Day 63 - Ghana (Africa) - Avocado with Groundnut Dressing, Cous-Cous Salad and Traditional Fried Fish - up Next, Germany

Back to cooking around the world, after cooking on Martha's Vineyard for my brother's wedding this weekend.

And, before I get into the Ghanaian meal I made tonight, I just gotta post a couple of pictures of the wedding cake I made for him - A beautiful lemon pound cake with lemon curd and butter cream filling - 10 layers, 5 tiers and a lot of help from my trusted and wonderful family friend, Joy and my step Dad and structural engineer, Michael. Love you both!

Now, onto the beautiful country of Ghana and the meal...Ghana is officially known as The Republic of Ghana, the name meaning "The Warrior King".

Located in Western Africa, and formally known as the Gold Coast, Ghana's trade flourished under Portuguese and British Rule. Ghana won it's independence from the UK in 1957. A fact many may not know is that Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa and is home to La Volta, the world's largest artificial lake.

Avocados, ground peanuts, cinnamon, chili, paprika, chives and lime juice

Cous Cous, black beans, corn, tomatoes, lemon juice and cilantro

Mash ginger and red chili peppers in mortar and pestle to make paste

Cut slits in Talapia and stuff with ginger and peppers paste - Kit the cat is diggin' this meal

The meal - finished off with sweet plantains

Recipes

Avocados with Groundnut Dressing

• 2 Avocados - ripe but firm
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. shelled groundnuts or peanuts
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• Chili powder to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chives, to garnish

1. Peel the avocados; cut out the pit and cut into cubes
2. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside
3. Grind the peanuts roughly with a rolling pin for a few seconds
4. Mix the peanuts and spices well
5. Sprinkle over the avocados with chives
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Cous-Cous Salad

• 1 16 -oz box of Cous-Cous
• 1 Can of black beans
• 1 Can of whole kernel corn (I used frozen)
• 1-2 Tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp. cilantro
• 1/4 Cup lime juice

Cook cous-cous as directed. Transfer to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and mix together. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

Traditional Fried Fish

• 4 fillets of talapia, salmon or snapper
• 3 Tbsp. peeled and mashed fresh ginger
• 2 Fresh red chilies, mashed into a pulp
• 1 tsp. salt
• oil for frying

1. Cut 2 gashes in each fillet and and stuff some of the filling into the slits.
2. Rub any remaining paste on the fish
3. Heat oil and fry fish on both sides until golden brown
4. Remove from the oil and drain

Final Assessment: This was a great meal. Light and full of heat and flavor. I added the plantains as a final touch just because they looked good at the market today.