I get questions from readers and while I usually respond, I wanted to provide an additional outlet to garner more responses. This inquiry is from Gina in Lagos (Nigeria) who would like to know of other meal options apart from the usual suspects.

If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, send it to submit@avartsycooking.com

Dear AC, My husband and now my children are so picky about food that I am so bored with cooking just rice, yam and amala or pounded yam.. Their choices are so limited am running out of my mind when I think of the next meal. I would really be glad if you could assist me out of this predicament. Regards Gina

My answer~  You have other options in the form of plantains, potatoes, pasta (spaghetti and macaroni) and beans. You can use unripe plantains to make Plantain Porridge, use pasta to make Jollof Spaghetti and beans to make Moi Moi. You can then bake or fry the potatoes or cook it in one pot with chicken, chicken stock and carrots.

So, dearest readers, what say you? Do you have some other suggestions? Please let Gina know in the comments section.

Frejon can be translated to mean a coconut bean dish made from black beans, coconut milk and white sugar. While popular in Nigeria, Frejon has it’s origins in Brazil and Portugal. Frejon is a delicious dish that finds a sweet, yet delicate balance from the addition of coconut and sugar. It is traditionally eaten on Good Friday, during the Easter season and is usually served with toasted garri/dried & ground cassava and fish stew.

Oft times, you will see Frejon described as a paste, pudding or a soup. I choose not to use either term, because the final consistency of Frejon is really based on personal preference. Frejon can be made thin enough to be described as a soup and it can be made thick enough to be described as a paste (think tomato paste/de rica). Also, when I think pudding, I think of a more wobbly, yet thicker consistency and Frejon doesn’t fall into that category. Also, who wants to eat a paste? That’s really not appealing, now is it?!

I prefer Frejon to have a consistency in the middle of soup and paste, so something similar to a custard/pudding consistency. Frejon will also thicken up after it’s left at a somewhat thinner consistency, so care needs to be taken not to make it too thick from the onset.

As mentioned, Frejon is made from black beans, known in Yoruba as Ewa Ibeji, however, these are hard to come by in the States, so I made the dish using Ewa Oloyin (Honey beans). The result taste wise is the same, the main difference is in the visual as Frejon is usually of a darker brown color. However, what really matters is taste!

Frejon is quite easy to make and really hard to go wrong with even if it’s your first time making it. It’s as close to a Nigerian dessert as you’ll come owing to it’s sweet nature.  It’s also cheap to make. I would recommend it as a special occasion dish, perhaps once every couple of months. Just because it’s a Good Friday dish, doesn’t mean you can’t eat it any other time of year.Be sure to read through the notes section!

Frejon is a MUST TRY dish! You’ll love it!

Requested Recipes are a series of posts geared towards recipes YOU’ve requested! Thanks to Ronella, Heidi and @MadamPeppa for the request! If you’d like a particular recipe featured, let me know!

Enough already! On with the recipe! To learn how to make Frejon, here’s what you’ll need:

Recipe Cost: $10.24 Prep: 30 mins Cook: 1.5-2 hrs Difficulty: Beginner Serves: 1-2

• 2.5 cups of brown honey beans (ewa oloyin)
• 1-2 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut water with pulp (optional)
• 1-2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 Knorr cube

1. Pick beans if necessary to remove dirt, stones, weevils

2. Add beans to a pot; add enough water to cover beans completely *add no salt or onions*

3. Let boil continuously over medium heat for about 1-2 hours till soft and mushy; keep adding water as needed

3b. Keep boiling…

3c. and boiling…

4. Once beans is soft and mushy, strain extra liquid if any with a sieve, large bowl and a large spoon

4b. Stir beans around to strain extra liquid; use spoon to scrape underneath the sieve to rid it of extra liquid

5. Transfer the sieved beans to a bowl

6. Transfer sieved beans to blender

7. Add coconut milk to beans in blender

8. Add coconut water

9. Blend till smooth, add to dry pot over medium heat, let boil 5 minutes

10.  Add knorr cube, stir

11. Add sugar, stir.

12.  Let boil uncovered for 10-15 minutes over medium heat till it starts to thicken

13. Once it starts to thicken, stir constantly

14. After 5 more minutes, it should be cooked

15. Cover pot and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

16. After alloted time, Frejon is all done!

Close Up

To make toasted garri:

Add garri to a dry pot over low heat

Stir garri till it toasts/darkens in color. Take off heat immediately

Notes:

1. If you are in Nigeria, you should be able to come across Ewa Ibeji or black beans. They are small and dark brown in nature, lending to the dark brown color of Frejon.
2. As you can see I used honey beans and while the result was not as dark brown in color, it still worked. The chaff from the beans adds to the textured look which does not translate in taste. If you blend it till smooth, it should also not translate for you.
3. You can soak the beans overnight to get it softer quicker, or you can just boil on the day of.
4. You should not add any salt or slice any onions into the beans whilst it is boiling. You can slice 1 fresh clove of garlic to help it soften quicker.
5. I prefer the Goya brand of coconut milk and coconut water, as they seem to be heavy on the coconut taste. I got these from a super Walmart. If you cannot find Goya, you can make do with another brand.
6. I like to add a bit of coconut water with the pulp just to intensify the coconut taste in the dish. This is optional as you can use just coconut milk.
7. You can add as much sugar as you’d like, but try not to overdo it. Start with less, stir and taste to gauge the sweetness and add more in small increments as you see fit.
8. After turning the heat off the Frejon, it will darken in color and also thicken up a tad more. Don’t leave it on the heat for so long till it really thickens as it will become stiff and a bit unwieldy.
9. For the consistency I like, if you notice in step #13, I tried to simplify it visually by using the cake batter method I learnt from my mom; before you count to 5, it should drop from the spoon.
10. If you prefer the consistency I like, try to look for a cake batter consistency, it’s not too thick, neither is it thin. If you like it thicker, cook it longer, if you like it thinner, cook it for a shorter period.
11. Garri also acts as a thickener when sprinkled over it, so if you make your Frejon quite thick, don’t use garri or just dust it across lightly. If your Frejon is thinner, the garri will also help thicken it up as well.

Substitutes:

1. I’ve never tried it with light or dark brown sugar, but I don’t forsee any problems with using brown sugar.
2. I can’t recommend using sugar substitutes such as splenda or nutri-sweet, as I am not a fan of them. However, if you like them, you can try adding it.
3. If you cannot find Ewa Ibeji, you can use honey beans (Ewa Oloyin) or black eyed beans/peas.
4. You can use 2 Maggi cubes instead of 1 Knorr cube. A pinch or two of salt will also suffice.

Serving Suggestions: 

1. Frejon is traditionally served with toasted garri
2. and with fish stew (I made fried fish stew using Tilapia)
3.  If you’d like to bring out your gourmet side, boil it long enough to cook and make it thin enough and serve it in Martini glasses with an unsalted cracker as a garnish.

Drool, baby, drool…

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Disclaimer:

The Recipe Cost of $10.24 is approximate for me in US dollars, but should be used an estimate only. Please keep price fluctuations & exchange rates in mind. If you’re based in the US, the grocery store(s) you frequent might have the same items cheaper or more expensive than what I purchased.

If you’re international, please keep in mind that exchange rates vary constantly. I recommend using this site to convert it from US dollars to your local currency. You might also have some of the ingredients at home already, thereby reducing the cost.

If you’d prefer to see an individual ingredient cost breakdown, let me know!

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Enjoy…

Ayodeji, a somewhat newer reader, has taken to trying out a few of the recipes on the site. I am in awe of the submissions, I really am and I love that he keeps them coming! First, he made Ayamashe (it seems to be a popular dish for reader spotlight!) and if you’ve read through the site, you know that I’m all for customizing recipes to fit your tastes.

Reader Spotlight is a series of posts geared towards dishes you‘ve made following recipes from AvartsyCooking. I appreciate all of you and in an effort to give you some shine, not just in the comments where you share how you made such and such, you get to also share with me and everyone else, the photo of your finished dish!

To participate, all you need do is send clear photos of your finished dish, name of the AvartsyCooking recipe you followed and a little back story behind your making the dish to submit@avartsycooking.com

Below is information surrounding his dish!

Name: Ayodeji O.

Recipe Made: Ayamashe/Designer Stew/Ofada Stew

Back story:  ”Hi Yetunde,

I’m sure by now you know just how much I love you and your blog. I have suddenly rediscovered my passion for cooking and it feels bloody damn good. Thank you. Ok so this afternoon I made ayamase and I’m still buzzing from it. I have attached the picture to this email.

The ayamase wasn’t the normal deep green colour because I used about half a spoon of palm oil which I mixed with sunflower oil. Something I found interesting was the fact that the stew didn’t require any seasoning in itself (the peppers are just blended and fried) and the resulting taste is amazing.

At this point, its safe to say goodbye nigerian restaurant ayamase; hello homemade ayamase infused with LOADS of love.

Thanks again (you ARE a star)”

My Thoughts: It looks good to me! It’s got green chunky bits in it, showing that it you didn’t over-blend it, which is good, as that’s how it should be. The yellow bits showing through in the second photo, is that garlic? I love garlic, so that’s a plus and I also see bits of onions in there, which is part of how you customized it. Nice! Did you use brown rice?

I also think the deep, green color came through, it just wasn’t swimming or floating in oil. I would say it doesn’t need a lot of seasoning, but perhaps a bit of salt, but again, taste buds differ, so if no seasoning is how you like it, then go for it! I totally agree, once you’re able to make Ayamashe at home, it’s kinda hard (at least for me) to get it from a Nigerian restaurant now, lol.

(The chicken wings in the first photo look oh so juicy, what did you use to season? and oddly enough, the chicken leg in the second photo looks a bit dry, I should shake your shoulders for that!) I won’t get on you for presentation, as mine is still a work in progress, lol. The first photo make me think of a cascading volcano for some reason, but when you think about it, the analogy is kinda there. (I totally over thought that one, but hey…)

Aww, flattery is everything! Thank you! :D

Calling all London based readers, this is for you!

What: Shakespeare’s Globe to Globe Festival runs from April 21 – June 9, 2012. It features 37 different Shakespeare plays in 37 different languages. One of those 37 plays is ‘The Winter’s Tale,’ which will be the Nigerian installment of the festival and will be spoken in Yoruba.

When: Thursday, May 24th @ 2:30 p,m AND Friday, May 25th @ 7:30 p.m

Where: Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre : 21 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT London, United Kingdom

WIN: Two tickets to each performance: Two Tickets to the May 24th show AND Two Tickets to the May 25th Show.

Use the widgets below to enter OR leave a comment stating why you think you’d love the play. If you leave a comment, be sure to  state what date you’d like.

To enter & read official rules…

This prize is non-transferable. There are no cash or other substitutes of prizes by winner. AvartsyCooking reserves the right to substitute similar prizes of equal or greater value in the event the above prize is unavailable for any reason. Individual, parent, or legal guardian of the winner is solely responsible for all applicable federal, state and local taxes with respect to the grand prize.

By entering or accepting the prize in this contest, winner agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions and to conform to all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. This contest runs from April 5th, 2012 through May 4th, 2012 at 12:01AM EST.

Eligibility

This contest is open to all London, UK participants unless prohibited by their local state/country. Prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parent or legal guardian on their behalf. For reference, the age of majority is 18 years old in the United States, with the exception of Alabama (19), Delaware (19), Mississippi (21), and Nebraska (19). The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Eligible participants are allowed to enter up to one (1) time, as per the section below.

How to Win

Four (4) winners will be selected through a random drawing from all eligible entries after contest closes. In the event that the original winner does not meet eligibility requirements or he/she forfeits the prize, the prize may be awarded to the next randomly drawn eligible participant. All entries must be received on or before May 4th, 2012 at 12:01AM EST. The winners will be notified via e-mail or message (as applicable). Winners will have 48 hours to claim prize after initial notification. If winners fail to claim within 48 hours, alternative winners may be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A little background on this giveaway:

Many thanks to Edith Adejobi (an AC reader!) and Shakespeare Globe for sponsoring the giveaway. The play is directed by Wole Oguntokun.  

I would have loved to see this play! I love Yoruba plays. I remember in high school, we had field trips to go see a few plays, which were in Yoruba and my whole, entire class was enthralled by them. I mean, they were just fantastic. The play, ‘The Gods Are Not to Blame,’ by Ola Rotimi is the only one that readily comes to mind and I truly loved the story line and the acting.

The Winter’s Tale Story

Facebook Event Page 1

Facebook Event Page 2 

Please, go support OUR cast! See the actual cast below:

Good Luck! :)

There are those who love okra and those who don’t, those who find it too slimy and those who just happen to love that slimy texture. But once you get used to it, it goes well with almost everything:  fufu, gari, pounded yam, rice, etc…

Okra soup is very popular in many West African countries and there are more than a hundred ways of cooking okra soup. It can be cooked with beef, fish, chicken, goat meat, lamb, smoked fish, shrimp and so one.

One of my favorite ways to cook okra soup is with beef and crabs, although I have tried many other ways to cook okra soup, but this so far the one I prefer, I like the way the crabs add a wonderful flavor to the soup.

This guest post was written and submitted by Oumou of Kadirecpes.com. She also happens to be an African food blogger from Guinea! If you are interested in submitting a guest post geared towards African (or more specifically, Nigerian!) food, send your recipe and photos to submit@avartsycooking.com.

Now let me show you how to make this delicious soup that you are going to love (I promise :).

Preparation time: 15 min   Cooking time: 60 min  Serves: 4

Ingredients list

• 300g of beef, cut into medium pieces
• 2 cups of sliced okra, you can use fresh or frozen okra (I suggest using fresh ones)
• 1 medium crab, clean and divided into pieces
• ½ cup of palm oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 bouillon cube (Maggi)
• 2 fresh tomatoes, mashed
• ½  tbsp tomato paste (or puree)
• Chilies, to taste
• Water
• Salt to taste

Direction:

Step 1:  heat the palm oil to medium heat in a heavy saucepan and fry the beef until brown

Step 2:  Add the mince onion, fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. Fry it for 5 more minutes

Step 3:  Cover the meat with 2 cups of water and let simmer until the beef is tender. Let’s say 20 to 30 min

Step 4:  Once the beef is tender, add the crab and 2 cups of water. Let it cook for 5 min or till the crab turns pink

Step 5:  Add some hot chilies (to your taste) , add the okra and bouillon cube(Maggi). Stir all together and let simmer at very low heat for 20 min

Step6: To finish salt and pepper to your taste, you may add more peppers if you wish.

Serve with Fufu, Eba or pounded yam. I love to serve mine with Fufu plantain.

Enjoy!!!!!

Notes: 

- Make sure the meat is tender before you add the other ingredients.

- Once you have added the okra don’t go away because you will need to stir the sauce often to prevent it from burning.

My Thoughts~

1. The first thing I thought when I saw this, was that the okra were huge! I mean, larger than I’ve ever seen Okra to be. The Okra I purchase are smaller and as such, have smaller seeds. I’ve never had Okra soup with crab, much less any kind of seafood (apart from fish of course!), so this was interesting to read. I haven’t cooked real crab in a long time, I mean, a good while, I don’t even remember the last time I purchased it.
2. I totally love the idea of using crab, especially as the flavors from the soup will seep into the crevices of the crab and when you suck up those juicy, meaty pieces, you are almost guaranteed to be getting a flavorful mouthful of crab.
3. Another interesting tidbit is that I was taught not to add onions to okra as it prevents it from drawing, but in the past (as recent as last weekend), I have used stew (which was blended with onions) and didn’t have any troubles with it drawing and no, I didn’t use kaun/potash, which is supposed to help okra, draw. The use of onions in Oumou’s recipe didn’t seem to affect it either. Is that a food myth we need to debunk or would that be premature?
4. I’m also assuming that the beef would be the kind easily found in the West to get soft in a few minutes. If I’m right, please don’t attempt the recipe with goat meat, as your meat would still be considerably tough after boiling for 20-30 minutes.
5. I would have loved to see a photo of the soup with plantain fufu, just to put it into context. And the covered pot? Girl?! We need to see what’s on the inside, not the red lid! -_- (Jokes aside, but I can’t tell what the soup looks like in the pot).
6. Otherwise, I’d definitely love to taste it with fufu which I haven’t had in forever. Nice work well done!