Basic Cornbread

 Ingredients

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

Preparation

Mix the cornmeal and milk in a small bowl so the cornmeal can soak while preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and the sugar. Mix the egg and oil together well and stir into the cornmeal. Add the cornmeal to the flour and stir to moisten. Don't overmix! Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes out clean. Bake only until golden brown.

Makes 1 loaf or 16 squares.

Liberian Cake

 Ingredients:

5 oz. butter

6 oz. caster sugar

4 eggs

9 oz. plain flour

3/4 level teaspoon baking soda

1/2 level teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 level teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 level teaspoon ground mace

1/2 level teaspoon baking powder

1/8 level teaspoon powdered cloves

7 oz. golden syrup

1/4 pint milk

2 oz. citron [lemon] peel, cut very finely

3 oz. seedless raisins, chopped

2 oz. shredded coconut

Preparation

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with mixture of milk and syrup. (Start and end with dry ingredients.) Stir just until smooth. Fold in fruit and coconut. Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf tins, 9 by 5 by 2 and 1/2 inches. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in a very moderate oven (350 degrees F).

Collards and Cabbage

 Yield: 8 portions

If collard greens are not available, use 2 Ibs. spinach instead, in which case cut cooking time to 10 minutes.

Ingredients

1 bunch collard greens

½ lb bacon cut in 1 to 2 inches pieces

1 large onion, sliced

1 tbs salt

1 tbs crushed red pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 qt water

2lbs cabbage cut into 8 wedges

1oz butter or oil

Preparation

In a 4-quart saucepan combine the collard greens washed and cut in small pieces, bacon, onion, salt, pepper and water.

Simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add cabbage, butter or oil.

Cook for 15 minutes or longer until vegetables are tender.

Correct the Seasoning to your taste.

Strain before serving if water has not been absorbed.

Serve in a 2-quart bowl.

Fufu

 Serve 4

Ingredients

2 pounds yams

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation

Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with cold water

Carefully peel the yams; their slippery quality can make them hard to peel.

Cut the peeled yams into chunks and place them in the cold water.

Bring the yams to a boil over high heat. Keep a rapid boil until the yams are soft, about 25 minutes. 

Remove the yams, drain, but reserve about a cup of the cooking water. Allow the yams to cool off.

Place the cooled yams in a large bowl along with the salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Mash and mix the ingredients using a potato masher. The mixture will be uneven and lumpy.

Place the fufu mixture in a food processor or blender. Pulse briefly at low speed to remove any lumps but do not puree. Place the yam mixture back in the bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon until it becomes smooth. The mixture should become sticky and slightly elastic. It's perfectly fine to use your hands to get it to the desired texture. Add some of the reserved water, starting with 1/4 cup, and work the dough. You might need to add more water, but it depends on how moist the yams were to begin with. Keep working and adding water until you have a springy dough that comes away from the bowl, is pliable, and is easily shaped. Shape the fufu into balls of equal size and serve as an accompaniment to your favorite soup or stew.

Liberian Chicken Gravy

 Ingredients

¼ -1/2 cup cooking oil vegetable, canola, corn

2- 3 pounds chicken cut up

1 ½-2 pound fried fish steaks any firm fish

1 pound large shrimp cleaned and deveined

2 -3 large red bell peppers

1 green bell pepper

1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 -3 fresh tomatoes

1 medium onion chopped

5 garlic cloves

½ teaspoon ginger chopped

1 or more scotch bonnet or habanero pepper

¼ cup basil and parsley

1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon optional

1/2- teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, chicken bouillon and some chopped onions in a medium pot until tender. Cooking time varies according to chicken.

Reserve the stock for later use.

In a food processor or blender, blend tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, garlic and herbs.

Add ½ cup oil to heavy-duty pot/pan, and then add the bell pepper blend followed by tomato paste.

Sauté for about 10-15 minutes, to blend all the flavors reduce acidity of the tomato sauce. Stir the pot frequently, as the sauce simmers. You may add reserved chicken stock or water to

Next add chicken, fried fish with about 2 cups of stock-let it simmer for another 10 minutes

Throw in shrimp if using any – cook for another 3-5 minutes

Finally. Adjust seasonings, soup consistency with water/chicken stock, maggie and seasonings

Tips & Notes:

The basic ingredients for this stew are some sort of protein (chicken, fish, beef shrimp) tomatoes, tomato paste and spices according to taste. You may omit the fish if you want to.

Serve with white rice and fufu

Eggplant Fritters

 Makes 4 to 6 fritters.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

3 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup canned milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

Pepper, to taste

2 cups cooking oil

Preparation

Boil unpeeled eggplant until soft.

Cut in half and scoop out pulp. Mash pulp well. Cool. Stir in salt, pepper, and eggs.

When cold, add milk and flour (adding more flour if necessary to make a thick batter). Drop by spoonfuls into hot deep fat. Drain.

Serve hot.