Ugandan Rolex

One of the things you can find on every street vendor in Kampala is a Rolex. But not the kind you are thinking of. A Ugandan Rolex is an egg burrito inside a chapati. In fact, if you just drive down most any street in Kampala you will likely have rolexes brought to your car. The first time I had one of these was this hilarious story of trying one of the "not previously American approved restaurants" which turned out so fun and no one got sick. Ironically we all got sick from one of the Amer Approved restaurants lol. The owner was so excited to have Americans visit and did this whole welcoming thing - it was one of our favorite stories where we met the sweetest people. Anyhow - since most of his menu (not that there was a menu) was fish and meat, he offered to go buy us girls some rolex. Anyhow... I like to make it on occasion for my boy. Here you go!

• 1 eggs
• 1 thin chapati (or tortilla if you dont have any)
• salt and pepper
• handful of shredded cabbage
• sliced tomato
• cooking oil

1. Mix egg and salt and pepper
2. Pour egg mix into pan and fry it up on both sides
3. Place egg round into chapati and throw back in pan
4. Remove from pan and place a row of tomato and cabbage down the center
5. Sprinkle more salt and pepper and other desired spices down the row
6. Fold over one side and roll up the rest
7. Enjoy!

Ugandan Chapati

Chapati is something that we learned about a little too late when we were in Uganda. One of our last nights, friends came over with it and were like "what you haven't tried it yet?". We actually had tried it when we ate Rolex - just didn't know it alone. It is somewhere between a flatbread, naan, or tortilla bread. It is not the easiest thing to cook right - but worth it when you do.

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• warm water
• cooking oil
• finely chopped purple onions
• finely chopped garlic

1. Mix flour, onion, and salt in a bowl
2. Mix water in slowly until you get a thick dough
3. Knead slowly adding in flour as need be
4. Cover bowl of dough with a cloth and let it sit for a t least a half hour
5. Preheat skillet and coat with oil
6. Divide dough into small balls
7. Flatten balls into rounds
8. Dust chapati rounds with flour
9. Fry on each side until both sides have brown marks
10. Enjoy!

Eggplant Rollitini

A traditional food in my family for Christmas Eve has always been Eggplant Rollitini. My grandma used to make them with prosciutto and everyone would line up and eat them just as fast as she could serve them. Everyone would feign calm but was really waiting until the next plate of rollitini would come out and to make sure they were in good position to grab one before they disappeared.

My grandmother passed a couple years ago and this year when we had Christmas Eve (since I have been typecast as the Eggplant Chef) it was requested that I make rollitini. I believe it was a success, at least I think thats what it means when there were lies and thievery involved in the snatching and hiding of rolls and people were guarding them with their lives. While these were meatfree, noone complained about the absence of the italian sausage. So here is the recipe to share:

• 2 large eggplants
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• evoo
• ricotta
• marinara sauce
• mozarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• italian spices (basil, parsley, pepper, etc)
• garlic

1. preheat oven to 350
2. mix 1 large container of ricotta, 1 egg,  and 2 cups of mozarella in a bowl with spices and at least 3 cloves of garlic, a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese
3. mix a few tablespoons of parmesan with the panko and some pepper and spread in a plate for coating the eggplant
4. mix egg and water into a wide tray to soak the eggplant in
5. peel the eggplant and then slice it into long thin strips
6. soak eggplant in egg solution and then coat each one with the panko and parm
7. allow the coated eggplant to dry a bit before frying
8. fry the coated eggplant in evoo
9. dry on paper towels
10. coat the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce
11. smooth the ricotta mixture along the length of the eggplant strip. if you were to add meat you would put it in the center here
12. roll each strip up tightley, place seam side down, place a toothpick in it if need be to hold it together
13. line them up in the baking dish
14. bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles
15. serve and ENJOY!

Coconut Crusted Tofu in Thai Mango Sauce

I have seen a couple versions of this around the net lately and my sister made an attempt at this last week with chicken and said it was great. Here is my go - around.


Marinade

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 t sliced fresh ginger
• 1 t sliced fresh garlic
• 1 dash of salt

Tofu

• 1 package extra firm tofu
• 1/2 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 4 T thai chili sauce
• 1 dash of salt

1. Dice tofu into cubes and pat dry
2. Soak in marinade for at least 1 hour
3. Combine items for sauce in blender until well mixed
4. Prepare first bowl with 1/4 cup flour
5. Prepare second bowl with 1/4 cup flour and enough water to make a thin paste
6. Prepare third bowl with coconut and breadcrumbs
7. Dip tofu piece from one bowl to the next until it is crumbed and set on plate to dry
8. When all pieces have been coated fill the bottom of a pan with oil and heat
9. Once water sparks out of it you can start frying the tofu
10. Turn over until all sides are browned and then place on paper towels to dry
11. Serve with a side of sauce (we served it over couscous and it was fantastic)