Halala Mama

We are on a no red meat diet around this household in an effort to reduce Ismael’s rotten cholesterol levels.  While I am mourning beef, Ismael is content to eat fish and chicken over and over and over and infinity.

Aldi sells bags of frozen fish in a wide variety and slowly we have been working our way through some new varieties. Usually I buy tilapia and salmon,  but this week we have also had mahi mahi and flounder.   I typically pair the fish with some version of brown rice.  In fact, I apparently moaned so often about brown rice that the folks at Minute Rice found me and offered me a box of their brown rice to try.  I’ll admit, it wasn’t bad.  The nutritional values compare favorably to my preferred jasmine rice.  It was a lot faster to prepare, so I could see using it on nights when I am short on time.

I hardly ever serve plain rice.  Ismael could care less, but I need some variety.  It’s also a good way to get some veggies on Ismael’s plate and reduce his carb intake.  Last night, I experimented with okra, onions and cajun seasoning.

Cajun Okra Rice

• Fish or chicken
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 1 sweet red onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 bag frozen okra, thawed
• 1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh)
• oil (olive, canola, etc)
• cajun seasoning

• In a large stainless steel skillet, sear and cook cajun season fish or chicken in oil.
• Remove fish or chicken to a plate.
• Add onions to remaining oil in pan.  Cook until translucent.
• Add can of diced tomatoes.  Cook until reduced.
• Add okra, mix, heat thoroughly.
• Add cooked rice, mix thoroughly.
• Season with additional cajun seasoning.  Could also add a can of green chiles if you wish.
• Add to plate with fish or chicken and serve.

Sukuma Wiki is Swahili for “stretch the week.”  In a region where poverty and hunger are rampant, East Africans do indeed need to stretch the week in order to make their food last.  Greens are an easy, inexpensive, and nutritious way to do this.

Any type of green will work – mustard, turnip, collard, or even spinach – and they are prepared in a much healthier way than in the American South.

Sukuma Wiki

• 2 large bunches of greens (I don’t use spinach because it cooks down too much.  We prefer collards).
• 2 large onions chopped
• 2 cups of diced tomatoes (I used two cans, but fresh is preferable.)
• Oil
• Spices to taste

• Rinse greens and remove the large vein that runs through the middle. You can do this by running a sharp knife down either side of the vein.  When done they should look like this:

• Lay greens flat.  Take a large bunch and roll tightly into a cylindar shape.
• Using a knife or a mandolin slicer, shred the greens until they are in small strips:

• Heat oil in large pot, add onions and cook until translucent.
• Add tomatoes and cook for about five minutes until they cook down somewhat and produce some juice.
• Add cilantro and spices.  I used cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Feel free to use any combination you prefer.
• Add shredded greens and incorporate with tomato mixture.
• Cover and let the greens steam, stirring often.
• The greens will wilt producing their own juice as they cook down.  If they seem too dry you can add a little stock or water to the pan, but it really doesn’t take much.
• Heat over medium for at least 15 minutes.  You can leave them longer over low heat, but check for burning.

East Africans will often serve these with Ugali, a boiled cornmeal mixture, and stew.  We ate them with broiled Tilapia.  There isn’t one special thing about the fish, so I won’t bore you with how it came to be on the plate as well:

Even though my husband is West African, he still enjoys this meal.  We eat them with roasted chicken and he often cooks the meat right in there with the greens and then serves it on rice.

It’s a great, healthy way to enjoy summer produce.

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Being married to my husband means I have to get creative with rice.

I mentioned last week that we eat brown rice, which I am not at all thrilled with.  Ann Kroeker kindly pointed out that Trader Joe’s carries my favorite rice, Jasmine, in a brown variety.  Thank you, Ann.  And Jesus.  Seriously.  Jasmine rice not only sounds pretty, it smells wonderful.

Still, Ismael has issues with his blood sugar and cannot live healthily on an all rice all the time diet.  I have learned that if I dress the rice up a bit, he gets more vegetables and less rice, which is a winning combination all around.

Spinach Rice

• One bag or box of frozen spinach – whole or chopped
• One to three chopped onions, depending on how much you like onion
• 3 cups prepared brown rice
• olive oil
• Chicken stock or water

• Prepare rice in rice cooker or covered pot according to package directions
• Microwave spinach and drain well to remove excess water.
• As rice finishes, use a large stainless steel skillet to heat olive oil.
• Cook onion until translucent.
• Add spinach, mix with onion, heat thoroughly.
• Add finished rice to the pan, mix with spinach and onion.  Add a small amount of chicken stock or water and cover.
• Let steam for a few minutes and then serve.

I served with teriyaki chicken thighs:

• Marinate chicken thighs in teriyaki sauce.  I use roasted garlic teriyaki and added some extra garlic to it! Yum!
• Remove chicken from marinade and place skin side down in baking pan – cover with foil.
• Cover and bake at 400 degrees.
• Check for doneness – when cooked thorougly, remove foil, and turn skin side up.  Bake until browned.
• Serve with rice.
• Eat voraciously.

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