African Chicken

My mother got this recipe when she was in college in Europe from a student from Africa. Sadly, I have no idea where in Africa that particular student was from. Regardless, it's delicious!

I serve this over bulgur, but it's great with rice, quinoa, or couscous as well.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 lbs of chicken pieces (quarters, thighs, wings, etc. - with bones and all)
1 cup hot water
2 Tblsp. tomato paste
1  16 oz can of whole tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp - 1 Tblsp chili flakes (depending on how much heat you want)
1/2 tsp. grated ginger root (feel free to use powdered ginger, it will work just fine)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven or any large, deep pot with a lid, heat a little oil and brown the chicken on all sides. About 15 minutes total. (You may have to do this in batches and that works just fine too).

2. Remove the chicken & drain the fat from the pan.

3. Add water, tomato paste, tomatoes (with liquid), onion, garlic, chili flakes, ginger, chili powder, and salt. Bring it to a boil.

4. Once it has begun boiling, reduce the heat, give it a good stir, and cover the pan . Simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Put the peanut butter in a medium bowl and ladle a few spoonfuls of the simmering cooking liquid into it, stir.

7. Add the liquid peanut butter to the chicken. Turn the chicken to coat it in the sauce.

8. Cover and cook another 10 - 15 minutes.

9. Serve with rice, couscous, quinoa, or bulgur.

Spicy Broiled Game Hens

Spicy Broiled Game Hens

- this recipe is adapted from the Spicy Broiled Quail recipe I found in "The Book of Greek Cooking" by Lesley Mackley

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves
salt
1 Tablespoon each of ground cumin and coriander
1 small onion, cut into rough chunks
a handful of fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of good olive oil
4 game hens (cut in half) (1/2 a hen is about enough for one person)
2 - 3 lemons cut into slices for garnish

Directions:

1. Put the first 7 ingredients into a food processor and make a paste. Spread the paste over the game hens (top and bottom). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the broiler.

3. Place the game hen halves on a broiler rack or baking rack and broil, turning every 5 minutes for about 20 minutes until the game hens are slightly charred on the outside.

4. If they're not fully cooked, put them in the oven to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the juice runs clear when pierced. (Or you can pull back one of the legs to check if there's any pink left.)

5. Serve garnished with lemon slices.