Recipes By Yewande Komolafe
156 recipes found
Pan-Seared Chicken With Harissa, Dates and Citrus
Juicy, pan-seared chicken thighs in a saucy mix of peppery harissa, sour citrus and sweet caramelized dates will make this dish the star of your weeknight meals. For even more flavor, marinate the chicken for as long as you can, anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Dollops of creamy yogurt will mellow any heat, and a shower of fresh herbs will add a subtle fragrance. Serve with the pan drippings spooned generously over steamed rice or fluffy couscous, or alongside some warm crusty bread for dipping.
Mango With Chile-Lime Salt
This take on the classic street food, served throughout Mexico, is encountered often in open air markets, beaches and parks in summer. The original is often made with tajín spice, a store-bought blend of ground chile, lime and salt. This preparation allows you to use any variety of mango, in states of ripeness from soft and juicy to firm, and the homemade chile-lime salt can be used for a variety of savory or sweet dishes as a garnish or topping. If using store-bought chile-lime salt, substitute the ground chile, lime zest and salt with 2 tablespoons of the seasoning.
No-Bake Cheesecake With Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut
Pockets of jammy caramelized pineapple are a thrilling discovery in this creamy tropics-inspired cheesecake. Coconut milk and lime zest are added to the cream cheese filling, which is set in a crisp gingersnap crust. Caramelize the pineapples ahead, if time permits — the longer they sit in the syrup, the better they’ll taste. Serve the cake sliced in squares, topped with toasted coconut flakes, if desired.
Strawberry Jam Bars With Cardamom
These sandwich bars are a delightful mix of textures and flavors. The preference here is a red fruit jam for its acidic pop, but you can go with any jam you have on hand. The nuts give an additional crunch to the topping and may add a fun color contrast. These fruity, spiced cookies can be assembled, kept refrigerated, or wrapped and frozen. You can bake them straight out of the fridge or freezer, but if baking from frozen, add a few extra minutes to ensure a nice golden crust on the bottom. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Strawberry Jam Bars or try any of the other five recipes.)
Sparkling Shortbread Cookies
Classic shortbread is buttery and crumbly, with a crispness that melts as you devour it. These cookies are simple and perfect for holiday indulgence. Each gets adorned with decorative sugar around the perimeter, which adds some sparkle and an additional layer of crunch in every bite. The shaped logs can be refrigerated up to a week, or frozen for up to a month. Slice while the dough is cold, and bake. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Sparkling Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Spiced Chocolate Marble Shortbread
Chocolate, toasted sesame, candied ginger and citrus! These cookies are a wonderful combination of intense flavors that pair really well together. The alternating layers of a chocolate dough and one spiked with warming spices are reminiscent of marble swirls, zebra stripes, rock strata layers — take your pick. They are as pleasant to look at as they are to eat, and they will add some flair to your holiday cookie tin. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Marble Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Vegetable Soup With Tamarind and Lemongrass
Tamarind is the prominent flavor in this soup, showing up as a subtle sour ingredient that gently awakens the senses. This light, brothy soup packs a delicious punch from ginger and lemongrass, with a breath of heat from chiles. It’s closely modeled after Sundanese sayur asem, Isan tom klong pla and Timorese sour fish soup, which all so successfully achieve the delicate balance of tart and spice. Like those, this soup provides a wonderful base for variation and nods to convenience. Medallions of sweet potato and daikon are poached, just enough to remain crisp, while tender tofu (soft or silken) absorbs the essence of the fragrant stew. A shower of fresh herbs adds the finishing touch. Serve piping hot, by itself or ladled over steamed rice or noodles.
Savory Shortbread Cookies With Olives and Rosemary
An unusual combination for a cookie, the flavors in this shortbread will appeal to those who appreciate a little pop of savory in their sweets. The olives used here are fruity kalamata, which when surrounded by a buttery shortbread crust and baked, become like little jewels studding each cookie. Rosemary and lemon balance the robust flavors of the olives by adding refreshing pine and citrus notes. Your cookie dough can be made ahead of time, rolled into logs and kept refrigerated or frozen. Slice and bake while cold, or from frozen, to serve.
Cassava Oven Fries
Cassava (also known as yuca) is a terrific vessel for a variety of dips like ata din din and guasacaca, or doused with a cilantro-garlic sauce. The root vegetable is ideal for roasting, and these fries can be a quick snack or a wonderful side. Don’t skip the first step that calls for blanching them in hot water, otherwise, the oven’s dry heat will dehydrate the starchy root, and the goal here is a tender soft interior in a crisp, golden brown shell. These fries are best finished with salt and served hot. You can reheat any leftovers in a hot oven the next day, but they are way too delicious to save, and will likely disappear rather fast.
Peppermint Patty Shortbreads
With chocolate ganache, peppermint-flavored marshmallow and a shortbread base, these cookies may seem like a daunting task, but each step of this recipe is simple and will result in a show stopping treat. Reminiscent of a warm cup of peppermint hot chocolate, each cookie is topped with crushed candy canes, but peppermint extract is the key to getting that minty flavor to pop. You can make the shortbread base ahead to save some time; it will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days. And to get nice peaks on the marshmallow tops, make sure it is significantly cooled before you pipe. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Peppermint Patty Shortbreads or try any of the other five recipes.)
Grapefruit-Herb Salad With Coconut and Crispy Shallots
This grapefruit and herb salad puts citrus front and center. It’s based on yum som-o, a pomelo salad from Thailand, where the fruit is abundant. Grapefruits are used here, but if you happen on pomelos, grab a few: They are much easier to peel and loosen from the protective piths. Fragrant toasted coconut, salty peanuts and crunchy shallots all create layers of texture. The dried shrimp adds a saltiness that greets your tongue in little bursts, and the fresh chile a lingering spice. This is a refreshing, vibrant side to accompany any rich meal.
Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Shortbread
Simple mix-ins of crushed hard caramels and smooth peanut butter create a soft baked cookie that is simple and distinct. The crushed candies melt when baked creating craters filled with chewy caramel, and the peanut butter swirl adds a nutty depth. This cookie will appeal to anyone who enjoys their dessert with a salty pop. You can prepare these ahead of time; just scoop and refrigerate the dough on a sheet pan, then bake the chilled dough to order, sprinkling with a little flaky salt to finish. (This cookie is one of six cookies that you can make with this Butter Shortbread Dough recipe. If you make that dough, you can make a double batch of the Caramel Peanut Butter Shortbread or try any of the other five recipes.)
Election Cake
Made from rich, spiced yeasted dough, election cake traces its history back to pre-Revolutionary Hartford, Conn. Marion Burros wrote about the cake in 1988, explaining how it was traditionally made in preparation for Election Day and filled with dried fruit soaked in brandy to ensure that it would last for a couple of days and improve in flavor over time. This version uses raisins and cranberries, but currants, dates, dried apricots, prunes or even dried pears all work great. Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove infuse the cake with warmth and their scent wafts through the kitchen as the cake bakes. Brushing a coat of glaze onto the cake while it’s still warm softens the crust and soaks it with a lemony brightness.
Classic Kouign-Amann
A yeast-risen pastry with soft layers, deep buttery flavor and a chewy, caramelized top, this recipe, adapted from Nicolas Henry of the Montreal patisserie Au Kouign-Amann, celebrates the classic Breton kouign-amann, traditionally made as a round skillet cake and served as slices. There’s no shortcut and no substitute for the repetition needed to perfect this pastry. But you are in good hands: The process is a series of simple steps, with plenty of opportunities to make ahead. And the results of your efforts are sure to please, whether it accompanies your morning coffee, serves as a delightful afternoon snack or stunningly ends a meal. You’ll need an oven-safe nonstick skillet for this cake. A cast-iron skillet will work, but will produce a deeper, more caramelized result.
Butter Shortbread Dough
Shortbread dough is renowned for its simplicity, versatility and forgiving nature. With the right ratio of flour to butter — and egg yolks for moisture and binding — this dough delivers crisp and crumbly cookies that melt just after the first bite. Six different types of cookies can be crafted from just three batches of this basic dough. You can certainly take on just one of these recipes at a time, but in a single day you can make all six: Sparkling Shortbread Cookies, Strawberry Jam Bars With Cardamom, Spiced Chocolate Marble Shortbread, Cheddar Chive Crisps, Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Shortbread and Peppermint Patty Shortbreads. The dough can be divided, wrapped and refrigerated (or frozen) ahead of time and brought out as needed.
Vegetable Maafé
A great maafé effortlessly balances sweet, savory, earthy and spicy. Maafé is often called West African peanut stew, but that’s an oversimplification. Across the region, there are many versions that feature peanuts as a base, and all are greatly nuanced: For example, there’s akitiwa in Togo, nkatenkwan in Ghana and miyan taushe across northern Nigeria. This highly adaptable stew can be made with any assortment of meat, poultry, seafood and seasonal vegetables you have on hand (see Tip), but this one goes all in on produce. Keeping the Scotch bonnet whole in the sauce controls the heat: cook to soften, then break it open to dissolve seeds in the sauce for more heat, or cook and remove the softened whole chile from the sauce for less heat. Serve it all over steamed rice, millet or fonio, with some lime slices for squeezing. Maafé can be made ahead, refrigerated and reheated for a warm, comforting meal whenever you need — its rich flavor only improves with time.
Plantains With Jammy Tomatoes and Eggs
Plantains are nutrient-rich starches that can sweeten as they cook, and, in many parts of the world, they find their way into the best stews and porridges. This recipe is based on “tomato eggs,” a dish popular in Lagos, Nigeria, and across West Africa. Tomato eggs can be made with yams or plantains, and here, firm yellow plantains work best because they hold their shape and texture while absorbing the flavors of the surrounding stew. It’s a perfect meal for days when you want something hot but not too heavy or filling. Any herbs you have on hand will work well, and the dish can be made vegan by substituting medium-firm or soft tofu for the eggs. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Braised Goat Leg in Obe Ata
Obe ata is my versatile, back-pocket Nigerian recipe. A bright purée of red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and habaneros, this stew is the base of several dishes, such as jollof rice and stewed amaranth greens, and accompanies starchy mains as a sauce. This tangy recipe, enhanced by the lingering heat of habanero chiles, uses goat, but you can substitute lamb, beef or pork cuts of a similar size. Any large bone-in cut of meat will do, and will be coaxed into tenderness after a slow braise. The best way to serve this is right in the pot or on a large platter for guests to share, garnished with a mess of fresh herbs and citrus zest and served alongside steamed rice, jollof rice, fried plantains or crispy yam fries.
Cornbread Dressing
This crisp, rich and buttery dressing is excellent as a side dish for dinner on Thanksgiving and as leftovers the next day. Aromatics and a mix of fresh and dried herbs give it a deep savoriness. The sausage brings a flavor of its own, but you can leave it out for a vegetarian-friendly alternative. The accompanying cornbread recipe yields a result firm enough to soak up the stock and buttermilk without it turning to a pudding, but you can also use store-bought cornbread or a boxed mix. If you do, just crumble the baked cornbread and spread it out on a sheet pan in an even layer to dry for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours before mixing it with the rest of the dressing ingredients.
Saratoga Holiday Cocktail
This festive drink is based on the Saratoga cocktail, a riff on a Manhattan that first appeared in Jerry Thomas’s “The Bar-Tender’s Guide” in 1862. It’s named after the New York State resort town famous for its mineral springs. This version incorporates brandied dried fruit, which carries notes of citrus and warming spices. The bitters help bring out the currant and cranberry notes in the fruit. Garnish with a twist of orange or a grating of nutmeg.
Rosemary-Honey Almond Tart
In this stunning tart, a gently set custard studded with sliced almonds is baked in a buttery shortbread crust. It is as fit as a dinner-party dessert as it is daytime sweet to accompany cups of warm tea or coffee. The honey in the custard is steeped with rosemary, but other fresh herbs, such as marjoram, tarragon and thyme, can be substituted to add a nice savory hint to the floral syrup. You can do several steps ahead of time, or the whole tart can be prepared and baked, then cooled, wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Eintopf (Braised Short Ribs With Fennel, Squash and Sweet Potato)
There are as many versions of eintopf, a hearty German stew, as there are people who love it. A traditional eintopf may include bratwurst and sauerkraut, but it’s how it is cooked that’s important (eintopf translates to “one pot”). This particular recipe, made with bone-in short ribs, is braised until the meat melts off the bone. Fennel — fresh bulb and dried seeds — stars in the braise, while the fronds are sliced for garnishing. Every bite of this stew bursts with flavor, and, as is the case with so many one-pot meals, this dish will only improve with time as all the ingredients sit and mingle. Serve this hot off the stove, with some warm crusty bread for dipping. If you plan to save it for later, reserve the fresh greens for stirring in right before serving.
Coconut-Lemongrass Tapioca With Caramelized Citrus
Bouncy tapioca pearls, made from cassava, a West African staple, are paired with a soothing coconut-lemongrass broth and caramel-coated citrus slices. The fruit can easily be substituted with whatever is in season, such as raw persimmons, poached pears or caramelized apples. The crushed pistachios are optional but add a welcome pop of crunch and color. Serve as a comforting dessert or a casual midday snack.
Roasted Mushrooms in Ata Din Din
Earthy mushrooms hold their own among a piquant red pepper relish — a riot of flavors. The relish’s base is known in Yoruba as ata din din, a condiment like sauce common throughout West Africa made from ground bell pepper, onions, chiles and sometimes tomatoes. Roast the mushrooms until lightly browned and crisp, as they absorb a lot more flavor when they've been slightly dehydrated. Pickled onion adds crunch and a hint of acid, and a scattering of fresh herbs gives it all a refreshing lightness, while being a pretty garnish. Serve over steamed rice and fried sweet plantains, or reserve as a vegetable filling for moin moin.