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Central Africa has long been considered the ‘Dark Heart’ of the African continent and because of its distance from the sea and inaccessibility it is the most ‘African’ region of the entire continent. The foods are more traditional and authentic because there has been little contact with colonials and settlers (only maize, tomatoes and chillies have made any significant impact from the outside). As a result the foods of Central Africa are less influenced by the outside world.

Indeed, few people know anything about the cuisines of this region of Africa and what they entail. In truth, the basis of the food is very similar to that of neighbouring East Africa and staples are a carbohydrate source (rice or yam or cassava, in the main) which is accompanied by a stew that generally incorporates greens and fish. The Congo river dominates this part of Africa and fish represents an important part of the diet. These fish are supplemented by wild greens (known as bush greens) and wild meat (bush meat) is also an important part of the diet. The following recipe is common to much of Central Africa and you will find versions of this dish everywhere:

Fish and Greens

Ingredients:
1 fish, filleted into serving-sized pieces
80ml palm oil (or peanut oil with 1 tsp paprika)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
250ml water
450g spinach (or collard greens, kale, savoy cabbage etc)
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp salt
African hot sauce (or the hottest chilli sauce you can find) to taste

Method:
In a deep pan fry the fish in the oil then add the onions and garlic. Reduce the heat and continue cooking until the onions become translucent. Add water, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and spinach and simmer until done. Season to taste and serve with Baton de Manioc, FuFu or rice.

The traditional and staple accompaniment to most Central African meals is Bâton de Manioc (literally ‘cassava sticks’), made from prepared cassava flesh. The recipe below gives the traditional method for making this staple. These are made from bitter cassava which has a high content of cyanide compounds and is toxic unless prepared properly. This is one of the few ways of making this staple starch safe to eat.

Bâton de Manioc

Ingredients:
Several kilos of bitter cassava tubers
leaves of Megaphrynium macrostachyum, or banana leaves

Method:
Soak the whole tubers in a tub, pond or stream for at least three days. At the end of this time peel the tubers and wash them in a large tub, changing the water several times.

Using a large pestle and mortar pound the tubers into a thick, smooth, paste. Put this paste into the leaves using two leaves per packet. Fold these lengthways into packets and tie closed (typically these packets are either 4cm in diameter and 30cm long or 10cm in diameter and 30cm long).

Place sticks or an upturned wire basket in the bottom of a large pot. Stack the packets on the bottom of the pot then add water (the water level should be beneath the packets). Cover tightly and steam for about 6 hours.

The finished bâton de manioc should be very thick and solid, approximating the consistency of modelling clay. It is typically either served warm or at room temperature. Cooked bâton de manioc will keep for several days as long as not removed from its leaf wrapper. (Discard the leaves and do not eat).

The foods of Central Africa are notable for making the most of what lies around, and as someone with an interest in the wild edible plants of Europe I draw constant inspiration from the recipes of this part of Africa. I hope that, in my small part, I have motivated you to begin an exploration of Central African foods and cooking.

Robyn Lee is an author for the Celtnet African Recipes site and you can find many more recipes from each and every country in Central Africa at the Central African Recipes page. If you want to get the largest collection of recipes from Africa ever assembled (800+ recipes from each and every African Country) then she urges you to check out the Recipes of Africa eBook; proceeds from the sale of which go to charity.

These crock pot recipes with chicken are quick, easy and delicious. Just check these out and I’m sure you’ll be amazingly surprised.

So here we go for some crock pot recipes with chicken

>> Crock Pot Chicken And Rice

1 t poultry seasoning
1 t chicken bouillon
1/2 c onions, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, fresh
1/4 ts salt
2 c water
2 lb chicken, raw
3/4 c rice, uncooked

Slice mushrooms. Remove skin from chicken. Spray 12 skillet with nonstick spray coating. Brown mushrooms, onion, and chicken pieces on all sides over medium heat about 15 minutes.

Stir in seasonings and transfer to crock pot. Can be refrigerated overnight. Start crock pot on low. When ingredients are heated, add rice. Cook until done.

Here’s another crock pot chicken recipe mixed with noodles.

>> Crock Pot Chicken And Noodles

1 chicken
1 large onion sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 carrots cut up
2 stalks celery cut up
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups uncooked noodles

Place the veggies on the bottom of the pot, put the chicken on top, followed by the seasonings. Pour 3 cups of water over. Set it on low and cook for 8-10 hrs. Take chicken out (carefully, because it will come off the bones) and put noodles in the broth, turning it up to high.

Let the noodles cook for 45 min., while you take the meat off the bones. Mix the meat in. This is like a very thick chicken soup and the basil makes this delicious!

That’s it for today! If you want more crock pot recipes for chicken, be sure to visit us today at:

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East Africa looks out over the Indian ocean and there is a strong culinary bond between West Africa and India. Indeed, East Africa has long been a landing point for vessels engaged in the spice trade, from the Indians of 4000 and more years ago through the Romans, Arabs and European colonial powers. There is therefor a strong Indian influence in the cookery of West East Africa (especially Swahili traditions) and spice-favoured curries and pilaus. Bread is also more of a staple in the West African diet than it is in much of the remainder of Africa and you get many variations of pan-fried and flatbreads.

There is a big distinction between the cuisines of the North of West Africa (Ethiopia and Somalia) which have their own traditions around spiced butters and spiced pulses in their dishes and the remainder of West Africa which have greens and fish as their staples. Yet there is a continuum in the cooking practices that I would like to introduce you to.

First comes the classic Ethiopian flatbread, injera…

Injera Recipe

Ingredients:
380g un-bleached while flour
100g self-raising flour
50g whole-wheat bread flour
1 packet dry yeast
600ml warm water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
Combine all the flour and the yeast in a large bowl. Add the warm water and combine until you have a smooth, fairly thin, batter. Let the mixture stand for a full three days at room temperature stirring once a day. (it should noticeably bubble and rise.)

When ready to make the Injera add the baking soda and salt and let the batter sit for 15 minutes. Heat a small non-stick (about 22cm) frying pan to the point where a drop of water bounces on the pan’s surface. Then take about 160ml of the batter and pour it quickly into the pan. Swirl the pan so that the entire bottom is evenly coated. Return immediately to the heat. When all the moisture has evaporated and lots of ‘eyes’ have appeared on the surface remove the injera. (This bread is cooked on only one side and it should not be browned). Allow the injera to cool then stack them as you go along.

If the first bread is undercooked, add a little less mixture to the pan and cook for a little longer. Make sure, however, that you do not over-cook as you should be able to roll injera up.

Plantains are also an essential ingredient in much of East African cookery and the recipe given here is for a curry of Plantain with Meat and derives from the Swahili-speaking regions.

Ndizi na Nyama

Ingredients:
250ml water
750g beef cut into 1cm dice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Malawi curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
250ml coconut milk
1 bay leaf
4 plantains, peeled and sliced

Method:
Bring 250ml water to boil in a large pan or metal casserole then add the meat, salt, black pepper, curry powder and cayenne pepper. While the meat is cooking add the oil to a pan pan and fry the onions for a few minutes, until just softened then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for at least five minutes, reducing the heat. Finally add the coconut milk and bay leaf. Cover and simmer.

Add the plantains to the meat and cook for ten minutes until the meat is done and the plantains are tender. Now combine the meat and plantains with the fried onion mixture. Stir and cook for two minutes before adjusting the seasoning to taste.

Traditionally this is served with rice or ugali (millet or maize meal pap) but it goes equally well with an East African flatbread.

It is impossible, in just two recipes to give a true flavour of an entire side of a continent, but I hope that the recipes and introduction here have given you an indication of the cuisines of East Africa and have made you want to learn more.

Robyn Lee is an author for the Celtnet African Recipes site and you can find many more recipes from each and every country in East Africa at the East African Recipes page. If you want to get the largest collection of recipes from Africa ever assembled (800+ recipes from each and every African Country) then she urges you to check out the Recipes of Africa eBook; proceeds from the sale of which go to charity.

I am always on the lookout for foods so good that you utter a little moan of ecstasy when you taste them. Here is the recipe for one of those foods. The first time I tasted this delightful brownie was at my baby shower. Now, admittedly, pregnant women tend to have a passionate affair with food (for some of us, it’s more of a love-hate thing), but this brownie recipe has stood the test of time and remains incredibly delicious and decadent.

Initially, I was turned off by the idea of using whipped topping (I have my moments of food snobbery). The topping redeemed itself by teaming up with white chocolate. DO NOT use that fake white “bark;” real white chocolate is mostly cocoa butter and imparts a richness that can’t be found with those substitute “whites.” Be sure to follow package directions when melting the white chocolate. It can be a little tricky, and if you are not careful or overheat the chocolate, you can have a useless glob of chunky cocoa butter. Another article in the Incredibly Good Recipes series will address this issue.

Ingredients:

1 (21 oz.) package brownie mix (including eggs and oil to make the mix)

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 cups fresh raspberries

3 squares (1 oz. each) white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Cool. Spread jam onto the brownies. Reserve 1/2 cup raspberries for garnish. Arrange remaining berries evenly over the jam. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix well. Gradually whisk in melted chocolate and milk. Gently fold in whipped topping. Spread carefully over raspberries. Garnish with reserved raspberries. Store covered in refrigerator.

Barbara O’Brien is an author and cook. Find more great recipes and cooking tips at S.O.S. - Secrets of Soup and Incredibly Good Recipes

Fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. You can eat them whole or sliced. But, with minimum effort and creativity, you can transform your fresh fruits into delicious snacks, side dishes, desserts and meals.

Here are a few fruit recipes to consider.

Blueberry-banana smoothie recipe includes 2 fresh bananas, 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, and 1 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt. Blend them until the mixture is smooth and even. Then serve with snacks or as a desert.
Broiled fruit kebabs recipe is as follows: Honeydew, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, and brown sugar. Alternating the fruits, place cubed or squared slices onto skewers and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place skewers on a baking sheet with aluminum foil and broil for about 2 minutes on each side or until the slices turn bubbly on both sides.
Frozen fruity pops Add sliced bananas and strawberries, 1/4 cup of orange juice, and 3/4 cup of low-fat strawberry yogurt in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Then, pour it into molds or paper cups and place a stick in the center of each mold. Freeze for 3 hours or until it is completely frozen.
Grilled fruit slices recipe includes fruits like nectarines, kiwi fruit, apples, pears or peaches, canola oil, and cinnamon. Cut the fruits into chunks, brush lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Then, place them onto skewers and grill on low heat for about 5 minutes.
Lemon-lime fruit and dip recipes include fat-free, sugar-free lemon yogurt, 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 cup of lime zest. Mix well and cover. Serve with assorted fresh fruits like whole strawberries, pineapples, bananas, and so on.
Plum salsa. Salsa recipe includes 1 cup of chopped plum, 2 tablespoons of chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons of cider vinegar , 1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Mix very well and serve with grilled or roasted chicken breast.
Mango salsa pizza. Use the following recipe: 1 cup of chopped red or green peppers, 1/2 cup of chopped or minced onion, 1/2 cup of chopped mango, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple, and 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro. Mix very well with a spatula and spread over a 12-inch pizza crust. Bake at 425 F for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the toppings are hot and the crust turns brown.
You can create a healthy diet that is tasty and delicious by incorporating different fruit recipes into your daily diet. Such recipes include, but not limited to, grilled fruit recipes, salsa recipes, and blueberry-banana smoothie recipes.

Chima Njoku is a freelance writer. Food Guide Pyramid is an excellent tool for creating a healthy diet. Learn how it may benefit you at Health Solutions on the web

I can tell you that over the 25 years that I have been cooking and baking, there have been numerous recipes I’ve prepared that have turned out awful! However, over the years, I have developed a sense that helps me to look at a recipe and just know whether or not it will work. I can construct a recipe in my head and know how it will look and taste before my whisk starts spinning. For those of you who have not developed this sense yet, here are seven reasons that recipes do not work.

1. One of the most common errors in recipes are mistakes in the measurements of ingredients. Perhaps you only need 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the 1 1/2 teaspoons requested or maybe 1 ounce of butter instead of 1 cup, but misprints often occur and there is very little way that you would know.

2. Inaccurate ingredient descriptions occur frequently in recipes. I have seen recipes ask for “sugar”, not telling the cook whether they need brown or white. Sometimes recipes do not specify if you are to use dry or fresh herbs.

3. In recipes that are passed down from generation to generation, often ingredients are used that are simply not available today, or not used in that manner. The best example of this is pork fat or lard. Lard was used heavily in baking during the early part of this century. Now, because of health reasons, we do not bake with animal fat. However, many recipes were never converted and are obsolete.

4. Several years ago, I tried one of Emeril’s recipes which called for pure cane syrup. This item is used primarily in the south and should not be confused with corn syrup. Cane syrup is not widely available here in Southern California and at the time I did not have access to the internet to check what an appropriate substitute was. This happens for many regionally based and specialty products. Substituting products that are not available to you can produce disastrous results if you do not know what you are doing.

5. If a recipe was written by a chef who lives in a different climate or altitude, the recipe may not work. For example, the special sourdough bread that is made in San Francisco can not be duplicated anywhere else than in San Francisco. The spores and bacteria that grow when the starter is developing is unique to that area of the country. Should that dough be taken to Chicago, for example, the end product would taste drastically different than the bread of S.F.

6. Stories and recipes that are passed from person to person sometimes get distorted and details change. My grandmother has some recipes in her head. When I ask her for the recipes, she rattles off the ingredients and instructions without looking at a recipe card or book. She has prepared these recipes so many times that she doesn’t need to “look”. However, it is so automatic for her that she misses some of the key steps or elements that make her dishes so terrific. I guess this is how stories get changed the more they are told.

7. The final reason some recipes do not work is because they just don’t! There are recipes out there that are just bad recipes.

And do not assume that because a recipe did not work, that it is your fault. There are so many reasons that recipes do not work, user error is just one.

You can be the best cook around. Visit http://www.chefdawn.com and sign up for my free newsletter. As a thank you, I will send you a 11-page hottest kitchen tool list with discounts on many products.

Dawn -
Your Personal E-Chef Live: Everything about Cooking, Food, and Family. Bring back dinner parties

Think putting yourself on a muscle building diet has to be a painful process? Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle building, getting proper nutrition is at least 80% of the game. If you don’t have that figured out, you are going to be a long time away from seeing results.

The good news is that your tastebuds don’t have to suffer if you don’t want them to. There are plenty of ways to get in your proper nutrition while keeping things interesting. If you think gaining muscle means suffering through can of tuna after can of tuna or pounding back a protein shake as fast as humanly possible, you need to think again.

Give one of these recipes a try and you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to eat right, achieve your goals and actually ENJOY your food at the same time.

Protein Fudge Nuggets

These are great to take to the gym as a post-workout treat or just for a snack to eat between meals. When you are trying to gain weight many of you really need to packing in the calories so you need calorie dense foods. These chocolate treats have it all.

8 scoops chocolate protein powder

1 cup oatmeal (can be ground depending on the consistency you’d like)

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

3 tbsp honey

½ cup milk

3 tbsp crushed peanuts

First mix together the protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and milk. Form into small balls and then roll in the crushed peanuts to finish. Note that these can easily be frozen in plastic bags and consumed on a later date.

Nutritional Info (1/10 of the recipe)

234 calories

6.7 grams fat

18 grams carbohydrates

25 grams protein

Pumpkin Pancakes

When you’re craving a good home-made pancake breakfast, give these a try. They are filled with slow digesting carbohydrates that will keep your blood sugar steady throughout the morning.

¼ cup oats

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

5 egg whites

1 tbsp ground flax

½ tbsp cinnamon

Splenda to taste

First heat a frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium temperature. After mixing together all the ingredients drop by spoonful onto the plan, flipping when bubbles start to form.

Makes about 5 - 4″ pancakes.

Nutritional Info (per recipe)

217 calories

23 grams protein

26 grams carbohydrates

4 grams fat

Protein Jell-O

When you’re craving something sweet but are on a very low carb diet, there often is not a lot of options. This recipe is the perfect dessert that will give you plenty of protein and not much else. Great for those on a very strict diet.

1 package sugar-free Jell-O (any flavour)

1 scoop Syntrax Nectar protein powder (any flavour - to match Jell-O)

Mix 1 cup boiling water with the Jell-O powder then stir in one scoop of the protein powder until dissolved. Once that’s finished, mix in one cup of cold water and allow to set. Serve with low fat Cool Whip if desired.

Blueberry Cookies

Everyone needs a good cookie now and then but not everyone needs the damage to their diet. Luckily with these not only will you be getting a great dose of protein, you will be getting plenty of antioxidants from the blueberries.

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

4 egg whites

½ cup oats

1 cup blueberries

First combine all three ingredients so they are blended well. Then mix in blueberries and drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degree Celsius for approximately thirteen minutes. Makes 10 cookies.

Nutritional Info (per cookie)

54 calories

6.5 grams protein

0.7 grams fat

5.5 grams carbs

Protein Waffles

These are a very convenient way to get your protein and carbs in. They make for the perfect transportable post-workout meal if you would rather do something other than a shake. To make a complete meal out of them, spread some peanut butter between two waffles.

1.5 scoops of vanilla protein powder (note that other flavours can be used if desired)

1/3 cups of cooked oats (cooked in the microwave with slightly more water than called for)

1 egg white

1/8 tsp (or a few drops) of maple extract

1/8 tsp of baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar free maple syrup (optional)

Combine all the ingredients into a sticky batter and then pour into a waffle iron. Cook as usual, until golden brown. Drizzle with sugar free maple syrup if desired.

Nutritional Info (per recipe)

300 calories

41 grams protein

5 grams fat

22.7 grams carbs

Mock Cinnamon Buns

While this probably won’t taste exactly like a Cinnabon, it might just do the trick to quell the craving for something sweet and cinnamony.

6 egg whites

1-2 packets artificial Sweetener

½ tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon (can use more if desired)

Fat free vanilla coffee creamer

First separate egg whites from yolks and place whites in a bowl. Next add in one packet of sweetener along with vanilla extract. Whisk this together well. Place in the microwave for about 3 minutes and thirty seconds, stirring half-way through. Once finished, let sit for one to two minutes and then chop with a fork. Sprinkle on cinnamon and more sweetener until evenly distributed over eggs. Finally, drizzle with some fat free vanilla coffee creamer.

Nutritional Info (without creamer)

95 calories

21 grams protein

1 gram carb

0.7 gram fat

Muscle Building - Low Carb Cheesecake

This is the perfect way to replace an otherwise diet-damaging dessert with something that is more nutrition friendly.

2 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vanilla powder

1/4 cup Splenda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tbsp sugar free jam

First preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Next, beat together the cottage cheese, eggs, sour cream, protein powder, vanilla extract and Splenda until smooth. Pour this into a sprayed pie pan and then swirl the sugar free jam through with a knife. Place the cake on the top rack of the oven with another pan filled with water on the bottom. Bake this for 30-40 minutes and then allow to cool after cooking. Makes 8 servings

Nutritional Info (per serving)

110 calories

4 grams fat

4.5 grams carbs

14 grams protein

High Protein Bread

For those of you who have trouble getting in all your protein requirements, it helps if you can sneak it into other foods that are normally lower in protein content. The following is a recipe for protein bread, which works great for those who are also dieting and trying to reduce their carb count. If you are not dieting but rather trying to gain muscle, up the calorie content of the bread by spreading a thick layer of natural peanut butter on top. You’ll have a high calorie snack that won’t lead to an increase in insulin levels, which can promote fat storage in certain situations.

1 tsp yeast

1 cup vital wheat gluten

¼ cup protein powder (any flavour however if you are planning on using spreads, vanilla or unflavored will likely work best)

1/3 cup wheat bran

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp flaxmeal

2 packets of sweetener

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

½ cup water

Combine yeast, wheat gluten, protein powder, wheat bran, salt, flaxmeal and sweetener in a bowl until well blended. In a separate bowl stir together the olive oil, egg and water. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Transfer to a greased bread loaf pan and bake at 375 degree Celsius for 20 minutes or until brown. Makes 12 slices.

Nutritional Info (per slice):

80 calories

2 grams fat

11 grams protein

13.5 grams carbs

Protein Crepes

Looking for something different for dessert? Why not try a high-protein crepe. Fill these with your favourite fruit and top with whip cream, peanut butter or cottage cheese, or alternatively use them as part of a main course as a wrap for tuna salad, chicken breasts and veggies or whatever favourite creation you come up with.

1 cup egg whites

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (if using these for dessert, you may want to use strawberry or chocolate flavoured powder instead)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Begin by whipping together the egg whites and protein powder. Then stir in vanilla extract. Next heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and then once heated, pour the batter into the skillet so there is just enough to thinly cover the bottom. It is a good idea to remove the pan from the heat while doing this so the batter will spread evenly.

Allow to cook over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form on the top. Then flip it over and cook once again until finished.

So next time you’re looking for some good muscle building recipes, packed with protein to give your body the amino acids it needs, give one of these a try.

Vince D. is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building : Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://BuildMuscleEasy.com/

He teaches skinny guys how to gain weight and build muscle, without supplements, drugs and training less than before.