Mali

 Welcome to Mali!  Or maybe not, as US citizens are no longer permitted to go to Mali!  Mali is home to the largest mud-brick building in existence - it looks amazing!  Every April, residents reconstruct the walls of this building (a mosque) with mud during a festival.  Mali also houses part of the Sahara Desert.  According to Google, the population of Mali is 21.99 million people and the capital is Bamako.  Their national dish is...

Tiguadege Na!

Literally translated it means, "meat in peanut butter".  It is a peanut butter stew.  Seems to be a theme of Africa...To go with the Tiguadege Na, we just ate rice.  A very simple meal!  Here's what I did:

TIGUADEGE NA

1 lb chicken thighs, in large chunks

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

4 tbsp peanut butter

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 potatoes, chopped

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1 green cabbage, shredded

1 green pepper, diced

1 jalepeno, minced

Chicken stock, enough to cover ingredients (I used about 8 cups)

Pepper and salt, to taste

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the chicken until slightly browned.
2. Set aside and fry the onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper in the same pot.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chili, and peanut butter.
4. Cook for a few minutes and then add the chicken stock and chicken pieces.
5. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes then add your veggies, salt and pepper
6. Allow to cook for 20 minutes, or until veggies and potatoes are tender.
7. Serve with rice, and enjoy!

(Source: Tiguadege Na)

The verdict?  This stew was very much like many of the other peanut butter soups or peanut butter chicken dishes we have had.  However, we really liked the addition of a sweet potato to the dish.  It brought a sweetness that worked very well with the rest of the stew.  If you make this, know that it makes A LOT of stew, and you will probably have leftovers!  All in all, a very pleasant and yummy dish!

ME

Taste of Tiguadege Na (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 2

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Tiguadege Na (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

Join us next time in Venezuela!