As part of our celebrations for International Day of the Midwife and International Nurse’s Day, we wanted to celebrate our international colleagues' cultures and the recipes from the different countries our Trust proudly represents.
We’ve collated a short series of recipes below from some of our overseas colleagues across the Trust – take a look and make sure to let us know if you attempt any!
Nigerian Jollof Rice, sent in by Oladunni Akinbulumo, Pastoral Care Nurse in International Recrutiment
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons tomato purée
• 2 fresh red Scotch bonnet chillies, seeds removed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 red peppers, seeds removed and roughly chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
• 150g/5½oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 800ml/1½ pints chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g/1lb 2oz long-grain rice, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 ripe plantains, peeled and thickly sliced
• A small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Green salad, to serve
Method
1. Gather the ingredients
2. In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sizzling, add the onions and fry until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes
3. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes
4. Add the green chilies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric, and fry until the oil separates from the masala, about 10 minutes
5. Add the red kidney beans, warm water, as well as the salt to taste. Cook until the beans are soft and the sauce has reduced a bit, to your desired consistency, about 25 minutes
6. Mash some of the beans roughly to thicken the sauce and add potatoes
7. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice
Rajma chawal with stir fry broccoli, sent in by Priyanka Bisht, Staff Nurse on OPU
Ingredients
• Rajma
• Kidney beans
• Oil
• Green chilli
• Tomato
• Onion
• Ginger garlic paste
• Cumin seeds
• Meethi seeds
• Potatoes
• Indian spices- red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala
• Salt
Method
1. Gather the ingredients
2. In a deep pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sizzling, add the onions and fry until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes
3. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes
4. Add the green chilies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric, and fry until the oil separates from the masala, about 10 minutes
5. Add the red kidney beans, warm water, as well as the salt to taste. Cook until the beans are soft and the sauce has reduced a bit, to your desired consistency, about 25 minutes
6. Mash some of the beans roughly to thicken the sauce and add potatoes
7. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice
Pesto Pasta, sent in by Tommaso Pergolini, Associate Head and Neck Cancer CNS
Ingredients
• Basil 70g
• Olive oil - as much needed to reach the creaminess wanted or 
enough to allow the mixer to work
• Parmigiano cheese 50g
• Pecorino cheese 30g
• Pine nuts 30g
• Garlic - I suggest one clove with the green germ inside removed but is up to your preferences
• Salt 3g
Method
1. Put all the ingredients into a mixer. Don't mix for too long to avoid oxidation (the sauce becomes darker)
2. Apply it to your cooked pasta or bruschetta immediately or keep in fridge for 2 days max
Spaghetti con le polpettine/ Spaghetti with mini meatballs, sent in by Giorgia De Ascaniis, Clinical Educator in International Recruitment
Ingredients:
• Spaghetti 400 g
• Tomato sauce 1 bottle
• Shallot ½
• Garlic 1 clove
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Mince 100 g
• Sausage 100 g
• Bread crumb 50 g
• Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 50 g
• Chopped parsley 5 g
• 1 medium egg
• Nutmeg to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt up to taste
Method
1. Finely chop the shallot and put it to fry over low heat. Then peel the garlic as well and fry it together with the shallot, for at least 5 minutes.
2. Then pour the tomato sauce, add the salt, pepper and cook covered for at least 40 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, we can start with the preparation of the mini meatballs.
3. In a large bowl put breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, mince, the sausage without its gut, salt and pepper as you like. Add flavour with grated nutmeg. Also add the egg and grated cheese.
4. Now knead with your hands until all the ingredients are well amalgamated and let it rest for about 15 minutes in the fridge. Then take the dough and form tiny balls (about 10 g each).
5. When the sauce is ready, remove the garlic and pour the meatballs gently in the sauce. Let it cook for another 30 minutes over low heat.
6. Finally, bring the water to boil, add salt and add the spaghetti. Then drain it al dente and finish cooking with the sauce for a couple of minutes. Your spaghetti with mini meatballs should now be ready.
Ghanaian Waakye, sent in by Elisabeth Ofori-Twum, a Staff Nurse on Ward D3
Ingredients
Rice
Black eyed beans
Red dried sorghum leaves (Waakye leaves)
Potash (Akanwu or kanwa)
Water
Salt
Method
1. Wash your beans and soak it in water for some time
2. Boil some akanwu and sorghum leaves in water to bring out the burgundy red colour (Akanwu helps soften the beans so you don’t have to soak it overnight)
3. Cook the soaked beans
4. Add the water in point 3 (with or without the leaves) to the cooked beans
5. Add your washed rice and salt to taste
6. Stir the mixture uniformly and put on medium to low flame
7. Cover your food and leave it to cook
8. If you left the leaves in, take them out when food is cooked
9. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get ready, depending on the quantity
Traditionally, Waakye is served with kelewele (fried spiced ripped plantain), wele (cowhide), spaghetti, gari foto, boiled eggs, shito (black pepper sauce), salad (leaves) and fish or meat gravy (tomato stew) in katemfe leaves or on a plate. Some like to add mayonnaise or salad cream and ketchup.