SUNDAY MAnON Sunday July 6. 2014 Ufestyle 9" HEALTH» UNA NJOROGE , How to make tutu with okra meat stew THERE IS AN array of West African dishes to choose from. Thepreparation of these dishes depends on the country they come from. Those near the coastregions incorporate plenty of fish, while countries close to the Congoforest use monkey meat as a delicacy. Thesedishes are spicier thanwhat we areused to. Hereisaneasy receipe to prepare common West African dish. Ingredientsareavailable locally. Fufu with Okra Meat Stew Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves 4 3 cups okra (ladies fingers), sliced 1chicken cube 3 tbsps seasoning sauce 1red chilli (optional) Fufu 3 cups fermented cassava flour 6 cups water . Method: 1. In a saucepan, combine the beef, onions. garlic. salt. spices. andoil. Fry overmedium heat until the meatreleases natural juice. Add the tomatoes on top of the meatand allow simmering until tomatoes soften. Add the chicken cubeanda small quantityof water. Add the seasoning andchilliandallowto cook for 20 minutes, or until the meatbecomes tender. You mayadd a small amount of waterto form a stew. Serve with hot fufu. Toprepare the fufu: Boil the waterandadd the 3 cups of fermented cassava flour. Stir well until it thickens to the consistency of mashed potatoes. To serve. make small balls with the fufu anduseto scoop the stew. Cooking tips: • Fufu maybe prepared using pounded yams, plantains, or dried cassava. • You mayprepare the stewusing fish instead of beef. • Add extravegetables such as eggplants for a thicker stew. Ingredients: Stew , large onion.chopped 1clove garlic. crushed V,-tbsp salt V,-tbsp mixed spices 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil Y.-kg beef. cut into pieces 4 ripetomatoes. chopped 2. Stirthe mixture andadd the okra. Most of the Ingredients, like okra (ladles fingers) are available locally. Questions? Send to irenemedia2010@gmail.com Managing your cows' milk protein allergy Food allergies affect nearly everyone.at some point. People often have an unpleasant reaction to somethingthey ate. Most food allergies are inherited. While some people outgrow their allergies, others continue to suffer throughout their lives. And sometimes people develop food allergies as adults. Allergy to cow's milk or its products is the most common food allergy. If you start experiencing symptoms such as gas, bloating, pain after ingesting milk or any milk products, then what you haveis intolerance to milk, otherwise called - lactose intolerance. Thesugar in the cows' milk is called lactoseand if your body is unableto digest it, then you are said to be lactose-intolerance. The good news is that the allergy is not life threatening. Milk protein alsocauses allergic reactionsto some people. Symptoms of cow milk protein include skin rash, hives, swollen lips, itchiness, sneezing, nasal • congestion. running nose, itchy eyes including coughing and wheezing amongother symptoms. Milk allergy occurswhen the body's immunesystem mistakenlythinks that the protein is harmful to the body. Immune system As a result the immune system producesantibodies to protect itself. This interaction between the antibodies and the milk protein triggers the release of a body chemical known as histamine. While theseallergic reactions are not life threatening. it is good to note which foods triggers an allergic reaction. For those who suffer from allergies, keep antihistamines closeby you and avoid eating food that you are not sure about the ingredients. In fact, the safest food to eat is your home cooked meal as you have control over how it is being cooked. linashealthalternatives@gmail.c om