HI Everyone, seeing how busy a mother's life is ,I came to a conclusion that I NEED MORE THAN 24 HOURS IN A DAY
Jollof rice, the undisputed king of Nigerian cuisine, is a staple at every occasion, from family dinners to elaborate owambes. Growing up, I looked forward to party jollof. In fact, there’s no owanbe without jollof rice. Its rich, savory taste and bold color bring people together, creating lasting memories.
As the weather warms up, our taste buds crave something a bit lighter and fresher. This is where our Flourish Jollof rice seasoning mix comes in! Made with a blend of aromatic spices like smoked paprika, thyme, garlic powder, and a hint of cayenne pepper, our Jollof rice spice mix isn’t just about flavor, it’s about convenience too. Yes, you won’t have to go through the hassle of preparing spices to add to your rice. That’s been sorted, already!
Whether you're cooking for a crowd or simply craving a taste of home, this spice mix is your secret weapon for creating mouthwatering Jollof rice that's bursting with flavor.
With all the pre-measured goodness packed in one pouch, you can whip up a restaurant-quality Jollof rice in no time. Guess you’re imagining digging into a steaming plate of jollof rice with subtle sweetness of spices. Don't wait another minute to experience the taste. Get your hands on our Jollof rice seasoning mix today and add a burst of freshness to your meals! Don’t forget to order your jollof spices on our website or walk in to grab some packs for yourself. We’ll be expecting your orders
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I'm giving you a special present this year: my recipe for Christmas coconut rice! Originally a family favorite recipe, this meal has become my catering business's most requested Holiday dish. Every year around this time I prepare several trays of my coconut rice for my family, friends, church, and clients. This FREE recipe is highlighted in my up-and-coming cookbook, which will be available for purchase in the New Year.
Reserve a spot on your holiday table for Flourish coconut rice! Regular coconut rice tends to be plain with a light taste of coconut milk. My recipe is bursting with incredible flavor and vibrant holiday colors. It is a one-pot recipe, which makes it easy to prepare and clean up, so you can spend more time enjoying the holidays with loved ones.
Most likely the best coconut rice you ever tasted! This is far from your basic coconut rice. For example, coconut cream, coconut oil, coconut flakes, and coconut essence is used to infuse each rice grain with incredible coconut flavor. Broth is used instead of water to cook the rice. It is decadently displayed with an assortment of vibrant and colorful red and green bell peppers sautéed in aromatic spices such as curry, thyme, white pepper, and ginger. I doubt that you will ever come across such an incredible coconut rice dish.
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Flourish Coconut Rice Recipe
Serving size; 3-5 hungry mouths
Ingredients:
2 cups of rinsed parboiled rice
1 can of coconut cream
1 cup of stock or broth of choice
1 cup of chopped cooked turkey or dryfish (optional)
1 cup of water
1 cup chopped onions
2tbs of coconut essence flavor
½ cup diced tomatoes
Sliced rainbow peppers (red, green, yellow)
4 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
*1 tsp of salt
2 chopped scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
2 Maggi seasoning or bullion
1tsp of curry, thyme and white pepper
¼ tsp of garlic and ginger
2 sliced spring onions
¼ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions:
Add coconut oil to pot
Fry onions, seasonings and veggies for 5 minutes
Take the veggies out and set aside
Add coconut cream, cooked turkey, bay leaves, water and stock to another pot and salt to taste
Add rinsed parboiled rice into pot
Add the coconut essence flavor
Let cook for 15 -20 minutes on low
When rice is almost done add your fried vegetables and mix together
Allow to cook together for another 5 minutes
Serve with choice of protein
Enjoy :)
Secret optional ingredients (shhhhh 2 tbs of coconut flakes to garnish and coconut essence flavor
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What makes you fall in love with fall? I love going outside in the morning to breathe in the sweet autumn air; it is crispy and cool with refreshing hints of fir trees and fallen apples. In African culture, food is one way we express love. Fall is the perfect time to create delicious, heart-felt memories. I love surprising my husband and four children with steamy mugs of hot cocoa and apple cider paired with homemade pumpkin spice African donuts.
In Nigeria we call African donuts puff puff, but they are referred to by several names across the huge continent - kala, bofrot, and mikate to name a few. Puff puff is a timeless treat you can find at family gatherings, parties, and celebrations. It is prepared with ingredients such as flour, sugar, spices, and yeast, which gives it a complex flavor and bouncy texture. The batter is dropped into hot oil and fried to golden perfection. Regular store-bought donuts can’t compare.
Have you ever tried pumpkin spice puff puff? It is easy to make with my instant mix. Biting into the soft and chewy goodness is a little magical moment that ought to be shared. The warm, aromatic spices such as nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon hug you from the inside out. What a wonderful way to celebrate autumn! What a great way to express love! May this fall bring you an abundance of joy!
Can’t get enough of pumpkin spice? Checkout our seasonal selection: Pumpkin Spice Akara Pancake, Pumpkin Spice African Buns, and Pumpkin Spice Puff Puff
]]>Author: Ola Elkanah | Editor: Saunsuray Govere
As an entrepreneur, mistakes are a part of the journey. I’ve learned this the hard way, but I am grateful for this lesson. The journey to success includes failure. Sometimes you have to fail more than once or even several times to arrive at success.
There is one mistake that comes to mind when I reflect on the early stages of creating my business. I see how a mistake I made during a very important moment was a huge blessing in disguise. At the time I felt like a complete failure, but I allowed myself to learn and grow from the “bad” experience, and it inspired me to create my first product. Today, you can find Flourish Puff Puff Mix proudly sitting on the shelves of several grocery stores throughout the great state of Oregon and in various states across the US. Let me tell you my story, in hopes that you will be inspired by the mistakes in your life too.
It was my first catering job for a wedding - one of life’s most important celebrations. My first born child Dara was on my back; at the time she was just 4 months old. She watched over my shoulder as I prepared food for over 100 guests. Puff puff is an African treat that everybody loves and is typically prepared for parties and celebrations. For those who are not familiar with the African delicacy, puff puff is dangerously delicious fried sweet dough that puffs up into a ball when fried, hence the name “puff puff.”
As I prepared the puff puff, I mistakenly added dry yeast to the flour instead of instant yeast! When I fried the dough, my puff puff was as flat as a pancake. I could not believe my eyes. The yeast did not poof, and I had no time to remake the dough. I felt like a major let down. The bride specifically asked for puff puff to be on the menu, and I could not provide it. Negative self-talk flooded my mind.
After weeks of reliving the moment of the ruined puff puff, I finally granted myself compassion. The moment I did, I was able to learn and grow from the experience. I decided that I would create an instant puff puff mix, so that I could make the perfect puff puff everytime. I passionately worked day and night to create the ultimate puff puff formula. My family and friends were bombarded with puff puff for days upon weeks until I got my mix just right!
Today Flourish Spices and African Food Instant Puff Puff Mix is my best selling product. I am so pleased to turn my mistake into a delicious experience for others. Now anyone can enjoy the perfect puff puff. All you need is water and oil to fry, and in minutes you can enjoy the African party favorite. Every time I eat my puff puff, the sweetness reminds me of how sweet mistakes can be. It’s okay to make mistakes and to fail sometimes. If you’re not making mistakes, then how are you learning and growing?
]]>Author: Ola Elkanah | Editor: Saunsuray Govere, Samantha Jeune
For all the sweet tooth lovers Puffpuff and Buns (Dropdonuts) did it.
]]>Egusi soup is a beloved dish in West African cuisine. It’s a creamy soup made with African melon seeds, leafy greens, vegetables, and more. It is packed with flavor and nutrients, appealing to anyone who loves a healthy and filling meal.
The star of this dish is egusi seeds, which are from the white-seed melon fruit that is part of the watermelon family. The seeds are prepared for eating by being scooped out and left to dry. Once dried, they are deshelled (either by machine or hand) or ground into coarse flour. Egusi seeds are grown mainly by women, so you know there is love infused from when they are planted to when they are cooked for egusi soup!
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"Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Sometimes food is so good, that it has you lost for words. All you can do is take another bite, and another, and another until it’s all gone. Has this ever happened to you?
I’m writing this blog immediately after eating (or should I say devouring) Flourish Fried Rice Mix. When I took the first bite of the prepared rice, I felt as if the world paused while I indulged in deliciousness. I completely forget about the tall glass of water beside my plate and become engulfed in the golden colored rice. The yellow corn pieces, diced orange carrots, and other vegetables peaked through the tender grains like hidden treasures.
I kid you not; I had to stop myself from finishing all the fried rice, so that my husband could at least get a taste. Only because I needed another person to confirm that I wasn’t crazy for enjoying the fried rice so much. So, I retired my plate and spoon to the kitchen sink and walked away. Only to come back a few moments later - this time with my hand full on African style, I enjoyed eating Flourish Fried Rice right out the pot!
The flavors were so delicious that I was confused, puzzled, mystified. “How? How is it possible to make fried rice taste this good?” I thought to myself. I love fried rice, and I’ve eaten it countless times, especially from Asian restaurants. Also, I’m a great cook and prepare yummy fried rice for my family and friends all the time. BUT this is different. I’ve never felt this way about fried rice before. I’ve never been inspired to write about fried rice - this is really funny! I guess some things are so good, you just can't keep them to yourself!
Flourish Spices and African food has made me reimagine fried rice. The rice mix is bursting with all natural spices and herbs like curry, ginger, garlic, thyme, basil and more! It’s an upgrade from and the perfect replacement for standard fried rice AND Spanish style yellow rice mixes from brands like Goya and Uncle Ben’s. I’m so happy that I gave Flourish Spices and African Food a try. I am looking forward to trying the brand’s jollof rice and coconut rice mixes soon!"
Thank you Flourish!
Saunsuray
Author: Saunsuray Govere
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Some we ate, and some we shared with families and friends. This particular Sunday, I had fried buns 3 times already, and I still needed to get the crunchiness I needed for my buns. I just busted out crying and everyone in my house turned toward me. I said out loud, “I am tired!” My husband and kids told me to take it easy and relax. My husband particularly encouraged me with the story of Thomas Edison; how he failed 1,000 times before he got it right (you can read about him on Google). My husband told me to take a nap and that I would feel better when I woke up. I sat down on the couch and closed my eyes for 10 minutes. Yes, Yes, yes, I stood up and rushed back to the kitchen, and my husband said ‘’you are supposed to be sleeping" I said ‘I just got it! I got it!“ I put the recipe together, fried my drop donuts, and I got it right crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Yummy yummy yummy!
So here I am today, cooking and putting recipes together daily. This is possible thanks to all of you!
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https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/life/food/2020/06/21/flourish-beauty-palace-salem-african-food-salem-oregon-coronavirus/3214744001/
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So for our pan fried Akara, you can add as much water as you want because you are frying it like pancake or crepes . The only difference is ''It's made from peeled beans". This is much more healthy than flour. Enjoy with syrup or pepper sauce. I had mine with fresh beets juice.
]]>This stew is a tribute to my Grandma. Mrs Bernice Adeosun. (Also known as mama olowo , Iya Bose , Iya sanjo, Iya yemisi, Iya Funlola and Iya Ibeji. She is the best cook and disciplinarian close to me. Back to my stew . If you ever attended boarding school in Nigeria, you will understand why my Grandma is an angel. She will just show up at my school from the village with this stew and ofada rice. I guess she knows much about food canning and preservation. She will put the stew in an empty milo can with lid on. This is to preserve the stew. She shows up when you are broke , down to nothing, no provisions ( milo, powdered milk, sugar, garri, peanut, cabin biscuits or cookies). Yes it was party time with my sister and close friends in room F at SACHS.
Ingredients
5 fresh red bell peppers
8 dry bell peppers
3 habanero pepper
2 big onions
Palm oil
Locust beans (iru)
Salt to taste
Boiled eggs
Dry fish , fried snails, shrimp, crayfish, meat or chicken
Seasonings ( maggi or any seasoning of your choice)
Method.
Put your peppers and onions in a blender, blend coarsely.
Cook your peppers to reduce the water
Put your palm oil in a dry pot , add onions and iru. Fry until translucent.
Add your meat, fish,snails, shrimp.
Add your cooked pepper ,seasoning and salt. Add your boiled eggs .
Cook for 10 minutes and its ready. Enjoy with rice or carbohydrate of your choice
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Some months ago, I went to the Asian store and I saw cut catfish head and strips for $3 each. I bought it and just forgot about it. You know one of those days when you don't even know what to eat and nothing in your fridge looks appealing. I opened the freezer and my fish head was staring at me. I grabbed it and voila it's ready.
Just incase you don't know, that the time spent enjoying the head of a fish is so special that I even thank God specially for allowing me to enjoy this special meal. You won't understand unless you try it. I have the video on my Facebook and Instagram . Enjoy and stay blessed
]]>Fast forward to my wedding. When i was preparing for my wedding, My Mum asked me what i want for a wedding gift from her. I simply said a grinding stone . She looked at me and smiled. she went all the way to Abeokuta in Ogun state Nigeria with a special delivery straight to my house.
With all the gadgets in my kitchen, starting from a regular blender ,to a 6500 power vitamix, Food processor, Kitchen aid mixer, Coffee grinder for my Egusi and ogbono, Veggie and fruit slicer to make life easy. I call them my kitchen Hacks . I still want my grinding stone. The taste it adds to your pepper is out of this world.
In conclusion, I love cooking and i love to eat. Life is busy and i am still looking for a Robot or gadget that will cook my Sunday lunch before i come back from Church.
]]>Good day , I don't know what name to call this rice but i got inspired from 9jafoodie Christmas rice, so i did something similar.
Ingredients used
Grounded Turkey ,
Effirin, also known as scent leaves in Nigeria.( I grew up drinking this when i had a stomach upset, my grandma will squeeze it and add a pinch of salt for me to drink ). On the other hand, the Ibos ( the eastern part of Nigeria) add it to their peppersoup. Every tribe has their uses for these special leaves.
Green pepper
Zuchini (grated)
Mint leaves
Green habenero
Blend all the vegetables together and set aside
onions and spices of your choice
fry your sliced onions in a saucepan for few minutes, add your grounded turkey make sure its all separated, then add your washed rice and all your blended veggies,add your favorite spices as needed.. My secret ingredients for this rice is ........................shhhhhhhhhhhhh 3 to 4 spoons of coconut cream. Add water has needed. Reduce the heat and steam cook.
Special wings
season your wings to satisfaction, and boil for 7 minutes just to get the seasonings in it. let it rest for 20 minutes.
in a sauce pan fry your sliced onions till its golden brown, add some tomato paste, add 1 spoon of honey, I also add my secret ingredients which are Indian spices .................. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't tell anyone about my Indian/ Nepalese spices but here i added my mango chutney, Guess what it gives it the kick.
I add my chicken wings , make sure its well coated then straight into the oven for 20 to 30 mins. you have a golden crispy chicken.
Add your own side
]]>Hello there it's been a very very long time. Today i just did the regular french toast just with my kind of spices, Trust me, for those who know me well.., I put African dry red pepper in everything i cook. I guess my taste bud need a little help. Here i added some vegetables, soy milk, cinnamon. nut meg of course dry red pepper and salt to taste. Don't forget the base of french toast is egg. Whip the egg and all the ingredients with a hand mixer until it begins to foam with bubbles or almost double its size. Then pan fry with a little oil.
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HI Everyone, seeing how busy a mother's life is ,I came to a conclusion that I NEED MORE THAN 24 HOURS IN A DAY
I have a quick story i would love to share about Moinmoin. While i was growing up, I guess my teenage years. Since we were all girls in my house ,my cousin also lived with us. My mum bought all the ingredients for moinmoin , I mean everything you can think of was to be in this moinmoin. It's called Moinmoin with seven lives. My cousin insisted she wants to cook the moinmoin without any assistance. We waited for this moinmoin for at least 3 hours, hungry and salivating. Finally it was ready! My sister took the first bite and screamed out, with huge eyes, "THERE"S NO SALT!" Yes, my cousin forgot the most important part of the food. My mum went to bed complaining about it. Since then , i have it in my brain that i can't afford to forget the most important part of moinmoin.
So today i want to talk about my garnished Moinmoin.
same process like the regular moinmoin, Blended peeled beans with all my seasonings ,boiled egg, corned beef and cray fish. But this time i will not be steaming my moinmoin but baking it in a flat oven tray for 20 mins,then garnish with all the colourful vegies you can lay your hands on for 5 mins. Again that's the best thing i ever taste in the history of moinmoin. Enjoy
Welcome to our website , We will definitely be looking at some african recipes, how healthy they are and their benefits to the body stay tuned.
THE FIRST ONE I WILL LIKE TO SHARE IS PAN FRIED AKARA
I am a fan of Akara but i couldn't get it right. Any time i fry Akara ,it comes out in little pieces of balls until i stumbled on Pan fried Akara. Oh my Goodness that's the best thing that ever happened to me in the history of Akara Frying.
Same process,same ingredients, just fry like pancake. Serve with custard ,ogi or Akamu.
Guess what i offered this pan fried Akara to a friend who is not African , she ate it with syrup. It was yummy.
My family loves it . You can also freeze it and rewarm or simply put it in the fridge.
So for some of us who don't know what Akara is made from , it's from peeled beans blended together with all your seasonings. It's also called Kose in Ghana.
For proper receipe go to african food receipes by 9ja foodie.
Thanks and God bless.