Recipe: Rice and Beans Stew

I am going to (attempt to) start sharing some of Serwaa's recipes here. If you have questions, just ask. (FYI: there are no real measurements. I just guess as she throws things in the pot!) Good luck! If you try any recipe, and it works out- let me know! Hope your kids enjoy it!

-Most recipes require 'squashing'. We use this big rock thing:

Rice & Beans Stew

*Cook 2 cups of rice.

*Cut up 4 tomatoes & remove seeds. Squash it.
*Cut up 1 purple onion & squash it.
*Cut up, deseed & squash 3 habanero peppers.

*Put 2 lbs of black eye peas in large pot & cover with water. Salt heavily & boil, covered, for about an hour.
*When beans are done, pound them so that about half of the beans get squashed.

*Cover the bottom of a big pot with vegetable oil. Add the squashed onion, pepper & tomatoes.
*Cook 1-2 minutes.
*Add 1 can of tomato paste.
*Stir in beans.

Eat with the rice.

Serves about 10 people.

Shopping for African Produce in America...

I spent the first few months after Serwaa & Konto came home wishing I had some African produce to cook for them. They were disappointed to find that South Carolina stores didn't sell Yam, Cocoyam, or Garden Eggs. Only, they did. I just didn't know what I was looking for.

So, for anyone who is a clueless as me: I am making a very short list of things to buy, and where. (Disclaimer: It may not work if you are in another part of the country with different stores.)

Yam
A big brown root.
Also called: BayerE
This is used for: Ampesie
It is sold at Publix under the name of  'Name'. PLU# 3276
It is also sold in many Asian stores (which are much easier to find than African stores around here)!

Cocoyam:
A hairy-looking brown root.
Also called: Mankani
Used for: Ampesie
There are small cocoyams and bigger cocoyams. My kids prefer the bigger ones.
The bigger version is sold at Pulix as 'Malanga'. PLU# 4644
The smaller version is also at Publix as 'Taro Root'.

Cassava:
A waxy-looking brown root.
Also called Yuca, Manioc, Bankye
Used for: Ampesie, Fufuo
Sold at most grocery stores. Publix PLU# is: 4819

Garden Eggs:
Small, round yellowish-white eggplants.
Used for: soups and stews
I have only been able to find these in Asian stores so far.

Ripe Plantain:
Rotten banana-looking fruit.
Also called 'red plaintain'.
Used for: fried plantains
Sold at most grocery stores. They should be yellowish-black.

Green Plantain:
Looks like an overgrown green banana.
Used for: Ampesie
Sold at grocery stores, but harder to find. You pretty much have to find them the day the store puts them out, because they ripen pretty quick.

Habanero:
A small orange pepper
When my kids say they need 'pepper', this is what they are referring to. All other peppers we have found are too mild. These are very hot.
Sold at most grocery stores.

Cocoyam Leaves:
Also called Nkontomire
Used for soups
I haven't found these sold anywhere. But, they are super easy to grow. (If I haven't killed it, it can't be killed!) We bought cocoyams, let them sit in the closet for too long (until they started sprouting). We planted them with the sprout sticking out of the ground. They are almost the exact same as those elephant ear plants.

Hopefully this will help somebody be a little less ignorant when they go out grocery shopping for their Ghanaian kiddos! Good luck!!

....Stay tuned. I hope to start posting some of my kids' favorite recipes soon!

While I'm Waiting...

It's 3 weeks until Serwaa & Konto's visa interview. I'm excited. I'm nervous. But I'm ready. I've made & frozen lots of soup. (They seem to eat alot of soupy stuff and rice at the orphanage.) So far I've got a couple bowls each of Groundnut Soup, Eggplant Stew, Banana Soup, Groundnut/Chicken Stew and Spicy Yam Soup.

I also have plenty of chicken legs in the freezer. (Thanks Nana!)

Next I intend to find out what kind of meals freeze easy. (Any ideas?) Because I'm pretty sure that some days it's just gonna be too hectic to cook!


The girls' room is pretty much all the way ready.


Konto's room is (finally) painted now. And he has new blankets. I still have to get some curtains & stuff. (I'm trying to get curtains made with a strip of kente at the bottom.) I'm gonna pick up some more paintings in Ghana for his wall, as well as a big basket for his toys.


So... that's my pointless blog for the day!