Category: Ugandan Food

Creamy St. Marcellin Maize Amaranth Pineapple Salad

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Christmas is a day away. The festivities are in full swing. You can just feel the mood in the air.  With all the scrumptious, heavy, deep, and rich meals circulating around the dining table, I thought it would be a good idea to share a salad less heavy but rich in nutrients and flavour. Also if you have been noticing our current weather, then you know that it has been raining for the longest time. Because of the rains, maize has been planted and some lucky plants have yielded good fresh cobs. And, because you can never go wrong with cheese, I created this salad with Paramount Dairies’ St. Marcellin cheese because of its creamy texture and full flavours. But first, let me explain the flavours and textures happening in this salad right here. If you’ve had roasted maize, you know of its sweet taste that, coupled with the raw snappy dodo (amaranth), creamy full flavoured St. Marcellin cheese plus avocadoes, brings the dish together. A surprising twist of diced pineapple adds a sweet tangy taste. A hint of pickled green olives add a savoury and tart taste. This salad is perfectly seasoned with green onions, coriander and finished with some salt. It’s the perfect balance of the sweet, salty and tangy flavours that will compliment your festive dishes. Not forgetting what a great way this would be to add healthy raw vegetables on the festive menu.

 What you will need:

3 C. Roasted tender maize

3 C. Pineapple, thinly diced

2 C. Avocado, diced

1 C. St. Marcellin Cheese

Two handfuls of fresh, tender amaranth leaves or Leafy tender vegetable of your choice

2 tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ C. Green Onion, finely chopped

¼ C. Green olives, pitted and finely chopped

¼ C. Coriander, finely chopped

Salt

Observations

  1. Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and chill them for about 10 minutes before mixing them.
  2. For a spicy salad, add a pinch of black pepper.
  3. I used young dodo leaves (amaranth) for the salad but you can substitute it with any other leafy tender vegetable of your choice.
  4. For a more creamy cheesy taste, add more St. Marcellin

 

Method

In a large bowl, add the maize kernels, the amaranth, the pineapple tidbits, the avocado, and the tomato slices.  Crumble in the St. Marcellin .  Add the olives, the green onions and the coriander.  Toss the salad with wooden spoons till all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Sprinkle with salt.  Serve chilled

Wishing you all happy holidays and blessings throughout the remaining days of the year!

🙂

Sophie

 

You can find  St. Marcellin Cheese in major supermarkets in Kampala

 

The Ultimate Holiday Recipe Roundup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

In the spirit of giving, gathering and celebrating, I  am sure you are all overwhelmed like I am. Aren’t you?  As I was checking the recipe index page, I was surprised to realize how much cooking has happened in this space. And now since it is the season to be jolly and merry, wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a recipe guide. I hope this round-up inspires you to create or make something for your family  and friends.  Also you can download the e-book in the sidebar if you would like to print some of these recipes. Above  all, I hope you have a wonderful joy-filled holiday. Remember to share your creations with the #AkitchenInUg.

Happy Holidays

🙂

Sophie

Fresh Carrot Juice

~ Sophie ~ 3 Comments

How is December treating you so far? It’s that time of the year!  Where it is OK to outdo ourselves cooking for family and friends. It’s a wonderful time. My little brother is all in.  The other day he sat next to me with a pen and a notebook in hands and suggested we plan for Christmas.  He had the perfect holiday in his head and he went on to tell me how the decoration should be, the kind of cards to send out (he has already made them complete with a list of people to send to), the kind of food that will be served and the games afterwards. I didn’t pay much attention to him because I happened to be reading a magazine.  Its only after he had left (after making me promise to brainstorm with him the next day) that I realized how enthusiastic, sincere and pure his intentions are. For him, it’s the season to celebrate.  Watching the innocence in him made me feel like a child again.  Somehow along the lines of growing, we stop dreaming and stop having imaginative lives because we are all on a mission to make a living. If only we could just stop for a moment and enjoy the little things that life has to offer.  So I was thinking it is time I stepped up my drink game because well you know, drinks will be needed.  Yes I am now inspired by my 9-year-old brother to make this holiday worth remembering.  Also, I promised to make drinks and dessert (among many other things) for his ‘dinner party’.  The amazing thing is that this juice is easy to whip up, does not need a long list of ingredients and is a crowd pleaser.

What you will need:

7 Large carrots

Juice of 2 Lemons

3 C. Pineapple juice

3 C. Cold water

Ice cubes

Sugar

Mint to garnish

 

Method

Wash the carrots well and dice them. Mix the lemon juice with the pineapple juice. In a blender, add the diced carrots, pineapple juice and blend till smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the juice. Place the carrot pulp back in the blender and add the water.  Blend again till smooth.  Strain the juice and mix it with the first juice. Add sugar according to your liking and still well.  Using a peeler, peel some carrot ribbons and insert them in the glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the juice in. Garnish with fresh mint.

Very easy! The key here is to make the juice concentrate and use lots of ice cubes to balance out the sweetness.  Also it can be doubled (…and tripled) to accommodate the number of people you will be serving.  If you desire, keep the carrot pulp for stews. It works really well in thickening them.

Happy Holidays!

🙂

Sophie