Ingredients

• ½ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
• ½ oz simple syrup*
• 1 ½ oz tonic water
• 1 ½ oz club soda
• 3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

Preparation

1. Fill a Collins or highball glass all the way up with ice.
2. Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon.
3. Pour in the tonic water and club soda, stirring gently to combine.
4. Add the bitters to the top of the glass. You can choose to stir them in or let them settle on their own in the drink.
5. Garnish with a lime wheel or fresh herb.

Girl and Tonic

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 dashes (about 1/4 to 3/8 teaspoon) Angostura bitters
• 1/4 lime
• cold tonic water

Preparation

Fill chilled glass with ice cubes. Add bitters and squeeze out the lime juice, dropping the shell into the glass. Top with tonic water, stirring gently.

Splendid Table

Ingredients

• 4 green plantains peeled and cut in medium sized chunks
• 4-5 tbs butter or lard
• 2 tbs oil canola or sunflower
• 1 tbs hot pepper or chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup grated cheese and/or 1 cup cooked chorizo or chicharrones or bacon
• Salt to taste
• Ground peanuts (optional – add when mashing the green plantains)

Preparation

1. Melt the butter or lard over medium heat in large sauté pan
2. Add the plantain chunks and cook for about 40 minutes or until they are very soft, turn them about every 10 minutes, they should be slightly golden but not too crispy.
3. Sprinkle the cooked plantains with the chili powder, cumin and salt.
4. Transfer the plantain pieces to a bowl, do this while they are still hot (but be careful not to burn yourself).
5. Mash the plantains using a wood masher – or just a regular potato masher – until you obtain chunky dough like consistency.
6. Form balls slightly smaller than the size of a tennis ball with the dough.
7. Make a hole in the middle of each ball and fill it with the cheese or chorizo or chicharrones (mixed with ground peanuts), gently press the filling into the hole, cover the filling and reshape it back into a ball shape.
8. Heat the oil over high heat, add the stuffed plantain dumplings and fry them until they are golden and crispy on each side.
9. Transfer to plate lined with paper towels to drain the grease and serve immediately.

Laylita’s Recipes

Ingredients

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 habañero chiles (optional)
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 500 g meat (beef, chicken, or lamb)
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1.5 l of water or appropriate stock
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 800 g long grain rice
• 2 carrots, steamed, chopped in large pieces

Preparation

Put tomatoes and chiles (if using) into the blender and blend until smooth.

Brown your meat, which should be already cooked (best seems to be leftover stew meat) in the oil, and set aside.

Add onions to the oil, and fry until soft, then add garlic and fry briefly. Add the tomato mixture, the stock, the tomato paste, and 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper. The seasoning should be strong, since the rice will cook in this. Continue simmering the liquid for around 10 minutes on medium heat. If it’s still under-seasoned, you can add some more of a stock cube.

Rinse the rice and add it to the pot, stir, cover, and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. It shouldn’t be entirely dried out yet. Add the meat and carrots and mix well. Add 1 c. more of water, and continue to cook on low heat until the rice is cooked.

My African Food Map, adapted

Ingredients

• two boxes (or equivalent) of macaroni and cheese mix
• pint box of mushrooms, sliced
• ground beef
• onions, chopped
• grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 c. sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Make the macaroni and cheese according to the package directions.

Sautée the sliced mushrooms, onion, and hamburger together until fully cooked. Stir into the macaroni and cheese, along with some cheddar cheese and the sour cream.

Put into a 13"x9" baking dish, and bake for around 30 minutes or so, until warm through. Add extra grated cheddar on top, and bake until melted.

Ingredients

• one whole chicken
• 2 c. rice
• 3/8 c. (0.9 oz) dried dill
• 8 oz. container sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.

Boil the chicken in salted water, to which you’ve added around 1/4 c. of dried dill. When done, remove the chicken, bone it, shred the meat, and reserve.

Cook the rice in 3 c. of the broth that remains, remembering to stir in all of the dill and chicken bits that sank to the bottom. (Reserve the remaining broth.) Put the rice in a buttered 13"x9" casserole dish. Add the chicken in a single layer.

Take the sour cream and thin it with a bit of the broth. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of dried dill. Cover the chicken with the sour cream mixture

Bake until the top layer starts to get a few golden-brown spots.

Ingredients

• 5 cuisses de poulet
• 200 gr de haricots verts (surgelés)
• 3 carottes
• 1 poivron rouge
• 1 poivron vert
• 3 piments doux verts
• 2 oignons
• 10 gousses d’ail
• 2 boites de pulpes de tomates (400gr chacune)
• 2 feuilles de laurier
• 1 c. à café bombé de gingembre
• 1 c. à café de piment de cayenne
• 2 bouillons cubes de volaille
• Huile
• Sel et poivre

Pour les plantains:

• 2 bananes plantain
• Huile pour friture

Preparation

Couper les cuisses de poulet en deux. Eplucher et couper en rondelles les carottes. Laver les poivrons et les piments, les épépiner et couper en gros morceaux les 2 poivrons. Les piments, les laisser entier ou coupé en deux.

Eplucher l’ail et l’oignon. Emincer les oignons. Ecraser sous la paume de la main 5 gousses d’ail et couper les autres en deux, les presser à l’aide d’un appareil pour en faire de la pulpe.

Dans une grande marmite mettre un peu d’huile et faire revenir les morceaux de poulet.

Quand ils sont bien dorés sur les deux faces, les retirer de la marmite et les réserver.

Mettre dans la marmite les oignons et les gousses d’ail entières. Faire revenir à feu doux.

Bien mélanger et mettre les boites de pulpes de tomates. Mélanger et laisser mijoter 5 mn.

Ajouter les légumes (haricots verts, carottes, piments et poivrons) et l’ail pressé. Saupoudrer le tout avec le gingembre, le piment de cayenne. Emietter les bouillons cube et bien mélanger. Mettre les feuilles de laurier, saler et poivrer.

Ajouter enfin le poulet et 30 cl d’eau chaude. Bien mélanger, couvrir et laisser mijoter pendant 30 mn en remuant de temps en temps.

Si la sauce est trop épaisse, rajouter un peu d’eau.

Pour les plantains: (ou allez les acheter au marché)

Pendant ce temps, éplucher les bananes plantain et les couper en rondelles.

Faire chauffer un bain de friture et mettre les bananes à frire. Les retirer quand elles sont dorées.

A 5 mn de la fin de la cuisson du poulet, les glisser dans la marmite, mélanger.

Servir bien chaud accompagné de riz nature.

Voozenoo

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup of chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups seafood or chicken stock/broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound of crawfish tails
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion, plus extra for garnish
• rice for serving

Preparation

Chop the trinity (onion, green bell pepper and celery); parsley and green onions; then mince garlic and set aside.

Make a roux by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour; cook and stir constantly (this is important otherwise your flour might burn) for about 4 minutes or until caramel colored.

Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook another 3-4 minutes or until tender, add the garlic and cook another minute.

Slowly stir in the stock or broth until fully incorporated. Add salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.

Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a medium low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the crawfish tails, cook and stir until crawfish is heated through; stir in the parsley and green onion, reserving a bit for garnish.

Louisiana Travel

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot or 2 smaller shallots, cut into thin slices (enough to yield 1/2 packed cup)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup shaved or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preparation

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. Line a plate with paper towels.

Heat the butter and oil in a nonstick saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallot slices and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become golden brown, molten soft and shimmering. Transfer to the lined plate to drain and cool.

Combine the bacon pieces, cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Add the cooled shallot and stir until well incorporated. Transfer to a small gratin or baking dish (8-ounce capacity); broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until bubbling and a thin crust forms on top.

Serve right away.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 100 g pasta (like tagliatelle), fresh or dried
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 50 g spinach
• 75 g cream cheese
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 75 g smoked salmon, sliced
• small handful fresh basil, finely chopped

Preparation

Cook the pasta as per directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic until softened. Add the spinach and continue to cook until just wilted. Add the cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and black pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the salmon, basil, pasta, and reserved pasta water to the sauce. Toss and season.

BBC Good Food