MANDAZI

Preparation time:   25 minutes

Cooking time:         15 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups self rising flour

1 tea spoon of cardamom

1 egg

½  a cup of milk

½  a cup of water

Vegetable oil for frying

1 and a ½ table spoon of margarine

¼  cup of sugar

Preparations

Put the flour in a bowl.

Add a ¼  cup of sugar.

Add the cardamon.

Mix all ingredients.

Break the egg in a different bowl.

Stir it for for few seconds, and then add it to the mixture.

Continue to mix it for a minute.

Pour the milk into the mixture, and mix it with your hands.

The dough needs to become easy to roll.

You may need to add a bit more water: it should take around 5 minutes.

Cut the dough into small fist size pieces with your hand.

Take a roller and make each piece flat.

Then - cut it with a knife into whatever shape you desire: circles, triangles?

Cooking

Heat a pan on a medium heat.

Add a cup of oil or more if the pan is big.

When the oil is hot, after around 3 minutes, throw the cut pieces in.

Let it fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until it becomes brownish.

Then - turn the pieces to the other side.

When both sides are brownish - take the pieces out.

Put them in a plate, so the oil can drip.

Serve it with fresh juice, soda or tea in the morning.

Serves 6.

Dietitian's Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 251

Fat: 6.7 g

Cholesterol: 29 mg

Sodium: 53 mg

Fiber: 1.2 g

Sugar: 9.5 g

Total carbs: 41.4 g

Protein: 6.0 g

Nutrition Grade: B 

PINNEAPPLE CAKE

Preparation time:   20 minutes

Baking time:                       50 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of wheat flour (self rising flour with baking powder)

¼ cup of sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup margarine

2 tablespoons extra margarine

1 pineapple

Preparation

Grate the lemon zest.

Squeeze the lemon into a separate bowl.

Cut the pineapple into very small pieces.

Cooking

Put the flour, margarine, sugar, vanilla, cardamom and eggs in a bowl.

Work it out for few minutes, until it becomes a pastry.

Add the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the pastry.

Add the pineapple pieces.

Mix everything well for couple of minutes.

Take a square baking pan (or another sized baking tin)

Grease the bottom and its sides with margarine.

Pour the mixture inside.

Heat the oven for 10 minutes in a medium heat (350 degrees).

Put the baking pan with mixture inside into the oven.

Bake it for 50 minutes.

Check on the cake after 30 minutes.

Check it again on the 40^th minute, 45^th ...

Serve it with soda, drinks, juice, tea as an afternoon delight.

Can also be served for breakfast or as a dessert after lunch.

Serves 6.

* You can bake the same cake with other fruits like apples, pears, bananas.

Dietitian's Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 329

Fat: 18.0 g

Cholesterol: 109 mg

Sodium: 215 mg

Fiber: 2.1 g

Sugar: 16.8 g

Total carbs: 36.5 g

Protein: 6.6 g

Nutrition Grade: C

FRUIT SALADE

Preparation time:   75 minutes

Ingredients

3 bananas

1/2 of a pineapple

2 medium avocados

¼ of a medium watermelon

1 big mango

1 lemon (half or a whole lemon, depending how juicy the lemon is)

Preparation

Cut the pineapple first into small cubes.

Cut the watermelon into small pieces.

Cut the bananas into small pieces.

Peel off the mango and cut into small pieces.

Cut the avocados into small pieces (best way to do it is to almost - not completely - cut it into quarters. Then, twist the avocado and separate its 4 parts, making it easy to peel and cut)

Leave each fruit's pieces for 30 minutes, so the juices settle.

Mix all fruits together. Add lemon juice.

Put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Serve it alone or as a desert.

Serves 6.

Dietitian's Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 208

Fat: 10.1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 6 mg

Protein: 2.2g

Fiber: 7.0 g

Sugar: 18.0 g

Total carbs: 31.1 g

Nutrition Grade: A

KACHUMBARI

(A traditional salad)

Preparation time:   15 minutes

Ingredients

4 tomatoes

2 medium size onions

1 green pepper

2 small carrots

¼ cup of a water

Juice from half of medium-size lemon

½ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

Red pepper (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation

Wash the vegetables well.

Cut the tomatoes and pepper into slices.

Cut the parsley.

Peel the carrots off and grate them.

Cut the onions and add salt.

Wash the onions to remove their bitterness. (Some people in Africa don't like the onions' original flavor.)

Mix all the vegetables together.

Add salt, lemon juice and water.

Mix it well.

Serves 6.

            Dietician’s Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 45

Fat: 0.3 g

Sodium: 99 mg

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sugar: 5.6 g

Protein: 1.6 g

Fiber: 2.6 g

Total carbs: 10.1 g

Nutrition Grade: A

SWEET POTATOES

Preparation time:   10 minutes

Cooking time:         30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes

4 cups of water

¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation

Peel the potatoes.

Wash them well.

Cut them into medium pieces.

Cooking

Put the potatoes into a pot with water and salt.

Cook them on medium heat, covered, for 30 minutes.

Check on the potatoes after 20 minutes or so.

Serve it with African tea or porridge for breakfast. 

Or you can eat with milk or yogurt during lunch.

Serves 6.

Dietician’s Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 134

Fat: 0.2 g

Sodium: 112 mg

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sugar: 0.6 g

Protein: 1.7 g

Fiber: 4.7 g

Total carbs: 31.6 g

Nutrition Grade: A

PUMPKIN

Popular dish for kids, especially when mashed bananas, spinach, salt and a bit of margarine are added

Preparation time:   10 minutes

Cooking time:         20 minutes

Ingredients

Half a pumpkin

¼ teaspoon salt

3 cups of water

Preparation

Clean the pumpkin.

Peel off its cover.

Cut it into medium pieces.

Cooking

Put the pumpkin pieces into a pot.

Add salt and water.

Place it over medium heat for 20 minutes (cover the pot).

Serve it with African tea, or porridge.

Serves 6.

Dietician’s Verdict (per serving):

Calories: 56

Fat: 0.5 g

Sodium: 90 mg

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sugar: 5.4 g

Protein: 1.8 g

Fiber: 4.7 g

Total carbs: 13.2 g

Nutrition Grade: A