I have a confession: during the summer I am a lazy cook. Gosh, that felt good to admit! I also like when others cook for me. In fact, I wish more people would invite me out to eat with them. I am kind of fatigued by the pressure of always being the one to cook or entertain, and I am sure my foodie friends who are fantastic cooks are nodding their heads in agreement, finding themselves in a similar position. In fact, I made a decision not to entertain again until Christmas, which will be hard for me to do since I am a social butterfly – maybe I will compromise and stick to drinks and nibbles when the mood strikes me. Don’t get me wrong, food is my passion and it always will be, but a girl needs a break now and then. I want to be fed and nourished too! I am still on a high from when my friends helped me cook the other day, because I could actually enjoy myself for a change.

People have told me they are scared to cook for me for fear I would be critical. They are so off base. Anyone who is willing to cook for me is a star, because I know the hard work it takes to put a dinner together, and to be frank, I don’t particularly care for something fancy, but anything which is cooked from the heart, plus the fellowship, is what makes the meal so special. A dear friend prepared a wonderful intimate dinner for a few of us over the holiday weekend, and it was such a fantastic meal and one of the best I have eaten in a while. My “glad bag bust” when she called me over because it was the first time since I have lived here in two years – can you believe it – that somebody has invited me into their home to eat something that had not been prepared by caterers, but their own hands. This is something I miss because when I lived overseas, eating at friends’ homes was a regular occurrence, and they were not bothered by the fact that I am a food professional. I was most touched and appreciative. There is this widespread belief that I eat fancy meals every day. This is not true. I

like to eat well, but I am not eating what we Brits say “posh nosh” 24/7. My one strict rule is to eat healthy, and since I began my “conscious health” lifestyle regime last year, I have gradually lost a few pounds. I still have a far way to go, but I am sticking to my plan and feeling more energetic as a result.

Since we are constantly around food, many professionals in my field like “fast food”, what I mean is, not restaurant chain food, but what we can prepare at home quickly. I am a master of quick soups, and pasta dishes which are nutritionally sound and satisfying. I am also quite fond of preparing gourmet salads as meals, such as Salade Nicoise and Cobb Salad, for example. I love experimenting with fruits and nuts for unexpected flavours. Like Rachael Ray, I like 30-minute no-fuss meals.

The trick is to have a well-stocked pantry and access to fresh fruits and vegetables to throw things together in no time, especially after a gruelling day at work. With prices on the rise, unfortunately eating out is fast becoming a luxury for many of us here, which is unfortunate because we have great restaurants out there that need our support in these tough times. Can you imagine what it is like for them to maintain quality service with food costs and other bills progressively increasing? We have to live our lives and still treat ourselves by going out for a lovely meal occasionally, but to those of you who cannot cook, and find it difficult to order food daily, I suggest you begin your own love affair with the kitchen.

One-pot meals such as macaroni and cheese, lasagna, chilli, and meat and vegetable casseroles are popular worldwide for their versatility and simplicity. Many home cooks prepare these in advance for their families and freeze them until ready to use since they store well and retain freshness. One-pot meals also allow for less washing up and general cleaning in the kitchen, and we all love short cuts to maximise precious time in this fast-paced society.

Today I am going to share with you two one-pot recipes that I recently prepared. They are both super-easy and took under an hour for both prepping and cooking time, so you won’t get too hot and bothered in the kitchen and can enjoy quality time with your family or romantic partners.

Nigerian Jollof Rice with Chicken

This dish is on the list of great one-pot international rice dishes. I have already shared with you recipes for Italian risotto, Spanish paella and the jambalaya of Louisiana. You know I am big on world food using local ingredients, and I just realised it would be remiss of not to include a West African dish, since those of us of African ancestry have just celebrated our Emancipation and Independence holidays.

Jollof rice originated with the Wolof tribe of Senegal and Gambia, but spread throughout other West African nations. Jollof rice comes in many forms and it is popular in the homes of Nigerians and Ghanaians. It is the national dish of the Senegalese who call their version Thiebou Dienne.

Jollof rice can be strictly vegetarian or made with beef and fish. The most common is made with chicken. In my student days, I became friends with many West Africans in the UK and the United States, particularly Nigerians. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and is an extremely diverse country with many ethnic groups. The North tends to be more Muslim and the South, Christian. The cuisine varies amongst the groups but jollof is one of those dishes that everyone seems to enjoy. I was always invited to their homes and all shared with me various ways of preparing jollof. Below is a basic recipe.

Ingredients:

1 chicken, washed, cleaned and cut into eight pieces (or you can use stewing beef, enough for four people)

500 grams rice, Basmati preferably

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 14oz cans of tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1 inch stem of ginger, washed and peeled

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

1 large onion, diced

2 sweet peppers, seeds removed and sliced

Handful of okras, sliced

2 chicken stock cubes melted in 500ml boiling water (I have found my African friends to be partial to Maggi!)

Parsley to garnish

Optional vegetable and spice additions: carrots, pumpkins, cabbage, peas, curry powder, cinnamon

Method:

In a food processor or blender, purée the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and Scotch bonnet pepper.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown, remove and set aside.

In the same oil, sauté the onions until transparent, then add the tomato paste, mix well, then pour in the blended tomato mixture, chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and chicken pieces, cover and reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the sweet peppers and okra, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the rice is done.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Whole Grain Penne Vegetarian Salad

This is a typical one-pot meal for me. No measurements, because it depends on what I have.

Ingrediets:

Whole grain penne, cooked al dente according to package instructions

Tomatoes, deseeded and chopped

Cucumber, deseeded and chopped

Carrot, julienned

String Beans, trimmed, steamed for 3 minutes, and dropped in an ice bath to retain colour and a nice bite.

Toasted nuts for crunch

Capers

Basil from my garden

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a squeeze of lime juice to taste

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Slivers of Parmesan

Mix all of the veggies together with the salt, pepper, lime juice, olive oil, basil and capers, then mix in the whole grain pasta. Finally scatter over the nuts and garnish with ribbons of parmesan. Simple and healthy. If you wish to make it non-vegetarian and substantial, you can add slivers of deli cuts such as smoked turkey or ham or any leftover chicken you may have by removing the skin and bone and adding to the salad.

Remember to contact me at info@juicychef.com for further details on these and past recipes, questions and advice on all food-related topics. Thanks to those of you who have written, the feedback is great and remember to keep me updated on your culinary adventures, or if you have tips to share with other readers.

Bon Appetit!

Jacqui Sinclair is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef/food stylist & hotelier. She has worked in the world of food photography and film in Europe. A bon vivant, she is passionate about sharing her food secrets with enthusiastic home cooks.