QUALITY BEYOND 300 WORDS CONTEST: FOOD: HOW TO PREPARE VEGETABLE YAM WITH FRESH AKIDI by @queensleey.

Hello my People, how have you guys been today? I know all is moving well. I'm so glad to be here once again. We come here each time to learn from one another and rub mind on issues.
I am always eager to come because what I learn here is never compared to anything from other social networks. I appreciate @fredquantum for organizing this contest. God bless you sir.

Today we are going to be looking at one of our local delicacies - VEGETABLE YAM WITH FRESH AKIDI.

HEADING ONE
** INTRODUCTION**
It is important that whenever we eat, we should be mindful of what we consume because it can make or mar us. It's true

Food is meant for the belly

...but belly may suffer if the carrier doesn't watch what enters there.
God, during creation, made different kinds of food for man's consumption. He created everything good and bad. But, what is good can turn around to be bad by the approach or should I say quantity consumed. Then I will say... Look before you lip

HEADING TWO
FOOD

Anyways, what is Food?
Food can be anything to any man or thing. People may have different definition of food just to suit them.
To me, food is any substance, liquid or solid, which when taken into the body of a living thing, maintains, repairs, regulates, controls the body functions.

When I say

• Maintenance,I mean, it takes care of growth and development.
• Repairs body tissues.
• controls harmful or dangerous substances that sneaks into the body to attack it's cells.
• Nourishes and builds up its cells as well as provides necessary energy for daily activities.

You know, our Creator made it easy for us by giving us accurate food kinds.... the six classes of food...

• protein
• carbohydrate
• mineral salt
• vitamins
• fats and oil
• water

There is a reason God made it so. We have a perfect, organized God who made sure all we need to have a good life is provided. Little wonder why He created all things before Adam in the time of creation. It is because He wants His own to enjoy His marvelous Handiworks.

These classes of food that we have are essential to our lives and whenever we consume them, they take care of us. All internal organs function perfectly well.
Let's explain them briefly individually...

PROTEIN
This class of food takes care of growth. And it repairs the body tissues in a living organism.
Examples: meat, fish, beans, eggs, soya beans, etc.

CARBOHYDRATE
These are all the foods that provides the body with needed energy to carry out works on a daily basis.
Examples: rice, potatoes, cassava, yam, etc.

MINERAL SALT
This class of food sees to the proper functioning of the body.
Examples: milk, liver, all sea foods, all vegetable, etc.

VITAMINS
This sees that our bodies are protected against unwanted bodies like germs and diseases.
Examples: citrus, tomatoes, eggs, liver, etc.

FAT AND OIL
This provides the body with heat and energy for daily activities.
Examples: all oil, butter, margarine, egusi, etc.

WATER
This sees to the easy digestion of our foods and maintenance of our body fluids to avoid dehydration and death.

All these are very important to our living and are essential for proper maintenance of the body.

HEADING THREE
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD

We cannot talk about food without exposing it's importance. And someone will ask, why do we eat food?

1. To take care of hunger.
2. It gives us energy for various physical activities.
3. It promotes growth and development.
4. It eliminates and resist diseases.
5. We eat food to get adequate nutrition.
   Apart from food taking care of our bodies, it can also serve as a source of income for man.

HEADING FOUR

Now, to the main reason of this Post. Teaching you guys how to prepare one of our Local Delicacies... Vegetable Yam with Fresh Akidi( Akidi mgbako, meaning, coily Local Beans).

MY RECIPÉ

Ingredients	it's components
Yam	carbohydrate
Green vegetable	mineral
Akidi	protein,mineral
Crayfish	protein
Onions	vitamin
Red oil	fat and oil
Seasoning cubes	for taste
Salt	for taste, mineral
Pepper	for taste
Water	for digestion.

STEP BY STEP PREPARATIONS

STEP ONE : preparing the whole ingredients and getting them ready for cooking;
Cut your yam, wash it, put in a clean pot, add water. To be in same level with the yam, add salt into it then, set it on fire. Pick and remove dirts from the crayfish, blend it with the pepper, cut the onion, etc. Remember to wash all that needs to be washed. Also cut the Akidi in small pieces,cook it very well,

then roughly match it with the local mortar and set aside.

These are the fresh and cooked Akidi.
It's a kind of Vegetable and mostly grown by Igbos.

STEP TWO: COOKING PROPER.

Once the yam is done, bring it down, remove the water and set aside.

STEP THREE:
Get another clean pot, set it on fire. Add your red oil.
Add the shredded onion.
Allow to fry for some seconds, add the blended pepper and onion. Fry for a minute or two.
Add seasoning cube and little salt. Be careful not to over put salt. Stir well to combine into the pepper. Add a little water.

STEP FOUR:
Pour the yam into the local sauce on fire. Use a spatula to turn them so they can combine well. The yam will absorb the little water in few seconds.
Add the roughly matched Akidi on top of the yam,stir them well done again.

Then, add the green Vegetable. Stir well and bring the pot down.

Don't allow the vegetable for too long on the fire so it will retain it's freshness. Besides, the heat from the yam will be enough to steam the vegetable.

Your food is ready. Served with fresh sweet Ugba, onions, and garden egg leaf put by the side of the yam.

Bòn àpetit!

SUMMARY
It's very necessary we consider that we eat. We are supposed to eat what will keep us alive, not what will bring sickness or death to us. Our daily meals should contain all classes of food or at least, three to four of them. That way, you are sure your food is balanced. Balance Diet should be our watchword anytime, any day.

Keep eating, keep living.

I really appreciate your time with me.

I invite @ceendy20, @precious123, @patience90 to this contest.

Thank you and God bless you.