Substitute Mushrooms for this Epic Vegan Efo Riro Growing up my favorite stew was efo riro, that’s stirred spinach for an exact Yoruba to English translation. My favorites were made by my mom and my faux aunt, Mummy Hamed. Mummy Hamed made the most succulent of efos. At the mosque or at a party, if she was making it, I was surely grabbing a dish. This vegan efo riro has been updated to bring me back to those days. The Process Cooking efo riro was never an issue for me, my mom made sure I knew my way around the kitchen by the age of 10 or maybe earlier. She made me watch and assist her as I was her mini sous chef. Efo riro cannot be rushed, in fact, the longer you allow ...
Recipe
Protein Packed Antioxidant Smoothie
When I think back at my first smoothie - I think back to the era of Jamba Juice, is it still a thing? Not sure, but during my high school and college years, they had so many options and ways that you can build up your smoothies. Jamba Juice made things that you could not just create at home. They had these high powered blender that can clearly slice and mush anything that comes its way. Up to recently, I associated smoothies to specialty stores or at the mall. But fast forward to recently, I too have been able to pool money into a high powered machine. My Vitamix, has allowed me to whip up almost anything from sauces, to dressing, ice-cream and you guessed it - smoothies. My mom ...
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Black beans weren't something I grew up on, in fact – beans were usually a slow-cooked pot of gooey yumminess of honey beans. Often the beans were eaten with a starch like yams, dry cassava (gari), or fried yellow plantains to name a few. Now I'd see black beans in the canned food section and glanced passed the dry bags as I walked through the aisle – but Chipotle! Chipotle gave the black bean a different tune. Cue – happy dance. When I first had Chipotle – probably in 2011 (late bird – I know) the flavors of the rice, the beans, the salsa. Cue – happy dance. I've stopped eating at Chipotle but instead reached for the already made black beans in the Goya cans. This satisfied me ...
Vegan Mangú
Growing up in the Bronx I was surrounded by so many different cultures. I grew up in a pretty traditional Nigerian home, foods and customs traditional to how my parents grew up while at home. This is no exception for many immigrant children like me growing up. So when I'd leave the comfort of my home and gel with the customs of others, whether it be school, work, or events, I got to experience foods and witness traditions and dressing - all because I lived in the melting pot of New York City. Just like other boroughs, The Bronx has very distinct groups that come in and settle into different pockets around the city. It's like the first person in that neighborhood - holds down the forth ...
Serendipitous Blueberry/Orange Waffles
An accidental delight? My oranges were supposed to become a sorbet - orange sorbet to blueberry waffles is pretty drastic, but it saved me some time with deciding breakfast for my second edition of $20 Grocery Run. I realized that everything needed to be frozen, and I needed more than a serving. So no dessert this week - but I'm excited that I thought fast and came up with these lovely waffles. They're moist enough where I'm skipping out on the maple syrup. I've put them in baggies to take to work for breakfast. Hope you enjoyed this accidental mistake. Serendipitous Blueberry/Orange Waffles Recipe Type: Breakfast Cuisine: American Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total ...
Zobo Soda
Hibiscus is a drink that I grew up on, mainly seeing it at Jamaican restaurants as a child in the form of a sorell drink. Its made out of dried hibiscus leaves, you're probably familiar with the typical shot of a hummingbird sucking nectar out of the flow. Hibiscus comes in different types all from the same family. So you can imagine my brain activity when I discovered that sorell was also a drink in Nigeria. It's called Zobo - my excitement to identify it when I was on vacation back in 2011 was matched with unimpressed stares from my cousin. I guess I was excited that I was able to see a similarity in Caribbean Afro foods. Something I'm learning more and ...
