Recipe of the day:                              Jollof Rice

One day I went with my daughter to a friend's home to see her new baby.  When we were there she served us Jollof Rice and I fell in love with it.  I put a link (below my recipe) to one recipe that I drew from when I made it, but it's one of those dishes that will change according to what you have on hand and who makes it.  Below is approximately how I made it although I don't think I could ever make it exactly the same as the time before.  Yum!!!


Jollof Rice Serves 4-6

1 pound chicken (can use lean beef--I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
olive oil for frying
about 3 1/2 cups chicken broth or water with 3 crushed bouillon cubes 
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
large can stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
assorted chopped vegetables, e.g. carrots, green beans, bell peppers, broccoli, whatever you have on hand
1 lb brown rice


Cut meat or chicken int 5 cm (2 in) cubes or small pieces and season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in fry-pan and fry the meat or chicken pieces until brown. Remove meat from oil and add to the stock in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer on low heat until meat begins to soften, then remove from heat.
Drain excess oil from fry pan leaving enough oil to fry onions and garlic  until golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste,  peppers flakes, half the combined vegetables and 8 fl oz of stock from the meat mixture. Stir well, adjust seasoning and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add this vegetable sauce to the meat mixture in the saucepan and simmer gently. Finally, stir in the uncooked, long-grain rice. Adjust the seasoning again, cover and simmer slowly on low heat for about 15 minutes.
Arrange the remaining vegetables on top of the rice and continue to simmer until the rice absorbs all the stock, softens and cooks, and the meat is tender. It may be necessary to sprinkle additional water mix to help the rice cook. If so use small amounts at a time of approximately 8 fl oz lightly salted water.
http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/westafrica/jollofrc.html#axzz14jiRCo5B