The United Nations Development Programme has launched a cookbook looking at how climate change is affecting the way people in developing countries eat. from six countries: Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Haiti, Mali, Niger and Sudan.
While some of the dishes may not resemble your typical dinner, the recipes were also selected based on their adaptability to North American kitchens.
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Here are two meals from the cookbook you can try making at home:
Caldo Peixe – Fish soup from Cabo Verde
(Photo: Andrea Egan / UNDP)
Ingredients
1 kg (2.2 lbs) grouper fish
500 g (1.1 lbs) cassava
2 (400 g, 14 oz) orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
2 (250 g, 9 oz) taro root
4 (350 g, 12 oz) green bananas
2 (200 g, 7 oz) onions
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 green pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
Salt – to taste
Parsley – to taste
Cilantro – to taste
50 ml (3 tbsp.) olive oil
Directions
Season the prepared, washed and sliced fish with thinly sliced garlic, salt, green pepper, tomato, onion, bay leaves and chilli peppers.
Note that the green pepper, onion and tomato should be sliced in rings. Let it sit for 30 minutes to season.
Meanwhile, peel the green banana, the taro, the sweet-potatoes and the cassava. Slice the banana in half and cut the other ingredients into cubes. A useful tip for removing the peel of the green banana is to place it in a pot with water and boil for 3 minutes. After peeling the slightly boiled banana let it sit in cold water (prior to starting the soup preparation). The taro should also be peeled and placed in cold water prior to going in the pot.
Place the fish with the seasoning ingredients in a saucepan with olive oil and sauté for 3 minutes. Afterwards, remove only the fish from the pan and set aside. The fish should be removed with care in order not to break it. Add the peeled and cubed taro to the pan and simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Next, add a litre of water (1 quart) and bring to a boil. When the water starts boiling add the green banana, sweet potato and cassava.
Add salt to taste and, if necessary, add a little more. Make sure that the liquid in the pan covers all of the ingredients. If not, add water to the same level of the ingredients.
When all the ingredients are cooked (you can check with a fork), add the fish that was previously removed and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
Check for salt and turn off the heat. Add the cilantro and parsley and cover the pot for 5 minutes. The fish soup is ready and should be served with rice or xerém.
Karbit kreyol – Haitian stew
(Photo: Andrea Egan / UNDP)
Ingredients
500 g (1.1 lbs) cubed beef
2 tbsp. seasoned salt
2 limes cut in half
2 sweet potatoes
1 small plastic bag of spinach
2 potatoes
1 malanga
1 green pepper, sliced
3 carrots
2 onions-sliced
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 cup scallions
3 tbsp. tomato paste
salt, black pepper and hot pepper to taste
Directions
Clean the meat with hot water and lemon.
Add seasoning salt and set aside for 2 hours in a bowl. Combine meat and spinach in a stock pot with 2 litres (quarts) of water until meat is tender.
Add remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.
