Nutrition
Bitter leaf soup (Ofe Onugbu)
Bitter leaf soup is a savoury Nigerian soup, commonly eaten with fufu. It has a slightly bitter taste. This soup is made with a leafy green, native to parts of Africa, known as bitter leaf. This nutritious African soup is commonly eaten with fufu, eba or pounded yam, but you can eat it also with rice.
Ingredients
- 500 grammes of meat precooked
- 800 grammes of cow/beef foot precooked
- 500 grammes of stock fish precooked
- 1-2 of dry fish
Other ingredients
- 250 grammes of bitter leaves (vegetable)
- 3 Uziza leaves
- 1-½ tablespoonfuls of mkpuru ofo powder
- 2 tablespoonfuls of cameroon pepper
- 2 table spoonfuls of ogiri
- 200 grammes of palmnut paste
- ¼ cup of coarsely ground crayfish
Preparation (bitter leaf)
-Wash the bitter leaf thoroughly with lot of water to remove sand and other particles.
-Boil in large pot for 30 minutes. (leave the pot open while cooking otherwise it would bubble over).
-Turn off heat, pour the bitter leaf into a sieve and run it over with cold water. -rinse a few times.
-Transfer back to pot and add half a tablespoonful of potash or baking soda. Bring to boil again and allow to boil for another 30mins.
-Store or use immediately.
Preparation ( bitter leaf soup)
- Put about eight cups of water in a pot. Add salt and bring to slow boil.
- Add the ground crayfish and ground cameroon pepper.
- Add the precooked meats, Turn down the heat to low. ( Don’t cook meats for too long remember they are already precooked)
- Add in the palmnut paste or palm oil and stir.
- Mix Ogiri with a little water and add to the pot. Then take a cooking spoon of hot liquid from the pot to dissolve the mkpuru ofo powder.
- Pour the dissolved mixture into the soup and stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- As the soup thickens, add onugbu leaves followed by the uziza leaves.
- Stir properly and allow soup to simmer for about a minute.
- Turn off heat. Do not cover pot immediately
Source: chefspencil.com
Health benefits of bitter leaf
Aids in Weight Loss
The components in bitter leaf juice make it great therapy for burning off that extra fat you have been looking at getting rid of.
Reduces Cancer Risks
Bitter leaf contains numerous anti-cancer properties like andrographolide compound which has been scientifically found to be effective in treating prostate cancers, gastric cancers, and colon.
Lowers high blood pressure
The same bitterness in bitter leaf that makes it unappetising is also one of its strongest best benefits. The bitterness of bitter leaf juice helps to lower your sugar level and controls blood pressure.
Aids in treatment of abdominal issues
Bitter leaf comes in handy in the treatment of abdominal issues like stomach upset, diarrhea, dysentery and other gastrointestinal tract diseases. Drinking a cup of bitter leaf juice twice daily helps bring relief from stomach problems.
Enhances fertility
Bitter leaf is very impressive when it comes to its benefit to the reproductive system of women. Drinking bitter leaf juice can help a woman get pregnant as the chemical compounds present in bitter leaf extracts like edotides promotes hormonal balance and boosts your immune system to help fight against toxification.
Source: guardian.ng/life
Nutrition
Almond cake
Ingredients
– 5 eggs
– I margarine cup of sugar
– ½ cup of all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoonful of baking
powder
– -1/4 tablespoonful of
almond extract
– -2 cups of very finely
ground blanched almonds
– -1/8 tablespoonful of salt
and ½ of tarter
– 1tablespoonful of grated
lemon feel
– ¾ cup of finely chopped
blanched almonds.
Method
-In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until light gradually.
– Add half cup of the sugar, beating until thick lemon coloured.
-In a bowl combine flour and baking powder.
-Add almond extract and one cup of the grounded almonds (Mix until nuts are well distributed)
– In another bowl beat egg until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar, beating until soft peaks form.
-In a remaining ½ cup sugar. Fold in lemon peel and remaining ground almonds.
-Stir a quarter of the egg mixture and blend. (Gently mould mixture).
-Turn into a greased 9 by 13- inch baking pan. (Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20 to 25 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched.
– cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the lemon syrup.
– Cut cake into diamond- shaped pieces (make 4 length wise cuts in cake, then cut diagonally 11/4 inches apart).
-Pour hot syrup over cake and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Let cool completely.
Nutrition
Lemon Syrup
Method
-In a small pan, combine ¾ cup sugar, three tablespoonful of lemon juice and ¼ cup water.
Bring to a boil over high heat and cook just until sugar is dissolved.
Source; Recipejoint
Homemade almond milk
-2 cups raw almonds
-3 cups filtered water
– Vanilla extract, dates, or cinnamon, to taste
Preparation
-Soak raw almonds in water for 6-8 hours or overnight to make them softer and easier to blend.
-Drain and rinse the soaked almonds, then combine them with water in a blender
-Strain the blended mixture to separate the solids (almond pulp) from the liquid (almond juice).
-Taste and adjust sweetness or flavour with natural sweeteners or extracts like (dates or cinnamon)
-Keep refrigerated and drink within a week.
