Like the famous philosopher once said, ‘Tis the season to be jolly and what better way to be merry than with good taste buds and food.
The festive period is all about sharing and spreading love to your loved ones and the people around you.
One good thing about the festive holiday is that all your family members are home from far and wide. That’s a perfect time to try out new recipes; more hands in the kitchen and more mouths to feed.
We all know Jollof rice is the national anthem for any Nigerian occasion, but why not try something new this period. A good meal is driven by the perfect seasoning to sensate your taste buds. After all, it’s the seasoning of the season (pun intended).
Here are two recipes you should try out this festive season.
Stir fry Spaghetti.
Stir Fry Spaghetti: When a plate of stir fry is served, one attraction that draws you is the colors on the plate; what could easily be called the colors of Christmas.
Ingredients
4 bell peppers cut into strips
4 green peppers cut into strips
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 bulbs of onions chopped
3 yellow peppers cut into strips
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 carrots diced
1 tablespoon olive oil/ vegetable oil
Spaghetti pasta
Salt to taste
2 Seasoning cubes
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon Thyme, curry and ginger
Add clean water to a pot, add a teaspoon of oil, add the spaghetti and leave to boil for about 10 minutes.
Make sure the spaghetti is not overcooked, drain and rinse with cold water and keep aside.
In a non-stick pan, add olive oil or vegetable oil to the pan; once the oil starts to sizzle (under medium heat), add in all of the chopped, cut and diced vegetables. Stir, to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the soy sauce and the remaining seasonings. Cook on low heat for 5 to 8minutes. Finally, add the already drained spaghetti into the pan and begin to toss till all the colors of the vegetables pop up and serve.
Plantain Frittata
Another recipe to try out this time of the year is the Plantain Frittata. The colors of the result are always so aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Plantain Frittata is an egg-based dish that comes from an Italian origin; frittata means ‘fried’.
Ingredients
2 ripe plantains
2 chopped red peppers
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped yellow pepper
1 cup of minced meat
2 diced onions
4 eggs
2 seasoning cubes
1 cup of vegetable oil
Salt to taste
First, preheat vegetable oil in the pan (medium heat), peel off plantains and cut to any desired shape.
Add cut plantains into oil and fry till it gives a golden brown color. Pour oil from the pan into someplace else. Place the pan back on the cooker (low heat) and add a little oil just to grease the pan a bit.
Break eggs into an empty bowl/container, add half of every vegetable and half portion of the already fried plantains and meat. Mix well and pour into the greased pan, finish off with the remaining half portions of the vegetables, plantains and meat.
Cover and leave for 10 to 15 to cook under low heat. Slice up in triangles like the pizza triangles and it is ready to be devoured.
The festive season comes once in a year, stuff your tummy and maybe for once, don’t think about the calories. After all, you only live once right?
