Chicken Yassa and the Chicken Peppersoup were a rousing success! I followed both recipes exactly and not only were they perfectly simple but Beau loved both. The peppersoup was spicy and just the right thing while I am getting over this awful cold. Plus I have been craving spicy like crazy during these last couple months of my pregnancy!
I wish there were a way to make the peppersoup ingredients more accessible. There are not many ingredients in the soup and once you had them all it is incredibly easy to make; but even in my culturally diverse little city, Beau and I had to drive around for what seemed like forever before we found the perfect little African store that carried the right spices. In the first store, the one that advertises carrying Ethiopian, African and other ethnic foods, there was not much except a few exotic looking jarred foods and a lot of very American packaged foods. Then we tried Whole Foods in the vain hope that they would carry some exotic type spices. It was finally a little hole in the wall corner store in Chinatown that Beau knew of where we found what I needed. The teeny little store carried walls of African flours, grains, fish products and yes! Spices. It ended up being cheaper to buy the pre-packaged "peppersoup spice mix" than buying the spices separate and mixing them myself. The particular blend of spices in this mix is very unique and has an earthy smell in the bag and then something a little more hearty and delicious once it starts to cook. I would not try to substitute it with anything and even if you wanted to try I would have no idea what to recommend to you. If you want to make the soup I would definitely find a way to get your hands on these spices.
The yassa had no super exotic spices and was almost too easy to make. I marinated it overnight and then most of the day. Served over white rice, this was one of my favorite dishes I have made so far in my young culinary career! I was able to make both of these dishes with one whole chicken that cost us about $6, a bag of onions and a bag of lemons. Then of course the spices. I spent about $25 all together which was perfect! That includes beans and pork bones and other things. Unfortunately our shelves are still a little barren since my budget was super small to try to work with, but at least we have hearty and yummy dinners.
These dinners were so unique and fun to make. they had flavors that you normally would not find in my "American/family-style" cooking and I think it had something to do with Umami. Umami is something that was introduced to me in my Natural chef cooking course and I have been fascinated with it ever since. I have found a number of different definitions, but it was introduced to me as a Japanese flavor element that we are not so familiar with in the USA. It is the thing that makes a dish pull together perfectly or makes something seem perfectly done. Umami is the thing that makes you go "mmm...." Maybe it is a certain ingredient that without it the dish would just be boring, or maybe it is a certain technique in the dish that blends the ingredients perfectly. Both of these dishes had a certain something, and I am fairly certain that the something is Umami!
Every culture has their own version and awareness of Umami, but it is a borrowed Japanese word and it took the rest of the world a little whole longer to catch up and put a name on it. In fact, when a popular French chef named Auguste Escoffier used veal stock in his cooking, it created such a different and more savory taste than the usual sweet, salty, sour or bitter, that people thought the flavor did not even exist. They loved the food but thought that what they were tasting was all in their head. It seems so odd to me that people are more willing to believe that they made up something in their heads than just realize there might be a fifth flavor element... anything is possible right? But to these people, having a fifth flavor sense was like saying you invented a new color that no one has ever seen before. The Japanese are more open to the "impossible". A Japanese chemist named the flavor after drinking some dashi soup. Dashi is a seaweed soup that he recognized had a different flavor that is "simply delicious" but that he did not know how to identify. He called it Umami, which translates into "delicious" or "yummy". Cheese, tomatoes, and meats are in the same category.
I am so excited I was able to create Umami in my very own tiny kitchen with no counter space! (I am not joking, I literally had to go buy a little cutting board-topped cart at Target because I have NO counter space!) Give those two recipes a try and tell me if you taste it. :) You can find them in the "Yassa..." blog I wrote before this one.
Showing posts with label chicken peppersoup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicken peppersoup. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Yassa, I'm a little poor right now
It is a beautiful Monday besides for the rain and the clouds and the horrendous sore throat I woke up with... Ok, so it isn't that beautiful at all. I have been on my little island, the couch, all day long with what I hope is the worst case of allergies I have ever had, but is more likely a cold. All this time on the couch has given me lots of time to make the important phone calls I have been putting off (like getting an ob/gyn in So Cal... ya, kind of important) and finishing my state taxes so I don't get in trouble. And it has also given me the time to sit and think about my menu for this week! I have mentioned the very tight budget I am working with to feed not only myself but also my Beau and the hungry little girly growing inside me. I don't think I mentioned though, just how tight I am talking here. To give you a little insight into my life at this point in history, I have $30 to buy groceries this week. Yes... $30. Impossible you say? Ya, you are probably right. But you do what you gotta do. I have not made that long journey to the grocery store yet and Beau will be held over with leftovers while I sip on chicken soup for today, but I have a plan and I think it just might be crazy enough to work.
My meals for this week...
Bean soup with pork broth and greens
chicken yassa
and chicken peppersoup
I know this is only three meals but like I said... $30. And the leftovers should be enough to sustain us for the other days of the week.
As for my meals, you may have noticed my interesting name for my chicken dish. No, I did not misspell or even make something up. A yassa is a traditional African dish that can be made with a variety of meats, but I chose chicken because it is cheap. It is a meat that is marinated overnight in a very strong tasting marinade with onions, then you saute the onions, brown the meat, and cook it all together in the marinade which will now turn into a sauce. You serve it over rice and have a hearty and flavorful meal! A peppersoup is also an African dish with meat and vegetables and a mix of spices that are very precise in order for it to be called a "peppersoup". Most of the ingredients for the spice mixture are very foreign and have impossible to pronounce names, but lucky for me I live in a very diverse town known for different types of ethnic cuisine and there is an African specialty store literally walking distance from my apartment. If you are not so lucky, ordering spices online is more common than you might realize and it so so worth it to buy these spices and keep them mixed up in a mason jar for all your peppersoup needs!
Peppersoup spices:
atariko
uda
gbafilo
uyayak
rigije
mix them in equal measures. (1 Tbsp of each, 1/4 cup of each... you get the idea)
These three recipes are all very simple but pack a lot of flavor and are anything but boring! So we will see if my tiny grocery list will be short enough to keep within my means and if Beau will be satisfied enough with such simple meals.
...
Bean soup with Pork Broth
ingredients
bean mixture, pre-soaked
pork bones
1 bunch kale, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
put all of the ingredients except kale into a crock pot. cover with water about an inch over the beans. feel free to add any other spices you might like. Cover and turn to high. Let cook for a few hours (if your crock pot is old like mine is). Add kale when there is 30 minutes to an hour left of cooking. over and continue to cook until beans are done and kale is soft. Remove the bones and serve. Adjust salt if needed. (beans always need more than you think).
Chicken Yassa*
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbsp peanut oil (traditional oil, but you can substitute if money is tight)
1 habanero chili
1 frying chicken cut into pieces (your butcher can do this for you or buy pieces with bones)
1/2 cup water
The night before, prepare marinade by mixing lemon juice, onions, salt pepper and oil in a bowl. Prick the chili and add to the marinade as well. Place the chicken in the marinade and let it sit overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Remove chicken, place pieces on the broiler rack and grill briefly on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside. Drain the onions from the marinade. Heat some oil in a pan and saute the onions until tender. Add the remaining marinade and cook until the liquid is heated through. Add the chicken and water. Stir to mix well. Lover the heat, simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
Chicken peppersoup*
3 lb chicken cut into pieces
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups water
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried bird chiles
salt to taste
4 cups chicken stock (can be made from the bones of the chicken in the last recipe)
1/4 cup peppersoup mixture (recipe above)
2 tbsp minced dried shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
wash the chicken, rub with lemon and place in a large stock pot with the water, onion, garlic, and minced chiles. Salt to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chicken stock and spice mixture and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is well cooked. Stir in shrimp and mint and continue to cook for 10 minutes. serve hot
*The last two recipes are adapted from The Africa Cookbook, Taste of a Continent by Jessica B. Harris
My meals for this week...
Bean soup with pork broth and greens
chicken yassa
and chicken peppersoup
I know this is only three meals but like I said... $30. And the leftovers should be enough to sustain us for the other days of the week.
As for my meals, you may have noticed my interesting name for my chicken dish. No, I did not misspell or even make something up. A yassa is a traditional African dish that can be made with a variety of meats, but I chose chicken because it is cheap. It is a meat that is marinated overnight in a very strong tasting marinade with onions, then you saute the onions, brown the meat, and cook it all together in the marinade which will now turn into a sauce. You serve it over rice and have a hearty and flavorful meal! A peppersoup is also an African dish with meat and vegetables and a mix of spices that are very precise in order for it to be called a "peppersoup". Most of the ingredients for the spice mixture are very foreign and have impossible to pronounce names, but lucky for me I live in a very diverse town known for different types of ethnic cuisine and there is an African specialty store literally walking distance from my apartment. If you are not so lucky, ordering spices online is more common than you might realize and it so so worth it to buy these spices and keep them mixed up in a mason jar for all your peppersoup needs!
Peppersoup spices:
atariko
uda
gbafilo
uyayak
rigije
mix them in equal measures. (1 Tbsp of each, 1/4 cup of each... you get the idea)
These three recipes are all very simple but pack a lot of flavor and are anything but boring! So we will see if my tiny grocery list will be short enough to keep within my means and if Beau will be satisfied enough with such simple meals.
...
Bean soup with Pork Broth
ingredients
bean mixture, pre-soaked
pork bones
1 bunch kale, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
put all of the ingredients except kale into a crock pot. cover with water about an inch over the beans. feel free to add any other spices you might like. Cover and turn to high. Let cook for a few hours (if your crock pot is old like mine is). Add kale when there is 30 minutes to an hour left of cooking. over and continue to cook until beans are done and kale is soft. Remove the bones and serve. Adjust salt if needed. (beans always need more than you think).
Chicken Yassa*
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbsp peanut oil (traditional oil, but you can substitute if money is tight)
1 habanero chili
1 frying chicken cut into pieces (your butcher can do this for you or buy pieces with bones)
1/2 cup water
The night before, prepare marinade by mixing lemon juice, onions, salt pepper and oil in a bowl. Prick the chili and add to the marinade as well. Place the chicken in the marinade and let it sit overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Remove chicken, place pieces on the broiler rack and grill briefly on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside. Drain the onions from the marinade. Heat some oil in a pan and saute the onions until tender. Add the remaining marinade and cook until the liquid is heated through. Add the chicken and water. Stir to mix well. Lover the heat, simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
Chicken peppersoup*
3 lb chicken cut into pieces
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cups water
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried bird chiles
salt to taste
4 cups chicken stock (can be made from the bones of the chicken in the last recipe)
1/4 cup peppersoup mixture (recipe above)
2 tbsp minced dried shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
wash the chicken, rub with lemon and place in a large stock pot with the water, onion, garlic, and minced chiles. Salt to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chicken stock and spice mixture and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is well cooked. Stir in shrimp and mint and continue to cook for 10 minutes. serve hot
*The last two recipes are adapted from The Africa Cookbook, Taste of a Continent by Jessica B. Harris
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)