This recipe is easy to make - chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and then served in a tomato cream sauce. You can either serve with rice or warm pita bread.


Prep Time: 30 min    Cook Time: 50 min    Total Time: 2 hs 20 min   Additional Time: 1 h   Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 long skewers
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Preheat a grill for high heat.

Step 3

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Step 4

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Tip

You can use aluminum foil to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Serve jollof rice with fried plantains, For an extra special and authentic touch.


Prep time 25 mins            Cook time 1 hr 4 mins              Total time 1 hr 29 m

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon, crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper1 cup water
• Rice:3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 cups parboiled rice (such as Uncle Ben's®)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas)

Plantains

• 4 ripe plantains, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 cup canola oil for frying

Directions

1. Place chicken drumsticks in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1/2 onion, ginger, crushed bouillon cubes, garlic, curry powder, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Cook until chicken starts sticking to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Pour in water, mix, cover the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer; cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Transfer chicken to a baking dish using a slotted spoon. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Reserve 1 1/2 cups liquid. Discard solids.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
5. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-low heat and cook 1/2 onion until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; cook and stir until slightly thickened and infused into the oil, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Stir reserved chicken broth, coconut milk, 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper into the pot. Bring to a simmer; add rice. Cook, stirring often, until rice is almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and continue cooking until rice is tender and creamy, about 5 minutes.
7. Heat 1/2 cup of canola oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add plantains and fry on both sides until golden and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Garnish jollof rice with friend plantains and serve with chicken.

Notes:

If you can substitute coconut milk with plain water. This is another variation of jollof rice, with less calories.

Also, you can decide to grill the chicken or fry in oil until crispy. Either way, it's perfect.

Prep Time 20m   Cook Time  35m   Total Time 55m


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 3 cups crushed Italian (plum) tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 (7 ounce) can oil-packed tuna, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 (12 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir anchovy and capers in hot oil until anchovy crumbles, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Pour white wine, oregano, and red pepper flakes into the skillet and increase heat to high; cook until mixture reduces and about 3 tablespoons of liquid remain, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir tomatoes into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Season tomato mixture with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir tuna and 1/4 cup parsley into tomato sauce, breaking up tuna with a wooden spoon while stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until almost cooked through and still slightly firm to the bite, 9 to 11 minutes. Drain and transfer spaghetti back to the pot.
6. Pour tomato sauce over spaghetti into the pot; stir to combine, cover the pot with a lid, and let sit until spaghetti is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Ladle spaghetti into bowls, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and parsley over the top.

Little-notes

To help keep food moist,to ensure it cooks evenly, to keep leftovers fresh and to make clean-up easy use aluminum foil.


Photo credit: Evita Wong