Sample Menus

African Themed Dinner Party on Whidbey Island

1st Course — Starters

Iced Juice Shots
An assortment of juices commonly consumed throughout Africa

Spicy Green Banana Fries
A spicy twist on a traditional Kenyan recipe. (Bananas are used in Kenya due to the difficult growing season for potatoes)

Pita and Raita
Cool your mouth down with pita bites and a minted cucumber raita (South Africa)

2nd Course — Soup/ Salad

West African Chicken Peanut Soup
A hearty stew of chicken, peanuts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and spices.  The vegetarian alternative replaces chicken with lightly fried tofu.

Mixed Greens and Medjool Dates
A crisp salad of Whidbey Island’s mixed greens served with Medjool Dates, herbed feta, Marcona Almonds, Pomegranate Molassas, and topped with a champagne honey vinaigrette.

3rd Course — Buffet

Ugandan Kabobs
A traditional Ugandan recipe for a classic minced beef meatball flavored with chilis and served with a yogurt-jalapeno dipping sauce

Mushroom Medley
A blend of mushrooms and spices on a portabella pillow

Grilled Moroccan Chicken
Marinated chicken in a mouth-watering blend of North African spices and grilled over coals

Bobotie
A South African dish of spiced minced meat topped with a custard. Most likely originating from the Dutch East India Company, it was brought to South Africa and adopted by the Cape Malay community. It’s been around since the 17th century, often made of mutton and pork. Today’s recipe is a blend of lamb and beef with a touch of sweetness.

Koshary
A traditional vegetarian dish of rice, lentils, chickpeas and pasta that is very popular in Egypt. It is served at roadside stalls and restaurants all over the country.

— Buffet Sides

Asparagus
Fresh asparagus drizzled with a lemony olive oil and sprinkled with cracked black pepper

An assortment of naan

Couscous
A citrus version of a standard North African dish. Semolina is sprinkled with water and rolled with the hands to form small pellets, sprinkled with dry flour to keep them separate, and then sieved. Any pellets which are too small will be again rolled and sprinkled with dry semolina and rolled into pellets. This process continues until all the semolina has been formed into tiny granules of couscous. In the traditional method of preparing couscous, groups of women would come together and make large batches over several days. These would then be dried in the sun and used for several months.

4th Course — Dessert

Mixed berries topped with a vanilla whipped cream

Yogurt Cake with Pistachio and Honeyed Cream and Pomegranate Molasses