Kele Wele ( Spicy, fried ripe plantains)

One of my favorite Ghanaian dishes is kele wele.  This dish is made of diced, ripe plantains marinated in spices and then fried. It can be eaten alone as a snack or with other dishes such as Jollof.  Here is a recipe for kele wele from the new Ghanaian cookbook "Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana".

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe plantains ( yellow skin, firm)
• 2 medium ginger roots ( 2 1/2 inches long & 1 inch wide)
• 4 red Serrano peppers
• 5 cups of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel plantains
2. Cut across horizontally and dice plantains, wash and place them in a bowl
3. Peel ginger and puree, with red peppers, in a food processor
4. Add salt to the pureed spice
5. Add spice mixture to diced plantains
6. Let marinate for 30 minutes
7. Pour oil in a pot and heat on medium-high heat for 5 - 7 minutes
8. Slowly add some plantains and let fry for 6 - 8 minutes until golden brown
9. Removed cooked kele wele and place on sheet of paper towel
10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 with remaining plantains

 Helpful hints and more:

• Make sure oil is heated before frying.
• If you do not have fresh ginger root, you can always use store-ready ginger paste.  Do not use ginger powder!
• For an extra "melt-in-your-mouth", munch the kele wele with some roasted peanuts!

Cold Fusion Coffee Gelato

I recently visited Newport, Rhode Island and experienced one of my new favorite foods ....hand-made coffee gelato at Cold Fusion Gelato. I got the small size, which costs $3.95 ( cash only) , you can get up to two flavors and personally, big enough for two people! It is a little pricey but it was definitely worth it.


There were a variety of flavors available...from Bailey's to chocolate mint to sorbets but for me, the coffee hit the spot! So, next time you are in Newport, try the coffee gelato and let me know if it's also your new favorite or if you prefer a different flavor or a different store!

Blueberry Bliss-Strawberry Lemonade Iced Tea

My new favorite home made iced tea is the blueberry bliss-strawberry lemonade blended tea from Teavana. These are actually two separate teas that I bought at Teavana ( you can ask to have the teas blended for you at the store - 2oz of each will last you a while). I like this tea hot but I LOVE this blended combo ice cold...yum!



Ingredients:

(PS: use a 320z or larger teapot with a built-in strainer in which to steep your loose tea leaves)

• 6 teaspoons of blueberry bliss-strawberry lemonade blended tea leaves
• 3 cups of boiling water
• 1/2 cup of sugar

Directions

• Place loose tea leaves in the strainer ( in the teapot)
• Boil water and pour over tea leaves ( in strainer)
• Cover teapot for about 10 minutes
• Place 1/2 cup sugar in your jug / container
• After 10 minutes, pour brewed tea in the jug / container; stir contents and place in fridge until chilled

Notes:

1. I normally brew another teapot and add it to the first batch with an additional 1/4 cup of sugar.
   
2. You can adjust the sugar according to your taste.
   

Banana-Beet Smoothie

This is a quick and simple recipe for anyone and also a healthy alternative to a fast-food snack in the morning if you do not have time for breakfast. The benefits of this smoothie include a great source of folic acid, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, vitamin C and B6. The banana-beet smoothie makes a great healthy combo for your body! I make this on most mornings or on some early evenings when I'm not too hungry for dinner.

Ingredients:

1 banana (medium-sized)
1/2 cup of sliced beets
1/2 cup of orange juice
6 oz plain, non-fat organic yogurt

Directions:

* Pour the juice in the blender

* Add the banana, sliced beets and yogurt in the blender

* Blend until you get a smooth texture

Helpful hints & more:

**For this recipe, I use canned sliced beets (make sure " no salt added" is written on the can! ) but you can opt for fresh, non-canned beets.
**Do not use flavored or low calorie yogurts as they contain too much sugar or artificial sweeteners, neither of which, in my opinion, are good for your health!
**To change up the taste, you can use orange-mango juice or even pineapple juice

Johnny Crêpe

I visited Burlington ( in Vermont) for the first time this past July 4th weekend and I came across a quaint restaurant called the Skinny Pancake. It's a small restaurant with outdoor seating, a great view of the Lake Champlain and great crêpes. One thing I like about the dish I tried was that the crêpe wasn't "skinny ( no pun intended) ... If I had the appetite, I would have tried all of them but I settled for the "Johnny Crepe" which is pulled pork, braised in a sweet whiskey BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and Cabot cheddar cheese folded into a corn meal crêpe. This is served with root vegetable slaw. All the ingredients seem local which is always another plus for me! So, if you are ever in Vermont, try one of my new favorite foods, the Johnny Crepe and let me know what you think!

Strawberries and pear with cream

Yesterday, I decided to try a little something different ...a light, healthy dessert with a hint of naughty so I opened my fridge and found some strawberries, Anjou pear and some french vanilla ice cream. Here is my take on some fruit and cream...something different from using whipped cream.

Ingredients:

1 Anjou or Bartlett pear
4 strawberries
2 scoops of French Vanilla Ice-cream

Directions:

1. Slice up the pear into bite-size cubes
2. Slice up the strawberries
3. Place 2 scoops of the ice-cream in a small serving bowl and microwave
for about 15 - 30 seconds ( depending on your microwave)
4. Place sliced fruit into warm ice-cream
5. Grab a tablespoon and enjoy!

Helpful Hints:

1. Make sure ice-cream is lukewarm and not hot
2. You can add an extra scoop of ice-cream before microwaving

"Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana" is great!

If you have ever tried or wanted to try great food from the African continent, this cookbook is for you! "Akwaaba: A Taste of Ghana" has over 50 recipes from Ghana ranging from breakfast through dinner to desserts!

Copies are available at Alikobooks , Barnes&Noble and Amazon.

Try some recipes and let us know what you think!