Category: main dish

Sautéed Fresh From The Garden Maize (Corn)

~ Sophie ~ 8 Comments

 

I have found out that there are a million and one ways to make maize(corn). We have maize growing in the backyard and boiled maize has been on the menu a lot these days(A LOT!) that I realized I haven’t shared a recipe here. This is my father’s signature recipe (among many others). It is a special one really because it only happens when ever there is an abundance of fresh maize! The fresh kernels have a slight sweetness to them and when they are sautéed in oil and other spices, the flavor intensifies while at the same time leaving the maize soft. It even has a natural meaty taste. Seriously! The next time you find yourself with more than enough fresh maize, try this.

 
What you will need

10 Fresh ears of maize/ 3 C. Maize kernels

2 Tomatoes, finely chopped

2 Green pepper, finely diced

2 Carrots, finely diced

1 Large onion, finely diced

A handful of green onions, finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

Ginger, crushed and chopped

Cooking oil

Salt to taste

Black pepper (optional)

Method
Using a sharp Knife, cut the kernels off the cob and set aside. On medium fire, Add oil and wait for it to get hot. Add the Garlic, ginger and onions. Let them brown a little. Add salt and tomatoes. Let the tomatoes soften. Add the maize kernels and stir. Add the green peppers and carrots and stir well.  Keep stirring. Add the black pepper and keep stirring. Once all the kernels  are translucent, and a savory flavor is wafting in the air, remove from fire. This might take 20-30 minutes. Add the chopped green onions and serve hot.

Observations

The size of maize  and kernels vary. On some ingredients, I did not put any specific measurements because everyone has personal preferences.

I hope you get to try this.

 

🙂

Sophie

Homemade Cheesy Samosas

~ Sophie ~ 36 Comments

 

As a child, samosas were a special treat. Something we did not have occasionally. It was back when we still bought good samosas filled with flaky rice for mere 100 shillings. When we would save all the 50 shilling coins we could find (because back then they could still buy something) so that we could splurge on an assortment of samosas. Even samosa vendors were hard to come by. They could not sell samosas anyhow because it took great care and patience to make a mouth-watering filling and a crunchy phyllo-like shell. Samosas still are a treat these days because they require an amount of time and effort to make. I realized this when I made my first batch. Although they require a lot of preparation time, the process is simple and the after product is unbeatable. Biting into the flaky shell that melts in your mouth and a filling that bursts with different flavors and textures is worth it.

With my friends at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this classic pea samosa or ‘sumbusa’ if you may, but with cheese! This time I am using the Gouda cheese which has a sharp and strong flavor that takes the samosas to whole new level. Everything gets better with cheese.

What you will need:

Pastry

2 C. Baking flour

8 Tbsp. Butter/Margarine

1/2 C. Water

Oil for frying

 

Filling

2 C. Peas, boiled

Paramount Gouda Cheese, cut into sticks

1 Large carrot, finely chopped

2 Green papers, finely chopped

2 Large tomatoes, finely chopped

2 Medium onions, finely chopped

3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tsp. of finely chopped ginger

Salt

Observations:

  1. In this recipe, I used dry peas. If you are using dry peas, Soak them overnight and then boil then for 1 hour or until they are soft to the touch.
  2. If you are working alone, I recommend cutting all the vegetables ahead. This will help ease the load.

 

Method

Pastry

In a dish, combine flour with butter/margarine. Keep mixing until the mixture becomes crumbly. Next, add water. A tablespoon at a time while mixing until you form a firm dough. Divide the dough into six equal balls. Roll each ball into a circle (or something close to it) making sure it is as thin as possible but not nearly breaking. Cut the circles into equal halves. Fold all the halves into cones. Seal the edges by dipping a finger in water and running it across the edge and then pressing together, leaving an opening for the filling.

 

Filling

On medium heat, add a sauce pan. Add two tablespoons of oil and wait for it to become hot. Next, add the ginger and garlic and wait for it to brown a little. Once browned, add the onions and stir. Add the tomatoes and cover pan for close to two minutes. Check if the tomatoes are softened. If they are, add the green paper and carrots. Stir. Add the Peas and Stir. Cover the pan for 5 minutes. Remove lid and stir while adding salt. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes dry (without any liquids left). Remove from fire.

Assembling

Hold Open the Samosa cone and insert a stick of cheese then add a tablespoon of filling. Seal the edges by dipping a finger in water and running it across the edge and then pinch closed. Do this for all the samosa cones.

Over high heat, put a pan with oil for frying. Wait for it to become hot (this may take five minutes or more). Fry the samosas until they turn golden brown. Serve warm

Are you convinced to make your own now? Let me know how they turn out in the comments below.

🙂

Sophie

Note: You can find Paramount Gouda Cheese in major supermarkets in Kampala.

Brunch Pizza Sandwiches

~ Sophie ~ 8 Comments

For most of us pizza lovers, there are times when we wish we had pizza for every meal of every day. Wouldn’t that be splendid? But then reality hits and we realize as much as we want this dream to happen it is impossible. Almost. There is still the task of perfecting pizza dough, having great cheese at hand at all times and waiting for that pizza to get ready. We all realize we don’t have time, enough time for that luxury. Again, almost.

I am always dreaming of fabulous brunch parties and in those parties, there will be scrumptious foods that if I started naming them, this would never end. Those parties would include the brunch pizza sandwich because to me that is the epitome of a lazy but fulfilling brunch. Sandwiches are so satisfying depending on how they are crafted because one ingredient can make or break a sandwich (story of my life). With the wish to eat pizza daily and the lack of time to make one, I introduce you to the pizza sandwich. It is basically everything pizza on a slice of bread. Once I discovered this, now every sandwich is a new adventure.

I partnered with Paramount Dairies to create this brunch pizza sandwich. Paramount Dairies makes good quality cheese in Uganda. Aside from their mozzarella (which I used for this recipe) they have a wide variety of cheeses to choose from to make your meal extra special.  Now, let us make sandwiches.

 

What you will need:

1 Loaf of bread

Paramount Mozzarella Cheese

2 C. Oyster Mushrooms, shredded

½ Avocado, peeled

6 Large Tomatoes, chopped

2 Large green papers, thinly sliced

3 Large purple onions, thinly sliced

Spring onions, chopped

1 Tsp. Ginger, crushed and chopped

1 Tsp. Garlic, crushed and chopped

1 Tbsp. Cooking Oil

Ground black pepper/ chili flakes

Salt

Observations:

  1. I preferred using a non-sliced loaf so that I can slice it myself and determine the thickness.
  2. Any kind of mushrooms will work but I prefer fresh oyster mushrooms for their flavor.
  3. Make sure you have cut all the vegetables to go on top of the bread.
  4. Make sure you grate a generous amount of cheese on the sandwiches to get maximum flavor.
  5. I use an oven toaster, the temperature may be different if you are using an oven.
  6. Another alternative (when ovens are out of the picture) is to use a saucepan on high heat. For a non-stick pan, just place the sandwich carefully in the pan on high heat and cover it. Wait till the cheese melts and then remove from fire. For a non-nonstick pan, add a teaspoon of either butter or margarine for every sandwich.

Method

On high fire, put a saucepan and add oil. Add the garlic, ginger and salt and wait for it to brown a little. Next, add the mushrooms and keep stirring them till they slightly turn brownish. This will take 5-7 minutes. Add the black pepper or chili flakes. Remove the mushrooms from fire and set aside.

Slice the bread according to your desired thickness.  Arrange the tomatoes on top of the bread slices, add the sautéed mushrooms, the sliced green papers, the sliced onions and top with a generous amount of grated mozzarella.

For the avocado sandwich, top the bread with tomatoes, then slice the avocado on top. Make sure the avocado slices are thin. Next, top with onions, and grate mozzarella on top. Garnish with spring onions.

Bake the sandwiches till the cheese melts. Serve Warm.

Get creative with your meals by purchasing Paramount cheese from a major supermarket near you. Also, there is a special offer off  of paramount mozzarella. Check out their Facebook Page for more information.

 

What do you think about brunch and what is your ideal brunch like?

🙂

 

Sophie