Spring cleaning your diet is synonymous with embracing a healthier lifestyle. With the freshness of the season, longer days, and vibrant vegetables, it’s the perfect time to hydrate and detoxify your body. This season invites us to take advantage of nature’s bounty, filling our meals with nutrient-rich foods like a Plantain and Vegetable Meal.
How to Spring Clean Your Diet
Incorporate Seasonal Produce
Spring brings a delightful array of fruits and vegetables, from leafy greens to fresh herbs. Using these fresh ingredients as the foundation of your meals is an excellent way to boost your immune system.
Minimize Sugar and Carbonated Drinks
It’s time to reduce sugar intake from both carbohydrates and carbonated drinks. While these may provide quick energy, excessive consumption can lead to negative health effects. Opt for water infused with fruits or vegetable smoothies for a healthier alternative.
Revamp Your Meal Planning
Focus on meals rich in vegetables, fruits, and herbs. Pay attention to portion sizes, and resist the temptation to overeat. By revitalizing your diet with healthy, plant-based meals, you’ll be well on your way to a happier and healthier you.
Boiled Plantain and Vegetable Sauce
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. A delicious recipe to try is boiled green plantain served with vegetable sauce.
Boiled Green Plantain
Green plantain is a fruit which is rich in nutrients, fiber and antioxidants, though not as sweet as the ripe plantain it is more of a healthier diet than the ripened plantain. Green plantains provide sustained energy and support healthy digestion. High in dietary fiber, green plantains support healthy blood sugar levels and regulate bowel movements. It also contains antioxidants like vitamin C, Vitamin E which helps protect against oxidative stress and inflammation.
Green plantain can be prepared in a variety of ways , Boiled, Mashed, Fried, Grilled, or Puréed, but for the purpose of this meal we preferably boiled the green plantain. Green plantain is a cuisine that plays a significant role in traditional cuisine in Latin America, Caribbean and Africa.
Vegetable Sauce
You can never go wrong with a vegetable sauce as a side dish or main meal, it can be eaten with a lot of cuisines, it is flavorful and nutritious.
Vegetable sauce is a nutrient-dense condiment enriched with a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is an excellent source of vitamins A,C and K, as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium and iron, it also has antioxidant properties that helps protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, most importantly it supports a healthy gut bacteria and prevents constipation.
Vegetable sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used for a variety of dishes such as pasta, rice, swallow, yam, plantain, e.t.c.
The Plantain State: A Memorable Experience
Last December, I traveled with my siblings to our hometown, Osun State, Nigeria, to celebrate our eldest sister’s wedding. Traditional customs dictated that the ceremony take place in the bride’s father’s church, and it felt special since our dad lived nearby. After the wedding, we decided to extend our stay at his place for a few days. One beautiful evening, my younger sister and I took a walk to get some ingredients for dinner. To my amazement, plantains and bananas was available in every store! I had no idea I came from a plantain-rich area. I approached a trader and was shocked to find the prices so low; I couldn’t help but laugh, remembering how expensive plantains are in Plateau State, where I currently live. My excitement bubbled over, and I eagerly added plantains to every meal before returning home.
If I never had the opportunity to travel back to my hometown, I probably wouldn’t have had such an amazing eye opening exciting experience and Yes! I LOVE PLANTAINS
Cooking Tips for a Nutritious Boiled Green Plantain and Vegetable Sauce
- Rinse the leaves before chopping them.
- Fry your pepper mix sauce until dry to reduce moisture.
- Use either palm oil or groundnut oil as desired.
- Cook the leaves on low heat to avoid overcooking.
- Wash plantains with salt before cooking.
- Limit salt since crayfish, stockfish, dry fish, and locust beans provide natural seasoning.
Celebrate Women’s Day with Nourishing Choices
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th, let’s honor the strength and resilience of women everywhere. Nourishing our bodies with wholesome foods is a powerful way to support our health and well-being. Join us in embracing the vibrant energy of spring and recognizing the importance of self-care.
BOILED PLANTAIN AND VEGETABLE SAUCE
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin leaf
- Water leaf
- A cup of palm oil
- 1 cow skin
- 4 pieces of dry fish
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of crayfish
- 2 teaspoon of chicken seasoning
- Locust beans
- 3 pieces of stock fish
- 5 pieces of shumbo
- 4 pieces of scotch bonnet
- 2 medium sized onions
Instructions
- Rinse your vegetables 2 times with a lot of water, then chop them into your preferred size and place them in a sieve to drain the water out.
- Wash your chicken, dry fish, stock fish, cow skin, and crayfish.
- Boil your chicken with seasoning on low heat for 10 minutes without water to marinate the chicken; then add 1 cup of water to let it cook until soft (please note the type of chicken used can produce its own water, hence the little water required for cooking).
- Boil your cow skin and stock fish together until adequately soft.
- Blend your washed shumbo, scotch bonnet, and onions to make your pepper mix.
- Pour your palm oil into a heated pot, then allow the oil to heat up.
- When the oil is heated, pour in your locust beans, crayfish, and dry fish to fry for 1 minute.
- Once fried, add your pepper mix and allow to fry properly until the oil resurfaces.
- Add the stock fish, chicken stock, chopped cow skin, a teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of chicken seasoning, then allow it to cook for 3 minutes.
- Add your pumpkin leaf to cook for 1 minute.
- Add your water leaf and marinated chicken, stir together, and leave to cook for 2 minutes.
Boiled Green Plantain
- Wash your green plantain with salt.
- Put the washed plantain into a boiling pot of water.
- Allow to boil for 45 minutes.
- When the plantain becomes very soft, remove it from fire and peel the skin.
Footnote
Coaches and Roaches are back in hordes
Do try your own way to detox and delay decay
For those who are younger, we sing songs of better days
While you may work through difficult periods
Of juggling through celebration or mourning
It’s a month of celibacy for some and a month of
Celebration for others to march ahead
It’s definitely a period of trials and tribulations
So, we share this recipe in memory of many coaches
In the Lost & Found section of different Airports & Stations
PS: This is a tricky one.
-Melting Lemon Drop 02.03.2025
