Tag: Experiments

Sweet Potato Sandwich Cookies

~ Sophie ~ 16 Comments

Are you all feeling the chilly weather? Finally the rain has taken over  and now days are filled with  either downpours or soft drizzle. It’s that time where you wonder whether it is still morning, because of the gloominess, until you look at the clock.  I am sure most of us wish we just stayed snuggled up almost all day( I do!).  It’s that  time that teas find their way in our daily meals.

So the other day, I had sweet potatoes left over from making katogo (recipe coming soon). The weather was cold and wet and I wished the house was filled with warm sweet scents and aromas. So we got cooking…err baking. These cookies have a sweet potato base in the middle and it is really really (really) good.  So while you are dreaming of having something warm to lighten up the gloominess, I suggest you get your sweet potatoes out, flour and all things nice and make these cookies. You will not regret.

What you will need:

Cookie dough

2 ½  C. Baking flour

½ Tsp. Baking powder

1 C. Butter/Margarine, melted

¾ C. Sugar

1 Egg

¼ C. Milk/Water

Sweet potato filling

1 C. Sweet potato, boiled and mashed

Juice of ½  Lemon

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

Pinch of salt

 

Method

Filling

In a bowl, Mix the mashed sweet potato with the lemon juice  till well combined. A paste-like consistency will form. Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Set aside.

Cookie dough

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together starting with the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar).

Next, add the wet ingredients (butter, egg and vanilla extract and milk). Keep mixing till the mixture is coarse but well blended and has formed firm dough.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough till thin (make sure it can still be lifted though).  On top of the rolled cookie dough, add the sweet potato filling and spread it out evenly half way on the dough. Flip the other half of the dough on top of the spread out filling and press firmly. Now, using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out the cookies.

If you are using an oven toaster, bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes or until they start turning golden brown and release a warm aroma. If you are using a regular oven, use the usual cookie baking regulations. If you don’t have any oven, you can pan bake them using this method. It works! Let the cookies cool down as they harden.

Makes 20+. Now that they are ready to eat, serve them with a warm cup of hot tea.

 

🙂

Sophie

 

PS: Forgive my lack of rolling a perfect shape. I am working on that!

 

Garlic Dodo(amaranth) Stir-fry

~ Sophie ~ 11 Comments

Another dodo dish! I feel like I have overdone myself with dodo this year because I am learning to warm up towards this miracle vegetable/weed (not the illegal kind of course). As a child, I despised the taste but now that I realize the health benefits of eating dodo, I am preparing it in every which way. And there are more dishes coming as long as it rains and just because of the versatility (did I mention preparing it in every which way?). Slightly browned garlic in a little oil releases an aroma that enhances the flavor of dodo. The stir-frying method locks in all the flavors and moisture while at the same time not overly cooking the vegetable till its grey (because that will remove all the vitamins we are after). So I urge you to try this dodo. You will be amazed.

RECIPE COMING SOON

 

🙂

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