VirgysKitchenandGarden

Ladies, e at this new foo-foo, and you will not sabotage your waistline.  It has been documented that carbohydrates are the un-doer of the best nutritional or dieting plans. Carbohydrates are NOT SOLUBLE. They are cement blocks and stay in the stomach. They distribute fat/starch to waistlines, arms, thighs, and to the rest of the body. Yet, carbohydrates taste soooo good! That's their power.   I stopped eating foo-foo for a long time and ate only soup. I did not want to drag cement blocks around as my body. Gone were the days when misguided Nigerians were told that fatness means that one is healthy/wealthy. (If a person is aware of the risks in obesity and chooses to be plumb/obese, then that's a personal choice.) I have been exploring ways to enjoy foo-foo without the bulging belly. The Search : I started looking for alternatives to the high carbs in garri (101 grams of carb) and pounded yam (80 grams of carb). I tried oatmeal (27 grams of carb), but I am aller

Eating plant-based food has become second nature for me. This is a very simple and nutritious recipe of one whole red onion, one red bell pepper (2% carb/30 calories), and one 16-oz sliced pack of portobello mushrooms (4 calories per medium size). Cut the skinned onion in rings, wash and clean inside and outside of pepper before cutting into strips. Spray EVOL (extra-virgin olive oil) inside a wok, wait for the wok to heat up before adding onions first for sizzle and for enhanced taste. Add pepper, twirl/flip ingredients, add mushroom, herbs/spices. Saute until cooked to personal preference. I use it to top everything: beans, salad, fish, steamed potatoes (small whole ones or mashed), rice, mashed cauliflower, and other vegetables. Mushrooms and peppers are low in carb and high in potassium and B vitamins (B6, folate, etc.). Mushrooms also contain selenium and copper. Eat well and thrive! --Frances Ohanenye maintains this unusual site. Click on the "Open Sourc

My go-to/quick-fix Nigerian soup is okro/okra (okworo--Igbo) soup. It is unpretentious like salmon. Its other relatives, egusi and ogbono, are full of drama and require too much attention and time, and too many ingredients. Most of the time, I don't add green leaf vegetables to the okro soup. I mash it with potato masher once it gets hot and soft and (still) green. I  just enjoy the taste of fresh okro, fish and/or meat. Most of the time, I don't eat it with foo-foo or with any other carbohydrate. My daughter and my son-in-law can't get enough of my okra soup. Ingredients : 28-oz fresh okra, chopped Skinless/boneless chicken breast Broth from boiling the chicken Skinless/boneless frozen cod 16-oz chopped spinach Palm oil (2 tablespoons) Crushed red pepper Pure Himalayan sea salt **I don't use Maggi cubes or such cooking aids since I don't know what's in them. --Frances Ohanenye maintains this unusual site. Click on the "Open Source

When I was learning to cook (at about eight years of age), I was told to soak beans. I discovered that the longer beans soak, the better for everyone for the following results: 1. Reduces or eliminates the occurrence of flatulence. 2. Reduces or eliminates bloating and the discomfort it brings. 3. Shortens the length of time to cook beans. 4. Reduces both the frequency and the amount of water required for desired softness. 5. Forces debris and faulty/bad beans to rise to the top for easy removal. 6. For my Nigerian family/friends who want to tackle the task of cooking mai-mai (moi-moi/moin-moin/black-eyed bean pudding), soaking reduces the physical pain and the length of time for shelling the skin. 7. Along with #6, soaking for mai-mai is cost effective for electricity: blending and cooking. 8. Along with #6, soaking is cost effective: will not burn/kill the motor of the blender. If you want to share other reasons, please post in the comment box. Thanks. --Fran