Prepare your smoked herring by soaking and rinsing well in water to remove excess salt. Remove as much bones as possible. Rinse again and chop the smoked herring into small pieces.

Boil your spaghetti according to the package directions in salted and lightly oiled water. Drain the spaghetti and put aside.

Return the same pot to the stove on medium high heat and add 1/4 cup of oil (you can use the oil of your choice; I am using extra virgin olive oil) and the chopped smoked herring. Mix well and sauté for about 1-2 minutes.

Add in the remaining vegetables (sliced onions, sliced bell peppers, minced garlic, epis, and the optional sliced habanero peppers) and mix well.

Add in the tomato paste and also mix this in well with the vegetables. Allow it to sauté for another minute or two.

Next, add in about 1/2 cup of water. Again, mix well until the tomato paste melds in with the water and forms a uniform consistency.

Add in about 2 tbps. of butter and mix well, then add in the drained spaghetti and mix well to combine with the sauce.

Sprinkle in some dried oregano for a dash of extra flavor, and lastly, mix in some diced scallions to top off your dish. Enjoy it as a meal on it’s own or add a side of boiled eggs if desired.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef or chicken and sear until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.

In the same pot, sauté onions until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger, and chili, stirring until aromatic. Then add tomatoes, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook until tomatoes soften into a thick base.

Add curry powder, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper. Return the browned meat to the pot, stir well, and pour in stock. Cover and simmer for 20–25 minutes (beef may take longer than chicken).

Stir in the plantains and coconut milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 20 minutes, or until matoke is tender and meat is fully cooked.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with chapati, rice, or on its own as a hearty meal.

Wash all the fresh produce. Dice the tomatoes and cucumber, slice the red onion thinly, and chop the chili finely. Add them into a mixing bowl.

Dice the mango into small, firm cubes and add it to the bowl. Then gently fold in the avocado cubes, being careful not to mash them. The combination of sweet mango and creamy avocado creates a delicious contrast.

Add the chopped cilantro, then squeeze the lime juice generously over the mixture. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, then toss everything gently until evenly combined.

Allow the salad to sit for about 5 minutes to let the lime juice soften the onions and enhance the flavors. Serve chilled or at room temperature as a refreshing side to grilled meats, pilau, or chapati.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet, half the onion, garlic, and ginger. Blend until smooth. This forms the heart of your Jollof flavor.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 2–3 minutes to deepen the flavor. Pour in the blended sauce and let it simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and thickens. The oil should begin to separate from the sauce.

Add thyme, curry powder, bay leaf, paprika (if using), Maggi cube, and salt to the reduced sauce. Stir well. Pour in the rinsed rice and mix until the grains are coated in the sauce.

Pour in the broth and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly with a lid (or foil under the lid for a better seal), and simmer for 25–30 minutes. Do not stir while cooking — this helps avoid soggy rice. Check occasionally to ensure it’s not burning; add a splash of water if needed.

Once the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, fluff it gently with a fork. For extra flavor, cover and let the rice steam in its own heat for 5–10 minutes. Serve hot with grilled chicken, fried plantains, or salad.

If using frozen cassava leaves, thaw them completely. Rinse and squeeze out excess water. If fresh, pound or finely chop them until smooth. This step is crucial for tenderness and flavor.

In a large pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant.

Add your protein of choice—smoked fish or beef cubes—to the pot. Sear lightly in the oil and aromatics for 3–5 minutes to absorb flavor. If using beef, you can brown it and then set it aside to return later.

Vegetarian: Skip this step for a vegetarian option.

Add the cassava leaves to the pot along with 3 cups of water or broth. Stir to combine. Add the Maggi cube, salt, and chili pepper (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and add water if it gets too dry.

Once the cassava leaves are tender and the stew has thickened, adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot with white rice, boiled plantains, fufu, or ugali for a true Central African experience.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Optionally, add a splash of oil to help keep the pasta from sticking. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set it aside while you prepare the sauce.

In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 5–7 minutes until it becomes soft and golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, just until fragrant.

Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. Stir well and let the spices toast in the oil and onion mixture for about 30 seconds. Then, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin to break down and release their juices.

Stir in the tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Pour in the water or broth, stirring until the sauce is smooth. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10–15 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity if needed.

If using pre-cooked beef suqaar, ground beef, or lamb, add it to the sauce and stir to combine. Let it simmer in the sauce for about 5 more minutes to absorb the flavor.

Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and gently toss until all the noodles are evenly coated. Cook for another minute or two to warm everything through. Serve hot, optionally garnished with chopped cilantro and accompanied by sliced ripe banana on the side for a traditional Somali touch.

Blend the tomatoes, 1 large onion, bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, garlic and ginger, and set aside.

Broil the braised goat meat chunks in the oven until it is browned on both sides then set aside.

In a large pot, cook the blended tomato mixture on medium heat until it forms a paste. It should reduce to about half its volume.

While the blended tomato mixture is reducing, slice one large onion and set aside.

Once the tomato mixture has reduced, scoop the paste out of the pot and set it aside. In the same pot, heat the oil on medium heat and caramelize the onions until it is mostly softened.

Add the tomato paste to the caramelized onions and add the cook on low- medium heat for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, pour in the stock, and season with bouillon, dried thyme and curry powder. Stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

After 10 minutes, add in the cooked goat, stir, and cook the stew covered for another 5 minutes on low heat. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference, and cook for another 5 minutes covered.

After 5 minutes, you stew is ready to serve! This stew is best served with white rice and plantains. It can also be eaten with yams.

Start by prepping the marinade for the chicken by blending the cilantro, celery, scotch bonnet/ habanero pepper, red onion, ginger, bullion, salt and white pepper.

Marinade the chicken in half of the marinade for at least 30 minutes.

While the chicken is marinading, peel and cut the plantains 1 cm thick rounds (resembling coins), and fry until golden brown on both sides. Be careful not to over fry the unripe plantains trying to match their color with the ripe plantains. Unripe plantains are usually darker when fried as they have more sugar.

Broil the chicken pieces in under a hot broiler until it is golden brown. There is no need to flip the pieces since they are small.

Blend the tomatoes and set aside.

In a pot, saute the onions on medium heat for 5 minutes until they become translucent. After 5 minutes, add in the blended tomatoes, and turn the heat up to high.

Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning till the tomatoes have reduced and become thick.

Add in the other half of the marinade saved from earlier and continue to cook the sauce down on low-medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Toss in the carrots, cook for 5 minutes then add in the plantain, chicken and bell peppers cook for another 5 minutes, then it is ready!

Rinse the beef or goat meat, and place in a heavy bottom pot with the onion, scotch bonnet pepper, bullion, salt and water.

Place the braising pot on low-medium heat and boil for 30 minutes undisturbed

After 30 minutes, stir the braising meat and add water if necessary, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes.

After the meat has been cooking for about 1 hour, check the consistency to see if it has reached your desired tenderness. If it has not, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the meat is tender.

De-shell the calabash nutmeg (Ehu) then blend/pound together with an equal amount of the uziza seeds.
(Skip this step if you are using store bought pepper soup mix.)

Clean and cut the goat meat or assorted meats into bite-sized pieces. In a pot, add the meat, chopped onion, seasoning cubes, and salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, allowing the meat to release its juices.

Add the water to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the pepper soup spice mix (or your home made pepper soup mix*), crayfish (if using), and pepper or chili powder. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the meat becomes tender.

Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Add the sliced utazi leaves. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Just before serving, add fresh basil or scent leaves for a fresh, aromatic finish. Stir and let the herbs infuse for a minute or two.

Serve your Nigerian Pepper Soup hot, with rice, yam, or enjoy it on its own. Adjust pepper to your spice preference. Nigerian pepper soup is traditionally quite spicy!