Cheesecake Pancakes

Make restaurant-inspired cream cheese pancakes at home and there's no limit to how many you can have.

• Prep Time 30 min
• Total Time 8 hr 30 min
• Servings 5

Ingredients

Pancakes

1

package (8 oz) cream cheese

2

cups Original Bisquick® mix

1/2

cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4

cup sugar

1

cup milk

2

eggs

Strawberry Syrup

1

cup sliced fresh strawberries

1/2

cup strawberry syrup for pancakes

Shrimp Fried Rice

.

• Prep Time 30 min
• Total Time 30 min
• Servings 4

Ingredients

1

tablespoon sesame oil

2

eggs, slightly beaten

1

tablespoon olive oil

2

cups chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) broccoli

1

cup chopped carrots

1

cup fresh or frozen (thawed) snow pea pods

2

cups cold cooked white rice

1

clove garlic, finely chopped

1

teaspoon grated gingerroot

3

tablespoons soy sauce

1

lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled (tail shells removed), deveined

1

cup chopped green onions

• 1 In wok or large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Cook eggs in oil, stirring constantly, until thickened but still moist. Remove eggs from skillet to plate; cover to keep warm.
• 2 In same skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrots and pea pods; stir-fry until crisp-tender. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in rice, garlic, gingerroot and soy sauce. Add shrimp. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice is hot and shrimp are pink.
• 3 Stir in scrambled eggs and green onions; cook 1 minute longer. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

Brown rice is a nutritious option that can be used in this recipe.
Use your favorite combination of veggies in this fried rice.

Friendship Bread How-To Prepare It

1

Make a starter then make a loaf of delicious cinnamon bread. We've detailed everything you need to know to kick off this fun tradition—from a simple starter mix to the first, fresh-from-the-oven slice. 

Amish friendship bread is a quick bread made with a sweet, sourdough starter. The starter ferments for 10 days then doubles in size. Every day the starter must be tended to (Don’t worry: it’s as easy as you squishing the bag it comes in!). On the 10th day you share some of the starter with friends (so they can begin making their own loaves) and bake two delicious loaves of cinnamon-scented bread for you and a new friend.
Check out the recipe for instructions on how to get started. After your starter has been stirred and squished for ten days, you're ready to make a batch of bread.
This recipe isn't just simple and delicious; it's also a fun way to teach your kids basic baking skills. Begin by mixing the ingredients together to make a smooth batter.

Spray two large loaf pans with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour in the mix). If you can't find baking spray, generously butter and flour the pan instead. The more the merrier when it comes to greasing a pan so that the bread won't stick!

This is where the bread takes a turn for the delicious! Traditional Amish Friendship bread is a loaf of cinnamoney goodness. But we amped things up with an extra cinnamon swirl. (It’s so beautiful to slice into!) To give your loaves a final flair, scoop about 1/3 of the batter into a medium bowl, add cinnamon (lots and lots of cinnamon), then whisk until the batter changes to a deep, brown color.

Now place little dollops of the cinnamon batter into the bowl with the remaining batter and use a fork or knife to gently swirl together, but just a little!

You want to keep those nice, big swirls intact by not overmixing.

Now pour the batter into your two, prepared loaf pans…

And get ready to bake in a hot oven. The loaves will need about an hour to bake—the perfect amount of time to clean the kitchen.

Once your loaves are out of the oven and cooled, wrap them up with a note and share with a new friend.

They'll be so glad you did, and you will too!

Don't forget to give your bread with a bag of friendship bread starter to keep the fun going for everyone, all year long.

How to Make Gbegiri (Beans) Nigerian Soup

When some people think of beans, they assume there are only few ways you can make it. Gbegiri is soup made from beans and it is easy to make and very tasty. This is a traditional Nigerian recipe that is specific to the Yoruba People. Many Nigerian Soups have their variations. Gbegiri is on of those dishes. You can add or subtract from it to fit your taste buds. Some like it really spicy and some like it mild. Gbegiri is a Yoruba word which means ‘beans’. Vegetarians can have their version of this dish by skipping on the meat, chicken etc but still getting the protein requirement from this meal. Enjoy the Pot Pourri version of the Gbegiri Recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of beans

Red Oil

Stock (Dry) Fish

Meat

Salt

Cube

Grounded Crayfish

Dry Pepper

Blended pepper and Tomato

Recipe 

Soak the beans in some hot water; this makes it easier for the back of the beans to come off

Wash the beans until it is completely clean.

Put it in a pan and allow to boil for an hour and 30 minutes or until it is completely soft and mushy.

In another pot, boil your meat and add the necessary seasoning.

Using a sieve, extract the liquified beans. Use a spoon as this is easier, and it will help remove all the water completely.

Transfer the extraction into a clean pot and add the red oil, a little blended pepper, and dry pepper.

Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes, then add the meat stock.

Season to taste

Add the dry fish( ensure you soak the dry fish in some hot salted water before using it)  and the cray fish.

Allow to boil on low heat for 10 minutes.

You can serve with ewedu (jute leaves) and pounded yam or amala.

How to make Samosa (from India)

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Samosa is an Indian delicacy but Nigerians love it so much!
It is now a constant feature at every party. Be sure to look for it in the small chops section and hurry because it is usually one of the first to disappear.

 

Ingredients for Samosa

The following ingredients make 8 samosas:

The dough:

• 60g (2 oz) plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• A pinch of salt
• Warm water
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying

The filling:

• 2 medium Irish potatoes
• 2 handfuls of green peas
• 100g minced beef
• 2 cooking spoons of vegetable oil
• 1 big stock cube
• 1 stalk of spring onion (cut into thin circles)
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder (for colour, no chilli)
• Salt and ground cayenne pepper (to taste)

Feel free to customize the filling to your taste but the classic Indian Samosa must contain Irish potatoes and green peas.

How to make Spring Rolls (from Asia) spring rolls nigerian small chop Spring Rolls originated from Asia but Nigerians have recently been bitten by the Spring Rolls bug! I love Spring Rolls because once you get the Spring Rolls Wrappers right, you can fill them up with anything and they will taste great. They are usually filled with vegetables (hence spring) but I love to add beef to my spring rolls filling. How to make Spring Rolls [Video] Ingredients for Spring Rolls For the Spring Rolls wrappers: You can use store-bought wrappers for your spring rolls or you can make them yourself. To see how to make them at home, see: Homemade Spring Rolls Wrappers. For the filling: You can use any combinations of beef and/or vegetables for your spring rolls filling. The following quantities of ingredients will make make a filling for 15 spring rolls. I use: 50g minced beef A handful green peas 1 spring onion 1 medium carrot 1 small green bell pepper Habanero (Scotch bonnet) pepper (to taste) 1 Stock cube 1 teaspoon thyme A small quantity of vegetable oil For sealing the spring rolls: 1 tablespoon plain flour (all purpose flour) 2 tablespoons cold water See the video below for details of how to make Spring Rolls.

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Spring Rolls originated from Asia but Nigerians have recently been bitten by the Spring Rolls bug!
I love Spring Rolls because once you get the Spring Rolls Wrappers right, you can fill them up with anything and they will taste great. They are usually filled with vegetables (hence spring) but I love to add beef to my spring rolls filling.
How to make Spring Rolls [Video]

Ingredients for Spring Rolls

For the Spring Rolls wrappers:

You can use store-bought wrappers for your spring rolls or you can make them yourself. To see how to make them at home, see: Homemade Spring Rolls Wrappers.

For the filling:

You can use any combinations of beef and/or vegetables for your spring rolls filling.
The following quantities of ingredients will make make a filling for 15 spring rolls. I use:

• 50g minced beef
• A handful green peas
• 1 spring onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small green bell pepper
• Habanero (Scotch bonnet) pepper (to taste)
• 1 Stock cube
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• A small quantity of vegetable oil

For sealing the spring rolls:

• 1 tablespoon plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons cold water

See the video below for details of how to make Spring Rolls. The written recipe is exclusive to the

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Spring Rolls originated from Asia but Nigerians have recently been bitten by the Spring Rolls bug!
I love Spring Rolls because once you get the Spring Rolls Wrappers right, you can fill them up with anything and they will taste great. They are usually filled with vegetables (hence spring) but I love to add beef to my spring rolls filling.

Ingredients for Spring Rolls

For the Spring Rolls wrappers:

You can use store-bought wrappers for your spring rolls or you can make them yourself. To see how to make them at home, see: Homemade Spring Rolls Wrappers.

For the filling:

You can use any combinations of beef and/or vegetables for your spring rolls filling.
The following quantities of ingredients will make make a filling for 15 spring rolls. I use:

• 50g minced beef
• A handful green peas
• 1 spring onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small green bell pepper
• Habanero (Scotch bonnet) pepper (to taste)
• 1 Stock cube
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• A small quantity of vegetable oil

For sealing the spring rolls:

• 1 tablespoon plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 2 tablespoons cold water

See the video below for details of how to make Spring Rolls. The written recipe is exclusive to the 

Nigerian Groundnut Soup (Peanut Soup)

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Groundnut Soup (Peanut Soup) is next best soup after Egusi Soup. It is prepared the same way as Egusi Soup so you can apply the two methods of preparing Egusi Soup to Groundnut Soup with great results.
Nigerian Groundnut Soup [Video]
If you cannot find the ingredients to cook Egusi Soup where you live, Groundnut Soup is a great alternative. I must say that it has some sweetness to it that takes a bit of getting used to if you have not tasted the soup before.

Ingredients for Groundnut Soup

• 500g raw peeled groundnuts (peanuts)
• Assorted meat and fish. I use:
  • Beef
  • Shaki (cow tripe)
  • Dry fish
  • Stock fish
• Palm Oil
• A small bunch of Nigerian Pumpkin leaves or 6 cubes Frozen Spinach or Bitterleaf
• 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 2 big stock cubes
• Salt & ground dry cayenne pepper: to taste

Notes about the ingredients

1. Palm oil mainly adds colour and sometimes taste to Nigerian soups so add enough quantity to colour the soup to your liking.
2. Bitter leaves help tone down the sweetness of this soup so if you do NOT have a sweet tooth, then you should use bitterleaves in preparing this soup. Let's put it this way: if you prefer bitter leaves for your Egusi Soup, then you should use them for Groundnut Soup too.
3. You can also use fresh habanero peppers in place of dry cayenne peppers.

Tool

Before you cook Groundnut Soup

1. Soak the stockfish and dry fish for a few hours. The length of time depends on how hard the stock fish is. Some even need to be boiled a bit. Mine soaks in under 1 hour. When soft, clean the fish, remove the bones and separate them into small pieces.
2. Roast the raw groundnuts in a pan, stirring constantly till they look like this. Set aside to cool down completely then grind into powder with a dry mill.
3. Wash and cut the Nigerian pumpkin leaves into tiny pieces. If using frozen spinach, cut into small pieces and wring out the excess water when fully defrosted.
4. Prepare other ingredients: grind the pepper and grind the crayfish.

Cooking Directions

1. Start cooking the shaki first as it is the toughest meat in the bunch. Always keep water to the same level as the contents of the pot and top it up as you cook.
2. When the shaki starts to curl, add the dry fish and stockfish.
3. When the shaki is almost done, add beef and stock cubes and cook till all the meat and fish are well done.
4. Add the crayfish, salt and pepper, cover and cook till it boils.
5. Transfer the meat and fish to another pot/container leaving the stock in the pot.
6. Add the ground groundnuts and stir very well till there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to very low and start cooking.
7. Stir every 5 minutes and top up the water if necessary. This mixture burns easily so watch it closely and stir as often as necessay.
8. Cook till a thin film of clear oil appears on the surface. This should take about 15 minutes. Add palm oil and stir very well.
9. Add the beef and fish, stir and cook on low heat till it boils. For those who prefer their groundnut soup without vegetables, the soup is ready at this time. If you prefer it with vegetables then go to step 10.
10. Add the vegetables, stir and leave to simmer. Stir again and it is done.

1. Serve Groundnut Soup with any Nigerian Fufu meal.