maybe i didn't catch it but does anyone have a good recipe for banana bread?
Yes I.
Ingredients:
- 115g of vegetable margarine
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 225g of wholemeal flower
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 a tablespoon of cinnamon
- Half a vanilla pod
Method:
-Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (gas mark 4 if the I uses a gas oven).
- Slice the bananas and mash with a fork or electric blender.
- Beat the banana paste in with the margarine and honey.
- Sift in the flower and baking powder and fold it in with the mixture.
- Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the sticky black seeds with a knife.
- Stir this and the cinamon into the mix.
- Put the mix in a cake tin and spread it out to cover the bottom and level off the mix. If the I wants to, cut up another banana and arrange the slices on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes and allow it to cool for a while before eating.
Blessed love.
Posted on: December 05, 2010, 07:34:25 PM
Iman thought I would bring forward a list of Ital recipes I've been compiling on another RastafarI website here to share with the Idren here. Some recipes are of I own devising but credit is given when Iman got them from elsewhere.
Paella:A traditional Spanish rice dish that takes about 45 minutes to prepare and cook. With the ammounts of ingredients listed here it will serve 4-6 people depending on the portion sizes. Iman usualy cook it in a large wok but it can work just as well in a saucepan. Traditionally cooked in a specialised paella pan though.
The recipe can be applied to almost any kinds of vegetables too. Its great with some artichoke hearts added on top at the end of cooking along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Cooking some hot pepper in with the onions and garlic is a great way to spice it up too.
Ingredients:
- 55ml of olive or other cooking oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 900ml of vegetable stock or broth
- 450g rice, uncooked
- 4 medium tomatos, chopped
- 4 medium mushrooms, chopped
- 3 small bell peppers (red, yellow and green is best), cut into thin strips
- 100g of green peas
Method:
- Start by cooking the onion and garlic in the oil over a medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the onion is soft and traslucent. While this is going on, heat the vegetable stock in a seperate saucepan and get it simmering.
- Once the onions and garlic are done, pour in the uncooked rice, stir it in and let it cook and pick up the flavours for about 3 minutes.
- Then add the peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms, stir them in and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- After those 3 minutes are up, pour in the simmering vegetable stock and let it simmer over a medium to low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice doesn't burn to the bottom.
- Once the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the peas and let it cook for a minute more before it is ready to serve.
Root vegetable caserole:I'm going to list the vegetables that Iman use most in England but the recipe will work with almost any root vegetables. Iman love this one in the middle of winter with dumplings when its cold and grey outside. It will easily serve 6 and should be cooked in a large, heavy bottomed pot with a lid or some kind of covering. Again, cook a chopped up hot pepper with the garlic and onion if the I wants it spicy. From start of preparation to eating it takes about an hour and half depending on how fast the I is with a knife and chopping board.
Ingredients:
- A tablespoon of cooking oil
- 1 large onion, chopped roughly
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 450g of potatos, chopped roughly
- 450g of turnips, chopped roughly
- 350g of carrots, chopped roughly
- 350g of leeks, chopped roughly
- 225g of mushrooms, chopped
- 4 tablespoons of plain, cornmeal or chickpea flour (very important that is is not self-raising)
- 700ml of vegetable stock
- 400g of chopped tomatoes
- 400g of kidney beans (note that these have to soak in cold water overnight)
- Thyme
- Cumin seeds
- Pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade or equivilent.
- Boil the soaked beans in a seperate pan for about 15 minutes before draining them and setting them aside. Make sure to keep an eye on them because sometimes the starch can boil over and make a mess. If the white foam starts to get too high, take it off the heat, turn it down and then bring it back to the boil. This is usually only a problem in the first couple of minutes but its better to be safe than sorry.
- Fry the onion and the garlic in the oil for about five minutes or until they start to brown slightly.
- Add the potatoes, turnip, carrots, leeks and mushrooms and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes then stir in the flour to help the mix thicken and cook for another minute.
- Slowly stir in the stock with the tomatoes and season with the pepper, cumin and thyme. Bring it to the boil then cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir in the beans then put it back in the oven uncovered for about 20-25 minutes. If the I wants to cook dumplings in it, this is the time to put them in.
- Remove from the oven and its done.
Bean cakes:I learned the base of this one from a Rasta cookbook and it will make a large plates worth of cakes (about 15-20 cakes depending on how big they are made). The beans will need to be soaked overnight so make sure to plan ahead but once they're made, they're great for when the I just wants a quick snack rather than a full meal. They go well with a dipping sauce too.
Ingredients:
- 225g of black-eyed beans
- Cumin seeds
- Hot pepper, chopped finely
- 100ml of vegetable oil (more may be required to top up the frying pan between batches as the cakes soak up some of the oil)
Method:
- Once the beans have been soaked overnight, remove the skins. This is best done by putting them in a sieve or collinder and rubbing the I hands through them to get as many of the skins off as possible before rinsing the beans again. Some skins won't make that much of a difference.
- Put them in some more cold water and soak them for a further 2-3 hours. If the I is making a dipping sauce to go with the cakes then this is a good time to make it.
- Drain the beans and grind them in batches in an electric blender or a large pestle and mortar.
- Add the chopped pepper and cumin seeds into the mix and stir it in.
- Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan.
- Form cakes with the mix and drop them into the oil and fry in batches until golden brown. A heaped tablespoon of the mix makes a good size for the cakes.
Spiced potato wedges:Spicy potato slices that are great as an accompanyment to any meal and are supremely simple to make. The spice mix can also be used to season almost any dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 large potato (for each extra person being served, add a potato and increse the spice mix appropriately)
- Olive or other cooking oil
- Dried rosemary
- Cumin seed
- Corriander seed
- Dried thyme
- Black pepper
- Turmeric
- Paprika
- Pimento
- Cayenne pepper
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (or equivilent).
- Cut the potato into wedges and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix small ammounts of all the spices and herbs in a pestle and mortar and grind them thoughroughly into a corse powder.
- Drizzle a small amount of oil onto the potatos before adding the spice mix and tossing the potato thoughroughly until the wedges have a light coating of oil and are coated with the spices.
- Arange the wedges on a baking tray or roasting tin and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Onion Soup:Tasty hot savoury soup for cold days. This recipe will serve four but extra portions aren't hard to add. It takes about two hours from start of preparation to eating and needs constant attention for about an hour and a half but the end result is well worth it if the I has the time to spare.
Ingredients:
- 4 large onions, chopped fine
- 50ml olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 900ml vegetable stock
- Black pepper
- Rosmary
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions and garlic on a medium high heat for a few minutes.
- Reduce the heat and cook the onions for 45-60 minutes. At first the onions don't need to be stirred often but as they turn from golden to deep brown, they will need to be stirred constantly to stop them burning to the base.
- Once the onions are browned add the vegetable stock and season with black pepper and rosmary.
- Partially cover the soup and leave it to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Season with some more black pepper just before serving for a nice peppery edge to it.
Falafal:Slightly spiced traditional North African chickpea cakes that are simple enough to make and taste great. I usually eat them in a pita bread with lettuce and grated carrot but they can be eaten with a dipping sauce or just on their own and they'll still taste great. They will keep in the fridge for about a week as well so they are great as a snack. This recipe usually makes 15-18 falafels.
Ingredients:
- 240g cooked chickpeas
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon of ceyenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- Corriander leaf, chopped finely (dried or fresh is fine)
- 1 tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste)
- 50g of breadcrumbs
- About 300ml of vegetable oil for frying
Method:
- Grind the chickpeas in an electric blender or large pestle and mortar until they're about the same consistency as the breadcrumbs.
- Add the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix it until it forms a soft dough that holds together well. If it is too dry, add a little water a teaspoon at a time until the consistency is right.
- Form it into small balls and allow to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or pan until it is hot enough for deep frying. A small piece of bread dropped in should turn crisp in about 10 seconds.
-Fry the falafels in batches until they are golden brown before draining them on some kitchen towel.
Jerk vegetable kebabs:Spicy seasoned vegetable kebabs to cook on the barbecue or grill. The recipe that Iman learned from a vegetarian cookbook did originally include tofu but Iman personally do not like the taste and texture of it so Iman do it with just vegetables. If the I wishes to add tofu, just season it the same as the vegetables and add it to the skewers in place of 10 of the mushrooms. The same can be done with any other vegetables the I wishes to use. The ammounts here will make about 10 kebab skewers.
Ingredients:
- 1 red peppers, cut into about 10 good sized chunks
- 20 small mushrooms (button or chestnut variety are good) or a few larger mushrooms cut into smaller chunks
- 1 large onion, cut into 10 segments like an orange
- 2 spring onions, chopped finely
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons of ground pimento
- 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 a teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Method:
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (about gas mark 4).
- Put some bamboo skewers in some water to soak so that they don't catch fire later.
- Make the jerk seasoning by mixing the spring onion, spices, garlic, honey and oil.
- Stir the seasoning in with the vegetables in a bowl and mix them so that the vegetables are well coated. If the I is using tofu, rub some of the seasoning onto the tofu and set it aside.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 15 minutes until they are soft.
- Thread the vegetables (and tofu if the I is using it) onto the skewers and grill or barbecue them for about 10 minutes, turning regularly.
Tomato, lentil and onion soup:Tasty warming soup that is quite easy and quick to cook. The ammounts here will serve 4 to 6 people.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 175g of split red lentils
- 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 900ml of vegetable stock
- Dried tarragon
- Dried basil
- Dried thyme
- Ground black pepper
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion on celery for 5 minutes before adding the lentils and cooking them for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and stock and season with the dried herbs and pepper then bring it to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
- Once the lentils are cooked, set the soup aside to cool slightly.
- Mash the soup in an electric blender or with a potato masher before serving. Some fresh parsely on top finishes it perfectly.
Spiced mash potato:Iman have found Iself with an excess of potatos recently so I've been experimenting with ways to make them slightly less bland. This recipe is pretty quick and easy and goes well with pretty much anything. The ammounts will make about two portions.
Ingredients:
- 2 large potatoes, chopped roughly
- 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 a teaspoon of mixed, dried herbs
- 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 spring onions, chopped finely
Method:
- Boil the chopped potato in a large pan of water for about 15 minutes or until the I can spear them with a knife and have them fall off the end.
- Drain the pan of water and add all the other ingredients in with the potatoes.
- Mash the potatoes and the other ingredients thoughroughly until it is soft and the ingredients are all mixed.
Butternut Squash/Sweet Potato soup:This is a soup that I normally make with butternut squash. Sighting that some of the Idren here don't eat squash though, Iman will say that it works just as well with sweet potato. It should serve 5-6 people.
Ingredients:
- Half a large butternut squash, chopped into cubes/2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
- 2 sticks of celery, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Cumin seeds
- Black pepper
- Tyme
- Basil
- Tarragon
- Rosmary
Method:
- Heat a large pan and toast the cumin seeds until they brown slightly or begin to pop or crackle slightly.
- Add a little oil then add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until the onions and celery are slightly translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and squash/potato and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in the stock and season with the pepper and herbs before covering and allowing to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Mash the soup with an electric blender or potato masher.
Green vegetable soup/stew:This stew is pretty easy to make since it just requires all the ingredients to be thrown into a pot of vegetable stock. It should serve about 4 or 5 people and can be turned into a soup with a blender.
Ingredients:
- 200g of mixed pulses (will need to be soaked in plenty of cold water overnight then boiled for 10 minutes seperately to boil off the starch)
- 1 medium onion, chopped roughly
- 1 leek, chopped roughly
- 1 spring onion, chopped finely
- 1 stick of celery, chopped
- 1/2 a small cabbage, shredded into strips
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- Black pepper
- Tyme
- Rosmary
Method:
-Simply toss all the ingredients into a large heavy bottomed pot, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the pulses and vegetables are tender. If the I wants soup rather than stew, simply put the stew in a blender and give it a couple of spins.
Ital Omelette:An egg-free, Ital alternative to an omelette that I found in a Rasta cook book. The I can make it with other vegetables as well as the onion. I normally use a couple of small mushrooms in this recipe as well and the I can also add more spices and herbs for other flavours. This recipe will cook one big omelette that will serve four.
Ingredients:
- 4 green bananas
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 275ml of water
- 1 tbs of wholemeal flour
- 1/2 tspn grated nutmeg
- Vegetable oil for frying
Method:
- Skin the bananas and put them in a blender or food processor and blend them before adding the water a little at a time until the bananas are soft in consistency.
- Mix the onions and any other vegetables the I is using in with the banana mix in a bowl before stirring in the flour and nutmeg and any other spices or herbs.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan before frying on both sides until golden brown. And easy way of flipping the omelette is to put a plate over the pan and turing it over holding the two together before sliding the omelette back into the pan on the side that needs frying.
Lentil CurryA hot curry using tomatos, celery, onion, carrot and lentils. It will serve about 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 stick of celery, chopped
- 3 small tomatos, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup of red split pea lentils
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 10g of finely grated dried coconut
- 300ml of vegetable stock
- Hot pepper, chopped finely
- Cumin seeds
- Corriander seeds
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Turmeric
- Brown mustard seeds
Method:
- Heat a large pan or wok and dry roast the cumin and corriander seeds on the base until they are browned slightly.
- Empty the roasted seeds into a pestle and mortar with the other spices and the grated coconut and mix them into a powder.
- Add a little oil to the pan or wok and cook the onions, celery, garlic, hot pepper and carrot for about 5 or 6 minutes or until the onion and celery is soft.
- Add in the tomatos and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes before adding in the spice mix and stirring it in.
- Add the vegetable stock and the lentils then allow to simmer, stirring occassionally to make sure the curry doesn't stick to the bottom for about 20 minutes.
Blessed love.
Posted on: February 07, 2011, 11:03:26 PM
Dandelion and parsnips
This is something I have been making recently now that spring has sprung in I part of the world and all sorts of good food is coming out in the wild. Since dandelions are literally everywhere here they are the easiest wild food to gather. The leaves are quite bitter on their own so it is best to cook them with sweeter tasting vegetables and herbs like parsnips and carrots. Adding some of the yellow petals of the dandelion flowers can be interesting as well.
Ingredients:
- 1kg of freshly picked dandelion leaves
- 1 large parsnip, cut into thin slices
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 1 leek, chopped
- Sage
- Tyme
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
Method:
- Fry the onions, leek and parsnip in the olive oil in a large pot until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add the dandelion leaves and stir the pot until the leaves are wilted then add the herbs and pepper and allow to cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Blessed love.
