EAT OUTSIDE THE BOX.

Where are all the foodies here?

Can I hear you say yea, yea?…

Lol...

You can tell this is a topic so dear to my heart. Yes, I love food. And I mean all the activities that come with it; going to the market, preparing to cook, cooking, combining foods and yes, you guessed right…eating. I especially love trying out new dishes. I still do not understand how a person can eat the same food over and over again.🙄 When I say the same food, I mean food prepared the very same way since time immemorial. No twist, change or modification whatsoever.

So if you know me, you most likely know I am an advocate for the ‘eat outside the box’ movement. Please try something outside the comfort zone of your tastebud. You should read that again. Like I usually tell all and sundry, food combination doesn’t hurt, it is food poisoning and intoxication that does…hello Microbiology!… So please, if you made it to this point, do better and take up the challenge. Eat something different from your ususal and just enjoy the experience. It's one you'll love, I know for sure.

I have a few suggestions that have been tried and tested by yours truly. Just to make mention, the ‘box’ here is what you are used to, your usual, everyday-go-to.

One, try different combinations. I learnt to employ this rule: what I love to eat plus what I have to eat or what I want to eat plus what I need to eat. Sometimes, you might not like or have a flare for a particular food, but it is important in your diet, especially if you have records of deficiency. So what to do? Don’t dread the food, just combine creatively. Start with small portions until you can increase it. I will share a personal example here; I don’t like sweet potatoes for anything, but my family eats it frequently. So how do I eat mine, I combine sweet potatoes with jollof rice, white rice and stew,(like a substitute for fried plantain) and that’s a goal I want to keep scoring. It is an amazing dish.

Two, try different methods of cooking a particular dish. Don’t just stick to frying; sometimes, grill, bake, roast, use an air fryer. Those dishes you would normally fry, will turn out even better in the oven.

Have you been using only ‘ugu’ in your egusi soup? How about substituting it with ‘uziza’, bitter leaf, water leaf, scent leaf. Go further and try a combination of two or more vegetables.

Three, be intentionally open to other cultures' food. Nigeria is blessed with different tribes and ethnic groups with rich food, not to mention the ton of continental dishes available too. Do yourself a favour and explore.

Lastly, inculcate spices. Oh yes, this is my absolute favorite. Cook with spices my people.

There is just something about correctly spiced food. In my opinion, I think spices should be another class of food. So as a newbie, if you are, just start one spice after the other. I strongly recommend a few...

✓ Nutmeg powder: I want to even ask you, how exactly do you steam meat without it? I make omelettes with it and the taste is absolutely amazing.

✓Tumeric powder: I love to call it the Grandfather of curry, because I learnt it is one of the ingredients from which curry is produced, which gives it it's colour. Jollof rice and spaghetti, stew will thank you for this.

✓Ginger powder: It can also be boiled and consumed as tea. It helps relieve cold and abdominal discomfort…I testify. And for our 'fitfam' people, this burns fat too.

✓Garlic: Good old garlic…

✓Cinnamon: Can be added to smoothies and used in baking.

✓Coriander: To get the best out of it, roast or heat up the seed, pound or blend before use.

✓Curry and Thyme: Isn't this a regular already? So, no need for grammer…keep it up.

✓ Uziza seeds, bay leaves, corriander and others.

As this comes to a close, I would love to mention that you should present the food well too. Don’t serve like it’s a sacrifice to be offered, even if you are serving yourself. There is just something about well presented ready-to-eat meal. You get to feed your eyes first before your stomach. Amazing right? And you know the eye is the window of the soul.

Cooking is an art, have fun while at it. It doesn’t have to be one of those boring chores. Above all, please eat healthy. Ensure your meal is always balanced, complete with fruits, vegetables and lots of water.