Here’s a redo of a classic Caribbean way of cooking Okra, which I originally share when this blog first started back in 2009. If you recall, back then I mentioned how much I disliked okra (say ochro in the Caribbean) as a young fella growing up on the islands. Funny how your taste-buds change as you get older, especially when you move to a different country where you can get the stuff you had in abundance. Basically when you don’t have something, you realize how much you wish you did or at least gave it a try during those abundant younger years.
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Heat the oil in a wide pan (use a non stick pan or you’ll need more olive oil) on a med/low flame, then add the pieces of prepared salted cod to the pan. Stir well, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add the black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, onion and garlic and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.
Trim off the ends and stems of the okra (discard) then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. If you want to prevent most of the ‘slime” that Okra tends to have, you may air-dry the sliced okra for a few hrs in the sun. I didn’t. Turn up the heat to med high at this point and start adding the okra to the pan. Stir well.
Cook with the lid off as we’re not trying to add any moisture to the pan. Stir well.
After about 25 minutes your okra should have golden brown edges and fully cooked. You may check for salt and adjust as I didn’t add any salt. The remaining salt in the salted cod was enough for me. You may also choose to continue cooking until “dried” down (as we say) or as in my case.. I stopped.
Remember to wash your hands immediately after handling scotch bonnet peppers with soap and water.
With an abundance of fresh Callaloo (aka spinach or chorai bhagi) in my garden last summer and with the many requests for a version of the classic Jamaican Callaloo With Saltfish (salted cod)without the saltifsh, I’ve been playing around with a few variations. I’m a HUGE fan of salted cod and NOT a fan of turkey, but I had to admit that this recipe was simply delicious. You may also use ground beef, chicken or pork if you so desire.. with similar results.
You’ll Need…
Jamaican callaloo
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic (diced or crushed)
1 small onion
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 grape tomato
juice 1/2 lemon (I used red wine vinegar)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Prep the Jamaican Callaloo and set aside. Basically I only used the leaves and not the stems as I would normally do. I washed them thoroughly, then rolled into a sort of cigar shape and sliced about 1 centimeter thick ribbons (watch the video below). I must stress that you wash the leaves really well and it won’t hurt to give the chopped leaves a second wash. Do drain.
Since ground turkey is very lean, I add the oil to a heavy pan and tossed in the turkey on a low/medium flame. The idea is to break it up (I used a wooden spoon) as it’s cooks through. It would be near impossible to give this any color. Took about 10-15 minutes to get it fully cooked and broken up into tiny pieces.
I then turned the heat down to low and added the onion, garlic, black pepper, scotch bonnet (no seeds and do remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such peppers), parsley, thyme and allspice. Mix well and cook on low for 3-5 minutes.
It’s now time to start adding the prepared Jamaican Callaloo (Chorai bhagi) to the pot. As you do, try to mix well. It may seem like too much for the pot but it will wilt as it cooks down. BTW the heat should be back up to medium at this point. Top with the salt and cover to sort of steam cook.
Remember to stir it every 4-5 minutes.. it will spring its own natural juices. After about 25 minutes it will be fully cooked. Remove the lid to burn off any remaining liquid (I didn’t have any) and adjust the salt to your own liking. Now top with the tomato, give it a stir and cover the pot – turn off the stove. Allow the residual heat to soften the tomato. At this point is also where I’d normally go in with some fresh lemon or lime juice. I didn’t have any so red wine vinegar went in instead. This helps to prevent any sort of itch one can get at the back of the tongue with Callaloo at times.
If you wanted to add a bit of creamed coconut or coconut milk while it steamed cooked, that will add a lovely flavor to the entire dish. So there you go, Jamaican Callaloo with Turkey.. yea traditionalists will be shaking their heads at this point – until they give it a try.
Yea, Honey Nut Squash is new to me too! I had never seen nor heard of it until I was at a local market and the name caught my attention. And even when I posted a clip of me cooking this on Instagram, I had a ton pf people correcting me “it’s butternut squash” so I knew it was kinda unique to many. Like any spinach (greens) type leafy vegetable, I’m also a HUGE fan of all squash and pumpkin, so they came home with me.
You’ll Need…
3 small honey nut squash (peel | cubed)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning
3/4 cup prepared salted cod
1/4 teaspoon salt
Note: I did this recipe with salted Cod, but if you wanted to leave that ingredient out and have this fully vegan or vegetarian, you can certainly do so. Additionally, if doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Peel (the skin will be tough), core and dice the squash, then place it in a bowl covered with cool water. This will prevent it from going discolored.
Place a heavy pot (one with a lid) on a medium flame and heat the olive oil, then turn down the heat and add the diced onion and garlic, along with the black pepper. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes. Then add the Prepare Salted Cod to the pot and stir well. Followed by the Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir.. heat still on low.
It’s now time to crank-up the heat to med-high and start adding the cubed squash pieces to the pot. be sure to stir well to combine all the flavors we started with.
Heat at medium now, add the brown sugar and cover the pot.
After about 3-5 mins (watch the video below) you’ll notice that the Honey Nut Squash got a lot of it’s own natural liquid… add the salt, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Cook for about 20 – 24 mins, stirring occasionally.
It should be fully cooked at this point and falling apart. Here’s where you can personalize things a bit. Check for salt and adjust. I used a little salt as I know the remaining salt in the salted cod would help season things nicely. I then turned the heat up to med/high to burn off the liquid (I like a dry squash wen cooked.. you may like it a bit runny) and I used the back of my spoon to crush any solid pieces. It took another 5-7 minutes to get to the consistency and texture I like.
If salted cod is not your thing, you can add some seasoned shrimp the final 5 minutes of cooking.. you can thank me later. I usually eat this as a typical vegetable side or on days when I want to be taken back to the islands.. I get some hot roti.
I’ll be honest and say I was not a fan of curry duck nor goat, growing up on the islands. While I do eat curry goat occasionally now, I did develop a weakness for spicy curry duck in my adult years. Especially when it’s summertime and I can use my outdoor wood-burning stove, as we’re doing in today’s recipe. Nothing beats the deep flavor you get cooking over a wood fire.. the spices which makes up a good curry powder seems to take on a totally different flavor profile, compared to when cooked indoors or even on a propane flame outside.
You’ll Need…
8-10 lbs Duck
1 tablespoon salt (adjust)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon Roasted Geera (Cumin powder)
1 tablespoon Amchar Masalla
8 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 small onion (diced)
1 medium tomato (diced)
1/2 small onion (diced)
5 sprigs thyme
1 big leaf thyme (podina aka Spanish thyme)
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers
2-3 cups water.
4 tablespoon curry powder
3-4 tablespoon veg oil
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
2-3 cups water
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure that they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler.
Have your butcher use his band-saw to cut the duck into 1 – 2 inch pieces as the bones can be rather tough and brittle as well. Additionally, if you source your duck (Muscovy) at a Caribbean store, ask them to fire roast it (outer skin) if they can. This will help burn off any baby feathers. I’m not a huge fan of the skin and fat (duck can be very fatty) so I trimmed off as much as I could, then I washed the now trimmed pieces of duck with the juice of a lemon and cool water. Drain and get ready to season.
In a large bowl, place the duck, tomato, salt, black pepper, 2 scotch bonnet pepper (be mindful that this is supposed to be a spicy dish but you can tailor it to your own liking) , thyme, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Geera, Amchar Masalla, the small onion, scallion and big leaf thyme (crushed of chopped finely -optional). Give this a good mix and allow to marinate for at least a couple hours, but overnight in the fridge is probably best.
I had a good bed of coals and a couple logs in my fire, so on went a heavy iron pot over the heat, along with the vegetable oil. This was followed by the diced 1/2 onion, which cooked for 2 minutes (try to have a low heat if you can), then I went in with the garlic. After 30 seconds I added my curry powder and cooked until it got fragrant and darker. This step allows us to cook off any raw curry taste which could happen at the end and allow the spices which makes up the curry powder to fully bloom.
It’s now time to start adding the seasoned duck to the pot and try your best to stir well, so every piece of duck is coated in the lovely curry base we created. If you can, turn up your heat (I can adjust the heat by how much oxygen I allow into my wood burning stove) and allow the pieces of duck to sear a bit. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir it a couple times.
It’s now time to burn off all the liquid which will naturally spring-up. This step is to give the duck that rich curry flavor and color. Do NOT skip this step please. So basically all I did was add a bit more fire, removed the lid off the pot and got things back to the oil we started off with. Be sure to stir well, so it doesn’t burn during this step. This may take between 5-10 minutes to burn off.
Put the water in the same bowl you marinated the duck in, to pick up any marinade which may have been left back. Then pour it into the now ‘dry’ duck meat in the pot. Give it a good stir and bring back to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook with the pot closed for about 40 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5-8 minutes or so and if you find that it’s drying up too fast, do add a bit more water. NO.. do NOT add any type of stock to the pot. Add some coconut milk if you want to add a different flavor to the curry.
Here’s where you’ll now personalize things. Taste for salt and adjust, see if the meat is tender enough for you (depending on the age of the duck, it can take a bit longer to get tender).. if not cook a bit longer, and adjust the gravy to the consistency you like. Finally add the chopped cilantro (shado beni will be the typical choice in Trinidad and Tobago) and I like adding another finely diced scotch bonnet at this point as well.
Remove the pot off the heat source and allow the residual heat to warm the diced pepper and cilantro. Get ready to enjoy the best ever curry duck you’ve ever made/had. You may thank me by sharing this recipe with your friends. (smile)
Couple things.. be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the Scotch Bonnet peppers and you can control the amount of heat in this dish by how many peppers you choose to use as well as by using the seeds of the peppers or not. The seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds is where the raw heat will be.
Curry Chicken With Spinach.. a classic Caribbean combination (in my humble opinion). A dish which screams flavor, simple to put together and done in under 20 minutes. I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast as I much prefer the texture and flavor of darker meat, especially with bones. However, if there’s one time you can make chicken breast stand out in a curry, it’s now. Be sure to use baby spinach leaves for best results.
You’ll Need…
1 lb chicken (1 inch pieces)
3/4 lb baby spinach
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 shallot (diced finely)
2 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
8-10 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
Important! If doing this dish gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler. Also, keep in mind that you must wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers as scotch bonnets.
Season the chicken with the salt, black pepper and Caribbean Green Seasoning and set aside. No need to marinate as we want to get this tasty dish done asap. I used boneless chicken breast but you can certainly use chicken thighs. To be 100% honest, you will get better results with chicken thighs.
Wash the baby spinach with cool water and set aside to drain.
Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan over a low heat, then go in with the shallot and garlic. Allow this to cook on that low flame for 2-3 minutes, then add the slices of scotch bonnet pepper. Don’t use any of the seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat. Then add the curry powder and cook for 3-5 minutes. This step will do two things. Cook out the rawness of the curry and help to bloom the spices which makes up the curry blend.
Crank the heat up to med/high and start adding the season chicken to the pot. Mix well to coat the chicken with that curry goodness. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Your kitchen should have the lovely aroma of a good curry being cooked. There should be no liquid in the pot and the chicken pieces properly coated with the curry. Add the washed spinach to the pot and stir well. The remaining water on the spinach leaves (from washing) will help to deglaze or release the flavor bits on the bottom of the pan.
The spinach will wilt down so after about 2 minutes you may now go in with the tomato and stir well. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Then taste for salt and adjust to your own liking. You may crank up your heat if you have a ton of liquid on the bottom of the pan. In my case it was done to my liking at this point.
Feel free to add a couple tablespoon of coconut cream if you’d like to add a bit more flavor to this curry dish. I never covered the pan if you’re wondering.
Not until my adult years have I started appreciating geera (aka cumin) and even today I use it in a handful of dishes. The lovely smokey flavors works well with the kick from the peppers in this dish and the fact that we’ll be using shrimp means you’ll be done in under 10 minutes. This recipe is based on the classic Caribbean recipe for Geera Pork, a hit when enjoying some adult beverages in bars (rum shops) across the Southern Caribbean.
You’ll Need…
1.5 lbs shrimp
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
1 habanero pepper (sliced – include seeds)
5 wiri wiri pepper
3 pimento peppers (sliced – include seeds)
1.5 tablespoon geera (roasted cumin)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 cloves garlic (diced)
1 scallion (chopped)
1 teaspoon roasted geera (cumin) for the cooking part
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
Important. This dish is supposed to be spicy, so remember to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the spicy peppers. Additionally, if doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Peel, devin and wash the shrimp (drain dry), then season with the salt, black pepper, olive oil, roasted geera and Caribbean Green Seasoning. Stir well and allow to marinate (if you have time) for an hour or so. In my case I cooked them immediately.
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Place a wide heavy pan on a low flame, then go in with the veg oil. As it heats, add the cumin seeds, corriander, garlic, habanero pepper, scallion and pimento peppers (leave out if you can’t source them). Cook on a low flame for about 4 minutes. You may want to turn the fan over your stove on or at least open your kitchen window or risk having the habanero choke you as it cooks.
It’s now time to crank up the heat to med/high and add the seasoned shrimp. Stir well to coat with that lovely base of flavor we created. Be sure to use a wide pan as we need for the shrimp to not be crowded or they may want to boil.
The shrimp will cook quickly.. no need to over-cook. After about 4 minutes, you may take the heat off, add the Wiri Wiri peppers and chopped cilantro and give it a toss. Leave in the pan for another minute to allow the residual heat to brighten up the cilantro we added and warm through the Wiri Wiri peppers. Obviously.. do check for salt and adjust to your liking.
A quick and tasty dish you can rock in less than 10 minutes! You’re free to add a bit more Habanero (or scotch bonnet) peppers if you wish and I’d recommend eating this warm as the shrimp may go chewy if heated in a microwave later on. For an added punch of flavor you may go in with a squeeze of fresh lime juice as you turn off the heat.
This is a dish mom would make for us when she had leftover ham (usually around Christmas time) as it’s was the only way she could ever make ‘cabbage’ seem attractive to us. When she didn’t have ham, show would use salted pork or tiny pieces of salted pig tails. If pork is not your thing you can always use smoked turkey or pieces of salted codfish as we did in a previous recipe.. where we also added boiled green bananas as our cousins in St Lucia would normally do.
You’ll Need…
1/2 large Cabbage (sliced)
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1 carrot (julienne)
1 stalk celery (sliced)
2 pimento peppers
1 bird’s eye pepper (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain flour.
Dice the ham into 1 cm pieces and place into a heated (wide) pan over low heat. My ham was a bit fatty so I didn’t need any oil in the pan. Allow to cook (render down the fat) and go a bit golden in color. It may take a few minutes. Should you have a lot of fat in the pan, remove some and discard. Do NOT pour that fat down your kitchen sink or risk clogged pipes.
With the heat still on low, go in with the onion and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the black pepper and pimento pepper, along with the Bird’s Eye Pepper (any hot pepper will work.. providing with want some kick) and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir well to incorporate the flavors.
Its now time to add the carrot and stir well. Right after you can go in with the cabbage. Heat on medium at this point please.
Here’s where you now add the salt (be mindful that the ham will add a salty element to the dish already), taste and adjust and personalize how long you want to cook the cabbage. I like it with a slight crunch, so I gave it 4-5 minutes, then the stove came off.
A quick and tasty way to put leftover ham to use.. goes great with rice, roti or as I did on this occasion.. on sandwiches.
This past summer I finally got around to growing bitter melon (Carilie) successfully.. and if you’ve been a fan for a while you’ll know that it’s one of those ingredients I’ve disliked from the time I entered this world. If you’re wondering why I grew them in my garden, I guess I have two reasons. I wanted to prove I could do so in a cold climate like Canada where our growing seasoning is short and I know how much my mom and dad loves Carilie.
You’ll Need…
3 bitter melons
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 lb shrimp (or more)
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
2-3 tablespoon veg oil (divided)
1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust)
pinch of black pepper
1-5 birds eye peppers
3 cloves garlic (smashed)
ginger (sliced thin)
2 -3 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour.
Peel, devin and wash the shrimp. Pat dry and season with the Caribbean Green Seasoning, curry powder and black pepper.
Heat a pan (I used a wok) on a medium flame and add 1/2 of the veg oil. Followed by the seasoned shrimp when the oil is hot. Stir for just over a minute then remove from the pan and set aside. We don’t want to overcook the shrimp.
With the flame now on low add the remaining oil, then go in with the bird’s eye peppers (give them a slice if you want to release some heat – see the video below). Cook on low for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds, so we don’t burn the garlic.
It’s now time to raise the heat to medium/low and add the prepped bitter melon. Basically you’ll trim off the ends, then cut it down the center length-wise. Then using a teaspoon you’ll scrape out the insides where there are the seeds etc and discard. Wash with cool water and slice into strips. (see the video below for the demo).
Add the pieces to the pan and give it a good stir to pick on the flavors already in the pan, followed by the salt and water.
The idea with the water is to help get the bitter melon tender. Cook on med/low for about 10 minutes or until tender. You can certainly adjust the cooking time if you want more crunchy or if you want it cooked softer. Taste for salt/adjust and if needed crank up the heat a bit if there’s still liquid at the bottom of the pan. The final thing you’ve got to do is add back the shrimp and brown sugar to the pan and cook for a minute, then you’re done.
Feel free to add a bit of chopped tomato if you’re concerned about the “bitterness” of the Carilie or you can do as I showed you all in a previous recipe – salt the Carilie after you slice them and allow to sit in the salt for about 30 minutes. Then squeeze and rinse off all the salt.
My dad is a diabetic and bitter melon is supposed to be a superfood for such illness. He also makes “tea” with the ‘bush’ (leaves/vines) of the plant. So with the abundance of both the vegetable and vines, he was in his own little word this summer, when they would come over on the weekends.
Last Spring I had the opportunity to be “home” in the Caribbean during Pigeon peas season and luckily I had my camera with me so I was able to document my mom and dad making curry pigeon peas, to share with you. This is traditional as it gets, so even though I’ve shared a similar recipe in the past I felt it was important to show you this version as well. This is what I grew up enjoying as a young fella on the islands.
You’ll Need…
5-6 cups shelled pigeon peas
3 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon amchar massala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon roasted cumin (ground geera)
1 medium onion
5 cloves garlic (grated)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 cup water (for cooking curry)
4-5 cups boiling water
1 large tannia (2 potatoes will work)
1 teaspoon salt (adjust accordingly)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3 tablespoon veg oil
Important: If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler/thickener.
Fresh off the trees, the pigeon peas were shelled by my dad.. something which was my chore along with my brother and sisters (I hated doing). Then washed with cool water and set aside for cooking. The sort of skin or shell the peas were in could be used for feeding cows, goats and pigs.
In a heavy pot on a medium/low heat add the veg oil, followed by the curry powder and cook for about 3-4 minutes. The curry will go dark and you’ll be able to smell the scent of all the spices which makes up the curry blend. Then add the water (1/2 cup) and cook off the ‘raw’ taste of the curry. After-which you may go in with the onion, garlic and scotch bonnet pepper. Stir well and cook for a couple minutes.
You may now go in with the Cumin, amchar masala, turmeric and Caribbean Green Seasoning and stir well. Cook another 2 minutes or so.
Peel and slice the tannia and add it to the pot and stir well to completely coat with the curry base we’ve created.
Turn up the heat to high and add the pigeon peas, along with the salt and stir well. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. It will spring it’s own natural liquid. At this point you will reduce the heat a bit and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes uncover the pot and burn off any remaining liquid.. there shouldn’t be any/much. This step is to infuse the pigeon peas with that lovely curry flavor. Heat back on high, add the boiling water to the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a rolling boil and cook until the peas are tender. This will take between 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
After an hour and half this was fully cooked in our case, so mom went in with her swizzle stick and gave it a working to crush some of the peas the thicken the gravy. You may use a potato masher if you don’t have a swizzle stick. You’re basically done at this point.
Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. And there you go, a traditional technique Pigeon peas straight out of my dad’s garden. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.. and TASTY!
While we’re lucky to have an abundance of fresh shrimp directly out of the Caribbean Sea and to our door in most cases, I don’t ever recall ever having Shrimp Cocktail growing up on the islands. However it’s a norm now when I go back back and hit the restaurant and bar scene during my travels across the region. Plump juice shrimp dipped in a thick cocktail sauce is definitely “my thing”. And I say my thing as this is not your ordinary ketchup + horseradish + Worcestershire… kinda sauce, as you’re about to learn.
While it may take a bit more work chopping this manually with a knife, I’d recommend not using a food processor.. but that’s totally up to you. I say so as I like the different texture I get by spending the time to chop everything. Try to keep the tomato, celery, avocado and cucumber the same size. Go a bit finer with the scallions and shallot. And even finer if you can with the thyme and cilantro.
Grate the horseradish into a large bowl. If you cannot source fresh horseradish you may use the stuff in the bottle (it will be in the cooler section of your grocery store).
After this you’re basically adding all the other prepped ingredients to the bowl.
Add the lime and lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and sugar. Yes the sugar is needed to help balance some of the acidity from the fresh tomato. Stir well and chill for an hour or so. I’d recommend tasting after it’s been chilled to see if you need some more salt to your liking.
For a quick fix, use the frozen (cooked) shrimp you can get at the grocery stores. Thaw, rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. I used the shrimp whole (with the tails on) but you’re free to do things a bit different and give them a rough chop. Then mix into the cocktail sauce.
I used a bit of scotch bonnet pepper in the sauce for a needed kick, but this is totally optional. do remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such hot peppers. There are times I also serve these in shooter glasses as in the image below.
Most people tend to associate a freshly made Salsa with the summertime and hanging out in the back yard with friends, sipping cocktails (and beer) while patiently waiting for the stuff off the grill. However this holiday season there’s no reason to not make this quick and simple Pineapple Salsa to add a bit of the warm tropics to your party. I guess the same can be said for when it’s the height of winter and you’re engaged in supporting your favorite sporting team on television.
You’ll Need…
1 small ripe pineapple (abt 1 1/2 cups | ripe)
2 cups diced tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped finely)
1 clove garlic
1 med red onion (diced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 lime (juice)
1 jalapeno pepper (diced)
When shopping for a pineapple please try to get one that’s not green in color (should be a mixture of green and yellow or all yellow). With no blemishes or rotting top leaves and there must a fragrant scent if you were to hold it up to your nose. Make sure it’s also firm.
This is so simple you really don’t need a recipe, plus it’s a shame more people don’t make their own but resort to paying those expensive prices the local grocery stores charge for the pre-made stuff. Crush the garlic, finely chop the cilantro and try to dice the other ingredients the same size. Yes it may take a little effort, but it’s worth it.
Place everything in a large bowl then go in with the salt, black pepper and lime juice and give it all a good stir. Adjust the salt if you find it a bit tart and you can certainly add a bit of finely diced habanero or scotch bonnet pepper if you want a more pronounced kick.
If you want you can substitute lemon juice for the lime juice or add a bit of both. Allow the salsa to marinate in the fridge for an hr or so before serving and give it a final toss before bringing it out to your guests. If you find that the pineapple is a bit tart you can add a teaspoon of brown sugar or honey to the mix.
If you wanted to add some diced mango to the salsa I’m sure your family and guests will approve.
Lately I’ve been doing a series on YouTube called #MeatFreeMondays and it’s been an overwhelming success with fans, though some of the recipes are not necessarily “Caribbean”. The following Kale Salad is one of those demos I shared a while back… which in my humble opinion is one of the best ways to put Kale to use. Kale can be somewhat tough, so by bruising the leaves it breaks down some of the fiber and makes it much more delicious. Especially with the quick vinaigrette we’ll dress it with.
You’ll Need…
1 bunch Kale (about 1 – 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 small red Cabbage
1 avocado (cubed)
1 small shallot (diced fine)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon sugar (white)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon
Important! If doing this recipe Gluten Free please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet your specific Gluten Free dietary requirements.
Trim the Kale (remove the tough ribs and discard), then rip into bite-sized pieces and wash well with cool water.
Cut the cabbage into strips and add to the Kale.
In a bowl whisk the shallot, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar together. Then pour over the cabbage/kale combo. If you wanted to add some dried pepper flakes or some freshly diced Birds Eye pepper to the dressing, feel free to do so.
Mix well, then go in with your hands and be rough – squeeze the kale and cabbage as to bruise the leaves. Try you best to really break down the Kale so it’s easier to enjoy in the salad.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan (or a dry pan if you wish) on low heat and toast the nuts to warm them through and to help bring out a bit of the ‘nutty’ flavor in them. Toss in the curry powder (optional) and cook for a few minutes. I used a variety of nuts, but you can stick to one of your faves. Now top the salad with the diced avocado and nuts… dig in.
In under ten minutes you’ll be enjoying one of the best kale salads you’ve ever had- guaranteed! But be sure to be rough with the kale leaves when you work in the dressing or you’ll find it a bit chewy.
