“Taste Africa In Style” PALEO

February 27, 2014 | Filed under: Food | Posted by:
PALEO
( Grilled mashed plantain, grilled flat steak with tomato pepper sauce.)

 

 

This is my Grandmother’s recipe with a twist.  This dish is healthy, tasty and easy to make.  I remember as a child, it was always a happy occasion when my mother Elizabeth Obeng would take me and my siblings to the Volta Region Kpando to visit our grandmother.  We didn’t have a phone at that time so, we would show up unexpectedly.   But it seems to me that my beloved grandmother, was always expecting us and was always happy to see us.

 

Grandmother would give us many hugs. I would sit on her lap and she would put me down for a few minutes as she fixed us something to eat.  I would go back on her lap the moment she finished cooking.  The plantain mashed was one of her quick recipes.  All fresh ingredients and all from her garden.  My sister Belinda taught me how to make this recipe, and now I have put my own twist on it.
Enjoy and stay healthy!

 

 
Plantain
  • 3 green plantain
  • 1 chopped red onion
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 3 chopped green onions(scallion)
  • 3 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 chopped red pepper. Take out seeds if you don’t like the heat.
  • 1/2 teaspoon grind coriander

 

 
Flat iron Steaks
  • 2 pound Flat Iron steaks
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 3 minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 4 banana pepper
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
 
Sauce
  • 1 cup grind tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup grind onion
  • 2 tablespoon fresh ground red pepper(cayenne)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grind ginger
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
  • 1/2 teaspoon grind coriander
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

 

Directions
For the steaks. 
Mix all the Seasonings together.  Spread the mixture on both sides of the steak.  Grilled for 8 minutes,  4 on each side or, until it well cook for you.  Also put the banana peppers on the grill for about 1 minute.  Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes.

 

Directions
Sauce
In a pan over medium heat. Add the coconut oil,  all the ingredients and spices.  Add salt and black pepper to taste.  Sauter for 15 minutes or more.  Make sure you stir. Add a little water if you think you need it.

 

Directions
Plantain
On medium heat in a pan, add coconut oil and the onion. Saute for 2 minutes.  Add garlic, saute for another 1 minute.  Add the pepper and spice, saute for 2 minutes.  Take it off heat and add the green onions salt and black pepper to taste.

 

Peel the plantains, and slice each into 2 pieces  On a hot grill,  grill the plantains 2 minutes each on each side. Smash it while it is still hot. Pour the oil mix with scallions on the plantain.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and mix together.  Garnish and serve.  Enjoy and stay healthy.

 

NOTES:  Make sure you mash the plantain when it’s hot. And the mixed oil you add to the plantain has to be hot too.  Also roughly mashed the plantain.   Traditionally, my grandmother used red palm fruit oil for the mash.  You can also put the steaks in a sealed bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.  Always use freshly ground back pepper. I like my steaks well done, but I will admit, these steaks are the best when medium rare.

 

About Afia Annebasua
I was born on a Friday in Accra Ghana. Tradition says, if you are born on Friday, your first name will be Afia. Growing up with my mother, older brother Dela, and two older sisters Belinda and Evelyn we cooked everything from scratch. Since the age of seven I found myself in the kitchen much of the time helping cook traditional meals with the family.

 

After receiving a degree in fashion, I moved to the United States. Still craving the foods I grew up with, it was difficult to find all of the ingredients to prepare traditional meals. I remember calling my brother Dela in Ghana complaining about missing our favorite foods such as African yams. His answer was “Eat Potatoes”. That was unacceptable to me!

 

Also somewhere along the way I became health conscious and wanted to prepare healthier dishes. So, what is an African girl out of Africa to do? I took big brother’s advice and developed my own way of preparing African cuisine a with fresh, healthy, delicious, and flavorful exotic style. I had to improvise with some traditional ingredients while sticking with the traditional recipes and adding a modern twist.

 

Being fashion conscience, I like to blend current trends with African culture. Those who know me will agree that I’m eclectic in my style, that fashion and design are a big part of my lifestyle. You see it in the way I decorate my home and the way I blend styles of the old and the new with a sense of African culture.

 

“Taste Africa in Style” is about a life style. It shows my great passion for blending African tradition with modern style and allows me to share my love of cooking traditional, healthy, and tasty meals. My hope is that people will be able see the beauty of “Taste Africa in Style” as I do. Enjoy!

 


PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE LATEST UPDATED INFORMATION. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW ON THIS SUBJECT. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

2 Responses to “Taste Africa In Style” PALEO

  1. Belinda February 28, 2014 - 6:05 pm

    This dish is a must-try. Very rustic and very delicious!

    Reply
  2. Chris March 3, 2014 - 3:01 am

    The recipe makes me hungry already! Sounds very tasty will try it out.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *