Saturday, May 14, 2011

Benin: Couscous Azindessi

The Dish: Couscous + Chicken
The Country: This small West African nation gained independence from France in 1960.
Anyone up for a tomato, onion, and chicken broth smoothie?

Ingredients:
Chicken
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 large tomato, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 1/3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
a large spoonful of creamy peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup of couscous
1/2 cup of roasted peanuts
mmmmm, tomato coated chicken.

Procedure:
Crush the bouillon cube, and mix with the pepper and garlic. Cover the chicken with this mixture.
Put the sliced tomato, diced onion, and a cup of chicken broth in the blender. Blend.
Use a large casserole pot, put in the vegetable oil. Heat it for about a minute on high. Then add the chicken.
Cook until brown (about 10 minutes)
Add the blended mixture of tomato, onion, and broth. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Heat the oven to 325°
Add the peanut butter and tomato paste, cook for 30 minutes on low heat.
Put the couscous in a baking pan, and coat it with the remaining chicken broth. Add a pinch of salt.
When the couscous is done add the peanuts. Serve with the chicken.
that's some seriously bright chicken.

Notes: YUM. I normally don't love tomatoes, but this was really yummy. Even my picky siblings liked it.... By the way, I saw Bridesmaids today- it was one of the funniest movies I've ever seen!! Go see it. Right now.
Rating: 4.4

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Belize: Coconut Pie

The Dish: Coconut pie
The country: Belize has the lowest population density in Central America.
eggs+ evaporated milk+ condensed milk+ nutmeg


Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Half a can of condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
1 tsp nutmeg
Pie shell
1 tsp lemon juice
3 eggs
before it went in the oven it looked like baby food


Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 450°
Whisk the eggs
Add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Stir well. Then add the coconut.
Put into the pie shell. Bake at 450°for twenty minutes.  Lower to 350° and bake until firm (about another 20 minutes.
FINAL PRODUCT- I had a bit of a burnt edge problem when some of the filling spilled over....

Notes: It was a little gooey for my taste- I tend to avoid anything slimy, so no yogurt for me. Ever. It's the only thing I'm picky about... but anyways... I think my family liked it, though I'd only advise making it if you like coconut.

Rating: 2.5 (it would have been higher if it wasn't gooey.)