Onion sauce (onions and tomatoes purée sauce)

Ingredients 

*Onions (mix of small and medium size)

*250g puréed tomatoes 

*Bonga fish- sharwa (optional)

*Beef or any meat of your choice

*Beef or any stock of your choice (or just use water)

*Chicken stock (cubed or powder) 

Veg oil (can use palm oil, but make sure to bleach first)

Step 1. In a large pot or pan, add in the vegetable oil allowing it to heat up then add the chopped onions. The onions needs to sweat until golden brown, NOT BURNT so keep an eye on it. 

Step 2. Once the onions has turned golden brown, add in the tomatoes purée and chopped peppers 

Step 3. Add in the bonga fish 

Step 4. The chopped up meat

Step 5. Then the meat stock.. Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat, taste for seasoning and wait for the oil to separate from the stew. 

Looks yum... Enjoyed mine with some fried yam and beans!!!!!

Edikang ikong (edikaikong), how to cook edikang ikong

This is a very nutritious and tasty soup that is traditional to the efik people of cross rivers and Akwa Ibom. 

Dare I say this is their most popular soup and one of the easier ones to attempt. When I say easy, don't think you can't get it wrong. There are lots of ways to get this soup wrong especially when you use wrong ingredients. 

The main vegetables used are water leaves and pumpkin leaves (Ugu) and the meat stock is the base so there's no frying like the other versions of vegetable soups that are popular in Nigeria.

Ingredients 

*Water leaves (wash and squeeze to remove excess water, then roughly chop)

*Ugwu leaves (don't blanch and roughly chop)

*Periwinkles

*Dried smoked fish

*Mix meat

*Liquid meat stock

*Stock cube 

*Crayfish 

*Scotch bonnet 

*Smoke prawns

*Oil (you only need a little)

Step 1. Pour the stock into a put, add in the meat, stock fish, crayfish, smoked prawns and periwinkles...

Step 2. Add in the chopped pepper, then stir... Cover pot with a lid allowing to simmer.. 

Step 3. Add in the water leaves.. Allow to cook for few mins.. 

Step 4.. Then the ugwu.. Stir and cover again. 

Step 5. Taste for seasoning, if required add some stock cubes. Allow to simmer further (not too much otherwise you over cook the vegetables).. 

All ready... I enjoyed mine with Eba #yumyum, how would you eat your's???

Garri cookies (cassava flake cookies)

Ever wondered if our beloved garri can be made into a sweet treat? If you have a sweet tooth, love cookies and love garri, I've brought to you today, a match made in heaven!!! Garri cookies!!!. 

It's such a tasty crunchy treat that people would argue with you that it can't possibly contain garri (I would recommend IJEBU garri, because of its sourness)... Funny, I made this cookies by chance last year, using excess ingredients from recipe. Since then, it's been on my mind to remake it.. So here it is!!!

Adding banana also means using less sugar and butter as it helps with consistency and taste, so we are looking at a healthier treat than most sweet baked goods.

Ingredients 

Half banana 

1/3 cup garri

1/2 lemon extract or any of your choice

1/2 plain flour

1/2 baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

35g butter

90ml milk

Step 1. (start by pre heating your oven to 180 degree or gas mark 4-5) Combine the milk, butter and sugar in a pot.. DO NOT BOIL, continue to stir to dissolve the sugar 

Step 2. Now combine the wet (make sure it's not hot, use at room temperature)  and dried ingredients together (don't mash the bananas, just dice).. Mix gently, so the bananas don't over break).

Step 3. Scoop a spoon at a time unto a greased proof baking tray.. And bake till golden brown (if you need them snapping, only add small quantity of cookie mix on the tray.. Then spread it. Out)

All ready, it was a sure treat with me and the kids..