Kwanzaa Recipes

This oddly wonderful combination of ingredients make a surprisingly different and delicious soup that everyone will enjoy! Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and some crusty bread for dipping. YUM!

You can't just go to any restaurant and get smothered chicken like you would if you went down to the urban neighborhoods in Houston. This meal of browned chicken in a savory chicken gravy sauce is best when served over a bed of white rice.

An easy spicy dish. Adjust the spices to your needs - less Creole Seasoning if you like it mild, add chili powder or cayenne pepper for more kick! This is also good with salsa on top. You can substitute 1/2 pound dried black-eyed peas, cooked for the canned black-eyed peas if you wish.

Since I live in the South people refer to these cookies as Benne Wafers, they are actually Sesame Seed Cookies. Toasting benne (sesame) seeds develops their flavor and also gives these cookies a slightly crunchy texture.

This delicious stew is inspired by my friend from Sierra Leone, West Africa, who cooks often for her family. Many ingredients can be modified. This is kind of a 'whatever is handy now' recipe. You can use a whole roasting chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, or just breasts and thighs if you prefer. Other suggested additions are turnips, carrots and celery. This looks great served over white rice with a garnish of fresh chopped cilantro, parsley or unsalted peanuts.

Okra and onions are fried with bacon, then simmered with tomato and corn in this delicious side dish that is especially good served alongside cornbread. This recipe is a longtime family favorite.

This sweet potato pie is a favorite for everyone who's tasted it.

Roasting okra is simple, and bonus: Its texture will be firm and toothsome.

This actually uses my breading for Chicken Fried Steak---my husband suggested we try it with chicken breasts, and it was delicious!

This is as Southern as you can get.

This traditional Nigerian dish brings out the best possible flavor of rice and chicken. Chicken is first sauteed on the stove top to produce a wonderful aromatic base for the rice. For an extra special and authentic touch, serve jollof rice with fried plantains.

A delicious soup combining the tastes of sweet potatoes, peanuts, and tomatoes.