Lime and Coconut Crumble Bars

Servings: 16 bars

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not the instant oatmeal)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8-inch baking pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until everything comes together in a crumbly mixture and flour is evenly distributed. Mix in oats and coconut. Mixture will be somewhat dry and sandy.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest.

4. Put 2 cups of the oat mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Pour lime mixture on top and spread evenly. Crumble all remaining oat mixture over the top of the lime mixture, covering it completely.

5. Bake bars for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Maria Liccthy.

Ndizi ya Utumbo wa N'gombe (Banana with Calf Tummy)

Ingredients:

• one cup water
• 8 oz towel tummy and 8 oz string tummy. Cut the towel tummy into bite-sized triangle of 5 cms each and the string tummy about one meter each, leave as it is. Clean the ingredients and put aside.
• one teaspoon salt
• one-half teaspoon black pepper
• one or two onions, thinly sliced
• two cloves fresh garlic
• 1 heaped teaspoon Royco Mchuzi Mix or 2 Maggi Cubes
• 1 heaped teaspoon Curry Powder
• one cup coconut milk (canned is okay)
• one bay leaf (optional)
• 10 pcs. green hard bananas peeled and bisected in the middle
• One spoon of oil
• Half piece of lime juice
• 2 whole green chillies

Method:

• Start to prepare the towel tummy pieces by fasting them with the string tummy pieces, tie them nicely, that they do not open very easily. In a pot or pan, bring five cups of water to a boil. Add the calf tummy, salt, curry powder, mchuzi mix and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer.
• While tummy is simmering: Heat oil in a separate pan. Fry the chopped onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add the bananas. Reduce heat. Add coconut milk and bay leaf. Cover and simmer.
• Add the already cooked calf tummy in the middle of bananas. Cook for ten minutes or until the tummy is done and bananas are tender.
• Adjust seasoning by adding a little bit of lime juice to taste and two whole chillies.

Futari

A delicious mixture of squash, yams, and coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• one onion, chopped
• one pound squash, peeled and cubed (sweet pumpkin can also be used)
• a pound or two of yams (sweet potatoes may be substituted), peeled and cubed
• oil to sauté
• one cup coconut milk
• one-half teaspoon ground cinnamon
• one quarter teaspoon ground cloves
• salt to taste

Method:

• Fry onion in skillet, stir and cook until tender. Stir in all other ingredients, and heat to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and stir occasionally. Cook until vegetables are tender (ten to fifteen minutes).