. Stir all together, simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.  Garnish with chopped chives. Serve hot with rice, yam, plantain...

If you haven't already done so, you have to read my previous post on "no cooking but fridge raiding days"...! (Check it out here) Still continuing in the mood, I have also come up with something light to have for lunch without actually cooking....God help you that you have some left overs of the key ingredients in your fridge. Jollof is arguably Nigeria's national dish, yet we only ever seem to eat it in a one-dimensional way. Though it could sometime be served with salad (typically a coleslaw) but it is never as a salad. My concept for this recipe is clear, I wanted to enjoy this delicious rice dish with a variety of my favourite salad vegetables. I was also looking for a light lunch idea that requires very little effort to make. All you require for this dish, is some pre cooked jollof rice. You also need a lot of your favourite salad ingredients. finito...! I am currently obsessing over red cabbage at the moment, so I thought it would be visually appealing to serve my salad in a cabbage bowl, in the process increase my intake of vegetables... Its all good stuff. So try it out.. What you need Left over jollof rice (get recipe here) Stewed chicken Plantain fries (Aka Dodo)n  Salad leaves of choice Red cabbage (white cabbage can also be used) Cherry tomatoes Ata din din (used as salad dressing) See recipe here What to do Carefully cut the whole cabbage side ways and remove sheath of the it, to create the bowl. Soak the cabbage bowl in some salted water to allow to soften a little and also add some flavour Heat up you jollof rice and add some ata din din to give it flavour.  Then carefully arrange all the different components into the cabbage bowl.  Explore your creativity. Serve as a warm salad

Cooking and developing new Nigerian dishes are my express passion. Those who know me know that, I love to cook and eat... 😊 and explore new food ideas. Something else I love to do is show people how I cook all my exciting dishes and help them discover something new...for themselves, in the kitchen! I run cookery sessions and diners' clubs (mostly private), and I get so much sense of accomplishment when my students/guests express their satisfaction with me... It is such a good feeling. So, in order to be able to do more for my followers, I usually plan sessions around themes such as religious festivities, healthy eating, dietary requirements etc. My latest theme is....for Newly Weds or the About-To Weds..! So, out of all my previous sessions, majority of my students are those planning their weddings or those who just recently got married, the newly weds. I am particularly keen to hold sessions for this group of people because I applaud them for their keen interest in learning how to cook good home made food and feed their family... In my opinion, there is no better way to express your love and care for your family, other than to cook and serve them wholesome freshly made home cooked food! - FKFB Cookery Sessions for Newly Weds/About-To Weds These sessions are designed for those who have been or about to be married (grooms inclusive).  The sessions are privately run and tailored to their specific requirements. Many dishes or cooking techniques can be learned over a couple of sessions, which usually last from 3 to 5 hours. The sessions are held in the privacy of the student's home...and are delivered according to their pace. The students receive ongoing support (such as help with sourcing ingredients, food table/menu planning etc) for an agreed period of time to help them build confidence. How To Book Its really easy to get on the course. Select the session you prefer, with 3 Hour or 5 Hour session, and make your payment. Once your payment is received, we will be in touch to arrange a time most convenient for you. (This session can be given as a gift to newly weds/about-to weds). To book a place on one of our Bridal Cookery Sessions, click the button below: 1. Cook! Nigerian Session Bridal Edition - 3 Hour Session Cost - £75.00 2. Cook! Nigerian Session - Bridal Edition - 5 Hour Session Cost - £120 If you want to find out more please use the contact form provided below:

Beans and plantains are a foodie match. Their tastes and flavours, textures complement each other so well. As one gets older, it's advised to make plant proteins the primary source of protein, and in Nigerian cuisine, beans (cow-peas) features prominently on the list of vegetables with high protein content. Beans also have high fibre, not forgetting other minerals and vitamins. So I am always trying out new things with beans, just so that I do not get bored eating them or get stuck on just one way of eating them..! Check out my Beans Hummus & Bread recipe here. One new way I enjoy eating beans is to make a paste out of them, similar to making hummus...actually my new Bean Paste dish is essentially fashioned after Hummus made from chickpeas... The result is fantastic, healthy and versatile. Can be eaten any time of the day and super healthy. What you need Ripe plantain Cooked cowpeas Salt and Black pepper Coconut oil Aganyin sauce (see recipe here) What to do  Slice the plantain across its length and deep fry until golden brown.  Place the cooked beans in a food processor, add a pinch of salt and black pepper to season, a dash of coconut oil and some water to aid blending.  Then blend into a smooth or coarse paste, depending on your preference.  Serve

Party Jollof Rice Video Recipe  The methods of cooking Jollof rice is as varied as the subject of its origin . As with most dishes in Nigeria quantities are not exactly measured and so the results vary. With party Jollof rice the catch is the ‘smoky flavour’ which is infused by burning the rice a […]

Mackerel Fish in Orange sauce is my go to dish when orange is in season. I also find this simple dish very handy when time to prepare dinner is short. This last week  was quite hectic workwise so my husband and I were  getting home late.  Mackerel Fish in Orange sauce was what I could […]