In the past, my exposure to specific dishes that originated in African countries was limited, for the most part, to stories my husband shared about meals he ate during his trips to Nigeria and Uganda or to comments made by a family friend about food she enjoyed when she visited South Africa. However, since setting out on a mission to make preparing cultural foods easier for busy families through recipe hacks, I’ve discovered countless dishes that are native to the world’s second-largest continent, home of some of my ancestors. And, I plan on featuring simplified versions of many of them on my blog from time to time. One recipe that…
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15-Minute Jamaican Cabbage With Chicken
I wouldn’t say that I went on a lot of trips when I was growing up but, since my mom worked in the airline industry back then, I did take some special ones. For example, my parents took me on a four-day trip to Jamaica when I was only six years old. I don’t remember a lot about our mini-vacation. But, two things stick out in my mind about our time away from home: it was exciting to be able to tell my classmates and teacher why I would be missing a few days of school and the food that I ate while we were there was delicious! Over the…
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15-Minute Ginataang Gulay With Salmon
I can’t remember how old I was or what it was about the Philippines that inspired me to add it to the list of places I want to visit one day. But, now that I’m older and really understand the value of learning more about different cultures, I’m even more intrigued by this group of islands than I already was. Many tourists who go to the Philippines may head there to visit its beautiful beaches (and I’d probably want to stick my toes in the sand at one of them just to be able to say I did that). But, I would be more excited about exploring the world heritage…
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15-Minute Spanish Chicken, Sausage and Rice Skillet
Garbanzo beans and olives for the win! That’s what I thought after making my 15-Minute Spanish Chicken, Sausage and Rice Skillet, this week’s recipe for #FoodieFriday. Why? Because I really liked it and so did my youngest daughter. In fact, she liked it so much that she ate a serving last night and also packed some into her lunch container before heading out this morning to her theater group’s rehearsal. My youngest daughter’s enjoyment of the dish didn’t really come as a surprise to me. It features a nice balance of protein, veggies, and rice that simmers in a tomato-infused base. What’s not to like about that? However, I did…
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15-Minute South African Yellow Rice and Turkey Meatballs
Cooking is fun! At times, it can also be challenging…especially if you’re trying out a new recipe. But, I’m determined to not let that stop me from working to constantly add new dishes to our family’s repertoire of recipes. I’m particularly excited each time I try out a new recipe from a different culture. And, last week, I attempted to tackle a couple of South African recipes, while making a couple of adjustments to speed up the cooking time significantly. First, I decided to make South African Yellow Rice. The beautiful color and inclusion of raisins really intrigued me. However, since the rice alone wouldn’t make a complete meal, I…
