Nigeria (Africa) 2 February 2024

Nigeria is located in the continent of Africa. It has Niger to the north, Chad to the northeast, Central African Republic to the east, Cameroon and Equatorial

      Guinea to the south, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso to the west, and Mali to the northwest.        

The capital is Abuja. 

The official language is English. 

The climate is tropical with variable rainy and dry seasons. In the southeast it is hot and wet, in the southwest it is dry. The rainy season lasts from Marh to

      November in the south, and from mid-May to September in the far north. 

The staple foods are soups, BBQ, bushmeat, brush-tail porcupine, cane rats, pineapple, coconut, banana, mango, rice, spinach, groundnuts, smoked fish and so

      much more (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_cuisine).

https://www.britannica.com/place/Nigeria

SUYA (West African Grilled Beef) (https://www.allrecipes.com/west-african-grilled-beef-suya-recipe-7497838):  

• ¼ C creamy natural peanut butter
• ½ small yellow onion, grated
• 2 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP kosher salt (or 1-1/2 tsp fine table salt)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp allspice
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp powdered ginger
• 2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cut into 1.5-inch cubes

1. Combine peanut butter, grated onion, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, paprika, allspice, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and powdered ginger in a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
2. Add steak pieces to the marinade bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.
3. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
4. Preheat an outdoor grill with coal for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
5. Thread the marinated steak pieces onto large skewers.
6. Grill over the hot white coals until desired doneness, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
7. Garnish beef skewers with red onion, lime wedges, green onions, chopped cilantro, and chopped peanuts if desired.

The flavors in the marinade are fabulous, making the top sirloin very tender and tasty!!!

CLASSIC NIGERIAN SALAD (https://cheflolaskitchen.com/classic-nigerian-salad/):  

• 2 large carrots
• 2 C lettuce, shredded
• 2 C cabbage, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, ripe and hard
• 1 cucumber, medium size
• 1 C pasta, or boiled potatoes
• 2 large, boiled eggs, cut into quarters
• 8oz. baked beans
• 8oz. sweet corn
• 8 TBSP Heinz salad cream

Alternative dressing recipe:

• 2 TBSP of white vinegar
• 6 TBSP Mayonnaise
• 2 TBSP icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 tsp of mustard (optional)

1. Prepare all your vegetables – rinse and drain.
2. Thinly slice your cabbage and lettuce.
3. Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into little cubes.
4. Grate the carrots or cut them into little cubes.
5. Add everything inside a bowl except the eggs and the cream, then cover it with plastic wrap or tight-fitting lid and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
6. Remove it from the refrigerator once you are ready to eat and mix it up.
7. Arrange the boiled eggs over the salad.
8. Serve with the classic Heinz salad dressing or use the alternative recipe above.
9. This salad will serve 5 people as a main meal and up to 8 or 10 as a side meal.

Wasn’t sure how this would taste with all of the ingredients, but it was delicious!!!

LOW CARB BAKED NIGERIAN PUFF PUFF (https://parili.com/recipe/low-carb-baked-nigerian-puff-puff/):  

• 1-3/4 C almond flour
• ¼ C monk fruit sweetener
• 1-1/2 TBSP psyllium husk powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• ½ tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ C warm water (not hot water)
• Egg white from 1 large egg
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl.
2. Whisk all the dry ingredients together until they are well combined.
3. Add the egg white and warm water in a separate bowl.
4. Whisk thoroughly until the egg whites and the water are completely incorporated.
5. Next, pour the egg/water mixture into the dry mix and stir until all the dry and wet ingredients are completely combined.
6. Add the butter and mix well until well combined.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 45 minutes,
8. Turn on the cake pop maker, so it preheats.
9. Scoop out a tablespoon full of the dough into the palm of your hand, roll it into a ball and set it into the cavity in the cake pop maker. Do this till all the cavities have been filled.
10. Close the cake pop make securely and let it bake for about 5 to 6 minutes.
11. Once the puff puffs are fully baked, take them out of the cake pop maker and put them on a rack to cool for a few minutes before enjoying.

This was a low carb dish and I was not sure how it would turn out in the cake pop maker, but they turned out really good!!!