Salmon Patties, Rice & Beans, Collards & Chard Salad

>Salmon Patties
>Rice & Beans
>Collards
>Chard Salad

I got the idea for Salmon Patties from this blog, and because I am extremely horrible at following recipes and 'ain't nobody got time for that' I did not actually follow it, but it served it's purpose and we all loved it, and I think I wanna make this all the time!

Like Babies for Broccoli

My (then) 7 month-old daughter has been really into broccoli these past few days. It's so easy because I can just have her sit in her high chair and she can feed herself from her plate. She also eats super spicy food, which is weird (I think), and sour things. I guess at this age, every sensation is extreme & new anyway, so spicy and sour are just as well. I bought from the Oakland's White Elephant sale one of these heavy baby plates, so it helps reduce (not totally eliminate) the slam-my-plate-and-splatter-everything-everywhere incidents. If she's into the food and wants to eat, it takes her a while before she can slam it all down and pour her food out. But usually if she's into the food, she wont play with the plate too much.

Other things that work well that I don't have to feed her myself and don't make too much of a mess
Roasted Seasoned Potatoes with skin off
Roasted Curry Cauliflower
Bean cakes
Steamed Greens
Fried Eggs
Squash/Sweet Potatoes
Banana & Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes
Zucchini and Cheese (or no cheese Patties)
Really any patties of veggies you can cook, mush, season and combine and make, so it's soft but they can practice eating actual food by themselves.

Other things that make a mess...but oh well
Oatmeal cooked thick, so enough to pick up with fingers
Steamed Beets


It's cool to be exploring food with a new human!

Pan-Grilled Lamb, Corn on the Cob, Yellow Green Beans, Spring Mix

>Rosemary Lamb with sauteed Onions
>Corn on the Cob
>Steamed Yellow Green Beans
>Apple slices on mixed greens

I will never be the one responsible for cooking lamb, so don't even look this way. If I don't like beef, then I hate lamb. But the other half LOVES him some gamey heavy rare lamb meat stuff *shivers*

He did learn from a Family friend's Lebanese Cookbook about the good and bad fat. When you cut off the bad then it doesn't taste bad. Either way it's intense for me, and I can only eat small, and very well cooked in fact burnt pieces. And I need some plain veggies to help balance it all out.

Oh yeah shout out to Katy of Creekside Ranch in Esparto, CA. We went in with some friends and bought this lamb directly from them.

Shrimp & Bean Stew, Cous Cous & Salad

Remember that meal I made for friends who just had a new baby?

Here's how we ate it:
>Shrimp & Bean Stew
>Cassava Cous Cous
>Mushroom and Almond Salad.

Cumin Chicken, Cauliflower Mac & Cheese, Kale Salad

>Cumin Pan-Grilled Chicken w/sauteed bell peppers & onions
>Cauliflower Mac & Cheese
>Kale Salad


So this was one of those collaboration meals with my neighbors... which help good eating come easy, because you make one or two items and then someone else makes one or two and voila! Plate. to. grub.
Sarah (who's an amazing cook) made the Cauliflower mac and cheese and I asked her "what's in this?" she said it's with Cauliflower mac and cheese gluten-free pasta & italian sausage and white wine

Shrimp & Bean Stew, Spaghetti Squash & Salad with Homemade Dressing

>Shrimp and Bean in stewed tomato sauteed with onions & veggie oil
>Oven-Roasted Spaghetti Squash
>Side Salad...with oranges & homemade dressing.
(make it vegan, by leaving out the shrimp).

I can't believe it's March already. I made this meal for friends who just had a baby in January, and I asked for a photo, and they sent me one! Yay!

Friend making us food soon after we had our baby, combined with my mom making me anything I requested, was such a lifesaver. So I'm all about it.

Now that our baby is in the solid-eating phase of her life, woohoo! I'm hoping to post some more Kid-friendly & Nigerian inspired meals (not necessarily in that order or that combination). Although really we're kinda feeding her off our plate/pot so maybe not.  Breast-milk yogurt anyone? haha.

Okay. That's all I have to say about this. Until next time.

Pan-Grilled Pork, 3-bean Porridge, Sauteed Cabbage & Steamed Broccoli

> Lean Pork Loins topped with sauteed Bell peppers and caramelized Onions and seasoned with fresh Rosemary
>Garbanzo, Lentil & Red Kidney Bean Porridge
>Steamed Broccoli heads
>Sauteed Cabbage with Balsamic Vinegar

Notes:
This was two-person-effort meal (I made the beans and my husband made everything else).
The pork loins were a bit dry, probably because they're lean, so they could have done with some sort of sauce on top, but it was still good: the flavor of the fresh rosemary herbs with the pork was a force to reckon. I really liked it.

For the beans I started out wanting to make a Daal but it kind of ended up as porridge that got a little burnt at the bottom of the pot which then gave it a yummy smoked flavor. It reminded me of the way some bean dishes are cooked in Nigeria. This Bean dishes I had made a day before, I think it is a great idea to cook a large amount to eat multiple times because they store well in the fridge and freezer. Also there is something about dishe like this that make them taste better the next day, after all the flavors have had more time coming together.

The cabbage was super yummy with the tangy taste of the balsamic vinegar, such a simple and fast concept. I bet would be even better with purple cabbages.

And broccoli. All you need is some steam and YUM!

Make it vegan, by preparing it with your favorite meat substitute.

Orange-glazed Pork Loin Kebabs, Broccoli Salad & Cassava Corn Bread

>Pork Loins on skewers with Carrots, Pears & Bell Peppers, glazed with fresh orange sauce
> Cast-iron Yucca/Cassava Cornbread
>Broccoli salad
 I knew I wanted to make Kebabs.

I had just made like a bazillion beef ones for a friend's bbq party, and I had it in my head. So combined with memories of the best kebabs ever at this restaurant Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica when I went for Annie's wedding, and left over skewers I knew I had to make some.

It was time for some lean pork loins on the 'protein rotation'. I searched around for some pork recipes because I don't really eat pork and this was my second time cooking it. I knew I wanted to find a different taste or way to cook it (because otherwise I would default to something I do all the time). So I found a site dedicated to pork recipes! Wow. Fancy that. And you can search by themes, cut, and preparation time. Since I had some cut loin I knew it wouldn't take me that long to make something anyway (and I wanted this meal to happen quickly), and so yeah I searched by cut. I picked this recipe well, kinda. Haha. I pretty much didn't actually do any of what it says here except for the concept of a glaze. I squeezed some fresh oranges, and reduced it with maple syrup, and thickened with a tiny bit of flour.

I didn't roast over an open flame. I put the pork into a cast iron pan, and threw some black pepper, herb de provence & sea salt on it and threw it into the oven 375. After about 15-20mins? When it was part-way cooked, I brought it out and cut into chunks for skewering. I seasoned some veggies (bell pepper & carrots) and pears chunked and skewered them with the pork. Okay DON'T BE LIKE ME AND TRY TO SKEWER RAW CARROTS. Which I know not to do but did anyway because I don't know I just did.  And then threw it back into the oven at 500 degrees to grill.

For the Cassava (Yucca) & Corn Bread: Okay I get recipe requests from friends a lot and I really never know what I do, and I can't remember. I just do stuff and then it's done. So when I saw we had some leftover Yucca from a previous meal, and some corn on the cob from another meal, I decided they could all get together and party with cornmeal, egg, oil & milk in the oven. And that's what they did and it was GOOD. (And I didn't just say so myself)

Broccoli Salad, Emilie my upstairs neighbor made this and it was delicious.

This was an awesome meal!

I hella *heart* My African Market

Sometimes I forget  that I can diversify my palate by eating foods from 'HOME' like home home. Traditional foods. I can make versions that are more typical or my adapted fusion versions. While I was pregnant and visiting in Nigeria, I got reminded of what I was missing and how yummy my home dishes can be. It became an obsession of sorts. Thankfully, I was lucky to have my mother around for a good amount of time while I was pregnant to indulge me in my requests for moi moi, okro soup, akamu and more. When she left we slowly chipped away at the freezer full of food she cooked and stored for us. And in the meantime hope to make it to the African food store about once a month to supplement our produce. (Luckily it's close to my favorite farmer's market).

Some of the foods are not the freshest, and as you can see there are a few guilty indulgences of processed & high-sugar foods, but for the most part it's good stuff that sticks to your belly when cooked right!

For $37 and some change, here's what we bought:

Yellow Garri
Ijebu Garri
Cous Cous
Coco Yam (Taro)
Ghana Yam
Plantain
Habanero Peppers
Okro (Okra)
Chin Chin
Schweppes Bitter Lemon drink
Chin Chin
Meatpies
Tomato Paste
Sardines

With Love from Detroit!

>Chicken & Blackeyed Pea Fritters in Mushroom Gravy
>Kale Salad
>Veggie Rice

 My friend was visiting in Detroit and sent me this picture. I was really jealous. Kinda. But now I'm just going to make this.

I have to give Tavi the credit of really rounding my Health Education-education, and putting me on to the food focus, by way of working with youth to eat better.

 I'll let you know how my attempt at this plate turns out, 'cos you know I can't follow a recipe for anything, as for now. My mouth will just continue watering.

Spinach Egg Stew, Roasted Plantain & Sweet Potatoes, Sauteed Cabbage

>Spinach, Tomato & Onion Egg Scramble
>Roasted Plantain
>Roasted Sweet Potato
>Sauteed Cabbage

This is my ALL-Time favorite meal as a child (and probably still, because I haven't figured out what else I like more). The only problem with this meal to me, is that I love it so much I eat way too much of it.

Actually this is an adaptation of my favorite meal.

The original version is Fried plantains, Fried 'Irish' potatoes, Fresh Tomato & Onion Egg Stew.

I have made this healthier (and easier to prepare) by roasting instead of frying, a taste which I have come to love so much more than deep-fried, so it's all good! I have also added loads of spinach to the Tomato, Onion and Egg goodness, which helps pack so much more nutrients and flavor to an already amazing meal.

Fast, Easy, Healthy, Cheap AND Tasty. Geez, can I really have it all?

To prepare:

• Peel Plantains, place in ungreased baking pan, and throw into 450-500 degree oven.
• Put in Sweet Potatoes whole and unpeeled (you can peel after it's cooked, or even eat with skin if you like).
• Sautee Cabbage with a dash of olive oil, black, pepper, and salt
• Throw some vegetable oil in a pan to heat up, caramelize onions, throw in diced tomatoes, let cook until a lot of the water is absorbed, season with salt and your favorite spices and herbs (I used curry powder, thyme and black pepper), whip eggs and pour into mixture, stirring as it cooks, add chopped spinach soon after, once eggs are cooked, it's ready!

Notes:
You can find plantains at some regular grocery stores, or look in Latin Food or African food stores (that's where I get them)

Make it vegan, by using Scrambled Tofu instead of eggs.

Recipe: Orange & Green Goodness

 Eat your colors!

Today's color is Orange (with a touch of green)
Butternut Squash
Mandarin Orange
with Basil and Mint Leaves.

As Fall's bounty comes to and end, we can still eat squashes 'cos these babies usually hold out for a bit; you can store them for a while and still enjoy them long after everything else is gone.
To make:
>Throw the whole squash into the oven on baking tray (or if it's not to hard you can cut it in two first and take out seeds). Once roasted cut out cubes of the meat & throw into a bowl.
>Peel and separate mandarin sections, throw into the bowl.
>Add fresh mint and basil leaves
>Add a like bit of olive oil, salt and black pepper.
>Toss
>Yum!

Tuna Tortilla Salad for Lunch

                                                                                            
Tuna
Corn Tortilla Chips
Spring greens with tomatoes & cucumbers
Homemade Non-Fat Yogurt Dressing

For the dressing: Throw in some non-fat yogurt, a bit of olive oil, salt, your favorite dried herbs, black pepper and apple cider vinegar. Whip and done!

Wanna make a Vegan 'Tuna' salad? Check out this recipe.

Rosemary Pesto Chicken, Polenta & Tomato Stew, Fresh Fruits/Veggies

 >Rosemary, Mint & Basil Pesto Oven-baked Chicken topped with Caramelized Onions
Polenta
>Marinara sauce with peas
>Cucumber, Baby Carrots & Grapes 'that tastes like grape juice'

Make this veggie/vegan using Tempeh in place of chicken

This meal is my Italia-inspired meal. I really like polenta as a quick, filling and versatile grain option. Our backyard is currently abundant with herbs, and since I'm trying to put a dent in the Rosemary I decided I'd use it in a pesto. Our trip to Oregon still has us stacked with wonderful organic, and great tasting veggies, thanks to friends who own farms and have amazing gardens (the cucumbers & grapes). Really the grapes taste like grape juice. lol.

Because the combination of polenta, tomato & chicken seemed so heavy, I just had a taste for veggies that were crisp, fresh and ready to eat, so I thought it would be a good compliment. A glass of wine and you're good to go!

Farmer's Market Forager!

 Goodness!

Peep the herbs drying on the bottom rack.