Growing up I remember hearing my mom saying to my grandmother or aunts in our unique accent “yea, that pumpkin real nice boi” and now that I occasionally cook pumpkin, I know exactly what they mean. No two pumpkins cook the same (end result), the texture, sweetness and overall taste can differ from pumpkin to pumpkin (and I don’t even mean variety… that’s another story altogether). The soil, amount of sun, rain (water) and growing conditions plays a huge part on the quality of pumpkin and the final product you get when it’s cooked.

That said, here’s a very simple recipe for cooking pumpkin which will almost guarantee a great final dish. (don’t forget to also check out the butternut squash recipe I posted many moons ago)

BTW, in Trinidad and Tobago this pumpkin recipe is usually called “Pumpkin Talkari” and it’s a hit at many of the Hindu homes and celebrations since it’s a vegetarian dish that’s full of goodness and simply amazing with roti.

You’ll Need…

3-4 lbs pumpkin (peeled and cubed – 1 inch pieces
1/2 medium onion (divided)
1/2 hot pepper (your choice – I used habanero) (to control heat, don’t use the seeds or inside ribs of the pepper)
3 cloves garlic chopped fine or crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin works best for me as it gives it a nutty flavour)
1 teaspoon salt (check at the end of cooking to add more if needed)
1/2 teaspoon golden brown sugar

Peel, cube and wash the pumpkin and drain off the excess water. Then in a deep pan, heat the oil on medium heat and add 1/4 of the sliced onion. Cook this for a couple minutes (until soft), then start adding the cubed pumpkin. BTW, if you live in North America you must note that this is NOT the pumpkin grown for Halloween. Go to any ethnic grocery store and they’ll surely have cooking pumpkin in stock.

It will seem like a lot, but it will cook down. The next step is to add the rest of the ingredients, stir / cover and allow to simmer (low heat – covered) for about 30 minutes or until the pieces are tender and start to melt. You will notice that it will spring it’s own natural juices, the key at the end to ensure all of this is burnt off. After the 30 minutes or so you’ll need to use the back of your cooking spoon to gently crush any of the pieces that may still have the cubed shape (cook last few minute with the lid off). The idea is to get a smooth consistency at the end. Don’t forget to check for salt.

Didn’t I say this was a simple recipe? I’d love to hear from you.. maybe you have a unique twist on making this? Leave me your comments in the area provided below and don’t forget to join our group on Face Book! Click on the image below to connect!

What  would Sunday lunch on the islands be without either Callaloo or stewed red beans as part of this cherished meal? A time when families get together to share good food, thoughts and good times after a long and hectic week. Add in some stewed chicken and macaroni pie and you’re set to have one of those meals that takes you back to places you’ve not been to in years… for me it’s like traveling back in time to a happier place. Since I’m the only one who enjoy this dish in our household, I tend to make a fairly big batch (enough for about 8 people) and freeze the leftovers in freeze containers for future use. Packaged well, they can last up to 3 months without getting freezer burned. Then all I do is take it out of the freezer and allow to thaw and reheat on very gentle heat and I’m set for another awesome meal.

I must mention a couple things before we get to the actual recipe. 1. Try to get the sort of pinkish colour beans, as it cooks much faster than the dark red version. 2. You’ll notice that it does take a while to cook, but you can save on time by cooking in a pressure cooker if you wish. Just keep checking to see when the beans are tender as I don’t know how long it would take in the pressure cooker.

You’ll Need…

3 cups of red kidney beans (dry)
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash black pepper
hot pepper (as much as you like) I used a small habanero
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion sliced
2 carrots (diced) optional
1 bell pepper (sweet pepper) diced – optional
water (see in directions)
1 teaspoon Caribbean style “browning”
2 table spoon chopped shado beni or cilantro
1 scallion (diced thin)
1/2 tablespoon Golden Ray butter (optional, but adds that true island flavour so I could not leave this out)

* The “optional” ingredients mentioned above were not used in my recipe today, but it does add a bit more flavour and body to the dish so I do recommend using them.

For best results I recommend soaking the dry beans overnight in water, but before you do so quickly go through the beans to check to see that there are no foreign objects within the beans. In the past I’ve found little pebbles and twigs that had to be removed. Then wash the beans with running water and place in a fairly deep bowl. Now cover with water so all the beans are under water and allow to soak on the kitchen counter overnight.

The next step is to pour the beans and water it’s been soaking in, into a deep pot and add some more water  so it’s covered by at least 2 inches of water. Then add the salt, black pepper, hot pepper, garlic (whole.. it will melt away as it cooks) and sprigs of thyme to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, with the pot covered.Allow this to cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the beans are plump and tender. BTW… If you’re adding the carrots and bell peppers to the dish, this is when you add it as well.

*TIP! After the beans are tender you can remove the sprigs of thyme from the pot and discard.

Since I used the sort of pinkish coloured beans I mentioned above, my beans were tender in about 70 minutes or so. The final step is to now heat the oil in another deep pot and add the sliced onion and cook for a couple minutes (until the edges start going golden). Using some care… take a large spoon and start adding the now tender beans to the pot with the cooked onions. The idea is to pour everything into the pot with the onions. Remember you’re adding liquid to a pot with heated oil, so please be careful. Stir this around a bit and now add the “browning” as this gives it a sort of nutty caramel flavour and it also adds a lovely rich colour to the overall dish. Then I add the scallion, shado beni or cilantro and the Goldenray butter to the pot.

The last thing you do is to get a “swizzle stick” or whisk (don’t use one of those electric ones) and whisk everything a bit so some of the beans break up and form a sort of creamy consistency (but remember to not over crush the beans… you still want to see whole beans). If you find that it’s overly thick, feel free to add some water and if it’s too thin, turn up the heat and thicken it up a bit. It should be almost the consistency of a thick soup or chili.

From the time you add the cooked beans to the pot, it will take about 10 minutes on medium heat to finish cooking.

In the pick above I have a wonderful plate of the red beans, with long grain brown rice, stew chicken and a couple slices of zaboca (avocado) on the side. Just need some plantains and I’d be in heaven.

I’m sure there are different ways of making this dish, but this is a simplified version that’s just as tasty as any you’d find on a table for Sunday lunch on the islands. Before I go I’d like to remind you to leave me your comments (there’s no need to register..simply add you comments) in the area provided below and don’t forget to join our Facebook fan page. Remember, it’s my goal to have the largest FB fan page dedicated to the culinary culture of the islands and I can’t do it without YOU!

TIP! Before I leave… remember that this will thicken up with it cools down, so if it looks a bit runny when it’s still hot, don’t thicken.. it will have a great consistency when it cools down a bit.

Over the years I’ve grown very fond of vegetarian type dishes and if you recall, back in July of last year (wow it’s been almost a year) I shared a recipe for cooking French beans in coconut milk. Today we’re using the same beans (is there a difference between French and string beans?), except they’re called string beans in the Caribbean and we’ll be giving it that added “kick” of flavour with some madras curry powder. In case you’re wondering, YES there is a difference in the curry you get in the Caribbean as compared to the ones from India.

There are 2 things you can add to this dish to make a bit different. 1 You can add some coconut milk to it instead of the water mentioned in the ingredients list. 2. By adding some shredded pieces of salted cod (dry) it gives the dish another level of flavour. But trust-me, the recipe below will amaze you and anyone you share it with.

You’ll Need…

1 lb string beans (French beans)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 hot pepper (habanero, scotch bonnet or any of your faves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion sliced
4 gloves garlic grated or crushed
3 tablespoon water to mix the curry
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup water

* My choice for curry powder has always been the “Raja Jahan Special Madras Curry” which you can easily get at any Caribbean food store if you live outside Trinidad and Tobago or online at Amazon.com.

Start by washing the beans and allow to drain. The next step is to remove both ends (stems) and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. For faster cooking time I usually then slice these 1 1/2 inch pieces down the middle (see pic below) using a pairing knife. But you don’t have to do this step if you don’t feel like it.

In a saucepan put the oil to heat on medium heat and add 1/2 of the onion and allow to cook for a couple minutes. Then take the curry powder and put it in a bowl with the 3 tablespoon of water (mix around). Then pour that into the pan and stir. Allow that to cook for a minute, then add the rest of the sliced onion, grate the garlic into the pan (or crush) and add the slice of hot pepper. Cook that for a few minutes until most of the liquid dries off, then add the sliced beans and stir around.

Stir thoroughly, add the salt and cook for a few minutes before adding the 3/4 cup of water. Once you add the water, turn down the heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Stir about3-4 times during the cooking process.

The finished dish will not be as brilliant green as when you first started and please try to burn off all the liquid that we added. This is great with roti (sada and buss up shut) as well as rice and even breads. And there’s no reason why it can’t be a side dish at your next family dinner. Healthy and tasty, you just can’t beat this one.

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WIN NEW CONTEST WIN

Special thanks to everyone who participated in last month’s contest. The winner was announce earlier today, so we’d like to hear from you if you were the winner so we know where to ship the prize.

For the month of May, the best month in the year (I’m a Taurus) I want to give one lucky contestant a KitchenAid Santoku Knife. All you have to do is leave me a comment below about the recipe, about the blog in general or just say hello. Then your name is automatically entered to win. It’s that simple. Here’s a pic of the knife I’ll personally ship out to you (I’ll cover all shipping charges as well).

Bring this new trend into your kitchen with this KitchenAid 7-inch Santoku knife with a cushioned non-slip silicone handle. Originally used by Japanese chefs, this knife offers the benefits of a cleaver with the control of a lighter knife. The handle is made from Dupont Delrin and has a comfortable grip with a fully contoured handle, which is easy on the hand with a rounded soft blade back. The strong, durable blade is made from a high-carbon stainless steel. The bolster has proper balance and control with full tang construction.

The fine print.

- this contest is open to everyone globally

- all you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you’ll be automatically entered to win

- feel free to get the other members in your house to enter

- if you’ve already won something from Caribbeanpot.com we’d appreciate it if you gave others a chance to win and refrain from entering.

- there’s no need to buy anything to enter

- the knife is valued at $25.95 and we’ll cover the shipping cost to you.

- this contest end May 31, 2010 and the winner will be announced within 5 days of the close date.

Friends, I encourage you to leave me a comment below and wait for the email at the end of the month saying if you’re a winner or not. It’s that simple.

Good Luck

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If anyone would like to sponsor the monthly contest, feel free to contact me. This is a great opportunity to get some exposure for your business or service.

One of the best things about growing up in a multi-racial country is the amount of different dishes you’re exposed to. Not just that we share in everyone’s culture (like around religious holidays etc) we also experiment with each others food. This resulted in dishes that are uniquely Trinbagonian as we’ve added our own touch (even KFC). Take fry aloo for instance. I’ve come across many “Indian” food blogs where the name of the dish is the same but the preparation and ingredients somewhat differs.

Even locally I seen recipes differ a bit, with people adding their own signature touch to enhance the final product. Personally I love me some fry aloo, but with left over corned beef (still have to post that recipe for you) added at the end.

This is the recipe for the traditional “Trini” way of making fry aloo and it just happens to be the way our daughters like it.

You’ll Need…
5 medium potatoes (I like using Yukon Gold)
1/2 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
dash black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-6 table spoons vegetable oil (olive oil works great – adds a nice flavour)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (or any pepper you like using) * Optional but really completes the dish)

Start by peeling the potatoes, then wash and slice (not too thick – cut down the center and then slice about 1/8 to 1/4 inch). Also peel and crush the garlic, slice the onion and pepper .. set aside.

In a heavy pot, add the oil and allow to heat on medium to high heat. As the oil heats up add the onion, garlic and pepper and allow to cook for a couple minutes. We’re trying to infuse the flavours into the oil before we add the sliced potato. As the onions start going brown, drain (if you had it sitting in water as I did) the sliced potato and start adding it to the pot.

This can be a very greasy dish, so if you can use oil that’s not full of saturated fats and cholesterol, it would be best. Also note that depending on the potato you use, you may be required to add a bit more oil as it cooks.

After you’ve added the potato, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow this to cook for about 20 minutes and try to stir every 5 minutes or so. You will notice a couple things as it cooks.. It will start to stick to the bottom of the pot (that’s normal) and it will start going golden brown. When stirring, try to scrape off any bits that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you find that it’s to the point where it’s burning, turn down the heat to low. As mentioned cook covered for 20 minutes.

After it’s been cooking for the 20 minutes, it will start to break apart and it will change in colour. The final step is to remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Check to make sure the potato is fully cooked (should be soft) and double check for salt.

So simple, yet very tasty. The best way to enjoy this fry aloo is with Sada Roti or with any type of flat bread or if all fails.. everyday sliced bread.

I’m sure many of you have a different way of preparing this dish and I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Cooking

Chris…

Note: I mentioned that there’s the chance that you may need more oil. But I don’t think I mentioned how you can tell. If you find that midway through cooking it starts to stick to the bottom of the pot to the point where it’s burning and it’s overall dry.. add another tablespoon or two of oil.

I’m sure you’ve seen those tiny little bananas in the supermarket… normally called “baby bananas”. But have you ever given much thought as to what people do with these cute little bananas that look like they forgot to grow up? They’re quite tasty when fully ripe and can be enjoyed just as you would a normal banana, but did you know you can also cook them? Growing up in the country-side on the islands, our diet at times would be considered very rustic by some standards. Especially when you consider the amount of ground provisions that would make it on our dinner table. To this day my sisters don’t fancy anything we’d term “ground provisions” (yam, cassava, green banana, eddoes, dasheen.. etc), but my brother and myself are just like my dad.. we can’t get enough.

Back to the “little people” of the banana world. One of the dishes my mom would prepare using these baby bananas, is a quick boil and fry. Today I got a craving for this dish I grew up on as I strolled the aisle of the supermarket and saw these bananas in stock. Bear in mind that this is entirely from memory, as my mom was en route to New York to visit my brother so I couldn’t do the normal phone call when I need help with a recipe.

I truly hope this is not one of those dishes that’s slowly fading away from the framework that makes up our rich culinary heritage, as we make way for the fast food generation. This is very simple to prepare, hearty and amazingly tasty!

You’ll Need…

1-2 lbs of baby bananas
1 medium onion sliced
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon olive oil
couple slices of hot pepper (I used scotch bonnet) – optional
1 clove garlic crushed
4 oz dry salted fish (I used boneless Pollock)
1 scallion (garnish)

Couple tips before we start.

1. Try to use the bananas before they go ripe (bright yellow), the ideal colour is a greenish yellow and they must be a bit firm if you were to press on them gently. If they’re over-ripe it will be difficult to work with and will not produce the same type of texture we’re hoping to achieve.

2. You can cook the bananas in advance and even place it in the fridge, so they’re cool to the touch when you have to peel them.

Separate the bananas into singles if they came in a bunch, place in a deep pan and cover with water. Put on a medium to high heat and bring to a boil. Pay close attention to this as you must turn off the stove as soon as it comes to a boil or you’ll risk it going too mushy. Remove from the hot water immediately and allow to cool. When cool, peel away the skin so you’re left with the creamy insides of the banana. You’ll notice a couple things happening as the bananas cook… they will change colour (go black in some spots) and they will split. When they split, it’s a good indication that they’re ready to be removed from the boiling water.

While this cools, put the dry salted fish in a fairly deep bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover it. This will do a couple things for us. It will make the fish more tender to work with and it will remove most of the salt which was used to preserve it. When the water cools (as we did when we made saltfish buljol) squeeze away any remaining water and shred into flakes.

Back to the bananas…they should be cool now, using the “split” that occurred during the quick boiling process as a starting point peel back and remove the skin, then place a bowl and get ready for putting everything together.

In a pan on medium heat pour in the olive oil, then when it’s hot add the flakes of shredded salt fish. Allow this to cook for about 4 minutes so the oil gets infused with the flavour of the saltfish. Then add the sliced onions, crushed garlic, black pepper and if you opt for it.. the slices of hot pepper. This should cook for about 4-6 minutes or until the onion has gone soft and started to go brown. Now add the cooked bananas and tablespoon of butter,. Gently stir everything around and allow to cook on low heat (uncovered) for about 3-5 minutes (when you think it’s been coated with everything in the pot.

* The bananas I used were a bit too ripe (see in pictures).

* If you don’t like saltfish (we can’t be friends then) or prefer not to have it in your diet, feel free to leave it out. It’s still a very tasty dish. However I would recommend using a non-stick pan in that case and allow it to cook a bit longer to encourage the heat to interact with the sugars in the banana and form a nice caramel crust on everything.

The big question of the night is… What do they call these tiny little bananas, besides baby bananas? Now my spelling may be completely wrong as I’m trying to wor it out… “chikito“. You don’t think that the Chikita” brand of bananas got their company name from this little banana, do you?

A few years ago Caron’s aunt and grandmother had stopped by for a visit as I was getting ready to put an eggplant on the BBQ to get it roasted for one of my favourite childhood dishes, baigan choka. When I explained what I was about to do, they mentioned that they had something similar before called baba ganush. Baba what? After looking up the recipe on the internet I could see why they had said that it was similar.

Couple pointers before we get to the recipe.

Buying  the baigan (eggplant). When at market or grocery try to get an eggplant that’s fresh looking. Look at the stem for a nice green colour and the eggplant itself should be firm to the touch, no markings or blemishes and shiny. Place the eggplant in your hand and feel the weight of it. You DON’T want something that’s “heavy” and too solid.  Those will be packed with seeds and not as fleshy as you’d like it to be. When you lift it, it should feel light for it’s size and almost feel hollow.

The pepper. Try to get a “young” green habanero pepper. A young pepper is one that’s not fully mature and you can tell this by it’s lack of luster and pale green colour. This will allow you to have the flavour of the pepper without much heat. The one in the pic is young, though it does not have the pale green colour I mentioned. From years of experience I can tell if the pepper is not mature yet just by looking at it. When you slice it open you should also see seeds that are white in colour and not mature… as if they’re just developing.

* Personally the pepper is one of the most integral parts of this recipe, so you’ll see that I use much more than most people. But the pepper can be optional since the garlic and onions does give the dish a good punch all on it’s own.

You’ll need…

1 large eggplant (baigan) (1-2 lbs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 table spoon olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1/4 medium onion sliced
1 clove garlic (add more if yo wish)
1 young green habanero pepper (or any hot pepper – optional)

NOTE: I like roasting the eggplant on my BBQ or any open flame. The smoky taste is what I grew up on and will not change things. You may also stick in it your oven for about 30 minutes at 375-400, in your microwave on high (can’t say how long, since I’ve never done this) and back in the day my mom used to wrap it in tin-foil and place it on the open flame on the stove. The stove method is probably best of the 3 other methods I mentioned, but it can be very messy and your entire home will have that smoky / roasted smell.

Start by preheating your grill to about 400 degrees. Then trim the stem of the eggplant and using a pairing knife, stab some slits into it. Especially where it’s really thick and near the stem area as this will allow it to cook faster and evenly. I usually do about 5 slits, but this all depends on how large an eggplant you get.

When the grill gets to temp, place the eggplant over the direct flame. Allow this to cook for about 25 minutes in total, but  turn/flip every 10 minutes or so to allow for even cooking. I usually place my pepper over the flame briefly as well, so it gets a bit charred.

While this cooks… in a bowl add the salt, garlic (slice to make it easier to crush) and the pepper. Then crush to a fine paste. You can use a mortar and pestle.

After the eggplant is done cooking, it’s time to take the cooked fleshy insides out for the dish. Do so by cutting across the top (just below the stem, then cut in the middle (top to bottom). Peel back to open and start scraping the cooked inside with a spoon. Place this into the bowl with the other crushed ingredients. Discard the empty shell like skin that’s left back.

Using a pestle or potato masher (I have my trusty wooden pounder) mash the lot of cooked eggplant so there’s no clumps or stringy parts. Then slice the onions directly onto the mixture. Heat the oil over high heat and when it at the point where you can see smoke starting to escape from the frying pan, pour the oil directly onto the onions and eggplant. This will help cook the onion and add some flavour to the dish. My uncle says that he usually cooks the sliced onions in the oil before pouring it into the bowl. But I love the bit of texture and punch the raw onions adds. After pouring the oil, stir thoroughly and serve.

Used as a side for hot roti or fry bake, this can also be used for a dip with crackers, toasted flat bread wedges, pita and in wraps. I’m sure it will also go well with East Indian type flat breads such as Chapati,Naan and Luchi.

Do you have a different recipe for baigan choka? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

* Due to the roasting of the eggplant, the onions and the garlic… don;t eat this and be all up in your significant other face. You can floss, brush, listerine and use gum.. there will still be a hint of garlic left back.

The taste and texture is totally different than if you were lucky enough to have fresh picked and shelled pigeon peas, but that’s probably the only thing  I’m yet to see selling in the Caribbean specialty stores… even in Toronto, so I have no choice but to use the stuff we get in the can. I must add also that if you were to use the fresh stuff this recipe would not work the way it is, as the cooking process for fresh pigeon peas is a bit different. Especially how long it would take to cook.

In my recipe not only am I using canned pigeon peas, but I’m also using a potato to help thicken the finished sauce. Traditionally when making curry pigeon peas potato would never be used, but instead “tannia” would be the thickener of choice.

You’ll need…

1 can green pigeon peas
1 onion sliced (divided in 2 portions)
1 green onion chopped (scallions)
1 med potato cubed
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 slices hot pepper (habanero) optional
dash black pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon roasted geera powder (cumin)
4-5 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups water
1 table spoon vegetable oil
1-2 leaves shado beni (optional) chopped fine.
1/4 teaspoon salt (check near complete to add more if required)

Start by preparing the ingedients. I usually drain and rinse the canned peas to remove the brine-like liquid it’s normally packaged in.

In a small bowl add the curry, geera, crushed garlic, black pepper and 1/2 of the sliced oinions. Then pour in about 4-5 tablespoons of water and mix. Heat the oil in a sauce pan and pour in the curry mixture we just made. Allow this to cook on med-high heat until all the liquid has dried up.

At this point get ready to add the peas, remaining onion, slices of pepper. potato wedges, scallion, salt and shado beni if you’ve decide to use it. Stir around so everything gets coated with the cooked curry.. about 3-5 minutes. Now Add the 1 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil then cover and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes (until potato is tender).

After the 20 minutes or so, use the back of your spoon to crush the potato to help thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat and get ready to serve. Remember to check near the end to see if your taste requires more salt. If for some reason you find that it’s a bit salty you can always add a diced tomato to help absorb some of the salty taste.

In the event you’re wondering what tannia is…

English: tannia, tania; yautia, new cocoyam tanier; Spanish: yautía, malanga (Antilles), macal (Mexico [Yucatán]), quiscamote (Honduras), tiquisque (Costa Rica), otó (Panama), okumo (Venezuela), uncucha (Peru), gualuza (Bolivia), malangay (Colombia); Portuguese: taioba, mangareto, mangarito, mangarás (Brazil); French: chou Caribe (Antilles); other languages: queiquexque (Mexico), tannia, taniera (Antilles)

* Be sure to leave me your comments below.

Sounds like a bad combo? Not if you’ve ever tasted my mom’s recipe for pumpkin (butternut squash in this case) cooked until it’s melted and as you turn of the heat you add some cooked shrimp to the mix. As a kid pumpkin and/or squash was one of those things we (my brother and sisters) would never allow to enter our mouth (we had a sentry posted at the entry to REFUSE all pumpkin-like food ) but as an adult the few times we can get our mom to cook it for us, we’re ever so thankful.

Here’s my take on my mom’s recipe for butternut squash with shrimp. Feel free to use any type of cooking (not the carving type you get for Halloween) pumpkin if you wish.

You’ll need….

1 butternut squash (about 2lbs) – peeled and diced
1/2 small onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic – sliced thin or crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 habanero pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

For the shrimp….

10 medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
1/4 small onion – chopped
1 clove garlic – crushed
1/4 teaspoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cilantro – chopped
dash of black pepper
dash of worchester sauce
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

NOTE: Though adding the shrimp gives it another layer of flavour, vegetarians can abstain from this step.

Start by cutting open the squash and as you would cut a watermelon into slices, do the same (you will need a heavy kitchen kinfe) . It can be a bit tough, but with a sharp potato peeler or as in my case a paring knife peel the skin away. Then using a spoon, scrape out all the seeds and surrounding tissue. Wash and slice into 1/2 inch cubes so it will cook fast.

Then dice the onion, garlic and pepper. After which you can now place a saucepan on med-high heat and pour in the olive oil. As the oil heats and comes close to smoking, add the onion and garlic. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the cubed squash.

With the heat between medium and low, add the sliced pepper (optional) black pepper and salt, then cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. While this simmers lets get the shrimp seasoned and cooked.

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and season with the ingredients mentioned above for this step (minus the oil). In another sauce pan heat the oil and add the seasoned shrimp. Keep the heat on high and only cook for about 3-5 minutes. When the shrimp turns changes colour, it’s a good indication that it’s cooked. Overcooking with cause the shrimp to go tough and change the flavour and texture of it. Don’t cover the sauce pan or it will spring a lot of water and stir as it cooks. Remove from over the burner when you’re done or the remaining heat will continue to cook the shrimp.

Back to the squash. After the 20 minutes the cubes should be tender and melting away, this is when you can add the brown sugar. Using the back or your cooking spoon, press down on the cubes of squash to make into a chunky paste. If it’s a bit runny at this point, allow any liquid to burn off. When the paste like consistency is thick and free from any liquid turn off the heat and add the shrimp we just cooked. Stir it in well to add the shrimp flavor to the entire dish.

Maybe you have a different way of preparing this dish or one that similar? Leave me your comments below. BTW, don’t forget to taste for salt.

There are so many things I’d never touch even with a 10ft pole as a child, but I find myself having cravings for the very same things as I grew older. Fish, Fried Ochro, Pumpkin, Water Cress and any of the more stronger tasting greens like Chorai. But I’ve always been a huge fan of dasheen bush baggie (sp) and due to necessity, I’ve grown very fond of Swiss Card. To this day I still won’t touch “Caraili” or in most cases cooked goat. I can only imagine how dificult it was for my mom having to cook to please the appetite of 4 children. It’s a good thing both my mom and dad never made a fuss about food.

Every spring one of the first plants to hit the dirt in our small backyard garden is Swiss Chard. I usually go overboard by planting too much and end up having more than I could possibly cook in one season. At least Caron’s friend’s mom loves the stuff and accepts the extras without any force

You’ll need…

1 bundle Swiss Chard (wash and cut – see image below)

1 chili pepper (optional)

2 tablespoon coconut cream (optional)

Salt * Only if you don’t use the salted cod.

dash black pepper

1 medium onion diced

2 cloves garlic crushed/sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3-4 tablespoon salted cod (optional) * please excuse my measurement.. I didn’t know how else to explain this.

Start by washing each leaf of the chard under running water. The chard we get here in Canada seems to have been grown in sandy soil, so washing is very important. Cut out the tips of the stalk (area that may be brown or discolored) but don’t remove all the white stem..we’ll be using that as well. Grab a few leaves and wrap them tightly, then with a sharp knife on a cutting board, start slicing into thin strips.

After you’ve sliced the entire bundle of Chard, place in a drainer and run cold water over it again to ensure any sand/dirt is completely removed.

Peel and sliced the garlic and onion, as well as the chili pepper.

I usually soak the piece of salted cod in hot water for about 10 minutes, then I strip into pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan under med-high heat. Then add the strips of salted cod and allow to cook from about 3 minutes. Then add the onion, garlic and chili. Allow this to cook until it starts going golden brown (about 3-5minutes).

At this point you can start adding the sliced Swiss chard to the pot. It will pile up quite a bit, but as it cooks, it will decrease in size. Keep adding as it goes down in size. Then cover the pot and allow to cook on a low heat. it will release it’s own natural juices. Don’t forget to add a dash of black pepper.

After about 15 minutes or so, add the coconut cream and stir everything around so the cream gets to flavor everything. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes (until all the liquid dries up and everything starts to melt). You may prefer to keep things a bit more crunchy (like a stir fry). The choice is yours… just control the cooking time.

* Salt – since I added the salted codfish, there will be no need for adding additional salt. However if you choose not to use the fish, please taste and add salt as to your liking. The coconut cream (milk) is also optional, but I find that it really enhances the dish so I do recommend that you do use it.

I’d love to hear from you. please leave me your comments in the box below or send me a message by clicking on the contact link above.

This recipe post is inspired by a conversation I had with a lady at the grocery store recently. I recall when we first moved to Canada, finding any food closely related to what we enjoyed in the Caribbean was almost impossible. If you didn’t source out a specialty store, you had to settle for typical North American food. How times have changed. I can now go to just about any grocery store and find things such as yams, eddoes, dasheen, plantain, cassava, ochro … even bodi!

A few days back I was in Fortinos (grocer) and was in the section where they had all the “ethnic” foods when a woman came up to me and asked “what is that and what do you do with it?” as she pointed to the pile of eddoes. I’ve been there many times. You’d see something in the fresh vegetable or fruit section and stand there wondering what it was or how to prepare it, so I was only too happy to explain. So just what do you do with eddoes? Let’s explore an entry level dish featuring eddoes, the step child of the “ground provision” family.

You’ll need…

2 lbs eddoes
1 med-large onion (sliced)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
water (see comments below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

NOTE: If you look under the “videos” page you’ll find a couple videos I created to explain a couple things about eddoes. How to peel and how to shop for eddoes.

Let’s get started by peeling the eddoes. After which you must rinse them off with clean water to remove any dirt etc that may have made it’s way into the bowl.

The next step is to get cooking the eddoes. For this we need to place the peeled eddoes into a pot, cover with water and place on high heat until it starts to boil. Then reduce to a simmer, add the salt and let cook for about 15 minutes. After about 12 minutes or so poke the eddoes with a knife to check to see if it’s cooked. If the knife can go through them without force, they’re done.

Drain the water out and in the same pot, using a potato masher or pestle crush so they’re a bit chunky. We’d like to avoid making a paste.

Slice the onion and garlic and place aside with the chili flakes.

Place a pan (frying pan is great) over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter to heat. Then add the onions, garlic and pepper flakes.

After cooking for about 5-8 minutes or until the onion is soft and starting to brown, add the crushed eddoes. Move everything around so it’s coated evenly with the infused butter/oil mixture. In about 5 minutes you should have a nicely coated mix that’s ready for serving.

Some notes on eddoes…

Like all “ground provision” this can be a stand alone dish or the base for many of the stewed meats that featured on here. In the last step mentioned above you can also add some salted cod chunks to add a whole new flavor. I’d also like to point out that many people would stop after boiling the eddoes as mentioned above and enjoy it with stewed meats as well, so they’re not re-frying after it’s been boiled. The final thing I’d like to mention is that eddoes is also a “must” ingredient for those wonderful heavy soups we’re so famous for in the Caribbean.

Leave me your thoughts and comments below.

BTW… I hope the lady who I had the conversation is reading.