My fiance's birthday is coming up in 2 weeks. I want to cook him a Nigerian meal. He has taught me how to make pepper soup but I would like to make him something else. Any ideas for an easy birthday meal for him?

what part of 9ja is he from?u can make their local delicay for him.

He is Yoruba, from Akure.

Pity i dont know nothing abt that side of Nigeria but hang on,somone might just come in and help.

I know NLs won't let me down.

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Thank you girl. I will try the fried rice, but he doesnt care much for chicken. He likes turkey. He is picky, picky, picky.

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Thanks chaircover, this sounds like a real "doable" alternative. He loves fish and seafood. I am a pretty good cook and I grow my own herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers every summer. That would be great with salmon. I wanted to learn jollof rice for his birthday because I know he likes it a lot but does not know how to fix it himself. His favorite meal is egusi with wheat but I did not feel proficient enough to try that for the birthday. I wanted to cook something that would be good and easy. I know I would not want someone to half step on my birthday. It would be terrible to try to choke something down on that day. But, I dont get mad if folks don't like my food. Different strokes for different folks.

I also have a lot of very beautiful dishes and platters. I always change my place settings and table linens. i will go all out for this day. he does not drink but I am gonna have some sparkling cider for him. He is a very simple guy, but when I get through going through all the paces, anyone will feel like a king like you suggested.

If you think of anything else, please let me know. I am getting excited just thinking about it.

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@ chaircover,

Girl, you are a lady after my own heart.  The things you are suggesting to me are the things I always tell my married friends.  They call me the black Martha Stewart.  LOL.  I bake and I cater too.  I did my best friend's wedding last year.  What I wanted to do was the same thing I did for her wedding, and that is to leave all sizes of wrapped boxes around the living room as decoration for his birthday and have flowers, ballons, and gift boxes/bags on the table for a centerpiece.  He is really a homebody.  He lives 3 hours from me so he doesnt really have contacts here.  I could invite my family over but since our time together is so short, I think  that it will just be us on the actual birthday.  We can meet friends or have them overy for dessert or a cocktail the next day.

He is not too big on sweets, but if I do something sweet, it will be for guests and it will either be individual cheesecakes or individual berry shortcakes.  I have a really good recipe that I bake in small heart shaped pans (in the case of the shortcakes).  I split the little cakes and fill them with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  I top it with real whipped cream scented with mint from my garden.  I also have a killer cheesecake recipe that does well baked in small springform or tart pans.  Either way, I top each individual dessert with a large  chocolate covered strawberry.

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Hey you could fry some ripe plantain and serve it as a side. Just make sure you put plenty of pepper/chilli powder in the rice! this is my special little recipe, the very first rice I made for my husband and he was delighted, he loved it. Try this one, its simple but kinda different. I'm not nigerian, but did this did the trick!

ingredients@
big beef chunks and/or hen or regular chicken.
one bunch spring onions
one red onion
one green pepper
one red or yellow pepper
4-6 maggi seasoning cubes
some frozen mixed vegetables (I use the tesco ones with the diced carrots etc)
garlic
curry powder
dry pepper powder
king prawns or shrimps
two cans of makerel
one tablespoon of tumeric
about 3/4 pack of easy cook long grain rice (has to be this one)
one tablespoon of thyme

Boil meat and season it with salt curry and about three maggi cubes
Set aside and reserve the stock

In a seperate pot boil rice with some water n salt and add the meat stock and the tumeric to it whilst boiling (plese do not over boil this rice, make sure there is some 'bite' in it and dont put too much water in it).

chop up all the other ingredients, (expept the makeral and prawns and meats and boil the frozen veg and drain)

heat about three tables spoons of oil in a wok or pan and fry the veg etc, (You could also add some fried beef kidney)
then add prawns and curry powder. When they are cooked and cooled a little mix them all up together with the rice and the canned makerel. Make sure you season this rice dish generously with maggi cubes, pepper or chilli power and thyme.

happy cooking!

So you can just bake your meats in oven or fry them and eat them with the rice.

Thank you ladies! I appreciate the help. Chaircover I will be back later with the shortcake recipe.

@chaircover: here's the recipe I promised you. I am typing it on my mobile so forgive any errors: Strawberry Shortcake - 2 Cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of sugar, 1 stick of butter, melted (8 tablespoons - REAL BUTTER AND NOT MARGARINE), 2 large eggs, 1 cup of milk, 2 teaspoons of real vanilla extract. Mix together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes out clean. If u bake it in a 9 inch pan, it will take about 25-30 minutes. I bake it in small heart shaped pans and it takes about half the time. For the filling: use about 1 quart of strawberries with about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar. You can also use about a pint of strawberries plus 1 cup of raspberries and 1 cup of blueberries. Split the cake in half. Cover bottom layer with fruit. Top with remaining layer. Add more fruit. Top with whipped cream.

Let the cut strawberries and sugar sit in the fridge for a few hours so the sugar will pull the juice out of the berries.

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Thanks again girl for all the help. I am really psyched about it!

prittigrrr:
He is Yoruba, from Akure.

Interesting.