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Smoked Turkey with Egusi sauce

Serves 4 We almost had another epic fail on our hands. Thankfully, however, Linda of Tropical Foodies saved the day. The end result? Creamy, smoky, turkey goodness. Read on to learn the critical lesson I learned about how to cook with melon seeds. Tulsa Shopping Connection: melon seeds are available in Tulsa at Ebute Metta Tropical Market. Pumpkin seeds are in the bulk section of Whole Foods. Ingredients: oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 smoked turkey thigh (available by the meat counter), cut into pieces 1/2 cup melon or pumpkin seeds 1 cup water plus 1/2 cup 1/2 cup tomato puree Method: We get things started by heating up oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook onions … … and garlic, until fragrant and soft. Meanwhile, take one smoked turkey thigh. Which are giant, by the way – especially if you’re only used to dealing with chicken thighs. Using a sharp knife, cut it into chunks. It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it helps if they are roughly the same …

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Egusi Sauce

Makes about 2 cups Raw seeds give Egusi sauce grassy flavor and a little bit of texture. The sauce is popular in central Africa, and can be served over vegetables, meats, and fish. Ingredients: 1 small onion 1 tomato 1 chili pepper (I used a poblano from my garden, but you can go as spicy as you want with this recipe) salt red chili powder, to taste 1 1/2 cups ground egusi 1/2 cup water (or as needed) Method: Hunt down some ground melon seeds. I found these at our local African market. Latino stores have pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, which are an acceptable substitute. In a food processor, add tomato… Coarsely chopped onion … And a chili pepper. I left the poblano on the plant long enough that it turned red. The extra time on the plant made it sweeter 🙂 Puree everything together… Add it to a small pot with the egusi… Some salt and pepper… And water… Things don’t look so tasty here… but as the water mixes in, things smooth out. …

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