Stork Meal 2: African Soup

Day two of meal making for the new mom and sometimes things don't always go as they're planned. See in our house, African soup is a huge win. My FIL grew up in West Africa and this was and continues to be a staple in their house. All the grand kids love this meal and up until today, I had no idea why.

I mean I loved it... but now I am allergic. No tomatoes for me. But if I hadn't found I was allergic, I would have enjoyed it after I made it. Instead, I fed it to the gang and waited for the reviews from my sister.

Needless to say, Mom-to-be wasn't a super fan. She said it tasted like Spaghetti Os. That is a win in some folks books, but apparently this is NOT a meal that we will be making for her freezer. However, I make it for mine ALL the time, so I will still share the recipe.

What you will need:

4 Gallon bags
2 quart bags
2 Large cans of tomato puree
2 Large cans of crushed tomatoes
2 sticks of butter
2 cans of SPAM (yes, I said it... SPAM)
1-2 Tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes
1 Large can of green beans
4 cups minute rice

Just be glad you aren't in Western Africa, they use monkey meat. No kidding.

So here is what you do.

Melt butter in large sauce pot. Add in cubed spam and fry for 5-8 minutes. Some of the pieces could get crispy, but they don't all have to be. Add in all the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and allow it to cool.

Divide green beans into the two quart sized bags and place into gallon bags A & B.
Divide white minute rice into two quart sized bags and place into gallon bags A & B.

When the mixture is cool, divide into gallon bags C & D and seal tightly. Then place the sealed mixtures into A & B respectively along with the green beans and rice.  Seal and write this on the outside: Defrost.Place tomato mixture in sauce pan and simmer for 6+ hours until reduced one-third. Add green beans and cook for 30 minutes. Combine 2 cups of water with rice in microwaveable container and microwave on high for 5 minutes (or until water is absorbed). Serve African soup over rice.

You could make this in the crockpot, but it will have to cook a lot longer to reduce down enough.

If you have your reservations about the SPAM in this, don't knock it till you try it. I'm not at all a spam fan, but this is great!

To see the other Stork Meals, click here.