25 Days of Blogging- Day 11: Kwanzaa

Hi friends!

Today's celebration is Kwanzaa.  It is a week long celebration from December 26th through January 1st and honors African heritage in African-American culture.  The unique aspect of this festival is that it has seven core principles that celebrants abide by and each of the seven days is dedicated to one of these principles:

1. Unity (Umoja)
2. Self-determination (Kujichagulia)
3. Collective Work and Responsibility (Ujima)
4. Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
5. Purpose (Nia)
6. Creativity (Kuumba)
7. Faith (Imani)

During this week, there are many decorations, bright colors, music, and of course a feast!  Traditional foods include traditional African dishes as well as dishes that include ingredients brought to the US from Africa; such as sesame seeds, peanuts, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and spices.

One very traditional African recipe is Peanut Soup.  Like many traditional foods, each home makes their own version.  This version is from Congo Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups broth
• one small onion, minced
• one small green pepper, minced
• one clove garlic, minced
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
• one hot chile pepper, minced (optional)
• one carrot, minced, or one sweet potato (boiled and mashed)
• one or two tomatoes, minced
• one cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (or crush your own peanuts)

Directions:

• If using homemade peanut paste, simmer it with the broth for fifteen minutes, then add all other ingredients and simmer over low heat until everything is thoroughly cooked. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.
• If using peanut butter: Combine all ingredients except the peanut butter and simmer over medium heat until everything is tender. Reduce heat, add the peanut butter and simmer for a few minutes more. Stir often. Soup should be thick and smooth.

This recipe is a very comforting and delicious meal!!  Let me know what you think!