How To...

How To Make Stir-Fried Noodles

By Lazy Cook April 14, 2021

Stir-Fried Noodles

Yesterday I tried boiling my noodles, the way I grew up cooking it as a lazy cook, but I didn’t enjoy it and I realized I should have just stuck to my stir-fried noodles. Laziness takes the blame for that experiment.

When you hear stir-fry, what comes to mind? Rice? Spaghetti? Well, you cam stir-fry your noodles too and it would come out delicious. I think it also looks better on the eyes.

INGREDIENTS

– Noodles

– Vegetable oil

– Onions

– Scotch bonnet

– Vegetables (Carrot, green pepper, green pea)

– Sausages

– Soy sauce

– Oyster sauce

– Curry

– Thyme

– Parsley

EQUIPMENT

– Wok, frying pan or saucepan

– Spatula

– Pasta fork

– Sieve

NOTE

1) You can use any noodles of your choice, but ensure you read its cooking instructions. That way you don’t overcook it and end up with soggy stir-fried noodles.

2) The choice of vegetables is your choice. You can add or subtract.

3) Sauces make a lot of difference. You wouldn’t know till you try. So you can invest in those beauties and use them in your stir-fries.

4) A wok is a deep frying pan and it is advisable for stir frying because it allows you to mix your vegetables and noodles easily without spillage.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: Chop your vegetables into your preferred size.

While at it, you set a pot of water on fire and bring to boil. When it boils, put in the noodles and half of the seasoning (e.g, if cooking two noodles, parboil with one seasoning). Allow to cook till it is half done. Be careful not to overcook the noodles, better undercooked than overcooked. Once it is half-done, sieve and set aside.

For more understanding of this process, you can read this blog post HERE or watch the Instagram video HERE.

STEP 2: Put a dry wok on fire, set the heat to medium-low and add very little oil. Little oil because it is stir frying, not deep frying. When the oil has heated up, pour in the onions and vegetables, give them a light fry. Then you add the sausages and the remaining seasoning. Mox them properly.

STEP 3: Pour in the noodles at this point and little quantity of the sauces. Stir properly and check for taste, you can add more sauces if you want. Add the parsley, give a final stir and serve.

Fee free to recreate this recipe, post on Instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Yam Delicacies

Yam and Egg Sauce

By Lazy Cook April 14, 2021

Yam and Egg Sauce

Egg sauce and boiled yam is a major breakfast in Nigerian homes. It is very easy to make and tastes good too, so we all looked forward to it, especially when it comes during the weekend. I prefer this to the usual weekend akara and pap, though I don’t like eggs, it was the lesser evil when placed side by side with akara. Lol

Typically, it is made with fresh tomatoes, scotch bonnets and onions, but feel free to play around with your ingredients, as I even put a little ground prawn in mine. Overall I’ll advise you to keep it “simple”, that way nothing overwhelms the egg. It should be about the egg right?

You can find my porridge yam recipe HERE.

INGREDIENTS

– Yam

– Vegetable oil

– Fresh tomatoes

– Scotch bonnet

– Onions

– Ground prawn

– Curry

– Thyme

– Parsley

– Seasoning cube

– Salt

PREPARATION

1) All your fresh ingredients should be sliced or chopped and set aside.

2) Break your egg into a neat plate and whisk the egg. I have a penchant for putting some of the seasoning directly into my eggs before whisking it. (E.g), if I am using one stock cube, a third of it would go into my raw egg and the remaining in the tomatoes.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: Slice the yam into your preferred size/shape, wash it and put in a deep pot. Add enough water to the pot, add salt and place on medium heat. Cook until it’s soft, then you drain the water.

STEP 2: Place a saucepan on fire and add some vegetable oil.

Add the tomatoes, pepper and onions. Cook for some minutes till the oil begins to float on top. Add some salt, seasoning, curry and thyme, then you stir to mix the ingredients and allow to cook for some seconds, maybe a minute.

STEP 3: Add whisked egg and leave for a minute or two (depending on the quantity), this would allow it to form, before you stir to scramble it.Add the parsley…

Serve with boiled yam.Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on Instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Rice Delicacies

Native Jollof Rice (Iwuk Edesi)

By Lazy Cook April 2, 2021

Native Jollof Rice

Native jollof rice also known as Iwuk Edesi to the Efik people or generally as palm oil rice is a rice dish that is cooked with palm oil and lots of dry fish and crayfish. Unlike your party jollof rice, native jollof doesn’t need tomatoes or spices. It has a traditional look and flavour, though very delicious.

Some people cook theirs with vegetables, pumpkin leaves or basil leaves (scent leaf). The choice is yours. You can also garnish with whatever meat you like, goat meat, kpomo, diced shaki, etc. I’ll be using diced goat meat and kpomo for mine.

You can also try my pepper soup rice recipe.

INGREDIENTS

– Rice

– Onions

– Palm oil

– Fresh scotch bonnet

– Diced kpomo

– Diced goat meat

– Dry fish

– Ground prawn/crayfish

– Locust bean (iru)

– Pumpkin leaves

– Seasoning cubes

– Salt

PREPARATION

1) Parboil your rice, set aside to drain.

2) Season the goat meat and kpomo, allow them to cook till almost tender.

3) Blend your fresh pepper and half onions together with a little water.

4) Slice the pumpkin leaves and remaining onions, set aside.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: In a sizable pot, put some palm oil and allow to heat up on medium heat. When the pil is hot, add the sliced onions and fry till transclucent. After that you add the locust bean and fry till the flavour begins to come out.

STEP 2: Pour in the blend of pepper and onions, followed by the ground prawn/crayfish, seasoning cubes and a little salt, fry again about 3-5 minutes.

STEP 3: Pour in the stock from your steamed goat meat and kpomo. If you don’t have stock, put in some water, not too much because it is advisable you add water a little at a time. Stir and check for taste, adjust if necessary, then you cover the pot and leave to boil.

STEP 4: When the pot starts boiling, put in your kpomo, goat meat, dry fish and any other tough protein you are using. Stir lightly, cover tightly and leave to cook.

STEP 5: Once the rice is done and the water is remaining very small, throw in your vegetable, give a light stir and allow to dry up.

Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on Instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Nigerian Soups

Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup)

By Lazy Cook April 1, 2021

Ogbono Soup

This is an easy Ogbono soup recipe. Ogbono soup also known as draw soup is in the same league with okra soup, they both draw. Like I have said before, I am not a fan of soups that draw, but I cook them well and I eat them once in a while. Today is one of such days, though I usually cook them in very small quantities.

Some people like their ogbono soup plain, some would never touch it without a leaf in it. I belong to the latter group, so I would be combining two leaves in this soup. However, you can do whatever works for you.

Also, if you don’t like ogbono soup, but want a draw soup, check out my okra soup recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR OGBONO SOUP

– Assorted meat (kpomo, offals and goat meat)

– Ogbono seeds

– Palm oil

– Bitter leaf

– Uziza

– Dry fish

– Stockfish

– Fresh pepper (yellow)

– Onion

– Salt

– Seasoning cubes

NOTE

There are various reasons your ogbono soup won’t draw well, so avoid them;

1) You fried it (for too long). Frying you ogbono makes it lose its potency.

2) You bought the wrong species. There is ogbono seed that doesn’t draw. Growing up I heard there was fake ogbono and I wondered how an agricultural product can be “fake”, but now I know better. To confirm if it is the real thing, break the seed into two and rub against each other. If it gives a stretchy paste, bravo!

3) Old seeds. Seeds that have been harvested and stored for long are of no use in the kitchen. So take a good look at the ogbono you want to buy.

4) Ground ogbono. This applies mainly to people in the diaspora that have no choice than to buy ground packaged ogbono. It loses its potency in that state.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: After boiling your meat and fish, set another pot on fire and put some palm oil in it. When the oil has heated, TURN OFF THE HEAT and pour your ground ogbono into it. Use a spoon or spatula to dissolve the ogbono.

STEP 2: When the ogbono has properly dissolved, set it back on low heat and pour in the stock (water from your cooked meat and fish). Keep stirring again, mixing your ogbono and stock to give a smooth consistency. If it is too thick, add some warm water and mix again.

STEP 3: Cover and leave to boil on low heat. Keep checking on it, scraping off the sides and bottom to prevent burning. Allow to boil for 15-20mins. Ogbono is a quick soup, but it should be allowed to boil well, helping accentuate the taste.

STEP 4: Put in the pepper, ground prawn, meat and fish, then salt and seasoning to taste. Stir and leave to boil again. If it has gotten too thick, you can soften with water.

STEP 5: Add your leaves if any, stir and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and leave to simmer on residual heat.

Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Nigerian Soups

Afang Soup In Three Easy Steps

By Lazy Cook March 20, 2021

Afang Soup

I took my time to create this Afang soup recipe because it is my favourite soup. I mean, if I had to survive on just one food, it would be afang and eba.

Afang soup is an Ibibio/Efik soup. I am of the opinion that they have very good dishes and I always love to learn to make their meals. Made with waterleaf and afang leaves, some people say the soup is not just delicious but nutritious and medicinal. Now let’s get down to business…

INGREDIENTS

– Afang (what Igbos call okazi)

– Waterleaf

– Meat (goat meat, kpono and assorted)

– Dry fish

– Stockfish

– Periwinkles

– Palm oil

– Scotch bonnet (yellow and red)

– Ground prawn

– Seasoning cubes

– Salt (to taste)

NOTE

1) If you have spent time wondering why your afang soup turns out bitter, I want you to know it is beyond your control. There are bitter afang leaves, the darker (greener) it is, the more bitter it turns out. Let’s blame it on chlorophyll. So, go for the lighter leaves.

2) I advise you to use goat meat and any other meat of your choice. The reason being that goat meat accentuates the taste of afang soup. The rule is, if you want the meat to influence the taste of the soup/food – use goat meat.

3) I have a strong preference for this kind of kpomo. Either the head or legs.

It is usually tougher, so I use my pressure pot to cook.

PREPARATION

1) Pick the waterleaf, wash and slice it. Squeeze well and put in a sieve so it can keep draining.

2) Wash the afang leaves, pound or use a food processor/blender to blend it. You can also blend in the market, but if you are blending with a home blender, you would have to put some water to allow the blades move. If the water is much, feel free to sieve it.

3) Soak your stockfish and dry fish in hot water. Pick out the bones and set aside.

4) If you are using unshelled periwinkles, wash well to remove sand particles.

NOW TO THE COOKING
The steps are almost the same with edikan ikong, you can find the recipe HERE.

STEP 1: Put all the meat in a pot, season properly and leave to cook. DON’T PUT WATER. When it has brought out its own juice, add more water and cook till almost tender. Now put in the stock fish and allow them to cook together till they are all tender.

STEP 2: The water should be almost dry, AFANG SOUP IS NOT COOKED WITH WATER, your waterleaf would bring the needed water to support the PALM OIL. Go ahead your waterleaf, dry fish, ground prawn, palm oil, fresh pepper, periwinkles, seasoning cubes and salt. Stir and allow to boil.

STEP 3: The waterleaf should have released its water content by now, go ahead and put in your afang…a little at a time. Stir and check for seasoning. Feel free to readjust if need be. Add some ground prawn, stir again, allow to boil for 2 minutes and turn off heat.

Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Nigerian Stew

Fish Sauce – A Lazy Cook’s Recipe

By Lazy Cook March 13, 2021

Peppered Fish Sauce

This fish sauce is tasty and very easy to make. Feel free to play around with a variety of pepper and fresh fish. Also, palm oil or vegetable oil can be used for this recipe, but do not use spices like thyme or curry if you are using palm oil.

Serve with rice, spaghetti or yam. I will b having mine with rice though.

If this recipe isn’t ideal for you, check out the Nigerian Tomatoes Stew recipe HERE.

INGREDIENTS

– Fish (hake and mullet)

– Vegetable oil

– Red bell pepper (tatashe)

– Yellow bell pepper

– Green bell pepper

– Green chili

– Red chili (shombo)

– Locust bean (iru)

– Spring onions

– Cameroon Pepper

– Parsley

– Onions

– Ginger

– Garlic

– Ground prawn

– Seasoning cubes

– Salt

PREPARATION

1)Wash and clean the fresh fish. Put in a sieve and leave to drain.

2)Wash all the peppers and deseed them, peel the ginger, garlic and onions.

Cut into smaller sizes, including the spring onions…

Put in a blender…

Rough blend them…

3) Season the fish with a stock cube, salt and some garlic and ginger powder. Set aside to marinate.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: Put some oil in the pot to heat up.

When it has heated up, put in the fish to fry.

Allow it to fry well, then you turn the other side. It should be well fried and crispy. Don’t worry yourself, the sauce would soften it later.

When both sides have fried well, take them out and place on a kitchen towel. Repeat the frying process till the fish is exhausted.

STEP 2: In the same oil, put in some locust bean and saute it till you begin to perceive its aroma.

Add the pepper blend to the pot. Then you add some salt and seasoning cubes. BE CAREFUL WHILE PUTTING THE PEPPER. I’LL ADVISE YOU USE A SPOON TO SCOOP.

Cover and allow to boil on medium-low heat. Stir regularly is you are not using a nonstick pot.

STEP 3: The pepper should be well fried by now and the oil would be floating on top. Stir and check for seasoning. Add whatever is lacking, then you put in a 1 tsp of ground prawn, cameroon pepper and the fried fish.

Stir lightly and leave to simmer on low heat. Turn off the heat after a minute.

Feel free to recreate this recipe and tag me on IG @alazycookgram.

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How To...

Have You Been Boiling Your Spaghetti Right?

By Lazy Cook March 6, 2021

Have You Been Boiling Your Spaghetti Right?

You read me right- have you been boiling your spaghetti right? I ask because it took me some time to know this and I reckon there are many of my kind out there. This post would teach you an easy way to boil your spaghetti right.

Spaghetti is an easy meal to put up, be it stir-fried, plain boiled or spaghetti jollof. However, this is for plain boiled spaghetti, permit me to call it white spaghetti, think of your white rice.

When you get a hang of this, you will begin to enjoy your spaghetti and stew more. It might also please you to know that this is how your favorite buka boils theirs too. Those women know lots of tricks we do not know, we should get close to them.

INGREDIENTS

– Water

– Spaghetti

– Salt

– Olive/Vegetable oil

– Sieve

NOTE ON HOW TO BOIL SPAGHETTI RIGHT

– The trick to this process is, the water must NEVER dry in the spaghetti.

– You don’t parboil, just straight to the cooking and eating too…

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: Set a pot of water on fire. This pot should be big and the water should be plenty, yes plenty. Enough to drown the spaghetti. Allow the water boil…

STEP 2: Put in your spaghetti whole. Please do not break the spaghetti, this is one mistake many people make. Stop breaking your spaghetti, it is an abomination to do that, lol.

After putting the spaghetti in, allow the side inside water to soften, then you push in the remaining part till they are all inside the boiling water.

STEP 3: Use a pasta fork or spatula to separate them, stirring it in the process. Add salt and a few drops of oil. Leave to boil.

STEP 4: Keep checking on it to know when you get your desired texture. Once you achieve your desired texture, pour it out in a sieve to drain.

I do put back the spaghetti into the pot and place on low heat for a few seconds, just so the water can dry…

Served with my delicious tomatoes stew, you can find the recipe HERE.

Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on Instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Nigerian Soups

A Tested and Trusted Oha Soup Recipe

By Lazy Cook March 3, 2021

Oha Soup

Oha soup known as ofe oha is a soup native to the Eastern people of Nigeria. I once saw someone complain the leaves were hard, fresh oha leaves are not hard. I cook this soup well, though it is not a favourite.

You can find other soup recipes below;

1)How To Make Edikan Ikong Soup.

2)How To Cook A Tasty Nigerian Egusi Soup.

3)My Quick Okra Soup Recipe.

4)Ofe Onugbu (Bitter leaf Soup).

5)Ofe Owere (A Luxury Soup From Imo State).

6)Ofe Nsala (White Soup).

NOTE

– Oha is traditionally thickened with cocoyam(a), but you can use ofo or achi(b).

– Where I come from, the base is palm fruit extract (a), but you can also use palm oil(b).

So, for the purpose of variety/convenience in cooking, wherever you see (a), feel free to substitute with (b).

INGREDIENTS FOR OHA SOUP

– Beef/cow leg (you can use any protein your diet accepts)

– Half cup of fresh and fleshy palm fruit

– Bunch of oha leaves

– 4-5 normal sized cocoyams.

– Stock fish.

– Dry fish

– Ground crayfish/prawn

– Ogiri Igbo (optional)

– Yellow scotch bonnet

– Uziza leaves (the seeds can serve too).

– Stock cubes

– Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1) Pick your oha and uziza leaves. Shred them. About 4-5 uziza leaves is okay for your home cooking.

2) Wash the palm fruits, when it is done, pound it well in a mortar, pour in some warm water and sieve out the paste.

3) Soak the stockfish and dry fish in hot water. Wash them, as well as the meat. If you are using a cow leg/head, you might want to cook in a pressure pot first.

4) Boil the cocoyam and please, DO NOT PUT SALT! Once it is soft, take off the skin and pound in a mortar till it smooth or dice it into a blender, put a little warm water in it and blend, it should be semi-thick.

5) Blend the pepper and crayfish too.

NOW TO THE COOKING

STEP 1: Put the meat in a pot, season with stock cubes and a little of the fresh pepper. Allow to boil a bit till it releases its own juice. Add a little water and put in the stockfish. Leave to boil till tender, then you pour in the palm fruit extract, stir and allow to boil again.

— If you are using palm oil, increase the water (if you don’t have enough stock) and put in your palm oil. Leave to boil, till the oil completely mixes with the water. They must mix well.

STEP 2: When the pot begins to boil, put in the cocoyam paste, a little at a time. Watch it dissolve and check to achieve your desired thickness. REDUCE heat to medium.

— If you are using achi, this is the time to put it. To avoid creating lumps, mix your achi in warm water and pour into the pot.

STEP 3: Allow it to boil lightly, then you add the fresh pepper, ground prawn, dry fish and ogiri. Cover and leave to boil.

STEP 4: Your broth should be boiling well now, stir and check for seasoning again. If it is okay, put in your WASHED uziza and oha leaves, stir and leave to boil for a minute.

Feel free to recreate this recipe, post on Instagram and tag me @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Rice Delicacies

How To Cook Pepper Soup Rice

By Lazy Cook February 24, 2021

Pepper Soup Rice

Recently I made a post on how to make goat meat pepper soup, which I consider the king of Nigerian pepper soups, you can find the recipe HERE, but this post is for pepper soup rice. I thought of a way to eat my rice with pepper soup like many people do, albeit from a plate and as a single dish. If you know what I mean?

This rice dish can easily pass as an advanced concoction rice, no disrespect intended, lol. It is very easy to prepare, requires no frying and a healthier alternative.

So, if you want something different from your party jollof rice, feel free to read through and try this recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR PEPPER SOUP RICE

– Vegetable oil

– Rice

– Meat (preferably goat meat and assorted, because of their deep flavour)

– Dry fish

– Ginger

– Garlic

– Pepper soup spice (readymade or not)

– Dry/Ground prawn

– Scotch bonnet pepper

– Turmeric

– Scent leaf (nchanwu/efinrin)

– Seasoning cubes

– Salt

PREPARATION

1) Wash and clean the goat meat and assorted meat. There is something I do to my offals (assorted) that I will share with us today. Ever since I became enthusiastic about cooking, my OCD won’t let me eat assorted meat pepper soup outside, I just think it is never clean enough. So, I have a special way I clean mine.

First I cut off every fatty part, then I squeeze in a little lime, leave for a few minutes, rinse the meat and put it in a pot with enough water to parboil. After few minutes I drain the water and use it to cook (or roast and keep). The reason for this is, all that yuckiness in the water seems too impure for me.

2) Parboil your rice till the starch begins to float on top. Wash and set aside.

3) If you are using locally sourced pepper soup spice, roast the ehuru (calabash nutmeg), pound together with uda and uziza seeds.

4) Slice the scent leaf.

5) Blend the fresh pepper, onions, dry prawn, ginger and garlic together.

NOW TO THE COOKING OF PEPPER SOUP RICE

STEP 1: Put the meat in a pot and season to taste. I have stated my reason for using this meat, but you can also use any meat that appeals to you. Allow to cook till it is tender.

STEP 2: When the meat in (1) is tender, pour in the parboiled rice, pepper soup spice, salt, blended paste, seasoning cube, vegetable oil and stir. After that you pour in water up to the level of rice, check for seasoning and adjust if need be. Cover tightly and leave to cook.

Covered with baking paper and I think I would be sticking to this

STEP 3: The water should be drying up by now, put in your scent leaf, give a light stir, cover again and allow to dry up. I added a little turmeric for some colour, you can skip that if you are fine with its original colour.

Feel free to recreate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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Yam Delicacies

Garden Egg Sauce Version 2.0

By Lazy Cook February 22, 2021

Egg Plant Sauce

I call this egg plant sauce a Version 2.0 because I have posted a different version previously. You can find it HERE. In the previous recipe, I used olive oil and the white garden egg. However, this time I was lucky to lay my hands on aubergine, which is said to be the original egg plant for this sauce. So, why not?

Some people swear this garden egg tastes different and the smell is a signature one, I couldn’t argue till I try it out. Now that I have tried it out, I am forced to agree with them. Half way into frying the mashed garden egg, the smell was everywhere…

Anyway, let’s get down to the process.

INGREDIENTS FOR GARDEN PLANT SAUCE

– Aubergines

– Yellow scotch bonnet

– Palm oil

– Garlic

– Basil

– Smoked mackerel

– Dry prawns

– Seasoning cube

– Salt

PREPARATION

– Peel the skin off the aubergines. Dice into smaller sizes and boil for about 5mins.

After that you mash in a mortar. You can also use a blender to rough blend. I used a mortar this time, I didn’t want to take the risk of over-blending it. I’ll advise you to do the same.

– Put a clove of garlic, dry prawns, onions and scotch bonnet on a blender.

Add a little water and rough blend.

– Pick the smoked mackerel and take out as many bones as you can.

NOW TO THE COOKING OF THE EGG PLANT SAUCE

STEP 1: In a saucepan or pot, heat up some palm oil. I wanted a more traditional taste this time, so I used palm oil. Pour in the pepper blend and saute for some seconds.

STEP 2: After that you pour in the mashed garden egg, salt and seasoning to taste. Then fry till the oil begins to float on top.

STEP 3: Pour in the smoked mackerel and leave for a minute. Put in the basil, stir and turn off heat.

Feel free to recreate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @a_lazy_cook_gram.

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