Kenyan Curried Plantain

Thank you Grace for sending me this fabulous recipe! I used one plantain just to try it out and I absolutely loved it! One thing I've discovered about African recipes is that we don't really follow measurements when cooking, we just go with what feels right. This recipe was no exception but it's pretty foolproof.

Kenyan Curried Plantain

Onion, chopped
Diced tomato (or tomato paste)
Curry powder
Plantain, peeled and chopped
Salt

Method


Fry onion until salt. Add tomato and curry powder. Cook for a few minutes.

Add plantains and salt. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

Amazing! An instant favourite!

Baked Zucchini with Blue Cheese

My delicious new recipe! Sliced zucchini topped with olive oil, blue cheese, salt and paprika baked in the oven until the cheese starts to melt.

St Patrick's Day Parade 2012- Vancouver

Fun at the St. Patrick's Day parade!

Green nail polish!

East African Shrimp Curry

I have been inspired recently to try out some African recipes. When I lived in Africa, my family had a cook so I never really had much of an opportunity to cook African food which I find to be a real pity now that I live in Canada. I have learned to make a few things in the last several years but it's quite difficult (and expensive) to find some of the needed ingredients.

I really love East African food. Unlike Malawian food they tend to use more spices. Plus they use a lot of coconut milk. I got the recipe for this shrimp curry from http://africaimports.com/seafood1.asp?url=

SHRIMP CURRY, East Africa
Any size shrimp may be used in this curried dish, but small shrimp (over twenty five per pound) are just as satisfactory and far less expensive than the large shrimp.
In a 4-quart saucepan:

Sauté: 1 cup CHOPPED ONION
1 tsp. GARLIC POWDER
1 Tbs. CURRY POWDER
1 tsp. TURMERIC
1 Tbs. SALT
1/2 tsp. CHILI POWDER in
2 oz. BUTTER or OIL until soft but not brown.
Add: 1 cup COCONUT CREAM
2 lbs. SHRIMP, uncooked and peeled
2 cups POTATOES, diced, and
1 cup WATER.
Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes, covered tightly.
Add: 2 oz. LEMON JUICE
1 cup COCONUT CREAM.
Cook until slightly thickened-about 10 minutes more.*
*If a thicker curry is desired, dissolve 2 Tbs. cornstarch in 2 Tbs. water and add in the last few minutes of cooking
Serve hot with rice

A few of the ingredients I used

 

What I used instead of chilli powder: Malawian hot sauce

South Indian Shrimp Curry

 
 Recipe from http://www.mediterrasian.com/delicious_recipes_curry.htm

2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

1 onion—chopped

2 cloves garlic—finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

2 teaspoons cumin

1½ teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 cup canned tomatoes—chopped

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup basmati rice

16 large uncooked shrimp (prawns)—peeled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

HEAT the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 ADD the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika and chili powder and cook, stirring, for a minute. 
ADD the tomatoes, coconut milk and salt and bring to the boil. 
REDUCE the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes. 
WHILE the curry simmers, cook the rice (see Cooking rice). 
ADD the shrimp and cilantro to the curry, cover with a lid, and simmer for another 4 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. 
SERVE on a bed of rice.

Watoto Children's Choir - Coastal Church- January 2012

My first ever blogpost was about the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda. I am really blessed to attend an exciting Church which hosts a lot of amazing events. Watoto visit Coastal Church every year or so and it's always a new group of children all with a terrible history but a promising future. I honestly get very teary-eyed listening to these children speak about what they've been through. Watching them sing and dance always makes me homesick for Africa; although the children are Ugandan, not Malawian, there are so many similarities especially in the singing and dancing and the huge smiles on the children's faces.

The most emotional part of the evening was when a lady who attends the Church met her sponsored daughter on the day of her 40th birthday. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire Church.

I got a picture taken with two of the little girls. So cute!

I took a video of the kids singing one of my favourite African gospel songs. It's called Hakuna Mungu which means "There is no God like you".

I can't even begin to do justice to Watoto with my words; here's the website.

http://www.watoto.com/

Who Switched Off my Brain?

Yes, sometimes I wonder who switched my brain off. It turns out, it was me. My Church hosted Dr. Caroline Leaf, South African brain psychologist, for a 3 -day seminar weekend. It was so worth it, despite the fact that I had to get up at 8am on a Saturday morning. Dr. Leaf spoke with such enthusiasm and she and her husband were a great team. I learned a lot. Here are some of the main points:

• We aren't a victim of our biology; it's possible to renew our minds. 
• Science is catching up with scripture 
• We are wired for love, fear is a learned action 
• We are designed for deep, intellectual thinking and to constantly learn
• 75-98% of mental and physical illness comes from our thought-life
• We were not designed to be in default mode but to be exceptional

One of the scriptures Dr Leaf chose to emphasize what she had been talking about came from Psalm 139:14:  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made

I enjoyed her talks so much I bought her book.

And I got it signed.

I'm ready to switch on my brain again:)