African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bakhita

The memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita is celebrated on February 8th.   This African inspired dinner was made last year in her honor and submitted by Dust Thou Art.  Since February 8th falls on a Friday this year, a Vegetarian Peanut Curry might be a nice alternative to the African Peanut Chicken.

An African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bakhita

African Peanut Chicken (in the slow cooker)

Roasted Cinnamon Squash (in the oven)

Sudani Rice (in the rice cooker)

African Peanut Chicken
Serves 4 (Fed two adults and a toddler with plenty leftover, so I'm just guessing)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs skinless bone-in chicken drumsticks and thighs (or equivalent amount of boneless chicken)
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 onion (I slice it large so The Husband can pick it out, but if you're cooking for an onion loving crew feel free to increase the amount of onion and chop or mince it)
• 1 small can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves sliced garlic
• cumin, cumin seeds, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper (maybe 1 tsp each, or to taste)
• chili powder, salt (optional)

Directions:

Put everything in slow cooker and turn to high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through. (If you cook for a longer time on low, the chicken will fall apart and you'll need to fish out the bones. If you want more like shredded chicken, I would recommend using boneless thighs.)


Roasted Cinnamon Squash

Ingredients: 

• winter squash or pumpkin (I used kabocha)
• olive oil
• cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Slice winter squash in 1/2 inch to inch thick pieces. Place in a single layer in a shallow dish and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put in oven for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of slices.


Sudani Rice (in the rice cooker)
Adapted from here

Ingredients:

• rice
• turmeric, coriander, cardamom
• butter

Directions:

Wash rice. Before adding in the correct amount of water per cooker instructions, put in a pinch each of turmeric, coriander, and cardamom. You may want to make the rice a little dryer than usual since you'll be serving it with butter/sauce. The turmeric will give the rice a beautiful golden color.

You can also cook it on the stove top according to the directions on the package (whether you're using regular, parboiled, or instant will affect the cooking time). Just add the spices with the water.

Mix with butter or allow people to add their own butter. (Or top with the sauce from the peanut chicken. Or both!)

O God, who led Saint Josephine Bakhita from abject slavery to the dignity of being your daughter and a bride of Christ, grant, we pray, that by her example we may show constant love for the Lord Jesus crucified, remaining steadfast in charity and prompt to show compassion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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St. Josephine Bakhita

We studied St. Josephine Bakhita a few years ago and enjoyed trying a traditional Sudanese tea and dessert at that time. Since my daughter chose St. Josephine for her Confirmation Saint, we now have a wonderful reason to celebrate her feast day every year.

There are a couple of different ideas you could pull from to celebrate this beautiful woman who knew the chains of slavery and the freedom of faith. She was born in Sudan in 1869 and died in a little town in Northern Italy named Schio.

To honor her birth country, you might consider some African foods, or just your regular fare but with a change of venue. A traditional Sudanese meal would be eaten on pillows around a low table. We like to use our coffee table! A small glass of fruit juice is offered to the guests who have traveled to show that they are welcome after their journey. Dinner begins with a soup course which is followed by the main course served on one large tray. The main course is usually eaten with flat bread. No utensils are offered as the entree is expected to be sopped up with the bread.

For dessert, Creme Caramela (also known as flan) is a tasty traditional treat. I am using a box mix this year (Jell-O Flan), but hope to try this recipe soon. (Pictures later.)

You can make your own cinnamon infused tea with regular black tea and cinnamon sticks if you don't have any Twinings Herbal Revive Cinnamon Tea on hand. (BTW... If you are off caffeine or prone to anxiety, you might want to stick with the cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon in high concentration can stimulate the nervous system just like caffeine.)

Another idea for celebrating St. Josephine is to honor the country that gave her the freedom she had long been denied. When she was purchased by an Italian Consul named Callisto Legnani, St. Josephine's life changed. She experienced kindness, cordiality, love and ultimately freedom. Any Italian dish will do to honor the country that gave St. Josephine her first Sacraments and a home. It still might be fun to eat dinner on pillows instead of chairs!

St. Josephine Bakhita, Mother "Moretta" and African flower, pray for us! Pin It