Guava & Plantain Pudding

Plantain works with both sweet and savoury dishes. It is cheap and packed with goodness. This pudding is quick and easy and with very few ingredients it couldn’t be simpler. It works well with fresh, dried and tinned fruits, and best of all, there’s no added sugar! A recipe from "A Date with Plantain"

Cassava Scones

Cassava is the star ingredient here. It brings its own flavour and adds a delicate crunch. These can be enjoyed on their own, or served with fresh fruit and a little mascarpone. Cassava can be found in African – Caribbean and Asian shops and in the frozen section of some supermarkets. A recipe from "A Plate in the Sun"

Crispy Squid with Pepper

I love squid, whether fried and served hot as a starter or cooked in a sumptuous seafood stew. Squid sizzles and browns quickly when fried and after draining on kitchen paper disappears rapidly unless guarded. I’ve found it a very effective bribe to get help with washing up. A recipe from "A Plate in the Sun"

Black-eye Beans with Smoked Fish & Bacon

This is a weekend special in boarding schools in Ghana, a family favourite in most Ghanaian homes and a popular street food. If you fancy a vegetarian dish, just leave out the bacon. One of my favourite standby dishes for the fridge.   A recipe from "A Plate in the Sun"

Easy Chicken Curry

The ubiquitous curry has developed many personalities around the world. This recipe takes me back to pre-teen memories of lunch invites with friends like Rita and Gopa. One of my pleasures of eating curry has to be the variety of side dishes. Fried, ripe plantain, sliced pawpaw and avocado are must-haves. I have called it easy chicken curry because even my husband can cook it! A recipe from "A Plate in the Sun"

Plantain Pancakes

Eaten hot or cold, these savoury plantain pancakes make a delicious starter or snack and with a generous serving of bean stew can be a very filling lunch. When plantain skins turn black, they are over-ripe and that’s when, I think, they reach plantain perfection and are an ideal base for pancakes and puddings.   They are usually fried in palm fruit oil, but I prefer to use rapeseed oil. A recipe from "A Plate in the Sun"

Ghana Salad

Salads in West Africa are more substantial than you may think and can be meals in themselves. Picture slices of red tomato, purple onions, the soft white and yellow of eggs and bright green lettuce - a feast of colour. Then there’s the comfort of delicate fish like tuna and salmon, all coated in glossy mayonnaise…the list goes on… I could call this “Happy Days Salad” as I remember as a child watching the fun in the kitchen as mum and aunties chopped and laughed, mixed and giggled, ...

Meatloaf

As an AFS exchange student in America, it made my day to come home from school and find my American host mum, Ethel Barker, had made meatloaf for dinner. Here I have added a kick with chillies and an interesting sweetness with plantain. A recipe from "A Date with Plantain"

Galliano, plantain & passionfruit griddle

A banana liqueur and sweet ripe plantain. Is this a match made in heaven? A recipe from "A Date with Plantain"

Cheesy Beef and Lamb Meatballs with Pasta

Here's my quick, easy and special treat for that special person - cheesy beef and lamb meatballs with pasta. I use my always faithful Maa's Tomato Sauce to give it that little extra something.