This simple lentil and chickpea soup, made with mostly staple pantry ingredients, is big on flavour thanks to the North African spices – dukkah and smoked paprika. Vegan, and comes together in under 30 minutes. . . The day started just like any other Sunday. Blissful, and tranquil until the cravings set in. The morning was relatively cold, for April, and rather dreary. As the raindrops beat a gentle melody on the roof, the tropical summer rains of back home in Africa, came to mind. The mysterious, yet familiar rainforests of Africa came calling I was transported to the mysterious ..read more

These Cassava (Yuca) fries have an extra crunchy exterior and a soft and fluffy interior, and are vegan and gluten-free. Served here with an insanely delicious spinach avocado dip that you’ll want to put on everything. Great as a snack, side dish or appetiser any time!      Ever so often, I get stuck in a food rut.  I eat potatoes.  Just potatoes. Boiled, roasted, fried, oven-baked. Anything. As long as it is a potato. Sure, there are worse things in life than wilfully eating potatoes on a daily basis. But ever so often, I do have to remind myself that there is more to life than just potatoes ..read more

This 20-minute baked African paprika & honey chicken is so easy to make, yet so big on flavour, it makes the perfect week-night dinner idea   . One of the side effects of having a well documented obsession with food is being the constant recipient of foodie gifts. My birthday, Christmas, and even valentine gifts from friends and family tend to revolve around food (think spices, ingredients, kitchen equipment, and yes – avocado).   For the past month, I feel like my kitchen, and my fingers have smelled of smoked paprika. And that is because over the Christmas period, one of my friends visi ..read more

You’ll love this African Seafood Okra Stew recipe with its rich and deep flavours. Ready in less than 40 minutes and made with the trinity of tomatoes, onions and garlic. So flavoursome, easy to make and healthy. . . I have a well-documented affliction. Which is that at the sight, smell or taste of particular foods, many of my life’s intimate memories come rushing back. Usually out of nowhere. And usually at gale force speeds. Take last weekend as a case-in-point. . . Strolling through the aisles of Barkat Cash & Carry is a treat I indulge in, from time to time ..read more

This curried African bean stew is similar to the traditional African bean stew, but also bursting with the aromatic flavours of the additional herbs and spices. Serve for lunch with kelewele (spicy fried plantains) as sides. . It was on the kitchen counter when I got home from work. It was a handwritten card to my 5-year old son from his teacher. My little boy handed it to me with tears in his eyes. I knew what it was about even before I opened it. . It was about a loss. . His kindergarten teacher, his first ever adult other than his parents, with whom he had formed a me ..read more

This spicy African Chicken Gizzard has been slow-cooked with soy sauce and aromatic spices, resulting in deliciously aromatic and flavoursome chewy treats. Ideal as hors d’oeuvre or a side dish. . . Chicken gizzard has been an integral part of the African food culture for the longest time. My sense is that consuming offal was woven intricately into the fabric of African culture by the forces of sustainability and food wastage. The story of waste not, want not… . Anyway, not so long ago, at a time when most of my ancestors practised the African traditional diet, all or most ..read more

This recipe delivers the most creamy and mouthwatering African peanut curry sauce with a few easy steps and in under 40 minutes. For a vegan dinner idea, serve with roasted chickpeas. .. . You’ve probably heard it said before. That spring is a time for new beginnings. I think it is true. I see the yellow daffodils springing up on the hillsides and it is a firm attestation to the return of some of life’s favourite things; flowers blooming, birds chirping, sun shining. . But it’s not exactly new beginnings for me – even though I haven’t been here in a while. In reality, in the ..read more

This Moroccan-inspired falafel recipe delivers a delicately crispy falafel on the outside with a soft buttery interior. Herbed and spiced to perfection, they are super easy to make. Eat them on their own, or in a falafel salad or as a snack.     I have finally found a way to feed my children chickpeas. It did require a bit of creativity on my part but.. all’s well that ends well right? It started with getting creative with how I made ’em chickpeas. I knew boiled chickpeas wouldn’t cut it. And since my fussy two are going through an exceptionally fussy phase at the moment, I knew that not even ..read more

This Kenyan-inspired coconut mango rice inspired by Wali Wa Nazi (Kenyan Coconut Rice) combines the sweet and tangy flavours of mangoes with the creamy texture of coconut into one easy-to-make and delicious meal     What’s for dinner? That seemingly innocuous question from one of my children has, on more than one occasion, been the pre-cursor to a dinner-time tantrum. And by tantrum, I am talking about hair-raising melt-downs. Parents, you can relate…right? All this, usually because my response to the said question fell short of the expectations of a 4-year old or his sister’s.   You see, I a ..read more