The African kitchen represents elements from several cultures - Arab, European, and Asian, as well as black African. It is varied, healthy, interesting, and yummy. The following recipes have all been tested and tasted by our staff, and we are happy to pass them on to you. We especially loved the bobotie ...not your usual meatloaf! All recipes serve about 6 people. Bon appetite (or Karibu Chakula as they say in Swahili)! Vegetable Soup - West Africa Bobotie (meatloaf) - South Africa Cinnamon Fried Banana - South Africa Vegetable Soup 1 large onion chopped 1 small butternut squash 1 sweet potato 2 carrots chopped 1 small cabbage chopped 4 cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock 8 or more cups of water 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 heaping tbs of peanut butter 1 tbs of salt 1-1/2 tbs Tabasco sauce Bake butternut squash and sweet potato at 250 degrees for an hour or until soft. Sauté onions with oil for 3 minutes over high heat. Turn heat to low and sauté for 30 minutes. Add carrots, cabbage, stock, water, and the baked butternut squash and sweet potato. Cook for two hours over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Puree. Bring back to boil and add peanut butter, salt and Tabasco sauce. Add more water if soup is too thick. Season to taste. back to top Bobotie (meatloaf) 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 onions, peeled and sliced 2-1/4 pounds good quality lean ground beef 1 thick slice of white bread 1 cup milk 1 tbs curry powder 1-1/2 tbs sugar 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly grated pepper 3/4 tsp turmeric 1-1/2 tsp malt vinegar 3/4 cup seedless raisins (or fruitmix)* 2 tbs strong chutney 2 fresh lime leaves (or bay leaves if lime leaves are not available) 2 medium eggs * make your own fruitmix of dried/fresh apple, apricot, raisins, and almonds Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat oil in medium sauté pan. Stir in onions. Cook over low to medium heat until transparent. Add the ground beef. Cook until lightly browned and crumbly. Remove from the heat. Soak the bread in half the milk, squeeze out excess milk (keep milk – pour it back into the remaining milk!) and mash the bread with a fork. Add bread, curry, sugar, salt, pepper, turmeric, vinegar, raisins/fruitmix, chutney to the beef mixture. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish, and place bay leaves on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes in the oven. Beat egg with remaining milk and pour over mixture. Return to oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with yellow rice (white rice with some turmeric in it) and more chutney. Or in the summer, serve bobotie cold with a salad. back to top Cinnamon Fried Banana 3 large, slightly green bananas 6 tbs cinnamon and sugar (mixed) Melted butter Coconut or vanilla ice cream or cream Slice the bananas into equal slices lengthwise. Fry the slices in a pan on both sides until slightly brown. Spread butter thinly on bananas and fry a few more minutes, then sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar as you finish frying them. Serve with ice cream or cream. back to top For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 USA Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526 Phone: +1-510-594-6000 Fax: + 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com