Avocado Stuffed with Shrimp

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/Senegal.html#Recipes

This appetizer is really astonishing. It may seem like a lot of work, but it is well worth the effort. The blending of mashed avocado and chick peas combined with shrimp and garnishes makes an intriguing combination of flavors that is unusual and delicious.

Yield: 8 portions

In a 2-quart bowl:

Mash: 2 large AVOCADOS, peeled (or 3 small) with

4 Tbs. LEMON JUICE and
4 Tbs. PLAIN YOGURT (or sour cream)

Shred 1 head LETTUCE and place in a 1-quart bowl.

For individual serving:

Place 1 cup SHREDDED LETTUCE on a salad plate.

Arrange 1/2 cup COOKED CHICK PEAS or BLACK-EYED PEAS, seasoned lightly with salt, in center of lettuce.

Cover peas with 3 to 4 Tbs. AVOCADO MIXTURE (above).

Arrange: 2 slices TOMATO, cut thickly and topped with

1 Tbs. CHOPPED SPANISH ONION at one side of avocado.

Place 2 quarters HARD-BOILED EGG, one each at opposite sides.

Spread 1 slice PIMIENTO across egg as a garnish.

Arrange 3 large COOKED SHRIMP in a row on top of avocado.

Garnish with 1 or 2 sprigs PARSLEY or WATERCRESS.

Senegalese Lemon Soup

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0497/lemonsoup.html

A classic soup from Senegal with a multitude of variations, this soup can be served either warm or cold. You may also add diced, cooked chicken meat to the broth to further enrich the warm, mellow taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 lemon
• dash of paprika
• snipped fresh chives

Method:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry powder and flour and cook 1-1/2 minutes, stirring. Blend in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir in the yogurt, a little bit at a time to prevent curdling. If serving the soup warm, reheat it over a low flame until heated through but do not boil. Finish by squeezing in the juice from the lemon. Serve warm or cold, topped with a sprinkle of paprika and garnished with fresh chives.

Ceebu Jen

http://kariborders.blogspot.com/recipes/recipes.html

This rice (ceeb) and fish (jen) recipe is the national dish of Senegal and can also be made with beef. Most Senegalese will serve the rice on a large platter with the fish and veggies in the center. Normally you eat from this common bowl, not from individual plates, with your hands. The hostess will divide up the fish and veggies on to each person's rice portion in front of them. Take a piece of fish or veggies and some rice in your right hand. Squeeze to make a ball and pop it into your mouth. Delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb rice
1 lb fish (they use whole fish, heads and all)
cabbage
carrot
2 potatoes
onion
eggplant
2 lemon
1 cup oil
small can tomato paste
clove garlic, minced
salt
parsley
dried hot pepper (hotter the better)

Method:

Crush together garlic, 1/2 bunch parsley, salt, pepper, and dried hot pepper.
Rinse the fish. Make 3-4 holes in the fish and stuff with seasoning mixture.
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add sliced onions and salt. Dilute tomato paste with 1/2 cup water and add in two minutes with fish. Let simmer 5 minutes.
Add 6-7 cups water and largely chopped vegetables. Let cook for one hour. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them along with the fish and a little sauce. Use the broth to cook the rice. When cooked, serve on large platter in a 1-2 inch flat layer with veggies and fish piled in center.

Poulet Yassa

http://kariborders.blogspot.com/recipes/recipes.html

This dish is a favorite of American visitors. It's awesome !

Ingredients:

1 kilo chicken pieces
2 kilos purple onions, chopped
1 cup oil
½ cup mustard (Dijon)
2 cubes bouillon
black pepper
salt
dried hot peppers
2 lemons (juice)
6 cups rice
Sliced green peppers and tomatoes

Method:

Fry chicken pieces until dark brown. Save oil and slowly sauté onions (2 hours). Add chicken, mustard, hot pepper, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for up to an hour. Serve over white rice and top with freshly sliced veggies.

Senegalese Rice And Fish Stew (Thiebou Dienn Sous Verre)

http://www.africhef.com/

Ingredients:

· 3 lb sea bass tail
· 2 lb broken rice
· ½ lb pound calabreze
· ½ lb sweet cassava
· 9 cups cold water
· 1x6 ounce can tomato paste
· 3” piece smoked fish (any firm white will do)
· 12 small okra pods
· 5 small purple turnips
· 5 carrots
· 4 sweet potatoes
· 2 large onions
· 2 scallions
· 2 small eggplants
· 2 large cloves garlic
· 1 small green cabbage
· 1 bunch parsley
· 1 fresh bird chili
· 1 habanero chili
· 4 Tbsp peanut oil
· 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Dissolve the salt in the water.

Prepare the vegetables as follows:-
Peel and dice both the calabreze and cassava into 1 inch pieces.

Wash, top and tail the okra pods, making sure you have no hard pods Quarter the turnips and sweet potatoes.
Peel the carrots and cut into 1 inch rounds
Cut the eggplants into 1 inch slices
Cut the cabbage into 8 pieces
Mince the onions.

Prepare the sea bass by cleaning and cut into 1 ½ inch thick steaks, score the steaks with a sharp knife.

Prepare the stuffing for the sea bass steaks by placing the parsley, garlic, bird chili and scallions in a food processor and pulsing until they form a thick paste. When the paste is ready poke the stuffing into the slits, previously made by scoring the sea bass steaks

Heat the oil in a large stockpot and brown the onion. Add the smoked fish, tomato paste and ¼ cup of the salted water. When the onion has browned, place the sea bass in the pot with the onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining water. Bring to the boil, cover and lower the heat. Add the vegetables as follows: calabaza, sweet cassava, turnips, cabbage, sweet potatoes, eggplants, carrots, okra and habanero chili. Remove and reserve the habanero chili when the thiebou dienn is spicy enough to taste.

Cook for 20 minutes.