Cheesy Tuna ala King on Toast

Cheesy Tuna ala King on Toast

Mom made, creamed tuna on toast, occasionally. It was a fairly popular dish, back in the 60's, but fell out of favor, I guess. It was pretty good, but needed a little work.
In my house, it evolved, an alfredo-like sauce, with vegetables, like 'chicken ala king', another popular dish, from the 60's. I love it on toast, but it's great on biscuits, or served with noodles too.


Ingredients:
1Tbl. oil
1 red bell pepper-diced
8oz. fresh mushrooms -chopped
2ribs celery-chopped
1 onion-diced
2tsp. minced garlic
1 can evaporated milk
4 cans of tuna-drained
1tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup processed cheese (like velveeta) cubed
1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
can of sweet peas- drained

Heat the oil, in a 3quart pan. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
Add everything, except the peas to the pan, and bring to a boil, stirring.
Add the peas, and allow to cook until it thickens, somewhat.
Serve on toast points.

Spicy Jambalaya with Andouille, Shrimp and Bacon

 Spicy Jambalaya

I did a little research on this dish, and found my version, is a hybrid between, Creole and Cajun Jambalaya. The use of a roux, and shrimp, is a Cajun influence... The use of tomatoes, is strictly Creole.
The name of the dish, comes from the French word jambalaia, a word used for pilaf of rice, which is, in turn, derived from, Spanish paella.
To make my husband (The chili-head) happy, I use jalapeno, in place of green bell pepper, and add a little hot sauce to the mix, further corrupting this dish. But the end result, is a dish, my family is absolutely crazy about.

Ingredients:
3 strips of bacon-chopped
2Tbl. flour
2Tbl. dry white wine - I use Pinot Grigio
2 ribs of celery- chopped
4 jalapenos- chopped
1 onion-diced
2tsp. minced garlic
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
2cups chicken broth
1Tbl. tomato paste
1Tbl. sriracha  or any hot sauce
1/2tsp. oregano
1/2tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1lb. Andouille sausage-sliced
1lb. raw peeled shrimp-whole or chopped
3-4cups cooked rice

Fry the bacon, in a 4-quart pot, until crisp.
Stir the flour into the bacon drippings, and cook until the roux, becomes golden brown.
De-glaze the pan with a little white wine. Cook about 1-minute, scraping the pan.
Add the celery, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, to the roux, and cook a few minutes, until the onion softens, a bit.
Add all other ingredients, except the rice, to the pot, and cook on high heat, until it reduces to a semi-thick sauce. About 30-minutes. I don't usually cook shrimp, this long, but it lends a great flavor, to the broth.
Turn the burner off, and add the rice. Serve. I think this is even better, the next day.

Cook the roux, to a deep golden brown, then saute the vegetables in it.

Add everything, except the rice, and cook until it becomes a semi-thick sauce. Add the rice and serve.

Red wine- Beef Stroganoff with Fideo

Red wine- Beef Stroganoff with Fideo

I love the addition of red wine in this sauce, it really compliments the other ingredients.
I don't really care for packaged egg noodles, so I try a different pasta, every time I make this dish, trying to find the perfect one. Still looking.

Ingredients:
2lbs. sirloin-sliced very thin
2tbl. oil
1 onion- diced
2tsp. minced garlic
8oz. fresh mushrooms- thin sliced- then cut
1/2cup dry red wine-like merlot or pinot noir
1/4tsp. black pepper
1tsp. salt
2cups beef broth
2Tbl. prepared mustard
2cups sour cream
1Tbl. cornstarch
1-1/2lbs. cooked pasta

Heat the oil, over a high flame, in a 4-quart pot.Add the onion and garlic, saute 1-2minutes.
Add the beef, and cook until it's a little browned, about 5-minutes.
Remove the beef from the pot, set aside.
Add the mushrooms to the pot, and cook in the pan juices, until they sweat.
Add the wine, salt, and pepper, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the beef, back to the pot, along with the beef broth and mustard. Stir to combine.
Cook over a high flame, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
This is when I start cooking the pasta.
Stir together the sour cream and cornstarch, and add it to the pot. Mix to combine.
Turn off the burner, and add the cooked pasta. Serve Hot.

It's easier to thin slice, if it's partially frozen.

Heat the oil, in a 4quart pot. Add the garlic and onion, saute 1-minute. Add the beef, and brown a few minutes.

Remove the beef, from the pan. Add the mushrooms, to the pan, and cook in the pan drippings, until they sweat.

Add the wine, salt, and pepper. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated.

Add the beef, back to the pot, along with the beef broth, and mustard.

Cook on a high flame, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir together, the sour cream and cornstarch.

Add it to the sauce. Stir to combine. turn off the heat, and add the cooked pasta. Serve hot.

Apple-stuffed Pork-chops with Mascato/Cranberry glaze

Apple-stuffed Pork-chops with Mascato/Cranberry Glaze

 I usually make homemade dressing, and lay 1/4-inch chops over it, and bake. But I cheated this time, and turned out great.

Ingredients:
A boneless pork-loin roast-sliced into 1-inch chops, then butterflied
1cup mascato wine
1 package Stove-top stuffing (I used turkey)
1apple-peeled and diced small
1/4cup dried cranberries- chopped

For the glaze:
1/4cup dried cranberries
1/4cup boiling water
1/4cup Mascato wine

Marinade the chops in 1 cup mascato wine, at least a few hours, or overnight.
Make the stuffing mix according to directions, adding the diced apple and cranberries.
Stuff the chops with the dressing, and bake at 375*F. for about 1-1/2 hours, or until cooked through.
Serve drizzled with the glaze.

For the glaze, Soak the cranberries in boiling water for 5-minutes. Dump them into a blender, along with the mascato, process until pureed.  Pour the puree, into a saucepan, and cook on low a few minutes, until thickened. Use hot or cold.

Poutine- Montreal's Specialty

Poutine

My sister lives in Montreal, and is married to a French-Canadian. One day, they posted a picture of their baby, on Facebook, eating this strange looking dish. Of course I had to inquire, and found that it is a widely loved dish, all over Canada, but 'Poutine' originated in Montreal. It can be found on the menu of most restaurants there, and even their local McDonald's, has a version of it. Well if it's good enough for Ronald, it's good enough for me. I was going to try it. I found there are, beef and chicken versions of the sauce. Alexandre said the chicken veloute (sauce) is best, I decided to make both.

If, like me you have never heard of Poutine, before. Basically, it's French fries, covered with cheddar cheese curds, then covered with a gravy- like sauce, which should be thin enough, to dribble between the fries, to the bottom of the plate. The fries and sauce have to be hot, to melt the cheese curds. Ideally, your going for a gooey mess. I can see from the description, this will become well loved guy-dish, in my house.See Horseshoes. 
I chose to make everything from scratch, but pre-packaged is just fine.

Ingredients:
French Fries
Brown gravy or velouté sauce
1Lb. cheddar cheese curds or homemade cheddar cheese curds

Fry the french fries.
Make the sauce.
Warm the cheese curds, in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Top the fries, with the warm cheese, then top with the sauce. Let stand 5-minutes. Serve.
This was really good, I'd consider this a comfort dish, and preferred the beef sauce. I think it would be a great side dish, for a hamburger.

Yucatan shrimp

Yucatan shrimp with red rice and guacamole

Yucatan shrimp
I love the flavors of  sambal oelek and  sriracha. 
These are both fiery hot sauces, but used in moderation, they add amazing flavors, to a dish.
I found this recipe at N.Y. Times ,that either of these sauces are great in.
But combine it with red rice and guacamole, Wow, each perfectly compliments, the other. I like to drizzle any leftover sauce, over the top of it, but this really kicks up the heat. If you don't mind the heat, you could add even more hot sauce. Quick and easy.

Ingredients:
1/4cup real butter
1Tbl. minced garlic
2lbs. raw peeled shrimp
juice of two limes
2Tbl. sambal oelek or sriracha
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. dried, or 1Tbl. fresh chopped cilantro

Melt the butter, in a saucepan, stir in the garlic.Cook, stirring 2-minutes.
Add the lime juice and sriracha, salt and pepper.Turn off the heat, and let stand, while making the shrimp.
Add the shrimp, to a pot of boiling water, with a tsp. of salt, added to it. Cook until the shrimp turn bright pink.
Quickly drain the shrimp. Add them to the sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and toss. Serve.

Cabbage Patch Stew

Cabbage Patch Stew

I love brussel sprouts, when I was a little girl, I thought they were cute little, baby cabbages. They're not a very popular vegetable. I can't understand why, they go great with almost anything, steak dinner, Italian meatloaf, in a pot of soup.
I'm always trying to find ways, to use these little super-veggies (nutrients).
Combining brussel sprouts,and tomatoes, (Both are very high in vitamin-C) Makes this a highly nutritious meal, loaded with several anti-oxidants.

For the meatballs:
2lbs. ground chuck
1cup Italian style bread crumbs
2eggs
Combine and roll into small meatballs. Drop them in boiling water for 15-minutes. Drain, set aside.

For the stew:
1tsp. oil
1 diced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
1 rib celery-diced
1 green bell pepper-diced
Two-29oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1tsp. basil
1tsp. sugar
2 bags of frozen brussel sprouts-( I cooked them whole, but I'll halve them next time.)
cooked meatballs
2cups cooked rice

Make the meatballs, drain and set aside.
Heat the oil, on medium, in a 4quart pot.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are soft.
Add the tomatoes brussel sprouts, salt, pepper, basil,and sugar.  Simmer about 25-30 minutes, until the sprouts are tender. stir in the cooked rice, then fold in the meatballs. cook 5 minutes more, and serve.

Corn Dogs

Corn Dogs, everyone's favorite.

 This batter sticks really well, so there is no need to coat your hotdogs, with flour or cornstarch.
The batter is enough for 12-14 hotdogs.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
1cup cornmeal
1/2tsp. salt
2Tbl. baking powder
1tsp. chicken bullion or base
1/4cup sugar
1cup milk
1 egg
12-14 hotdogs- with skewers
oil for frying

Whisk together the dry ingredients.
Whisk the milk and egg, until well combined.
Add the milk mixture, to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
Dip  the hotdogs in the batter, Putting the batter in a drinking glass makes it easier to coat them. Twirl until well coated, allow some excess batter to drip away, but letting it drip too long, will only give you a thin coating.
Fry over a low/medium flame, until golden. I prefer to make these ahead, then reheat them in the oven, they taste better, and some of the oil cooks out of them.

Leprechaun Stew

Leprechaun Stew
This is a no-name dish, that my mom made occasionally. I'm guessing it's most likely German in origin, since most of the food I grew up with, was predominantly so.
To get my kids to eat cabbage, I would tell them " It's leprechauns favorite food."  and dubbed this dish 'Leprechaun Stew'...worked like a charm.
( I recently made Zombie soup, for my grandkids.)
This is similar, to a New England boiled dinner, but you use a pork roast, instead of corned beef. Besides the cabbage, you can use any vegetables you like. (turnips and carrots, work well in this)

1 pork loin roast - sliced or cubed
1tsp. garlic powder
2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper
1 diced onion
1 head of cabbage-chopped
4 or 5 potatoes cubed

Put the pork, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper, in a 4-quart pot.
Fill half full of water, and boil until the pork is tender, about 1 hour for cubed pork.
Add the potatoes and enough water to cover, if necessary. Then add the cabbage. (The water will not cover the cabbage, but it will wilt, as it cooks.) Cook until the potatoes and cabbage, are tender, adding water if necessary.
Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Meatball Subs with (Baked) Italian Meatballs

Meatball Subs

I prefer to bake the meatballs, instead of cooking them in the sauce, which I think, is too oily. Using slices of bread, instead of breadcrumbs, makes them very moist, and not too firm. I start the sauce, as soon as the meatballs, go into the oven, and they both are done, about the same time.

For the meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 375*F.
2lbs. ground chuck
6-slices white bread
1tsp. basil
1Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. cracked fennel 
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1/4tsp. pepper
2 beaten eggs

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and knead well, to incorporate.
Roll into 1-inch balls and bake about 25-minutes, or until cooked through, and just beginning to brown.

For the sauce:
1Tbl. oil
2tsp. minced garlic
2Tbl. diced onion
1Tbl. tomato paste
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. sugar
1tsp. salt
1tsp. dried parsley
1/2tsp. basil
1/2tsp. cracked fennel
1/4tsp. nutmeg
2Tbl. grated Romano cheese

You'll also need:
2Tbl. Parmesan
8oz. shredded mozzarella
Buns- we use hot dog buns
 
Heat the oil in a 4-quart pan. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are transparent.
Add all other ingredients, and simmer on low, until it becomes a thick sauce. About 15-20minutes.
Loosen the meatballs from the baking pan, with a metal spatula. Using tongs, add them to the sauce, along with 2Tbl. grated Parmesan. Stir gently, to coat the meatballs. Add meatballs to a bun, top with mozzarella, and microwave, or toast them in the broiler, to melt the cheese.

Lengua Burrito Grande (Beef Tongue) The things we do for love.

Lengua Burrito Grande

Halloween is just two weeks away. What better time, to bring out my all-time scariest dish... ever. Muahahaha.

The things we do for love. My husband lived in California, for ten years, before we met. One of the things he mentioned a lot, and missed was, lengua burritos, from a roadside taqueria, he frequented. I'd curl my lip in disgust, every time he brought it up. Finally I decided to surprise him, and attempt to make them for his birthday.
 He mentioned that it had rice and cheese in a red sauce, topped with fried lengua and salsa verde. I didn't think I could duplicate it, from such vague details, but I gave it a go. I'll bet I was pretty funny, that first time I put one in a pot, I remember, having to look away, as I was washing it in the sink. Could there be anything, more disgusting looking, than a GIANT tongue? At that point I decided, I'd prefer to take a bullet, to prove my love, but since I had already started this project, I might as well finish it. I was hoping it wasn't going to be another, liver and onions fiasco, from a previous birthday. ( The smell of liver cooking, has a hurl factor of 10 to the nth power, for me.)
I had not planned to even try it, but the finished product smelled so incredible, that I couldn't resist. If you can get past the image of the tongue, these are really good. Although a lot of people have liked the taste, but still could not eat them.

Ingredients:
1 beef tongue
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1 whole peeled onion
1tsp. salt
1/2tp. pepper
1cup of beef broth- or 2Tbl. bullion, or base
water as needed

For the rice:
2-1/2cups water
1/2tsp. salt
1/2cup taco sauce
3cups instant rice
1/2cp shredded sharp cheddar
Bring the water, salt, and taco sauce to a boil. Turn off the flame, and add the rice and cheese. Cover and let stand 5-minutes.

You'll also need:
oil for frying
a diced onion
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/4tsp. salt
salsa verde- also called tomatillo sauce and green taco sauce
flour tortillas

Preparation:
Wash the tongue thoroughly, add it to a 4qt. pot, along with all other ingredients. I've been told, you should remove the layer of fat before cooking, but I don't.
Fill the pot with water, until 3/4 full. Boil for 3-4hours, or until tender, adding water as necessary. You'll know it's done when a meat fork pierces all the way through, without resistance. Remove the beef from the pot, discard the broth.
Allow to cool slightly, then peel the skin, and remove the fat, from it. If you wait until it cools too much, it's difficult to remove it, the hotter the better.
Cut or shred it into small chunks, and let it cool 30 minutes.
Heat about 1/8-inch of oil, in a skillet, until very hot. Add the beef, diced onion, 1/2tsp. minced garlic, and 1/4tsp. salt. Fry/brown it for about 5-minutes. You want it to get a bit of a crispy crust, but not too much.
Dump the beef into a colander, and let it drain, while you make the rice.
Warm a flour tortilla, on a griddle, or in the microwave. Add equal amounts of the rice mixture, and the beef, then top with a little salsa verde.
The beef also makes a great filler, for the classic-tacos and burritos.

Cook until very tender. Now doesn't that look appetizing? I told my sister, I should dress up like a zombie, and try to pass it out to, trick or treat-ers. She started singing "♪ I frenched a cow, and I liked it ♪" Ya, we've been at it all day, with the tongue jokes, most of them, too lewd to post.

Are you still there? Remove the layer of fat.

Cut it into about 4 pieces, then peel the skin, and remove any gristle fat or tissue.

Cut or shred, into small pieces.

Heat oil in a skillet until almost smoking. Add the beef, onion, garlic, and salt. Fry until somewhat crispy.

Warm a tortilla, and fill with an equal amount of beef and rice, then top with a little salsa verde

Brine Roasted Chicken

Brine Roasted Chicken

You know those rotisserie chickens from the market?, they are soaked in a brine, before being cooked, then patted dry, and rubbed with a mixture of oil and herbs. This recipe is based on that principle, with a Mexican flair. The brine gives the chicken an incredible flavor, tender and juicy.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
2cups water
1/2cup coarse salt- like kosher or pickling salt
2Tbl. minced garlic
1Tbl. oregano
2Tbl. ground chilies ( I use chipotle)
3-limes
1can of frozen pineapple juice concentrate-thawed
a roasting pan with a rack
Preparation:
Heat the water and salt, on the stove, until the salt has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl or pot, larger than the chicken, (The chicken has to be completely submersed) juice the limes and put the skin and juice in the pot.
Stir in the spices, pineapple juice, and cooled brine.
Put the chicken in the bowl, adding more water if needed, to cover it. Set a saucer on top of the chicken, for weight, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 375*  in a roasting pan with a rack, until crispy and cooked through. 1-1/2 to 2 hours

Mix the brine ingredients, in the bowl, submerse the chicken, adding more water if needed.

Set an inverted saucer over it, for weight. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

 I decided to roast it, this time, upright, on a clean empty beer can. I think I liked it better, this way, but I wound up with a bit more charring, than the rack method. It still tasted great though.
 

I discovered a  chicken and brine will fit in a gallon storage bag. If you remove the air, before you seal it, the chicken will be completely submersed. Set it in a bowl, in the fridge.

Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

                                     Mariana Island Shrimp Patties

This recipe from Guam, makes the best shrimp fritters, on the planet. I guess you can tell I love these. They're very easy to make, and make great party appetizers, or a main course.
The only tricky part, is getting the temperature of the oil, just right. They need to be fried over a low/medium flame, if they brown too quickly, and the center is still wet, lower the temp, a bit.

Ingredients:
2lbs. raw shrimp-peeled, de-veined, and chopped
16oz.package of frozen mixed vegetables-thawed
1/2cup thin sliced green onions
2cups flour
2tsp. baking powder
1-1/2tsp. celery salt
1-1/2tsp. garlic powder
1-1/2tsp. onion powder
1tsp. black pepper
2eggs
1can evaporated milk
oil for frying

Greek yogurt dip:
1/2cup Greek yogurt
2 thin sliced green onions
1tsp. onion powder
1/2tsp. celery salt
1/4tsp. garlic powder
Mix well, wait 30 minutes before serving, to blend the flavors.

Preparation:
Remove the green beans, from the mixed vegetables, and cut them smaller. Put the vegetables and chopped shrimp, in a colander to drain while you make the batter.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices.
In a large bowl,  whisk together the eggs and milk.
Stir in the flour mixture, until well combined.
Add the shimp and vegetables, mix in well.
Heat about 2-inches of oil, over a low/medium flame. Drop in about 1Tbl. of the batter and fry until golden brown.
Split the fritter open, it should be moist in the center, but not wet.
Adjust the temperature, if needed, and fry the remaining batter.
This will make a large platter of fritters. They can be served, as is or with sweet chili sauce, sour cream, yogurt.

Chop the shrimp, green onions, cut the green beans. place them in a colander to drain, while you make the batter.

Add the vegetables, and shrimp, to the batter, mix well. heat the oil, and fry 1Tbl. of batter.

I use a saucepan, with about 2-inches of oil, frying 3-4 at a time.

They should be moist in the center, but not wet.

Sliced Beef with Gravy

Sliced Beef with Gravy
A hearty homestyle dish, loved throughout the Midwest.

Ingredients:
1-1/2lbs. round steak or roast- very thin sliced
5cups cold water
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
mashed potatoes
sandwich slices

Preparation:
In a 4quart pot, whisk together the water and gravy mix. Add the beef, and bring to a boil.
Continue to cook on medium heat, until the gravy begins to thicken. About 1 hour.( By this time, the beef will be tender.)
Make sandwiches of the beef, and place them on opposite sides of the potatoes. Spoon gravy over the potatoes and the bread. Great with corn or peas.

Slice the beef, as thin as possible. It's much easier if it's mostly frozen.

Chicken Parmesan

                                               Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless chicken breasts-thawed
2eggs-beaten
2cups bread crumbs
oil for frying
8oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4cup grated Parmesan

For the sauce:
29oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. garlic powder
1/2tsp. basil
1tsp. dried minced onion
2Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a pot, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer about 20-minutes, or until thickened.
Meanwhile, flatten the chicken, between 2 pieces of plastic or in a storage bag.
Dredge the chicken thorough the breadcrumbs, dip them in the egg, then through the breadcrumbs again.
Fry over a medium flame, until cooked through and golden. Drain on a paper towel.
Place the chicken in a 13x9-inch baking pan, cover with sauce, mozzarella, then Parmesan.
Bake until the cheese melts, and is beginning to brown.

Shrimp in Garlic- Gambas al Ajillo

Shrimp in Garlic- Gambas al Ajillo, with Garlic mushrooms  and Paul's fire in hole beans

This is a traditional Spanish Tapas. Serve it on slices of french bread. I served it on tiny Indian fry bread.

Ingredients:
1Tbl. olive oil
1-minced ripe hot pepper, or 1tsp. pepper flakes
1Tbl. garlic
2lbs. raw shrimp-peeled and de-veined
juice of 1small or 1/2 of a large lemon
1tsp. smoked paprika
1Tbl. cognac
1Tbl. chopped parsley
salt and pepper.

Preparation:
Heat the oil, in a skillet, over a high flame.
Add the garlic and hot pepper, stir fry 20seconds.
Add the shrimp, lemon juice, cognac, and paprika. Saute until the shrimp are cooked and pink.
Salt and pepper to taste. Traditionally, it's served, in the skillet.

If you want to serve it on Indian fry bread, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten and stretch, to about a 3-4-inch disks, dipping them in flour, if they are sticky. Fry, flipping, until golden.

Baked Stuffed Peppers

                                          Baked Stuffed Peppers
I grew up, eating the stove top version, both are great.

Preheat the oven to 375*
For the Sauce:
A 29-oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. garlic powder
Combine all ingredients and dump into a 13"x9"x2" pan. Set aside.

For the peppers:
5-6 large, green, bell peppers-with the top cut off, and seeded
1-1/2lbs. ground chuck
1-1/2 cups- instant rice or breadcrumbs
1tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. garlic powder
In a bowl, combine the beef, rice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and lay them in the sauce. Make a tent of aluminum foil, and lay it over the peppers. bake for 1-1/2 hours, remove the aluminum foil, and bake 30-minutes more.

Cameroon Beef

Cameroon Beef -the curry powder I make, is very mild, you could add more to suit your taste.

There are a lot of really great dishes, from Cameroon, but this is my favorite. It is an incredible combination of flavors. I top mine with a little chutney, and drizzle it with the African hot sauce.
I'm squeezing in a lot of recipe's on this post. But they all go together. This is a bit of work, making the sides, but well worth it. They can be made, a day in advance.  The fried bananas are a perfect side for this dish. I add coconut chips, to the water, when I cook the rice, too. If you can, use fresh pineapple for this, it tastes so much better.

Ingredients:
2 diced onions
1Tbl. mild curry powder
2tsp. salt ( I know it sounds like a lot, but you'll need it)
1/2tsp. pepper
2Tbl. oil
2lbs. chuck roast-cubed
1/2 of a fresh pineapple or 1 can chunks
1/4cup raisins
1 can of coconut milk
1/2cup water
1/2 of a fresh coconut- chopped or 1-cup unsweetened coconut chips
1 mango-cut into strips
cooked rice


I use chip ribbon coconut, instead of fresh.
Preparation:
In a 4qt. pot, heat the oil. Fry the onion, curry, salt, and pepper, until the onion, softens.
Add the beef, and cover the pan. Don't allow the beef to brown. Simmer on low, for 45-minutes.
Add the pineapple coconut milk, water, and raisins. Cover and continue to simmer, until the beef is tender. ( about 30 minutes)
Add mango and coconut cook about 10 more minutes. serve over cooked rice.
Serve with a choice of, chopped peanuts, African hot sauce, pineapple chutney, chopped coconut, pili-pili sauce. It was great with fried plantains.

                             Pili-Pili sauce: from the Congo cookbook
Make 3-Tbl.
3-4 ripe red jalapenos-minced (Or any ripe pepper)
juice of one lemon
1tsp. minced garlic
 1tsp. dried or 2tsp. fresh parsley
2Tbl. cooking oil
pinch of salt
Either grind, or use a food processor to puree. Simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan, to remove the raw flavor. Refrigerate before using.

            African hot sauce: from the Congo cookbook. I love this sauce!
Makes 1/4-cup:
3 red ripe hot peppers- diced ( I used jalapeno)
An equal amount of green bell pepper- diced
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/2 of a small onion-diced
2Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1Tbl. vinegar
1/4tsp. sugar
 1/4tp. salt
Either grind or use a blender, to puree. Simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan, to remove the raw flavor. Refrigerate before using. I love this sauce, it's good uncooked too.

As a stand alone dish, I don't really care for these, but drizzled with African hot sauce, they are the perfect side for Cameroon Beef.


1 plantain (or any banana) for each person-sliced or split horizontally
oil for frying
salt or African hot sauce (sugar if your using them for dessert)
Heat about 1/2-inch oil, in a skillet. Wait for the bottom to become golden brown, then flip it, and brown the other side. Drain on a paper towel. Serve with your choice of, salt, hot sauce or sugar.

      Pineapple-Mango Chutney- This tastes great with fresh pineapple.

makes 1-cup:
1/2 of a fresh pineapple-diced or 1 can tidbits
1 mango- diced
2 ripe red hot peppers-minced (I used jalapeno)
1/4tsp. mild curry powder
The white section of 6 green onions-chopped
1/4tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. vinegar
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. sugar
 Add everything to a saucepan, simmer on a low flame, about 5-8 minutes, or until it thickens somewhat.
Chill before serving.