Jollof Rice

Tonight we are having Jollof Rice for dinner. This is a popular West African dish. It is a simple two dish meal that will stretch your beef to feed more people. If you have people in your house who can not take hot pepper, leave if out and provide powdered pepper on the side for those who enjoy a kick. There are many varieties, but this is my recipe:

1 lb stew beef (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1-3 cayenne or jalapeno peppers  chopped finely, to taste
4 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut to 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), undrained
1 boullion cube or 1 tsp. Tone boullion paste (from Sams)
water if needed
salt and black pepper to taste
white rice
1. Brown beef in oil, then take out of pan and set aside.
2. Add potatoes to pan, brown slightly and add to beef.
3. Add onions and hot peppers to pan and cook until onions are almost brown.
4. Add meet and potatoes back to pan with onions.
5. Add canned tomatoes and tomato paste, stir to mix.
6. Add enough water that meat and potatoes are covered.
7. Add boullion cube, salt and black pepper. Stir to mix
8. Cook covered until meat and potatoes are done.
the longer you cook it, the thicker it will be. You do not want the potatoes to be mushy. If your beef is very tough, wait until the last 20 min. to add the potatoes back. If it gets too dry or thick, just add a bit more water.
9.Cook rice as directed on package. The amount depends on how much your family eats. For this much sauce, I usually cook about 3 cups of rice. It is all great as leftovers.
10. Serve meat and sauce over rice with a nice lettuce or cucumber salad. (Some recipes for Jollof Rice mix the sauce and rice together and serve as one dish. This makes a pretty red rice dish.)