AJ’s love for her family’s traditional Nigerian dishes is infectious. But after discovering that her West African heritage has a dash of Cameroonian through DNA Dishes, her recipe repertoire has grown even bigger.

She’s still cooking up the vibrant spices and flavours of her beloved West African cuisine, but inspired by her new DNA discoveries, we thought we’d help her add some Gousto twists to the mix.

Cameroonian-style Squash, Peanut & Greens Stew Recipe

The inspiration for this aromatic stew comes from the Cameroonian dish, ‘ndolé,’ which is usually made with meat, prawns and greens. For this vegan twist, you’ll add roasted butternut squash instead, along with kale, spinach and peanuts for a nutty crunch.

Ingredients

1 brown onion

1 red chilli

1 leek

3 garlic cloves

15g fresh root ginger

25g roasted peanuts

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

120g baby leaf spinach

80g shredded kale

26g smooth peanut butter pot

1 whole butternut squash

1 Kallo vegetable stock cube

15g crispy fried onions

1 can of finely chopped tomatoes (210g)

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Peel the butternut squash and cut into quarters, lengthways, using a sharp knife

Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discard, then slice

Add to a foil-lined baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil, the cayenne (can’t handle the heat? Go easy!) and a pinch of salt

Step 2: Give everything a good mix up then put the tray in the oven for 15-20 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Meanwhile, peel and slice the brown onion

Heat a wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) over a high heat with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 min or until browned

Step 3: Boil half a kettle

Chop the leek in half lengthways, then wash to remove any grit from between the leaves

Top, tail and slice finely

Peel the ginger and garlic

Add to a food processor with a splash of cold water and blitz until you have a chunky paste

Add in the peanuts and blitz again until roughly chopped

Tip: Add a splash more cold water if needed!

Step 4: Once the sliced onions have browned, add the peanut paste and cook for 2-3 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, crumble in the Kallo vegetable stock cube and add the chopped tomatoes with 100ml boiled water

Give everything a good mix up then cook for a further 3-4 min or until starting to thicken

Step 5: Once the sauce is starting to thicken, add in the kale and baby spinach

Pour over another 100ml boiled water

Give this a stir then cook, covered, for 4-5 min or until the spinach and kale are wilted and cooked through

Tip: Add a splash more boiled water if the pan is looking dry!

Step 6: Meanwhile, finely slice the red chilli

Tip: Can’t handle the heat? De-seed the chilli!

Step 7: Once the kale and spinach have wilted, gently stir through most of the cooked squash, reserving a few pieces for garnish

Add the peanut butter and give everything a good mix up

Step 8: Serve the Cameroonian-style Squash, Peanut & Greens Stew garnished with the reserved squash pieces, sliced red chilli and fried onions

Enjoy!

Suya-Style Grilled Chicken Skewers with Coconut Rice Recipe

This recipe is inspired by the Nigerian street food skewers known as ‘suya.’ You’ll coat your chicken in a  quick spicy peanut marinade before grilling, and serve it on red pepper and coconut fried rice with pickled red cabbage and spring onion mayo. Delicious!

Ingredients

1 red pepper

3 garlic cloves

15g fresh root ginger

3 spring onions

320g British chicken thighs

4 bamboo skewers

50g roasted peanuts

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

130g basmati rice

1 Kallo chicken stock cube

15g fried onions

50ml mayonnaise

50g solid coconut cream

140g pickled red cabbage

 

Step 1 : Boil a kettle

Heat grill to medium-high

Soak the skewers in water (this prevents them from burning whilst cooking)

Peel the garlic and ginger

Add the peanuts, smoked paprika, cayenne (can’t handle the heat? go easy!), fried onions, peeled garlic and ginger to a food processor

Blitz until a coarse paste forms – this is your suya-style marinade

Step 2: Chop the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces, then divide between the skewers

Add the chicken skewers to a tin foil-lined baking tray, then spread with the Suya-style marinade, ensuring to coat all the chicken pieces

Step 3: Chop the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces, then divide between the skewers

Add the chicken skewers to a tin foil-lined baking tray, then spread with the Suya-style marinade, ensuring to coat all the chicken pieces

Step 4: Heat a medium-sized pot (preferably non-stick with a matching lid), with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot add the diced red pepper with a pinch of salt

Cook for 3-4 min or until starting to soften

Step 5: Once the diced red pepper is starting to soften, add the basmati rice and the coconut stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving – this is your coconut fried rice

Step 6: Whilst the rice is cooking, drizzle the Suya-style chicken skewers with vegetable oil then put under the grill for 5-6 min on each side or until charred and cooked through

Step 7: Trim, then slice the spring onion

Add most of the sliced spring onions (save the rest for garnish!) to a small bowl with the mayonnaise and a splash of water, give this a good mix up

Step 8: Serve the Suya-style chicken skewers with the coconut fried rice, pickled cabbage and the spring onion mayo to the side

Garnish with the reserved spring onions

Enjoy!

What is Gousto?

Dinner, but not as you know it. Our big red recipe boxes will help you whip up wholesome, impressive meals no matter your skill level, with all of the flavour and none of the fuss.

From everyday favourites and ten minute meals, to global cuisines and healthy choices, you’ll have over 50 recipes to choose from each week from our menu. We’ll send you step-by-step recipes and all the fresh ingredients you need too. Just pick what you fancy for dinner, and leave the planning to us.