Specialities
Jollof rice: Rice cooked with palm oil, tomato paste and onions, to which other vegetables and meat or fish are added.
Egusi soup: Soup thickened with the ground seeds of squashes. It usually contains green vegetables and sometimes tomatoes and onions.
Yassa chicken: Common across West Africa, this dish features chicken cooked in an onion and tomato sauce.
Fried cassava: Deep-fried yucca or cassava makes a tasty treat.
Fish stew: A Portuguese inspired dish of seafood in a salty broth.
Avocados with tuna: A salad of avocado, tuna and tomatoes.
Grilled prawns: Particularly common by the coast.
Ravias: Portuguese inspired cinnamon cookies, often sold in bakeries.
Cashew nuts: Delicious and plentiful in season, sometimes made into juice.
Cana de cajeu: Rum made from the fruit of the cashew.
Palm wine: Commonly made in rural areas. Alcohol levels depend on how long it has been left to ferment. It tastes better than it smells.
Moroccan spiced chicken breasts 
Serves: 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons canola oil
For Moroccan spice mix:
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Mix ingredients together thoroughly.
Use as directed in Moroccan spiced chicken.
To prepare Moroccan spiced chicken breasts:
Blend the spice mix and olive oil in a shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry and dredge in the spice paste, turning to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Sauté the chicken breasts until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
Serve with coucous or rice.
Moroccan spiced chickpea soup
Serves: 6
1 large onion, medium diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 quart vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package pre-washed baby spinach
Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.
Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
Skillet chicken and rice
Serves: 4
300 ml (10oz - 1can) condensed chicken broth;
125 ml (½ cup) water;
250 ml (1 cup) carrots, sliced;
250 ml (1 cup) green beans, cut;
2 ml (½ tsp) dried basil leaves, crushed;
2 ml (½ tsp) garlic powder;
175 ml (3/4 cup) uncooked regular long-grain white rice
1/2 cup steamed green peas
Add broth, water, carrots, green beans, basil and garlic powder. Heat to a boil.
Stir in rice. Cover and simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan.
Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Garnish with peas and serve.
