THE FOOD DISCIPLE

Hello Everyone!

Is it just me or does it seem like August ran by so fast? OMG it’s hard to believe summer is basically over, it was just yesterday when I was rocking my favorite dresses and sipping on sangria and iced teas; God! it was a good summer, and I do not want it to be over 😭  Lately, I have been craving something savory, cheesy and quick for lunch that I can take to work. With my recent long days at work, I was in need of a meal that will be filling and will take me through the day. Using my leftover jerk sausage that I had in my freezer, I was able to whip up this amazing dish. Can I just say how ooey and gooey this casserole was, the cheese melted all over the potatoes, and with every bite, a little jerk sausage and cheese accompanied the potatoes😋 The jerk sausage paired very well with the seasoned potatoes. It was not overpowering as the potatoes were lightly seasoned, and it had a little kick to it. You can reduce the heat by reducing the quantity of the chili pepper. This recipe is ideal for working professionals, it is easy to prepare, does not require a lot of time in the kitchen and most of the work is done in the oven. Zinny Factor here is a great recipe I know your viewers will enjoy. Try this recipes today and I will love your feedback.

PS: You can substitute for any sausage of your choice.

Now let’s get to it.

Enjoy!

Jerk Sausage and Potato Casserole

August 30, 2017

Servings: 4

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 50 min

Total: 1 hr

Difficulty: Easy

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By: admin

Ingredients

• 4-5 Russet Potatoes (cut into chunks)
• 3 Jerk Sausages (cut into small chunks)
• 1 Green Bell Pepper (diced)
• 2 stalks of Scallions (chopped)
• ½ Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ Cup of Cheddar Cheese
• 1 tbsp of Paprika
• 1 tsp of Chili Pepper
• 1 tsp of Granulated Garlic
• 1 tsp of Granulated Onion
• ¼ Cup of Olive Oil
• Salt

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Step 2 Clean and cut potatoes in chunks and place in a bowl.
• Step 3 Add olive oil, paprika, chili pepper, garlic, onion, sausages and salt Mix and properly coat potatoes. Add salt according to preference.
• Step 4 Place in oven and cook for 35- 40 minutes.
• Step 5 Top casserole with green pepper, scallions, and cheese. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to seat for 20-25 minutes before serving.
• Step 6 Your food is ready!

Hello Everyone!

Creole sauce is a tomato sauce or gravy made with cooking vegetables in oil and chicken stock. This sauce is a Caribbean delight, and it is also enjoyed very well in the southern part of America. Creole sauce is great for topping meats mostly seafood, for some reason it pairs really well with fish. I usually have a little sauce in the fridge just in case I need to top up a dish a notch😏😉; sauce can last up to a week when tightly stored in a refrigerator. I served my sauce with grilled Basa fillet and quinoa. Let’s just say it was a lovely dinner, yum yum yum😋 very tasty, savory, properly seasoned and delicious (I just had to say it, my favorite word 😀). This is a recipe you want to try and it is achieved under an hour.

Now let’s get to it.

Enjoy!

Creole Sauce served on Grilled Basa Fillet

August 25, 2017

Servings: 3

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 45 min

Total: 1 hr

Difficulty: Easy

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By: admin

Ingredients

• 3 Basa Fillet Fish
• 4-5 diced Celery Stalks
• 1 big diced Green Pepper
• 1 large diced Yellow Onion
• 1 and ½ tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 Cup of diced tomatoes
• 4 Scallions (sliced)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 2 Scotch Bonnet (remove seeds to reduce heat)
• 1 tbsp of Butter
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 3-4 Sprigs of Thyme leaves
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• ½ tsp of White Pepper
• 2 Cups of Chicken Stock
• 2 tbsp of chopped Parsley
• Worchestire sauce
• Lemon slices for garnish
• Salt
• 2 tbsp of Olive oil

Directions

• Step 1 Heat oil in sauce/saute pan on medium heat. When hot add onion, celery and green pepper and cook until soft, this should take about 5-8 minutes.
• Step 2 Add all ingredients except butter and parsley leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and gently simmer until sauce thickens, this should take about 20- 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the pot.
• Step 3 Remove bay leaves and thyme stems and discard. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed with salt. Remove from heat, add your parsley and butter, stir until butter completely melts. Save in a sealed container, sauce can keep up to a week in the refrigerator.
• Step 4 To prepare fish fillet, season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill fish in oven on 370 degree F for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. You can also pan fry your fish on both sides for 3-4 minutes each on both sides.
• Step 5 Serve sauce on fish fillet, top with lemon slices and pair with rice, quinoa, potatoes etc.
• Step 6 Your food is ready!!

Hello Everyone!

CATFISH!! Ahh my favorite kind of fish ❤ This stew is definitely one of my favorite meals to prepare. I enjoy this with white Basmati or Jasmine rice on a nice Sunday morning. If you are Nigerian, you know rice is a must on Sundays and it is not every time you eat fried rice or Jollof, sometimes switch it up and have rice and stew.  For the non- Nigerians, this is a tomato based stew prepared the Nigerian way with catfish. It is light because it is not heavily seasoned as the other kinds of stew (chicken, turkey, beef etc) . This stew is prepared without curry, thyme or nutmeg, and this is what I love about this besides the fish😀 It is simple, light and just simply deeeelicious. You do not have to be African or Nigerian to try this recipe, be bold and increase your food palate.   

Now let’s get to it.

Enjoy!

Catfish Stew (Tomato Sauce)

August 25, 2017

Servings: 4

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 1 hr

Total: 1 hr 30 min

Difficulty: Medium

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By: admin

Ingredients

• 2 Catfish (cleaned and cut into 3 pieces per fish)
• 1 Can of Whole Tomatoes
• 4 Red Bell Peppers/ Red Sheppard Pepper
• 1 Large Red Onion
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves
• 3-4 Scotch Bonnet Pepper ( 2 for less heat)
• ½ cup of Vegetable oil/ Palm oil
• 3- 4 Seasoning Cubes
• Salt

Directions

• Step 1 To clean catfish, place in a bowl and wash with cold water twice. Add boiled hot water and add to catfish and salt. Allow to sit for about 3-5 minutes, this will remove the slimy skin from the fish. Rinse again with cold water and set aside.
• Step 2 Place catfish in a pot, add 2 cups of water, finely diced onion, salt and 1 seasoning cube. Cover and allow to steam on medium low heat for 6-10 minutes. Catfish is very delicate, do not overcook because it will also cook in the sauce. Remove fish from stock and reserve stock for stew. Add salt according to preference.
• Step 3 To make stew, blend into a puree all ingredients except vegetable oil, seasoning cubes and salt. Blend half of the onion and chop the other half and set aside. Place in a pot and cook until all the liquid evaporates. Set pepper mixture aside.
• Step 4 In a saucepan, add cooking oil on medium heat, add chopped onion when hot and saute until soft. Add your pepper mixture and saute for 10-15 minutes or until your oil starts separating from the pepper mixture. Stir occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Step 5 Add your fish stock, 2 seasoning cubes and salt. Stir, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt or seasoning cubes before adding your fish. Reduce heat to medium low, gently add fish to the stew, cover and let simmer for 5-8 minutes. At this point do not stir with your spoon because catfish gets very soft and it can break easily. Hold your pot with both handles and shake, tilt from side to side, this is the safest way to stir the sauce without breaking (my mum taught me this 😀). Uncover pot and allow to simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Now everyone knows that Nigerian stew is ready when the oil settles on the top.Turn off heat and allow to cool before serving.
• Step 6 Your stew is ready!! Stew is mostly enjoyed with rice but you can serve with any carb of your choice.