My frist proper Ukang.... well on my way to becoming a true Efik woman

Over the weekend I made Ukang; which is a delicacy from the Efik people of south eastern Nigeria. I am not much of a cook I do know how to and every now and then I get the inspiration to make something special. This weekend the inspiration was the bush-meat that was sent to my cousin for our home town, Calabar.  Ukang is a relatively easy dish to make, it is NOT good for the waist line though.

If you would like to try this at home; you will need:

• plantain
• bush meat (works the best)
• stock fish and/or pomo (optional)
• pepper
• seasoning- crayfish, maggi, salt
• palm oil
• scent leaves and ugu

This is how I made mine- started off by boiling the pomo and stock fish till soft, I also boiled the plantain separately. Then i started boiling the bush meat till it was soft, added the seasoning and pepper. Then I threw in the stock fish and pomo and then oil I left that to boil. When I was happy with how much the oil had cooked I put in the plantain and left that to cook some more. Finally added the scent leaves and ugu; and there you have it..... Ukang.

Easy delicious home made chicken salad

As I am on the road to a healthier, fitter me I am searching for healthy meals to make without spending too much money. They say great Abs are made in the kitchen, am be cooking my way to a six pack on a budget. 

So last night, having nothing to eat at home not even unhealthily stuff I took my soon to be tone butt to the store to see what my options were in terms of buying a healthy meal without breaking the bank. I decided on a chicken salad on my way there. So I went straight to the fresh produce section to get some items then got some chicken. The items for my chicken salad were/are:

·         Chicken (two breasts)                    N500.00

·         Tomatoes                                        N200.00

·         Lettuce (the leafy kind)                  N130.00

·         Yellow bell paper (x1)                    N150.00

·         Cucumber (already @home)          N  50.00

·         Avocado (already @home)             N100.00

·         Onions (already @home)                N  50.00

In total I spent N980.00 minus the petrol I used up to get to the store lol.

Anyways…… I prepped my salad by thoroughly washing my veggies and cutting the bits I will need for just one meal. Then put the rest away for another meal, imagine N1000.00 for two meals?! I like the bits in my salads to be chucky so I cut the veggies a tad large. I layered them on to the plate and put that aside. I then took 1 chicken breast cut into small bits, seasoned with salt and mixed herbs, then sauté-ed in very little olive oil. Once it was cooked I let cool for a few minutes and put on the veggies. I used apple cider vinegar and a little olive oil to dress……. et voila!!!

Next time I will add little bits of pineapple for a little sweetness.

Soya hmmmmmmm Milk

Last night on my way home after a good two hour workout my body was craving for something sweet and refreshing. I looked in the refrigerator at the gym hoping for a healthy option and there it was a bottle of soya beans milk. I wasn’t a big fan of soya milk till now. Not only did it taste fantastic it felt healthy too.  So I did a little research and found so many interesting and encouraging facts about soya milk and soya beans.

• ·         Soya milk is made from soya beans, also known soy beans. It is a non dairy alternative that is rich in vegetable proteins, essential fatty acids and a variety of minerals and vitamins.

• ·         Being non dairy means we are not ingesting any of the hormones from the dairy cows which may affect our own hormonal balance.

• ·          It is free of saturated fats and cholesterol. Soy milk is advised if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other propensities for heart diseases.

• ·          It’s also great for weight watchers like me as it helps suppress your appetite and promote more efficient metabolism “Studies have shown that regular intake of soy products in addition to routine exercise can lead to reduced body fat and higher percentage of lean muscles”.

• ·         Soya milk is a better option for lactose intolerant people (which a large percentage of people are)

• ·         Soya milk helps slash the fat in the mid section of the body. We all know that fat around the belly happens to be very bad as most of our major organs are in that area

• ·         Soya milk unsweetened does not taste so good but you can control the amount of sweetness by using sweeteners

Also made form soya beans is tofu which is what cheese is to dairy milk. I’ve never had tofu before and I wonder what it tastes like. So tofu soya milk and the beans can be traced way back in the history of Chinese and Japans people, that’s where soy sauce comes from. However the US is the highest producer of the beans (Just a little random FYI). 

Bottled soya milk can be found in most shops and markets; they also come in different flavors. It would be interesting to try a few of those. Look around for a brand with a 60% soya milk composition or more also one that has very little sugar too. I have bought two different brands; I will try both later and give a review later.  I’ve read how to made soya milk at home (http://www.soya.be/how-to-make-soy-milk.php) and I think I will give it a try. I am convinced that soya milk is a healthier option and I think I will give it a try.