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Recipe of the Month
with
Simileoluwa Adebajo
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Simileoluwa Adebajo is the CEO and Executive Chef of Eko Kitchen LLC, a Nigerian food and lifestyle company in California that provides catering, cooking classes, private dining and special event services as well as a line of retail products. Chef Simileoluwa is passionate about food insecurity and has been recognized by the press and government agencies for her work feeding vulnerable populations in the California community. She loves sharing Nigerian culture with the world through food, art, music, entertainment and technology and is a child at heart.
A note from the chef,
“Jollof is often a term associated with the popular West African rice dish which originates from Senegal, but growing up, my mom made us Jollof flavored spaghetti at least once a week. The slightly sweet and spicy pasta dish carries the flavors of West Africa with the slurping satisfaction of spaghetti that every kid loves. I decided to create an adaptation of this recipe so you can sneakily feed your kids veggies in a format they will love.”
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Jollof Spaghetti
By Simileoluwa Adebajo | Serves 4 to 5 people
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 large red onions
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 2 habaneros (or other hot peppers)
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger (skin removed)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup of tomato paste
- 2 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of cayenne pepper
- 4 cups of hot water
- 1 lb of spaghetti
- 2 large thinly sliced green bell peppers
- 3 cups cooked meat/chicken/mushrooms
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet, blender or immersion blender
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Chop one of the onions, all 3 of the red bell peppers, the 4 roma tomatoes, the habaneros, garlic and ginger into large chunks and place on a baking tray.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the veggies have darkened considerably.
- Blend the roasted vegetables into a smooth sauce (obe ata sauce).
- Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium heat.
- Add onion and bay leaves to pan, cook until fragrant for about 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Next, add the roasted obe ata sauce, stir and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add salt and cayenne pepper. Stir and taste for seasoning.
- Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes, then add the sliced bell peppers and meat/mushrooms. Stir and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes and remove from heat.
- Cook spaghetti to your preferred softness in a separate pot. Drain the liquid and reserve 1 cup.
- Combine spaghetti with the sauce and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Add 1 cup of pasta water and simmer for 3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
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