Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #9: Cubano Sandwich

After a very tiring past week and a half, Vegan Mofo can resume. That’s back to Caribbean Cuisine and there are several recipes to post before August ends.
I heard it is National Cubano Sandwich Day! A Cubano or Cuban sandwich is typically a meaty packed sandwich (ham mostly) with pickles and mustard, bread sides toasted to browning perfection. It’s origin is a tricky one— because though it is called a Cubano, the origins are tied between both Florida and Cuba. Each place has a story about the humble beginnings of a very popular lunch order.
My version contains pan seared tempeh, Field Roast Chao, and lime-dill sour cream between buttery, crisp bread. It is an unbelievably flavor packed guilty pleasure sandwich. Our local stores don’t have veggie ham and the Tofurkey slices are just as good. They also sell the Lightlife deli slices— I have yet to try those.

Tempeh Cubano Sandwich Ingredients and Preparation

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 8oz tempeh, sliced in half
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
5-6 veggie deli slices
pickles

1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 slices vegan cheese (Field Roast Chao is used here)
bread

Heat a skillet with coconut oil.
Mix together soy sauce, garlic, cumin, paprika, and thyme. Add in tempeh.
Toss tempeh into the skillet. Sear on both sides.
Combine sour cream with lime juice, salt, and black pepper. Spread on bread.
Assemble sandwich with tempeh, veggie slices (can be cold or fried), pickles, and sour cream sauce.
Grill the bread on both sides.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #8: Cou-Cou With Lime “Fish”

Missed a few days, but back to Vegan Mofo-ing! I plan to make desserts soon. Just gotta find the right sweets that also match with what’s on hand— something that needs raisins and chocolate for example.
Right now, savory Caribbean Cuisine continues with cou-cou, a specialty dish in Barbados much like ugali and fufu. The main difference is that cou-cou means cornmeal prepared with okra and spices. The okra is cut up into tiny bits, boiled, and the okra water is used to flavor the cornmeal before the okra pieces are added back in. My recipe is inspired by veganizing both CaribCuisine and The Spruce  Eats, throwing in lime gardein fishless filets as the perfect meaty component that celebrates Barbadians love for combining simple ingredients together.  Cou-cou is usually prepared with a cou stick, but a wooden spoon works just fine.


Cou-Cou With Lime Fish Ingredients and Preparation

2 1/2 cup water
8 okra, sliced
1/4 cup spiced onion
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoon coconut or olive oil or vegan butter

2 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 gardein fishless filets

Soak cornmeal in cold water.
Bring okra, onion, thyme, marjoram, garlic, and salt to a boil, cooking for about ten minutes.
Take out okra and reserve some of the seasoned okra water. Pour the cornmeal into the remaining water. Bring to a simmer, stirring every fifteen minutes to prevent sticking. Add the extra okra water.
Once the cou-cou is finished (sides should be easy to scoop out), place into a “buttered” bowl to mold.
In a skillet, heat coconut oil. Whisk together lime juice, garlic, paprika, and thyme. Coat thawed fishless filets with the simple marinade and toss them into waiting skillet. Sear both sides for about 4-5 minutes each.
Serve fishless filets with cou-cou.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #7: Picadello

The seventh Vegan Mofo tribute post to Caribbean cuisine is picadello, a celebrated Cuban dish that features unexpected delights in its slow simmered ground beef— like raisins, capers, and olives. I veganized an All Recipes version. Now I personally abhor olives though known to enjoy a good tampanede from time to time. At the grocery store, there were shelves upon shelves of olives, but certainly no tampanade to sneak in as an olive component. Also, I omitted the green bell pepper because one simply has to be in the mood to tolerate them.
This recipe calls for Sazon Seasoning and brands like Goya often times contains dyes and MSG. Here is an easy homemade one:

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, toasted then ground
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted then ground
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, (or dried marjoram or verbena)
1 tablespoon achiote seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika) 

Mix ingredients together well and use 1.5 teaspoons for each packet of the Goya Sazon your recipe calls for.

Picadello can be a side dish for rice, served with fried plantains or used as taco or empanada filling. I made tacos of course. I wish that I had vegan sour cream or plain yogurt on hand to mix with lime and cilantro— would have made for excellent topping to these incredibly fulfilling tacos.

Picadello Ingredients and Preparation

2 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 12 oz package Lightlife Soy Ground (or any other vegan ground)
1 14 oz can salt free diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon Sazon Seasoning
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon cumin
fresh thyme for tasty decoration (optional)

In a skillet, heat oil with garlic and onion, stirring for seven minutes or so.
Add remainder of ingredients except thyme.
Simmer soy ground for ten minutes.
Serve warm with thyme.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #6: Curried Plantains & Tomato Rice

Everyone loves a little bit of curry in a dish. Plantains are definitely a huge part of most Caribbean meals. All over the region, plantains are either the well seasoned side dish or the fried, greasy snack before the main course. I love them in many ways— mostly savory. Thus, this is the start of several recipes that star yummylicious plantains.
For my delicious meal, I first boiled my unripened plantain so that it was soft and lovely during its short frying time— a ripe plantain, however, is recommended. The tomato rice has the same flavors inside, marrying the components together for a scrumptious, fulfilling meal.

Curried Plantains and Tomato Rice Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 chopped white onion
2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 plantain, cut into three pieces
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Prepare rice to package directions. Drain. Mix in tomato sauce, onion, curry powder, cumin, fenugreek, salt, and black pepper.
In a skillet, let the coconut oil  warm up. Combine thick plantain slices with garlic, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and crushed red pepper and toss them into the skillet. Sear each side for a few minutes.
Serve atop of rice with extra crushed red pepper.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #5: Macaroni Pie

Macaroni Pie around the Caribbean is much sweeter than the rich, ooey gooey American baked mac n cheese. Although it typically has no crust, perhaps that is why “pie” is in the name. They usually include evaporated or condensed milk to sweeten their traditional dish, then adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and sometimes ginger for enhancing this unique flavor profile.
Inspired by In Search of Yumminess, my version retains that sweet, buttery goodness— all vegan of course. Plus, along the way, I Ickes a new skill— making evaporated almond milk, a key ingredient in Macaroni Pie.

Macaroni Pie Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup cold evaporated almond milk*
1 cup vegan cheese of choice
2 tablespoon vegan butter, coconut or olive oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of crushed red pepper

*For evaporated almond milk, bring two cups of almond milk to a simmer, whisking frequently until the almond milk has lost half its contents.

Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix macaroni with all ingredients and pour into desired dish (I filled up a six inch Pyrex baking dish).
Bake for thirty minutes.
Sprinkle extra cinnamon and serve warm.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #4: Blackened Pinto Beans & Rice

Certainly everyone has heard of the tragic events that happened late Saturday night here in Dayton, Ohio. My family, friends, and I are still in great shock-- with the exception of that shocking tornado a few months back Dayton is a relatively small, quiet city. Today was supposed to be a sweet day-- I had my first Veg News Magazine article due to be published this morning online-- a post on Eating Out Vegan in Dayton. Instead, it feels too unreal to celebrate that, to think about food at a time such as this. I am very happy that Veg News have removed the post out of sensitivity and respect. We're slowly recovering, healing. It is difficult to make sense in this. Very, very difficult.

 
Now I move onto my fourth Vegan Mofo 2019 post with lost lives in mind, heart, and spirit.

Lately, I have been going to the grocery store without my glasses. Last night, upon making dinner, I realized the pinto beans were not black beans for my Cuban inspired recipe for congri. Thus, after I drained the pinto beans and smashed them by hand, I added soy sauce for flavor and darkening that noticeable brownish pink. I pan seared it in coconut oil, achieving a lovely color and arousing kitchen fragrance.

Pinto Beans and Rice Ingredients and Preparation

2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup cooked brown rice

Mix mashed pinto beans with soy sauce, cumin, tomato paste, garlic and onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Pour into heated skillet of coconut oil. Stir for 5-7 minutes.
Serve with prepared brown rice. 

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #3: Sweet Cocoa Tea (Hot & Cold)

For my third Vegan Mofo post, I remember visiting Grenada last year, drinking continuous cups of cocoa tea (also known as cacao tea) at the House of Chocolate-- a museum, cafe, and shop. Cocoa tea is a beverage of choice for several Caribbean countries including Grenada and St. Lucia. It is usually pure cacao husk blended with bay leaf and spices and formed into a ball or stick form. Like traditional tea, it is meant to be activated in hot water and sweetened however way one wants it.

At the House of Chocolate in Grenada last May with cocoa tea and cane sugar.

You can purchase cocoa tea/cacao tea from various places online. The Grenada Market in Brooklyn sells Spice Caribbean Cocoa Balls and kkao (currently sold out of their teas) features cacao teas from all over the world.
The taste is an amazingly delicious hot cocoa meets tea, rich and flavorful.

Cocoa Tea Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup water
1 cocoa tea ball or cocoa stick
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup almond milk (or any dairy free alternative)
1/4 cup cane sugar (or maple syrup)

Place cocoa tea ball or stick into the water with cinnamon sticks, stirring until the ball dissolves.
Add almond milk and cane sugar.

*To have cold, follow all instructions, then pour cocoa tea into pitcher, and keep refrigerated for four hours. Add ice cubes for additional chill.

Vegan Mofo 2019 Day #1: Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower

Kick things off with a delicious bowl of crisp cauliflower.

Hello Vegan Mofo and the regular visitors of AfroVeganChick. Welcome to a whole month of Caribbean themed cuisine that ventures all the over the region, exploring ways to create vegan dishes and re innovate those that aren't (like Saltfish and Ackee for example).

Officially participating in my seventh Vegan Mofo.

I used Well Vegan's Cauliflower "Wings" recipe to start off a hot, sweltering August. Although cutting out the baking process by using frozen cauliflower and no added flours for textural crunch, my creation is still a wonderful tribute to the spicy flare of Jamaican food. I've never used habañero peppers before and they're spicy-- so cut them as small as possible and mix well. As a light, delicious sauce to balance out the cauliflower, try vegan sour cream and chives or Well Vegan's vegan yogurt and lime juice.

Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower Ingredients and Preparation

1 bag frozen cauliflower (or a whole head of cauliflower chopped)
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Jamaican Jerk Sauce

1 scotch bonnet or habañero pepper, seeds removed and diced
3 green onions, diced (or scallion)
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice (also known as pimento)
1 teaspoon ginger
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon maple syrup or can sugar (for soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt (for liquid aminos)

Bring frozen cauliflower to a boil and drain. 
Combine Jamaican Jerk Sauce ingredients and mix with cauliflower.
In a medium skillet, heat up coconut oil and add cauliflower. Cook for 7-10 minutes.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 26: West African Lime Cake

West African Lime Cake concludes a month of Veganizing Recipes from Africa. I loved that a majority of these finds were already vegan. 

It has been a splendid Vegan Mofo. Thank you everyone for visiting, leaving comments, and trying out shared recipes. I truly appreciate the time spent learning about Africa regions and diverse cuisines and bringing that to AfroVeganChick. Whether recipes succeeded triumphantly or failed profusely, I had wonderful, long moments spent in the kitchen, experimenting and growing as a vegan cook enthusiast.  This is certainly not the end to integrating ancestral food into my contemporary lifestyle.
A huge thank you to the Vegan Mofo team for the avid social media support including this shout out to the "Fish" Balls (thank you, Rosie!). You gals and guys rock!
Since my birthday is next Sunday, a light early celebratory dessert was in order. In West Africa, lime cake is the rage next to sweet fried puff puffs and mandazi. I made a veganized version that is coarse and grainy, less airier than a standard American cake. Similar to cornbread texture, this lime cake will please anyone who has a modest sweet tooth.

West African Lime Cake Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup coconut or olive oil
2 flax eggs (2 tablespoon flaxmeal with 4 tablespoon water)
juice and zest of one lime
2/3 cup dairy free milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder.
Mix in oil, flax egg, lime zest and juice, and dairy free milk.

All mixed together. Pour into a greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Cooled lime cake topped with Reddi Whip Almond Whipped Cream and lime slices. 

Perfect end to an amazing Vegan Mofo 2018. 

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 25: Khobz

Baked khobz is perfect any time of the day. Best served warm. 

Morocco--primarily mountainous-- is definitely a place that I long to visit alongside the newly discovered Mauritius. Known for pleasant beaches and gorgeous weather, this large country hashweather similar to California. Official languages are Moroccan and Hassaniya Arabic, Berber, and some French. Majestic peaks include the Toubkal (the largest range in Northern Africa) and the High Atlas Mountains. Their arts and literature are celebrated. Louis Lumiere's Le Chevier Marocain has the earliest film created in Morocco from 1897.
Moroccan cuisine is limitless with influences from Moorish to Mediterranean. Mint, saffron, lemons, oranges, olives, couscous, and dates.
Most importantly, they have bread everyday and khobz is often the top bakery choice. It is a hard and crusty with a soft interior. The top is often coated in sesame seeds before baking in the oven. I found this recipe on Kevin Lee Jacob's A Garden for the House blog-- takes an hour and minutes to make and well worth the effort in the end.

Khobz Ingredients and Preparation

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
sesame seeds

Mix warm water and yeast together. Set aside for ten minutes.
Stir flour and salt.
Add warm water and yeast mixture.
Knead for ten to twelve minutes.
Transfer onto parchment paper that is laid out a baking sheet. Cut dough in half and flatten with palm. Cover and rest for ten minutes.
Once the dough has risen, pour and press in the sesame seeds.
Cover again and let dough rest for another hour.
Preheat oven to 425, use a knife to score steam vents on both breads, and bake for 25 minutes.

Fresh baked bread is one of the best kitchen smells.  In fact, this traveled all the way upstairs. 

Breakfast scene: warmed khobz, vegan butter, and cold almond milk. 

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 24: Grilled Enqulal Tibs & Cheese Sandwiches

A spice grilled cheese with amazing tofu scramble.

Today's destination of Ethiopia hails a few people I personally know including local artist Sedakial Gebremedhim. This highly populated (100 million people), very beautiful country is located in the Horn of Africa bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Kenya. There are 856 bird species and 16 of them are endangered. Mammals are also vulnerable and on a rapid decline due to deforestation. Organizations are in place to aide in reducing the issues.
Ethiopian cuisine is starred by delicious injera-- a sour teff flour dough usually topped with a variety of spiced vegetables and legumes. It is custom to eat it with hands and feed it to loved ones and strangers.
Originally, I had planned to make injera, but fate had other ideas in store. In comes enqulal tibs-- a popular scrambled eggs dish prepared with nit'r kibbeh and berbere spice. I crumbled extra firm tofu and fried with leftover coconut nit'r kibbeh and homemade berbere. It doesn't stop there. The bread is grilled on both sides, lightly coated in the kibbeh, making for one of the most unique grilled "cheese" experiences ever. The flavors are outstanding.
By the way, while in the kitchen photographing my sandwiches, my passing housemate exclaimed," wow that looks and smells good. Everything you make always smells good!"
That was my happy, humbling moment of today.

Grilled Enqulal Tibs & Cheese Sandwiches Ingredients and Preparation

berbere spice from Imma

3 tablespoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon black pepper (preferably white)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Stir everything together, making sure to crush any balls and lumps like ground ginger. 

I poured mine in an empty black pepper grinder.

Tofu Scramble

1 1/2 tablespoon coconut nit'r kibbeh
1 1/2 cup crumbled extra firm tofu
1 1/2 teaspoon berbere spice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
bread (used Dave's Killer 21 Seeds Thin Sliced Bread)
Field Roast Tomato Cayenne Chao (or any dairy free alternative)

In a skillet, heat up coconut nit'r kibbeh.
Toss tofu scramble with berbere, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Pour into hot skillet.
Stir tofu scramble around in the sizzling kibbeh, browning sides for five to seven minutes.
Scoop prepared tofu scramble into bread and top with vegan cheese.
Add more coconut nit'r kibbeh to the skillet and lay down the sandwiches, pressing on them with a spatula. Both sides should be toasty and brown.

Gorgeous sandwiches presented on a beautiful plate.

Dig in. 

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 23: Arroz Roce

São Tomé and Príncipe are an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, near western coast of central Africa, with Gabon closest. The official language is Portuguese and Forro, Angolar, and Principense are also spoken. It is a hot and humid location with a few bird species and plants thriving in Africa's second smallest country. The main agricultural crop is cocoa and then palm kernels, copra, and coffee. Their cuisine is mostly beans, corn, cooked bananas, pineapple, avocado, coffee as seasoning, hot spices, and sweet potato omelettes.
I wasn't partial to making rice pudding. Once, I had a stepfather that demanded my siblings and I to eat sugared white rice. Back then, we were raised on butter and salted rice. I thought it was one of the grossest creations known to man-- well next to my hatred of ham and spam. Still, the island's popular arroz roce is divine and simple dessert. I didn't have coconut milk on hand, but So Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer and regular almond milk thickened the rice well enough. The kitchen smelled so sweet and fragrant, I couldn't wait to devour a bowl or two. This models the recipe from the 196Flavors blog.

Arroz Roce Ingredients and Preparation

1 1/4 cup rice
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut creamer
1/2 cup almond milk

Bring rice, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick to a boil.
Add salt, sugar, cinnamon, coconut creamer, and dairy free milk.
Allow rice to thicken.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 22: Chickpea Vindaye

Chickpeas are once again transformed into a meaty starring dish.

Tropical Mauritius, where flightless dodos once roamed freely, is an island located in the Indian Ocean formerly under Dutch and French rule. English and French are the national languages with Creole, Bhojpuri, and Hindustani also spoken. The island ranks high as a tourist attraction with a splendid rock formation (Seven Colored Earths) being the height alongside beautiful beaches and climbing the picturesque La Morne Brabant Mountain. Among the several holidays celebrated is the Abolition of Slavery every February 1st.
Mauritian cuisine is a combination of influences from Chinese, Indian, French, and Creole. Curries, pickles, chutney, rice, and noodles are highly favored staples.
I was inspired by Aislinn's Travelstart blog post (which features plentiful meals worth veganizing) to venture into another "fish" dish. These "feel good fish cakes," crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, are a slightly altered recipe from We Are So Vegan. I created a simple mustard marinade for that authentic vindaye which is all about mustard, onions, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander.

Chickpea Vindaye Ingredients and Preparation

1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoon sweet relish
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
red onion, chopped
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flaxmeal with 2 tablespoon water)
2 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoon parsley

marinade
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon coriander
red onion, a few slices should do
1-2 teaspoon water
pinch of salt and black pepper

Set aside the flax egg.

In a medium bowl combine ingredients. Add flax egg last.

Shape into patties and heat a skillet with a light coating of olive or coconut oil.

Gently place patties in the skillet and brown each side for 5-7 minutes. In the meantime, whip up the marinade in a blender or food processor.

Serve "fish" vindaye with marinade and a side of a  vegetable-- perhaps broccoli.

Bon appetit.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 21: Efo and Lentil Stew

The very last Vegan Mofo stew is packed with feel good vibes.

Niger is named after the Niger River and is the western part of Africa bordered by Nigeria, Benin, Libya, Mali, Burkino Faso, Chad, and Algeria. The subtropical climate is mostly dry with plenty of deserts and savannahs. The Air and Tenere National Nature Preserve was founded to protect rare species of Barbary sheep, oryxes, gazelles, and Addax antelope. While French is the official language, ten other dialects are spoken throughout. They have two major festivals each year-- Guerewol of the Wodaabe tribe is a traditional union ceremony and  La Cure Salee of Tuareg and Wodaabe pays tribute to the end of  rainy season.
Nigerien cuisine consists of vegetables (they start their day with salads), rice, potatoes, cassava, millet, dates, and groundnuts. Efo stew, quite simple to prepare, is a premiere highlight of both Niger and Nigeria-- a tasty celebration of greens. I added lentils to this delicious callaloo dish for texture, flavor, and fiber.

Efo Stew With Lentils Ingredients and Preparation

1 cup lentils
1 1/2 cup water
2 cup callaloo or spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

After boiling and simmering lentils for about 30 minutes, add callaloo and other ingredients, cooking this for 7-10 minutes.

Vegan Mofo 2018 Post 20: Chapati

Chapati is perfect at any time of the day.

Burundi--one of the smallest countries in Africa-- is located in the eastern part of the continent. The Nile, Lake Victoria, and Lake Tanganyika are major water resources in a country of mostly agriculture and pastural. Arts and music are important, especially basket weaving and drums respectively. Oral storytelling, martial arts, and sports are also noted.
Their cuisine is simple-- sweet potatoes, corn, and peas are a usual meal. They don't eat meat as often as other countries. Close friends do, however, have communal impeke (beer) gatherings, passing around and drinking from the container that shows unity.
Chapati is a very popular fry bread almost similar to pancakes, but less sweet and a lot more prepping effort. This latest veganized recipe from Imma's African Bites website is absolutely delicious. I am thankful to have frequently visited a place that has helped shape some of the dishes over the course of my Vegan Mofo theme. The end results of making chapati for the first time were well worth the taste of crisp, "buttery" thin bread layered with the tantalizing burst of married cherries and dates.

Chapati Ingredients and Preparation

3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/4 cup warm water
coconut or olive oil for brushing and frying

In a large bowl, make a well from the flour. Add sugar, salt, oil, and water.
Knead until soft and sticky.
Transport onto a floured board and knead for 8-16 minutes longer.
Cut the dough into 6-8 circles.
Roll out each one, lightly adding oil to both sides.
Gently fold upward as if making a paper fan until it's one long strand. Coil the strand as if forming cinnamon buns.

Cover for 15 minutes to let dough rest. Afterwards, warm up the skillet and start rolling out coiled dough.

Sear each side for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.

A stack of "buttery" chapati.

Yum.

Smothered in cherry date goodness.