Sukuma Wiki (Stretch the Week) Recipe from East Africa.

It’s recipe time! Sukuma wiki (stretch the week) full of rich vitamins, minerals, and all of those "good-for-you" nutrients from kale and other leafy greens.

 

First I’m going to introduce you to Manja. Manja is a wonderful Maasai who has ventured out of his cultural norm a bit and is a professional cook! He normally works at a high end tourist camp as a chef and he makes superb food. When we are there we are so lucky to have him join our team and cook for us. This recipe comes straight from Manja and a few other recipes in the future will be coming from his as well. Here he is pictured with the normal breakfast he would have ready for us in the morning. delish!

The recipe I’m going to share with you this week is the second most common dish in East Africa. It’s called “Sukuma Wiki” which means “stretch the week” in Swahili. Basically it’s whatever vegetables you have left at the end of the week all thrown in a pot to make healthy goodness. 

 First go to the Maasai market which is on Tuesdays and Saturdays and buy your produce…or you can go to your local market, farmers market, or your own garden of course. 

You'll need: 

2 Tbsp cooking oil

Salt & Pepper

Ground or flake red pepper

6 or so garlic cloves minced

1-2 yellow onions

Approx 1 1/2 cups Chicken or beef stock, broth, or water 

 You’ll need one or all of the following (whatever you can get or have):

-clean and rinse all greens thoroughly several times to remove grit-

Kale- stemmed and cut into strips

Spinach

Collard Greens

Mustard Greens

Turnip Greens

Tomatoes-cubed

Sweet Peppers-cubed

1. Heat the oil over med-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Saute the onions and garlic.
2. Add the tomatoes & peppers and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add 1 cup of stock, broth, or water. Slowly add the greens until wilted.
4. Add remaining stock, broth or water. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
5. You can add a chopped chili pepper or two with the onions. You can also add meat for extra flavor if you have it. 
   

Excellent nutrition and a hearty meal from 

Africa for your family!  Kufurahia! (Enjoy!)

Yummy Recipe's Straight from Kenya-Sweet Potato Coconut Pudding (Mbtata)

We get many questions from people all over the United States and other countries regarding our humanitarian experiences. We love these questions and we certainly love to answer them. One of most fun questions we get asked is, "Do you starve over there (Africa)?" or "What on earth do you eat?". The answer is that we actually eat well and the food is very good! Though we have to be very careful what we eat and follow all travel/CDC guide lines because we must stay healthy, we definitely do not "starve". Sharing meals with fellow volunteers, those we serve, and with our hosts is one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences. You all get a chance to relax, let your hair down, talk and laugh!

In order to answer some questions and to have fun ourselves we would like to bring to the table the life of what we experience in Africa by sharing some recipes and memories with our readers. I remember my first experience in the kitchen while in Kenya. It was my third trip to Africa and we were working in the small town of Naivasha, not too far from Lake Nakuru. I had noticed that the women who cooked for us were always up cooking our breakfast long before we ever woke and then would return in the afternoon to cook our dinner which was absolutely amazing. Our breakfasts usually consisted of one or more of; boiled eggs, toast, pancakes, fresh fruit, cereal with hot milk (fresh from the cow that morning). Dinners range from; meat somosa's, cabbage & tomatoes, pasta, potato's & pea's, green beans, chicken, goat, fish, sweet potatoes, spinach & kale, ugali, fresh fruit, and pita bread. Two-five of these items would be served, not all at once. The ladies never complained and I would always hear them giggling away in the kitchen, though I couldn't understand but a few words of what they were speaking.

After the first week I couldn't stand it and had to get into that kitchen. I wanted to be apart of the comradeship that these ladies had. I tip-toed into the kitchen and after a game of charades I managed to get it through to them that I wanted to participate, help, and learn from them (after a lot of giggling).  In that one afternoon I gained so much, both in learning to cook but also the connection of women. You also do not need to speak the language in order to be apart of the bond between women, you just need to take part.

 

Meal preparation is mainly done in a small kitchen area and then the cooking outside, unless a modern stove is available inside. Most of the experiences I've had, the cooking is done on a charcoal stove/oven or open fire outside the kitchen.  

I am going to share with you all one of the recipe's I learned that afternoon and I promise more will come. This is a favorite of my husband and two kids as well as many other friends and family. Sweet potato coconut pudding or Mbtata in Swahili. Super yummy and I serve as a desert though you could serve as a side dish depending on your meal plan. This is super easy and can be made ahead of time and frozen. It's also good warm or cool though it's the perfect comfort food when warm.

1 cup fresh ground coconut
4 baked sweet potato's, peeled and cubed

3 eggs, whisked
¾-1 cup sugar
¾ cup coconut milk, goats milk, or heavy cows milk (just milk!)
4 tbsp melted butter
1-2 tsp of any spices you have on hand (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves)
pinch of sea salt

Blend together all ingredients and ONLY 1/2 cup of coconut, reserve the other 1/2. Poor into lightly greased or buttered baking dish or casserole dish and smooth. Sprinkle remaining coconut on top. Place in a 350° oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cool. Garnish with fresh whipped cream, ice-cream, mint, or alone. mzuri sana! (very good!)

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