Tag: eggs

Nile Perch Burgers with Sliced Jack Cheese + Video

~ Sophie ~ 11 Comments

Juicy Nile Perch Burgers with sliced Jack cheese, pickled onions and herbed yoghurt.

Two Nile perch recipes in one month? Well, it is because I cannot get over  the fleshy and goodness of the fish. There is comfort food and then there is  ‘crave-food’ (I just made that up). Although these foods can be interchangeable, I personally think burgers fall in the ‘crave-food category.  In the ideal world, burgers would be served for every meal. Sadly that does not happen . That  is why this once in a while burger is the BURGER that you should absolutely try out. With my friends over at Paramount Dairies, I bring you this juicy fully flavored Nile perch burger with Sliced Jack Cheese which adds a rich savory cheesy taste to the whole combo. To fully comprehend the flavors that are at work here, I will explain each layer one by one.

First there are these patties that have fleshy Nile perch as the foundation, a mix of grated vegetables and spices, and some plain yoghurt to enhance the flavor and keep them moist.

Onions pickled in vinegar add a sour sweet taste and crunchy feel to the burger and some red juicy tomatoes.

Then there is the herbed yoghurt that has smokey coriander and thyme. Best part is you can flavor it anyway you want. I find coriander to go well with fish.

Buttered whole wheat buns that a toasted to add a crunch to the burger. And of course the cheese. Jack cheese is awesome because not only is it delicious (you can eat it as is) but it melts well and it is already pre-sliced which is so convenient.

Observations:

  1. Use plain yoghurt as it is easy to flavor however you want
  2. To pickle the onions, you will need to thinly slice then and soak them in vinegar for about 20-30 minute or until they turn a bright purple color and are softened through.
  3. To make herbed yoghurt,  thinly chop all the herbs and add them to  the yoghurt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Since the plain yoghurt is a bit sour, salt it generously to reduce the sourness.
  4. To get the Nile perch fillet, boil fresh Nile perch with garlic and ginger(for flavor) for about 10 minutes or until the flesh is soft to the touch.

Watch the video for a tutorial on how to make the Nile perch patties and how to assemble the burger.

What you will need:

Burger

Whole wheat buns

Butter/Margarine

Nile Perch fillet

Sliced Jack cheese

Fully ripe and juicy tomatoes

Pickled Onions

Herbed yoghurt

Nile Perch Patties

2 C. Boiled Nile perch fillet

½ C. Grated Carrot

1Tsp. Grated Ginger

1Tsp. Garlic, finely chopped/Garlic powder

¼ C. Green pepper, finely chopped

2 Large Eggs

2 Tbsp. Plain yoghurt

¼ Tsp Black pepper, ground

¼ C. Wheat flour

¼ C Dehydrated Soy meat, ground/Breadcrumbs

Salt to taste

Cooking oil

Method

Nile Perch Patties

In a bowl, combine all ingredinets starting form the first to the last while mixing well.  Once all the ingredients are incoporated, Uusing your hands, for the patties according to your desired thicknes and the size of the buns. Place on a plastic surface. This prevents them from sticking. Cling film will work well.  Heat a not stick pan and a dd alittle oil. Place the patties in the pan and let them cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. Once they have turned golden brown, Remove from fire. Repeat the same till the mixture is done. Makes  about 8 patties.

Assembling

Cut the buns into two horizontally. Spread a generous amount of butter/margarine. Toast the buns till moist inside and crispy on the sides. Spread the herbed yoghurt on the bottom part of the bun. Next place the tomatoes, the Nile perch patties, the pickled onions and finally top with sliced jack. Top with the other piece of the bun(the top part should be hot enough to melt the cheese a little).  Serve with your favorite drink.

🙂

Sophie

This post is made possible by Paramount Dairies. You can find Paramount Sliced Jack and other cheese products in major supermarkets in Kampala.

Banana Blossom Patties

~ Sophie ~ 4 Comments

While surfing (Do they call it surfing anylonger?) the web, I read this amazing quote from one of my favourite bloggers: “Be kind. Be generous. Create. Love. Heal. Move forward. Rest. Love harder and create some more. Most importantly: get weird.”And in the name of being weird or something like it I want to ask,  if I presented you with these banana blossom patties, would you eat them? You would right? Because I have known banana blossoms are edible ever since I was a little child.  There was someone who would make killer fritters with this magical fruit (now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if it is a fruit at all!). I don’t remember her but I remember the fritters (they were that good!). We have a handful of banana plants in the backyard which are yielding well with bogoya, matooke and the one used to make juice (which is so good by the way). Whenever these plants bring bananas, we are most excited about the blossoms so we can either make a groundnut stew or these patties.

But before we go any further, I would like to explain how banana blossom is prepared. Well, you break it off the bunch and then remove the over coverings till you reach an inner soft and tender part. This is the part that is to be boiled to remove the  bitter sap. Once it is boiled (it will turn a dark colour), let it cool and then you can transform it into any meal you want.

If you don’t already know, I am so obsessed with smoky flavoured foods like these irresistible eggplant parmesan meatballs in home-made sauce.  I decided, for a change to roast  the blossom to remove the sap and give it a smoky flavour at the same time.

What you will need

1 Whole banana blossom, chopped into thin slices

1 Large green pepper, finely diced

1 Large carrot, grated

Two medium onions, finely diced

Two medium tomatoes, finely diced

2 Eggs

3 Tbsp. baking flour

1 Tsp. Dark soy sauce

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

A handful of coriander, finely chopped

1 Tsp Rosemary

Chili flakes

Salt

 

Method

In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix well. Place a frying pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Once the oil has become hot, add three spoons of the patty mixture in the pan and spread then out evenly. Let the patty fry for about two minutes and then flip and let the other side cook for the same amount of time. Remove from fire and repeat the process until the mixture is over.  Serve these as is, with mayonnaise, ketchup, rice (my favourite!), or in a bun with some cheese and make instant burgers.

Pure awesomeness! You can simply double the batch and save some patties in the refrigerator for weeklong quick meals. I am already eyeing the next banana blossom!

I would like to know, do you eat or have you ever tasted banana blossom? How do you prepare it? Let me know in the comments below so we can discuss!

🙂

Sophie

Breakfast Dodo(amaranth) Rolex

~ Sophie ~ 13 Comments

It’s that time of the year again; where the weather is so bipolar that you have to carry an umbrella with you in case it rains while at the same time trying your best to dress lightly to avoid the heat. But as long as it rains, the dodo (amaranth) will thrive almost anywhere and it is really hard to resist the green beauty! I digress. This post is about breakfast and rolexes. What is your favorite breakfast? I feel breakfast is the most satisfying meal of the day because it puts you in that blissful sleepy mode. Does breakfast do that to you? Also, aren’t rolexes awesome? What is your favorite rolex combo? I personally think the rolex should be dubbed the official Ugandan food because it is known all over the country, it is relatively easy to put together and it is versatile because it can work as breakfast, lunch and dinner too. Making a rolex is as easy as just getting a chapati, a fried egg and a few veggies and rolling all the savory juicy goodness in. But all rolex makers I have encountered take pride in making their rolexes to perfection, a pure work of art and dedication. Since dodo was irresistibly beautiful I decided to add it in this breakfast rolex and I was not disappointed. This rolex is a perfect blend of sweet, sour, salty, creamy and nutty flavors.

What you will need:

6 Chapatis

3 Handfuls dodo (amaranth), steamed

1 Carrot, thinly sliced

1 Large purple onion, sliced and pickled

1 Avocado, peeled and sliced

3 Eggs

3 Tbsp. Whole milk

2 Tbsp. Simsim (sesame seeds), roasted

Salt

Cooking oil

Method

Pickled onions

Thinly slice the purple onion and put it in a small bowl. Pour vinegar over the onions till they are submerged. Cover the bowl and let the onions pickle overnight.

Fried egg

Crack the three eggs in a bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons of whole milk, salt and whisk together. In a hot pan, add about a tablespoon of oil and let it heat up. Pour in the egg. After two minutes, flip the egg and let the other side fry for another two minutes. Remove from fire when egg gets crispy. Let the egg cool and thinly slice it into strips.

Assembling

Drain the vinegar from the onions. Put a chapati on a plate and arrange the avocado slice, egg strip, onions, steamed dodo and carrot sticks. Sprinkle simsim (sesame seeds) and roll the chapati firmly. Slice into two and enjoy with your favorite cup of tea, coffee or bowl of porridge.

I hope you are inspired to make and eat this great food called rolex! Also what is your ideal or favorite rolex combo?

 

🙂

Sophie