Traditional Yoruba (Nigerian) Cooking–Part III–Prep The Meats

So, let’s get down to brass tacks, it’s time to prep the meats!

You can use any meat or combination of meats of your choice. I am using 2 Ibs of Chicken thighs and drumsticks, ad 2 Ibs of cubed Goat meat, because I loves me some goat!

Note: I f you are cooking Goat meat I suggest cooking it separate from the chicken.

Here’s why.

Goat has a distinct musky flavor and can be quite fatty. I prefer to let the fat render out during the cooking process, then I discard the broth.  I do not want the extra fat/cholesterol and musk in my stew. That’s just me.

Ingredients:

2Ibs of Chicken or 2Ibs of Goat: (The spice mixture is the same for both meats, but double if doing only one kind of meat)
The spice mixture is the same for both meats.
1/2 Medium Onion, sliced thinly.
2 Bouillon cubes (maggi cubes’ target=_blank>Maggi cubes, or any other variety)
1/2 Tbsp Thyme
1 Tbsp Jamaican Curry powder
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Prep the Meats by removing and discarding any unwanted parts such as skins and excess fats. Rinse the meats thoroughly. Place the meats a sauce pan and cover with water up to approximately 1 inch over the meats.

2. Add the sliced Onions, spices, bouillion cubes and salt to taste.

3. Cook the meats on medium high heat. Chicken: Boil for 20 mins. Goat: Boil for 40mins.

4. While the meats cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the meats from the broth and place in a lined cookie sheet. **Reserve the chicken broth for the stew***
The boiled meats should look like this:

The cooked Goat.

The cooked Chicken

4. Time to dry the meat in the oven. This step is what takes your meats to the next level of flavor greatness. Drying further cooks the meats and condenses the flavor. Place the meats in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30-45mins.

Dried Goat

Dried Chicken

This concludes the Meat Prep. At this point you can bag and freeze the meats for another day.
Sometimes I cook extra so I can skip the meat prep the next time I want to make some stew.

Next stop, we’ll work on the sauce portion of the stew.

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Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: The Ingredients/Shopping List
Part 3: Prepping the meats 
Part 4: Making the Stew/Obe Ata
Part 5: Okra Stew!
Part 6: The Pounded Yam (Iyan)
Part 7: Putting it all together/Conclusion

Make Oatmeal in a Coffee Maker?

So apparently you can now make Oatmeal in your coffee maker. I think the better question is ‘why would you want to?’. Surely there have to be simpler more sensible ways to do this. Well, if that’s what floats your boat, head on over to try it out.

Or you could do it the old fashioned way.

My kids LOVE oatmeal so I faithfully get up every morning and cook them rolled oats for breakfast.  The Mister, no matter how detailed my instructions, botches it every time. He even botches the little oatmeal packets! Seriously, who can mess that up? If I have to leave before breakfast, I measure everything out before I leave, (yeah, I have control issues).

Here’s my usual recipe:

1 1/2 Cups rolled oats
2 1/2 Cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C + 2Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 Cup Milk
pat of Butter for each bowl.

Combine first three ingredients in a pot. Cover the pot and cook over very low heat, until cooked (approximately 10mins) Do not stir while cooking.
When oatmeal is cooked add the brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and milk and stir together. Scoop into bowls and top with pats of butter.
Makes 3 large servings or 4 smaller ones.

If cooking it from scratch is not your style, LifeHacker has this totally cool food hack. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m totally going to! Well, if The Mister will let me put Oatmeal in his precious coffeemaker, that is.

Head over there to get this fun little tute!

Image Courtesy of LifeHacker

Make Oatmeal in a Coffee Maker

Apparently you can now make Oatmeal in a Coffee Maker

My kids LOVE oatmeal so I faithfully get up every morning and cook them rolled oats for breakfast.  The Mister, no matter how detailed my instructions, botches it every time. He even botches the little oatmeal packets! Seriously, who can mess that up? If I have to leave before breakfast, I measure everything out before I leave, (yeah, I have control issues).

Here’s my usual recipe:

1 1/2 Cups rolled oats
2 1/2 Cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C + 2Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 Cup Milk
pat of Butter for each bowl.

Combine first three ingredients in a pot. Cover the pot and cook over very low heat, until cooked (approximately 10mins) Do not stir while cooking.
When oatmeal is cooked add the brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and milk and stir together. Scoop into bowls and top with pats of butter.
Makes 3 large servings or 4 smaller ones. 

If cooking it from scratch is not your style, LifeHacker has this totally cool food hack. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m totally going to! Well, if The Mister will let me put Oatmeal in his precious coffeemaker, that is.

Head over there to get this fun little tute!

Image Courtesy of LifeHacker

Make Oatmeal in a Coffee Maker