Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa) 20 December 2020

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in the continent of Africa. It has the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to the east, Malawi to the southeast, Zambia to the south, Angola to the southwest, the Republic of the Congo, and Gabon to the west, and Cameroon to the northwest.

The capital is Kinshasa.

The official language is French.

The climate has four major regions. Equatorial (hot, humid, rains throughout the year), tropical or subequatorial (dry and rainy season), Atlantic on the west coast (low elevation, temperatures in the mid-70s F), and the mountain on the east with high plateaus and mountains (temperatures in the mid-60s F). The common foods are rice, cassava, fish, vegetables, legumes, sweet potato, green beans, peanuts, tomatoes, pumpkins, nuts, onions, and mushrooms (https://metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/profile_congolese_dietetic.pdf).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo

POULET A LA MOAMBE (https://nationalfoods.org/recipe/national-dish-of-democratic-republic-of-congo-poulet-a-la-moambe/):

• 3-4 lbs Chicken parts (cut into stewing pieces)
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 C unsalted peanut butter
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• Black pepper to taste

1. Place the chicken pieces in a soup pot.
2. Pour in enough water to cover the meat.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for one and a half hours until the chicken is cooked.
5. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.
6. Reserve a cup and a half of the chicken broth.
7. Heat a separate pan and melt the butter.
8. Saute the chopped onion, the ground nutmeg, and the cayenne pepper together.
9. Sprinkle n a little black pepper.
10. Open the can of tomato sauce and pour it into the pan.
11. Mix well for 3 minutes.
12. Place the cooked chicken into the pan.
13. Add the chicken broth that was previously reserved.
14. Stir in everything together and cover the pan with a lid.
15. Let the stew simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
16. Uncover the pan and spoon the creamy peanut butter into the stew.
17. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
18. Remove the pan from the stove and place it into the preheated oven.
19. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.
20. Serve this delicious chicken stew with a generous serving of warm cooked white rice.

CAAKIRI (Couscous Pudding) (https://foreignfork.com/caakiri/):

• 1 C uncooked Couscous (Moroccan)
• ½ C evaporated milk
• ½ C vanilla Greek yogurt
• ¼ C sour cream
• 2 TBSP granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ C pineapple canned or fresh

1. Prepare the couscous on the stovetop according to the package instructions.
2. While the couscous is cooking, combine the evaporated milk, yogurt, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg in a small mixing bowl.  Whisk together.
3. Pour the mixture into the couscous and use a wooden spoon to combine.
4. Spoon into serving bowls and top with crushed pineapple. 
5. This is best after it has been refrigerated until set.
6. Enjoy!!