THE food we eat can be a natural medicine or poison for the system. It can contribute to a healthy living or lead to ill health. Nutritious and good foods help one to look one's best and be healthy. Our recipe today is simply ofe akwu (palm fruit soup) served with pounded yam or cassava fufu.Ofe akwu is native to the Southeastern part of Nigeria. Palm fruit is the main ingredient of this soup. The palm fruit oil extract used in cooking ofe akwu is quite different from the palm oil used in cooking Nigerian food recipes. Palm oil is pure oil extracted from the palm fruit pulp at high temperatures while the palm fruit oil extract used for this soup is extracted at a very low temperature and is a mixture of oil and water.Consuming this nutritious food plays a vital role in protection against various forms of cancers like stomach, pancreas, liver, lung, colon, prostate, breast and other cancers. Intake of ofe akwu protects against premature aging because of its contents of antioxidant vitamins (vitamin A, C, E), which neutralise free radical that causes premature aging.It also helps to prevent osteoporosis (loss of bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue that can lead to increased bone fragility and broken bones particularly of the hip, spine and wrist.); asthma (a chronic or long-term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways and make breathing difficult) and cataract (eye disease characterised by clouding of the lens of the eye which impedes the passage of light). Take ofe akwu today and enjoy all its health benefits.Ingredients QuantitiesPalm fruit 1 kgBeef8 piecesDry fish 3 medium sizeScent leaves 1 medium bunchOnions2 medium bulbsGround crayfish2 tablespoonsPepper tablespoonSaltTo tasteSeasoning 3 cubes (Maggi or Knorr)Method Of PreparationWash and cook the palm fruits till done.Pound the palm fruits in a mortar with a pestle till all the flesh is separated from the nut to form a smooth pulp.Cook the beef and the dry fish with one bulb of diced onion and the three Maggi/Knorr cubes. While you have the beef cooking, extract the palm fruit oil from the palm fruit pulp by washing it in warm water and sieving with plastic sieve.The water for extraction should be used sparingly during the extraction process so that at the end, the extracted liquid will have the consistency of evaporated milk or tomato juice bearing in mind that you still have to add the beef stock.Leave the extracted palm fruit oil to stand for some time then slowly pour this into the pot that will be used to cook the ofe akwu.Wash and cut the scent leaves into tiny pieces.Cut the remaining bulb of onion; grind the crayfish and pepper.Leave to cook for two minutes and remove from fire.Serve with pounded yam or cassava fufu.Pounded YamCommon or white yams are staple foods in many tropical regions. They are rich in carbohydrates in form of starch, B group vitamins, vitamin C and potassium.RecommendationYams are highly recommended for people who want to maintain a healthy heart and prevent cardiovascular disorders, particularly arteriosclerosis (narrowing/blocking of the artery wall as a result of fat and cholesterol deposit) because of their low content of fat and their richness in potassium, which is essential for a healthy heart.Method Of PreparationCut, peel and wash the yam.Put the yam in a pot, add enough water and place the pot on the fire.Boil until the yam is cooked.Drain off water.Pound the yam in a mortar or pounding machine until it is free from lumps and slightly elastic.Mould and serve with ofe akwu.E-mail: chineloeby@yahoo.com
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